Chapter One #2
After turning the truck off, he sat there for a minute, hands clenched around the steering wheel. “C’mon, Cor,” he whispered, giving himself a pep talk, “get your ass in there and attempt to be social. Normal, like everyone else.”
Readjusting to civilian life was a constant struggle for him and, truth be told, he’d never been able to fully do it.
It felt good to be part of a team again, though.
Mitch Evans, Julia’s father, sent them on clandestine missions that were too hot for spec ops to handle.
So far, they’d taken down a drug lord, decimated Indonesian pirates and neutralized a mafia kingpin.
Maybe Mitch had contacted Brand about a new assignment in the last few weeks. Since Corey had been MIA—meaning he ignored text and phone calls—he was curious. In the end, that’s what got his ass out of the truck. If he couldn’t deal with his problems, at least he could run from them.
Grabbing the grocery bags, he headed inside. Just like the parking lot predicted, the bar was hopping and at capacity. Pausing on the threshold, trying not to feel overwhelmed, Corey looked over to where his friends always sat—and there they all were, talking and laughing with each other.
Pulling in a deep, steadying breath, he started walking toward them.
Lex spotted him first and grinned a bright-white smile.
Alexander “Lex” Battle was the playboy in their group, still snagging women with ease at forty-five.
He knew all the right things to say, and Corey rarely saw the former Navy pilot with the same woman twice.
“Well, if it isn’t the Mane Attraction,” Lex announced cheekily, and the others greeted Corey. “The Facial Fortress, Whisker Wonderland, Beardacus Maximus!”
“Shut up, Lex,” Corey said good-naturedly, setting the bags down on the table then bumping knuckles with the other man before repeating the gesture with Chaz, Brand, Jayson, Xander and Murph.
He ran a self-conscious hand over his beard.
Maybe it was time to at least trim it up a bit.
But he used it to hide behind, and it had been a very long time since he’d been without it. Hell, it was like his security blanket.
Weston “Murph” Murphy pulled the empty chair out beside him. “Have a seat, Cor.” His friend frowned. “You okay? You look a little pale.”
Corey shrugged a shoulder. “I think I might have a cold coming on. No big deal.”
As Corey sat down, Lottie appeared and set a cold beer on the table in front of him. Charles “Chaz” Madden’s petite, blonde wife was sweet as pie, and she gave Corey’s shoulder a little squeeze. “Good to see you, Corey.”
Lottie Russell Madden was the happiest, bubbliest soul Corey had ever met, while Chaz was her complete opposite. Yet, somehow, they complemented each other perfectly. She and her daughter Reya smoothed out his rough, growly edges, and the former Delta Force man even smiled now.
“Thanks, Lottie.” He watched her stroll over to her husband and drop a kiss on his lips. Chaz beamed and, when she tried to straighten up, he pulled her onto his lap for another kiss, this one longer and steamier.
“Newlyweds,” Xander Hawke grumbled. “Aren’t they precious?”
The former CIA agent was their newest recruit, thanks to Mitch, and the youngest at forty-one.
He could be hard to read, extremely mysterious, and disappeared more often than not.
But he came through when they needed him—most recently when Lottie had been kidnapped by Donato Ferrante, a Las Vegas mafia man.
What would it be like to have that? Corey wondered, watching Chaz and Lottie completely lose themselves in each other, forgetting—or not caring—that they were in the middle of a crowded bar.
No fucking idea, he answered himself, and took a swig from the bottle.
“Tell me these are baked goods,” Jayson “Jay” Knight said, dragging a bag over to inspect its contents.
The single father and Army Ranger left his military career to raise his daughter Emma after her mother took off twenty-five years ago.
Emma was his world. Ever since she got engaged and moved out earlier that year, Jayson had been struggling with Empty Nest Syndrome.
“Help yourself,” Corey said. “I, ah, was in a bit of a baking frenzy.”
His friends exchanged concerned looks.
“Anything I can do?” Murph asked, voice laced in concern. His best friend knew December was a hard month for Corey.
“No, I’m fine.” Corey took another pull of his beer. Truthfully, he wasn’t, but he didn’t want to worry them. They had enough going on, and he didn’t want to dampen their holiday joy with his shit. “How about you guys? Any word from Mitch?”
Brand shook his head, setting his glass of whiskey down. “He’s been busy saving the world, but he hasn’t called on the Motley Crew’s services yet.”
A wave of disappointment flooded Corey. He wanted a distraction. Needed one more than usual.
“I have to get back to work,” Lottie murmured, extricating herself from Chaz. “Before my demanding boss gives me a hard time.”
Brand shook his head and smirked. “Yeah, I hear he’s an unforgiving hard ass.”
She grinned, stood up and fluffed her blonde curls. “Does anybody need anything?”
Brand stood up, his eyes on his fiancée Julia who was working the busy bar. “Lottie, you should take your break. I’ll help Julia.”
“I can wait—” she began to say, and Chaz stood up with a growl.
“You’re pregnant, Sunshine. Why don’t you sit, rest those feet and I’ll get you some ice water and a snack.”
Lottie didn’t argue and the big man wandered off, always wanting to do whatever it took to make her life easier.
Leaning back in his chair, Corey watched the men open Tupperware containers and pass them around the table, happily devouring the treats.
“So, what’s happening up on that mountain of yours?
” Murph asked between bites of a chocolate croissant.
He adjusted his prosthetic leg beneath the table, and Corey knew the coming ice and snow weren’t his buddy’s friend.
But that didn’t stop him. Nothing could.
Wes Murphy was a man who never gave up, despite wanting to after he thought his wife Ellie had died.
“They’re predicting a snowstorm. If you want to stay with me and Ellie—”
“Or me,” Jayson offered, polishing off a bear claw. “God knows, I’ve got a big, empty house.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be okay. Already chopped plenty of wood.” He did have to check that generator, though.
“Well, sorry, but you can’t stay with me,” Lex announced with a cocky grin, reaching for another cherry strudel. “I have company coming.”
“‘Coming’ being the operative word,” Murph stated dryly, and the guys cracked up because they all knew Lex only too well. The lady killer liked to keep things light and easy with women. His bedroom must have a constantly revolving door.
“Hey, can I help it if this dashing former Navy pilot is in high demand with the ladies?” Lex lifted his beer bottle in a toast and everyone groaned.
“What did I miss?” Chaz asked, returning to the table and offering Lottie a glass of ice water and a bowl of mac and cheese from the kitchen.
“Lex here was just reminding us how irresistible he is to the women of Cielo Springs,” Xander stated dryly.
“What can I say? They like to ride the bone rollercoaster.”
Another round of jeers and a couple gags filled the air, and Corey’s lips twitched. His friends might be irreverent and half off their rockers, but they were the best men he knew. The only family he had. And he’d die for any one of them.
“Alright, can we please talk about something else?” Chaz asked, making a face. “My wife is trying to eat. And picturing Battle boning some poor, desperate female is enough to make me hurl all over this table.”
“You’re just jealous,” Lex said with a big, shit-eating grin. “Because, let’s face it, most of you are one step away from complete celibacy. If it weren’t for porn and your hand—”
“Not me,” Chaz proudly announced.
“Okay, let me rephrase that. For those of you not completely whipped—sorry, Lottie—the single fellas here haven’t seen any real action since they were active duty.”
A chorus of boos met Lex’s comment and Xander flung a croissant at the other man’s head.
“Don’t include me in that sad statistic,” Xander said, his mouth curling up in a mysterious, half-smile.
“Yeah, okay,” Lex conceded with a smirk. “Hawke probably gets laid, but only after he tells her he’s a former spy able to dismantle a nuclear bomb.”
Which he had. Saved all their asses, too.
“With my eyes closed,” Xander added, and they all laughed.
For the first time in weeks, Corey felt lighter. Being surrounded by his friends and their silly banter always managed to help. But he knew they’d all go their separate ways soon. Then, once again, Corey would be alone in his cabin, preparing to face another long night haunted by his past sins.
Because his demons always came. They were relentless, and they thrived in the dark.