Chapter Seventeen
Braxton
No way this is fucking real.
I glance back at my brothers who are right behind me. Teddy’s mouth is hanging open. Cole looks battle-ready.
Okay, so I didn’t imagine that a roomful of men appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
My attention returns to Lauren and the buff young man standing beside her like a bodyguard. She brings her hands to her temples, bending her head as if in pain. “Stop,” she commands. “Please! I can’t talk to all of you at once. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to send you back. I didn’t know I could. If you want me to be able to help you, you must pull back and allow me to think.”
“That’s not a request,” the man beside her booms.
I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I go to where Lauren is and ask, “Are you okay?”
She straightens and raises her eyes to mine. She’s flushed with a sheen of sweat on her forehead. In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her flustered. “I will be.” She waves a hand at the men standing around the table. “Having all of them talking in my head can be overwhelming.”
Lauren isn’t the type to prank people. She doesn’t fabricate stories. I’m struggling to reconcile what I know about her with the side of her that’s clearly confused. What does she mean they’re in her head? Have these people brainwashed her? Tricked her? How did they all just appear? What the fuck is going on?
My brothers join me. We’re the only ones in the room who appear to be armed, but no one seems bothered by that.
The man beside Lauren says, “My name is Pete. I don’t know how much Lauren has told you about us, but I’d be real careful how you treat her. There’s not a man in this room who isn’t itching for a reason to off you.”
That raises my eyebrows. A quick look around confirms that all eyes are on me and not in a friendly way. I square my shoulders and face Pete again. “I’m Braxton. I have no beef with any of you—yet. But I’m here for Lauren. So, you should also be careful.”
Ray laughs. “I like him.”
I don’t waste time on a response to him. Pete and I are in a silent stand-off. Is he in a relationship with Lauren? He’s young but seasoned and hardened by life. Like a soldier. But... from World WarII? That’s not possible. Could this be some kind of elaborate cosplay?
“So, you’re a super soldier?” I ask in what I hope is a non-triggering tone.
“So, you’ve been in love with Lauren for decades but have waited until now to do anything about it?” Pete counters.
That would have set me back onto my heels a few days earlier, but I’ve already made it clear to Lauren how I feel. Target missed, buddy.
Teddy mutters, “Well, that was a low blow.”
“I don’t like this,” Cole says.
Pete is glaring at me, nostrils flaring, chest puffed, and it ramps my protective side up a notch. I don’t care who this guy is, I’ll send him flying into next week if his next words disrespect Lauren. “Whatever Lauren and I feel for each other is no one’s business but ours.”
Pete folds his arms across his chest. “You’re going to wish you had the guts to tell her how you felt before she met us.”
Oh, really?
Lauren swings to look at him and although they say nothing they appear to be arguing. When she turns back to me, her cheeks are pink and she’s even more flustered than before. “I’m sorry, Braxton. I told you this is complicated.”
Not to me. Not anymore. I can’t blame Pete for wanting to claim Lauren for himself. She was worth the wait, and there’s no way in hell I’ll be leaving without her. “Complicated or not, I’m not going anywhere.”
There’s a flash of something in Lauren’s eyes—hope? As crazy as everything around us is, it all fades away. If she’s having a mental breakdown, I’ll help her through it. If I am, and this is some feverish delusion, she won’t leave me in it.
I hold out a hand to her. Her eyes darken as a battle rages within her. I understand she’s scared, but I don’t lower my hand. I hold her gaze and silently promise her that whatever obstacles come our way, we can face them together.
Her voice is just above a whisper. “You need to understand what’s going on here.”
“So, tell me.”
The hand she brings to her mouth is shaking. “There is a chemical bond that happens between the soldier trapped in the utensil and whoever brings him back. It’s felt on both sides and comes with a connection that allows for telepathic communication.”
I nod and listen, seeking something in what she’s saying that will make sense of all of this.
She continues. “It’s an intense bond that mimics how one might feel when they first fall in love. My goal is to find a way to break that bond, but for now, I share that connection with the men I’ve brought back.”
I take another look around at the men staring at me like they’d gladly punch me in the face. It sounds implausible, but she believes it so I try to. “How many did you bring back?”
“Everyone here, except Ray,” she says softly.
I continue to assess the group. Not one of them is disputing her story. “They all believe they’re in love with you? ”
Her voice is thick when she answers. “Yes.”
“Talk about competition,” Teddy murmurs.
An unpleasant possibility occurs to me. “And you feel the same for them?”
She nods slowly. “It’s a chemical bond, though. I’ll be taking blood samples today and as soon as I isolate the cause, I’m certain I can counteract it.”
There’s not a hint of humor in her tone. I don’t know how to feel about the woman I love having a physical attachment to a room full of younger men. How intimate have they allowed this bond to be? Imagining her with any of them guts me.
“It sucks,” Pete says and for just a split second we don’t seem like we’re on opposing sides.
There are moments in a crisis when men drop the pretense of being fearless. When the flames rage and what should have been an exit disappears; that’s when things get real. No posturing. No bravado. Ego gets put aside and the core of a person shines through. I’ve watched brave men freeze and cower while others step up and reveal a strength no one expected from them.
Whatever’s going on here, it’s raw and real—at least in their minds. “Yeah.” I search Pete’s face for a hint of instability, but only see quiet confidence. “Are you also in love with Lauren?”
He turns to meet her gaze before answering me with a smile. “I don’t have much experience with love, but she’s amazing. Strong. Loyal. Intelligent. Kind. Beautiful. Funny—”
“Okay,” I cut in. “I get it.” When Lauren’s eyes meet mine again she looks guilty. With any other woman I would have felt slighted, but I don’t. I don’t care if every damn man in the country is in love with her. She and I belong together. My next words are for her. “I agree. She’s also a dedicated mother, a skilled doctor, and the woman I measure all others against. So far none have even come close.”
Her mouth rounds in surprise and a blush that makes me wonder if it’s possible she doesn’t realize how incredible she is. She lowers her eyes, before raising them to mine again.
Cole addresses Ray, pulling my attention from Lauren back to the men around us. “I’m not convinced any of this is real. Show me something concrete. Something a magician couldn’t do.”
Ray walks to the marble island top and snaps off a corner of it as if it’s nothing more than a wafer. He hands it to Cole. “Try to crush that in your hand.”
Cole does and nothing happens. He also bangs it against the side of the island. “I can’t.”
Ray takes the piece back and crumbles it in his hand with an ease that has the hair on the back of my neck rising. Bits of marble drop to the floor around Ray.
The silence that follows is deafening. “Not enough?” Ray growls. He smashes his arm against the side of the marble island so hard his arm fractures. Blood spurts out from where a bone has pierced through his skin. He shakes the appendage, like one would if theirs had gone numb. Before our eyes the bone retracts, and his skin heals.
Heals.
Like a superhero in a movie.
It has to be a trick.
“What are you?” Cole demands, his hand going to the gun at his side. That’s when it sinks in that Cole doesn’t think any of this is a trick. There are things I don’t question. I know the day will start with the sun rising and I know Cole’s instincts when it comes to people are never wrong. We grew up joking that he’s a walking lie detector.
Ray stands tall and faces him. “A man who thought there would be glory in serving his country and who now only wants to be left the fuck alone.”
Cole stands there, hand on gun, assessing Ray and the others. “What are you all doing here with Lauren?”
Without missing a beat, Ray answers, “Looking for answers and a plan for how to survive in a world that won’t want us to if we’re discovered.”
Relaxing his stance, Cole glances at me then Teddy. I move to stand at one of his shoulders. Teddy flanks his other side. I know what he’s thinking and also that he wants me to be the one to say it. I square my shoulders and address not just Ray, but all those in the room. “We’re here for Lauren, but if what you’re saying is true, you’ve gained three more supporters. ”
The approval and pride in Lauren’s expression damn near has me getting emotional. I’ve waited decades for her to look at me like that. No matter her relationship with these men, I can’t resent them for helping her come alive again.
“Thank you,” she says softly. “What happened to these men was wrong. I won’t leave them until I know I’ve done everything possible to help them.”
There’s the Lauren I know. Strong. Sure of herself.
I believe her.
Like Cole, she’s steadfast and honest. These men were part of a government experiment gone wrong. What my mind wants to dismiss as a trick is real.
I tense. They don’t have a plan, but Ray’s right, they’ll need one. A government agency that would try to kill its own soldiers is capable of anything. “Does Inkwell still exist in any form?”
Her eyes darken. “We think so, but they’re not on any database we could access. After so many years, if they’re still around, someone powerful is keeping them hidden.”
That sends a chill down my spine. I’m not afraid to risk my life, but everyone involved in this could be in danger... including those we love. Governments are not forgiving toward those who expose their dirty secrets.
I inhale and calm my center. There’s no benefit in second-guessing if I should have involved my brothers. They’re here. It makes more sense to focus on keeping Lauren and the others safe .
Teddy’s eyes dart around. There’s a reason I encouraged him to work for me rather than remain a firefighter. No one is more loyal or willing to give up his life to save someone, but he can also become impulsive when overwhelmed. “Am I the only one who’s freaking out? I mean, like seriously, freaking the fuck out on the inside?”
“There’s no reason to be concerned.” A knee-high robot rolls into the kitchen.
A robot? And, of course, it has a cowboy hat on. Why wouldn’t it?
“What the fuck are those?” Cole exclaims.
Two mechanical spiderlike things scurry in, followed by a small army of equally creepy robots. A centipede in shoes? Okay, this may be my limit for what I can accept. They make a circle around me and my brothers. Cole prepares to shoot the first one of them that comes closer. Teddy looks ready to climb me like a tree.
Ashley rushes into the room with several other people, none I recognize. “I’m so sorry. What did I miss?” She steps through the robots and smiles at me. “Braxton. Thank you so much for lending us your place.” She hugs me as if there is nothing strange going on. When she steps back, she says, “Thank you for all the gifts and cards over the years.”
“You’re welcome,” I say in a tight voice.
Her lips purse when she notices blood on the floor and on Ray. “We’ll clean that up,” she assures me.
Yeah, because the floor being stained is what I’m most concerned about.
Ashley wags a finger at the robots. “I told you guys to wait in the other room. Not everyone handles your presence well. You need to ease your way into situations.”
Lauren touches my arm as she joins me. Her tone is soft. “The robots are sentient and also something you can’t discuss with anyone.”
“Of course.” Sentient? I shrug. That doesn’t even hit as odd at this point.
Lauren continues, “The man on the left is Hugh. He was the first to return and is with Mercedes. Jack is the tall one. He came back second and is with Cheryl. Ashley brought back Ray.”
“Then you brought back everyone else,” I add.
“I started with Pete, Franklin, and Elliot. After that, it was decided that since my goal is to break the bond, I’m the safest choice. The feelings that accompany the bonding process are intense, and we didn’t want to risk that someone might use that to control the men.”
I try to put myself in her place. “It must be confusing to have feelings for so many men at once.”
She swallows visibly. “It is.”
“While also falling for me.” I couldn’t resist.
Time slows as I wait for her answer. “Yes.”
I jumped and fist-bumped both of my brothers—in my head. In reality, all I allowed myself was a slow smile and a question. “Will you seek a cure for that as well? ”
Her cheeks flush. “No, that won’t be necessary. It’s a condition I believe I’ll be able to live with.”
Oh, so we’re flirting now?
I grin and duck my head. After all these years, she not only sees me, but wants me. In her ear, I growl, “I hope you mean that because I’m so fucking in love with you.”
She gasps then smiles. “Hopefully, I won’t cure that either.”
She didn’t say she loves me back, but I would have been shocked if she did. Asking for my help, sharing all of this with me... these were big steps for her. She’s letting me in. “No chance in hell of that happening. I’m not afraid to fight these young pups for you either. You’re mine, Lauren.”
Tension fills the room, but I simply hold her gaze. After a friend of mine divorced, due to his wife cheating on him, I asked my father if he ever worried about my mother. He told me love and trust, just like everything else in life, aren’t worth a damn if you half-ass them. That’s it. That was his big relationship talk.
I chuckled at the time, but now I understand.
In the past, I didn’t trust Lauren enough to let her see the real me.
That thought keeps me smiling, even while a room of supposed superheroes glares at me.
“Cole,” Teddy says, “we should have brought more weapons.”
Lauren takes my hand, and I stop caring that we’ve fallen into some alternate universe where the rules of reality and what’s possible are upside down. All that matters is that, even if it’s only for a moment, she chose me. “I want to kiss you,” I growl.
“No,” the group of men around us exclaims in unison.
Lauren laughs nervously, then glances around apologetically. “Maybe not here.”
She laces her fingers through mine, and I fall for her all over again.