Never Surrender (Men of Steel #3)

Chapter One

“Are you okay Maddox?” Henry Andrews cast a worried glance at one of his best friends. The man had suddenly lost all color.

“I feel like I might pass out,” he replied.

Henry took his elbow, steering him toward a chair. “Breathe,” he instructed, rubbing his back.

“Drink.” Justin Ashton thrust a glass of water into Maddox’s hands. He took a few sips.

“You got this,” Maddox’s brother, Billy, told him.

“This is the most important day of my life.” Maddox looked dazed for a moment, then his eyes widened. “I’m gonna puke.”

Justin kneeled at Maddox’s side. “You want this, right?”

“More than anything.” Every bit of Maddox’s usual confidence seemed to return.

“Then let’s finish getting you ready.” Henry tugged him to his feet.

“Thanks, guys.”

From a hanger next to the mirror, Henry grabbed Maddox’s light-gray vest then helped him into it.

He did the same with the black jacket. Henry looked Maddox over before reaching up to smooth a stray hair back into place.

“Perfect,” he exclaimed, pulling his friend over to the mirror to see for himself.

“Not bad.” Maddox smiled. “Do you think Em will like it?”

Justin laughed. “You could go out there in a bathrobe and that man would still think you’re hot.”

That caused Henry to chuckle as well. He looked up at the clock. “Twenty minutes, guys.” He turned to Maddox. “You good? I need to go check on everything.” Henry had appointed himself their wedding coordinator. Maddox nodded, so Henry walked over and kissed his cheek. “Congratulations.”

He walked out of the dressing room then down a staircase off to the left.

On the ground floor, he saw a small crowd of people gathered around the sign-in table.

Under a large lavender and silver balloon arch, adorned with stargazer lilies and baby’s breath, were photos of the couple and a leather-bound memory book atop a table covered with a silver cloth.

Everything seemed in order there, so he walked into the main chapel to survey his work.

The room was softly lit by LED candles. They were in every available space, even along both sides of the aisle, casting an amber glow over the space.

Sheer purple drapery and stargazer lilies were artfully arranged over every pew.

Arches covered in twinkling lights spanned the entire length of the aisle.

It was as elegant as he’d envisioned. Emmanuel cried when he saw it, telling him over and over how amazing it was.

Everything was perfect, so why did he feel incredibly anxious—he wasn’t the one getting married.

Henry felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Justin and his boyfriend, William.

“Damn, Henry. This is beautiful. You did one hell of a job,” William complimented.

“Thanks.” Henry smiled.

“We should get to our seats,” Justin suggested.

Henry nodded then followed the other two men to the front row.

Maddox had insisted that they sit with his family.

From his seat, he looked at the front where the ceremony was to be performed.

Three wide stairs, which were lined with candles, led to a stage and a podium in front of flowy lavender drapes. Not a thing was out of place.

From the right-side door, the officiant entered, taking his place at the podium.

He was followed by Maddox’s brother, Billy, and Emmanuel’s brother, Gabriel.

Both men took their sides, standing on the bottom step.

The wedding march played, so Henry stood, turning to watch Maddox walk up the aisle with the love of his life on his arm.

Damn, he was happy for the guy. He and Emmanuel were made for one another.

When they reached the front, the crowd was seated.

Henry looked over at Justin and smiled. His arm was wrapped around William, and William’s head rested on his shoulder.

He had to admit he was incredibly happy for Justin as well.

He hadn’t been sure of William in the beginning, but the man had certainly proven himself.

Henry knew, without a doubt, that Justin’s life was better with William in it.

He hadn’t really been paying attention to the blah, blah, blah part of the ceremony, only focusing when Maddox spoke.

“You are everything to me, Em. I can hardly believe I found someone who complements me so perfectly.” The man’s voice was pure emotion. The love he felt for Emmanuel radiated from him.

For a second, Henry pictured himself up there.

What the hell? He tried to shake off the thought.

He looked away from the couple to clear his mind but caught sight of Justin and William, which caused the feeling to intensify.

Want, need, and envy tangled together inside him, feeling like a stone in the center of his chest. What the hell is wrong with me?

Monogamous commitment was not in his game plan.

If he was in a relationship, he would have to consider someone else’s opinions and feelings about the things he did.

He wouldn’t be able to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

He would have to be accountable to someone.

That was a hard pass for him. Even still, as Emmanuel said his vows, the anxious feeling returned, and his eyes stung.

“I knew you were special the moment we met, but I had no idea that you would become my whole world.”

What would it be like to have someone feel that way about me?

No, that wasn’t for him. Henry shook his head as he stood along with everyone else when the ceremony ended.

Thunderous applause erupted as the newly married couple walked back down the aisle.

The look on their faces caused Henry’s heart to pound.

Wow. He had never seen such complete adoration.

Against everything within him, for some reason, he wanted that.

Who knows? Maybe love isn’t completely off the table.

“When William Sherman said war is hell, he wasn’t kidding,” Major Jackson Owens said, and his men chuckled.

“I can’t wait to be home,” PFC Larry James commented. He was just twenty-two and this had been his and his fellow PFC, Donnie Harlow’s, first deployment.

“You just can’t wait to get back to that boyfriend of yours.” Sergeant Freddy Ross laughed, causing the rest of the team to as well.

“Jealous much?” Lance Corporal Luke Carter asked with a smile.

“Not Ross.” Sergeant Bill Thomas clapped Freddy on the shoulder. “He’s a confirmed bachelor.”

“You got that right.” Freddy smiled. “So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home, Major?”

“Soak.” Jackson stretched. “My bathroom remodel got completed just before we were deployed, and I haven’t gotten to try out the tub yet.”

Suddenly there were blinding lights and deafening noises as the truck in front of them flipped onto its side then exploded. They rocked to the side, but thankfully Ross was able to stop their Humvee in time, keeping them from barreling through the wreckage.

“Everyone out,” Jackson ordered. “Stay low and be ready.” He was the last one out.

The air was heavy with smoke, and gunfire was all around them.

He looked for his men; their safety was his main priority.

Harlow was off to one side, screaming and holding his leg.

“James, no,” he yelled as the young man raced over to his friend.

As he watched, pain ripped through his shoulder and arm.

The stabbing spasms brought him to his knees.

Suddenly he was tired and cold. The last thing he saw was James crumpling to the ground, and a red stain spreading across the sand.

“No!” Jackson Owens sat straight up in bed, drenched in sweat and clinging to his sheets for dear life.

He’d had the dream again. It plagued him every time he fell into a fitful sleep and had since the incident.

It made him feel like he was still there; in a country he didn’t want to think about, surrounded by bombs, bodies, and bullets.

“Not this shit again,” he grumbled as his shoulder began to ache.

He’d taken a bullet in it and had gone through a couple of surgeries and a whole lot of rehab to repair it.

He was out on medical leave and recovering at home until the Marines deemed him well enough, physically and mentally, to return to duty.

“So much for sleep.” He sighed looking at the time; four fifteen in the morning.

Jackson got out of bed and made his way to the shower, hoping that the massage jets he’d installed would ease some of the pain.

The water worked on his body, but his mind was a different story.

Under the spray, he could still hear his men screaming.

Disgusted, he turned off the shower, dried, and dressed quickly, avoiding the mirror and the jagged scar that took up most of his left shoulder.

He went into the kitchen, brewed a pot of coffee, and took a cup out to the front porch, trying to let the serenity of his quiet neighborhood ease his soul. And it helped, at least a little.

The quiet of the street was broken by his next-door neighbor exiting his house with his large mixed-breed dog for their morning walk.

The man waved as he passed, and Jackson waved back.

He had yet to meet him, too much on his troubled mind to make nice with the neighbors.

This guy was new. He must have moved in while Jackson had been deployed.

He remembered a nosy older couple living there who always complained when he had the guys over; either his friends were too loud, or he had too many vehicles on their street.

He wondered if the new guy, who was cute as hell and exactly Jackson’s type, would be more chill.

Not that it mattered. His party days were over.