Corps Security: The Series (123 page)

“Everything is going to be okay, Sunshine. Trust me, okay?”

I nod my head, not trusting my words. I just know that, if I open my mouth, all of my careful bravado will crumble. I get another squeeze of his hand before he lets go and climbs out. I watch his dirty-blond hair shine when the sun hits it. His face seems . . . almost peaceful, and I don’t even let myself think of what that could mean.

“Let’s head on in,” he says, reaching out to help me step down.

“Hey,” I whisper, grabbing his arm before he starts walking towards the door. “I love you.”

He gives me a heart-stopping smile, turning to wrap his arms around me. “I love you, too,” he says against my temple.

It seems weird to walk into the lobby of Corps Security and not see Emmy. I know there’s a lot going on with her and Maddox right now, but this place just isn’t the same without her bright smile greeting me. The last report I heard from Asher about those two was that he got a very short message from Maddox saying that he was handling shit and he had Cat. I don’t know who the hell Cat is, but I hope that Emmy is okay with her.

Even with Emmy gone, we usually had the pleasure of being greeted by a very attractive Davey. He’s almost too attractive for his own good. His cheekbones are high and strong, his jaw is perfectly square, and when he smiles, his blindingly white teeth seem to blink at you. The girls always joke that he looks like he walked straight off a runway and strutted right into CS. Which I would believe since he managed to catch the eye of the master strutter himself—Sway. Those two have been a heavy and adorable item ever since they first met.

The lights are dim in the lobby since they aren’t open for normal hours and are just coming in to meet in the conference room. There’s the big light that comes from behind the large CS sign behind Davey’s desk and the light that hangs over Coop’s memorial portrait. Other than that, it’s just dark and ominous.

I follow Asher’s lead when he heads down the hallway that I know leads to their offices as well as the conference room in the back. Axel and Greg are in deep conversation about the pros and cons in hunting big game. I don’t even
want
to know what the hell that means. I shiver at the thought, causing Asher to tighten his hold on my hand and look at me in question. I just shake my head and look around the room.

“Hey, guys,” I say when we step into the room, doing my best to plaster on a happy smile.

“Hey, Chelc. How are you feeling?” Greg asks warmly.

“I’m doing okay, just tired. Pretty sure that’s normal though—all things considered.”

He laughs when I wave my hand over my big belly.

“You have no idea. Melissa was tired all the time. Just nap when you can. She said that helped.”

“Izzy was the same way with Nate. Things seem to be different this time around though. Hang in there. You’re almost done.” Axel smiles at me, but before I can address them, I’m beat to the punch.

“Yeah, bet that’s because it’s a girl this time,” Beck jokes when he joins the group. “That would be interesting with how protective you are of Izzy and Nate. I can see it now. You’re going to have that baby in a bulletproof bubble before she can talk.”

I laugh because, really, he probably isn’t wrong. Axel is crazy about Izzy and Nate, almost to the point where it’s overkill. She seems to love it, so I guess that works for them.

Looking over at Asher, I think for the millionth time how lucky I am. He seems to have little bits of each of these strong alpha males’ personalities in him. He has Axel’s protectiveness without being over the top. If what Melissa tells us is correct, he shares Greg’s bedroom skills. He has that huge heart of gold that Beck is famous for. And of course, he shares Maddox’s strength and determination.

I always found it fascinating how much these men all act like a family, but when you get right down to it, they really
are
brothers. Just minus the shared DNA. Sometimes I think that makes their bond stronger. They’ve fought together, worked together, and lived their lives together. They have that bond that some siblings will never have.

“Come on, Sunshine. Have a seat and I’ll go grab you a water.”

I sit in the proffered seat and look around the room, once again feeling the claws of dread latching into my skin, digging in deep, and refusing to leave.

“Is everyone here?” Greg asks from the head of the table.

“Not yet,” Axel responds, walking up to Greg and punching him in the shoulder. Greg laughs and moves out of Axel’s spot.

“Who isn’t here yet?” Beck asks, looking around the room.

“Me.”

I turn my head and shiver at the intensity of the gaze that locks with mine.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Beck says, walking over to give Maddox one of those weird half-hug, half-backslap things that men do. “When did you get back in town?”

I’m starting to feel a little uneasy with Maddox’s black eyes still focused only on me. I don’t think there are many people who could hold his gaze and not physically feel burned. He gives me just the barest of nods before stepping forward, a slight limp to his long gait.

“We’ve been back a few days now,” he answers, coming around the table.

He greets Axel and Greg the same way he did Beck. When he gets to Asher, my eyes widen. He pulls him close, his embrace different than the others, and turns his head to whisper something so that only Asher can hear.

Asher’s back gets tight, and I watch these two men interact with complete fascination. When Maddox finishes speaking to him, he pulls back, and whatever Asher says in response has a smile taking over his normally stoic mask. A smile that is so beautiful I let out a gasp before I can stop myself.

Asher turns and gives me a smile of his own before pulling out the high-back, leather office chair and settling his large frame down. The guys are all speaking amongst themselves, so I take a moment to lean over and question Asher about what Maddox just said.

“Are you okay? That looked . . . interesting.”

“Yeah.” He looks over at me, his clear, blue eyes shining with a peace-like intensity. “He just reminded me about something he told me a few months ago. He asked me how that darkness has been treating me, and damn, it felt good to tell him I have been standing in the middle of some hell of a sunshine for a while now.”

Even though his words
kind of
make sense to me, the fact that Maddox is asking has me baffled.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head over it, Chelcie. It’s good, I promise you.”

“All right, let’s get this started. Asher, why don’t you go ahead and let us know what you need talk to us about.” Axel interrupts.

I look around and notice that all four of the other men in the room have taken their seats, all staring intently at Asher and waiting for him to talk.

Oh, God. This is it.

I dig my fingers into the armrest on the chair, willing my body to calm down and my mind to stay sharp. This isn’t about me; this is about Asher and making sure that he makes the best decision with the most favorable outcome. I know that, if anyone can see reason in his turning all of his information on Dominic Murphy over to the authorities, it will be these men. However, I also know that these men’s sense of loyalty and passion runs deep. If they agree that vengeance is the way to go, there will be no way for me to talk him down from the ledge.

“As some of you know, I’ve spent a good bit of time looking into Dominic Murphy. His empire of evil is essentially what lead to Coop’s death. You all know the details on his connection, so I’ll spare you those. I have been able to confirm from a few inside sources close to Dom that he did, in fact, put the word out that Coop’s death had been taken to call on a debt. A debt that Coop didn’t owe him. Dom doesn’t care that he killed an innocent man. To him, it is nothing but a normal day in the office.” Asher reaches out, pulls my hand off the armrest, and places it on his firm thigh before returning his eyes to the men around the table.

“It’s taken me months to get everything I have on this man. To get the proof I needed to pin Coop’s demise on him and to get enough piled up on him that I could bury him underneath prison. I’ve spent hours staking out his local businesses, places of leisure, and homes. I know the identity of each one of his closest allies. If he breathes, at this point, I’ll know it. I’ve gotten close enough to place tracking devices on six of his known vehicles as well as attached a few to his person when I was lucky enough to get close at a few restaurants he frequents. Not much, and if he isn’t wearing the jackets in question or they aren’t hanging within a close enough distance to pick up audio, they’re basically worthless.”

He looks over at me to assess how I’m holding it together. I give him a few squeezes to his leg and urge him to continue. Whatever he sees in my eyes is enough that he gives me a small nod and turns back again.

“I’ve managed to collect audio confirmation about his involvement in Coop’s murder. It might not be enough to convict him alone, but it is enough to paint him in one hell of a damning light.”

“You’ve managed to get this on your own without getting one of us to sit in on this with you? What the hell were you thinking?” Axel booms from his seat. “Brother, I understand where you’re coming from, but putting yourself in danger won’t help a damn thing.”

“Well, with all due respect,
brother,
this wasn’t your call to make. I’ve been safe, I’ve stayed hidden in the shadows, and trust me, he doesn’t have a clue. If he did . . .” He pauses, looking over at me. “If he did, then I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

“It was reckless, Asher,” Greg throws in.

“Maybe so, but at that time, I didn’t think I had anything to lose. Now . . . Now, I know better.”

I can feel my throat getting tight, and I will the impending tears away, blinking rapidly, taking my eyes off of Asher’s proud strength, which seems to be emanating from his body.

“I had a long chat with Chelcie last night. She’s helped me see things in a new light, and the reason that I—that we—called you here is so that you can help me make this decision. I’m not sure that I can trust myself when it comes to seeing the logic. I want to lead with my heart, anger, and grief. I think I can say now that, if I do that, then the outcome might not be favorable.”

“That makes sense. Hard to be objective with the target when you’re seeing your pain. Pain that he’s responsible for,” Axel grumbles.

“So tell us what you have,” Beck stresses.

Greg and Maddox remain silent, their eyes hard. It’s hard for me to judge what’s going through their heads. I know that each of these men had a different relationship with Coop. Beck’s and Greg’s were arguably the closest. I think Maddox and Coop had shared a bond as well. Hell, judging by the fury that is coming off of him in waves, my guess is that he was closer to Coop than any of us know.

“Some more audio that could be used to convince a more in-depth investigation on him. But let’s face it—they might have him on their radar, but they haven’t been looking hard enough. It took me a handful of months dedicated to trailing his every movement, another few months hacking into every system that Dominic might have touched with the smallest fingerprint, and a few unbelievably close calls. In that time, I managed to get a lock on at least six local warehouses that he is using to house his firearm trade. Another four that, best I can tell, are his packaging and distribution centers for his drug empire. Two houses, owned by him or his second-in-command, Pauly, that are keeping up his methamphetamine trade. I’ve also located close to the same in seven different towns scattered from New York to Miami. All of this has picture evidence, of both the locations and visuals of Dom at each location.”

When he stops, I think he’s done. My mind is spinning with everything I’ve just learned—how deep he has managed to coil himself in this vengeance he’s seeking. It isn’t until his voice breaks the silence that I realize just how close I came to him making this decision alone—and, I fear, without him ever telling anyone what he had planned. I could have lost him, and judging by just how powerful this man is, I doubt I ever would have known what happened to him.

“I’ve gotten some recent intel from my inside source that there is a meet scheduled for this coming Saturday between Dom and another man from Chicago, Dino, to make the final transaction in one of the largest drug and firearm deals we’ve seen. I’m talking billions of dollars worth of just guns alone. They’re meeting in Chicago, Dino’s turf, and from what I can tell from my guy on the inside, this was Dom’s way of expressing his loyalties to the cause. Whatever the case.”

“Jesus Christ,” Maddox spits through clenched teeth.

Greg nods in agreement. “You aren’t lying, Mad.”

“Let me get this straight. You’ve been sitting on this for all of this time for what exactly?” Axel asks.

I hold my breath and wait for Asher to continue, knowing that this is the moment when these men will pick sides. They will pick sides and essentially decide my man’s fate.

“So that I can avenge my brother’s murder.”

CHAPTER 29

Chelcie

It takes only seconds after Asher hissed out those eight words.

Those eight words that will either be his demise or his salvation.

In that short time, the room explodes with voices of concern, outrage, anger, and understanding. I can’t tell with all of their yelling which is winning.

“Excuse me,” I try to say over the testosterone fest that is raging within the conference room’s four solid walls. They don’t even spare me a glance.

Each one of them is speaking over the other, trying to be the lone voice that gains the upper hand and gets to speak first.

Hell. No.

There is no way I’m going to sit back and let them help make the call that would define my future. No way. That would not only be tempting fate with Asher’s own life, but if I know anything about these men, it is that they would never let Ash go at this alone—effectively making this a call that will affect
all
of their futures and those of their families.

“Excuse me,” I try again, raising my voice slightly.