Page 93 of Brawler
They were more than a team now. The mark bound them together, not just in blood or creed but in something older, elemental. The Veil had chosen him but through him, it had reflected them all. Whatever darkness rose, whatever Chaos unleashed, he would not face it alone. His six would always be covered.
Tex leaned down with a frown. “George Washington, huh?”
“Come on, LT, you know you crushed that wig.”
“I personally loved the uniform, General Penn, that shoulder fringe so 1776,” Easy said with a salute.
Tex growled.
“Me. I’m all about that white horse. Hero anyone?” Twister said.
Flash doubled over. “So, did you really chop down the cherry tree? Come on, I heard you can’t tell a lie,” Flash managed through his laughter, so thankful his humor was back. “I love you guys.”
“We can’t stand you, you bastard. You scared the living hell out of us, and now you got us involved in some Shadowguard war. Jesus. God only knows where this will lead,” Brawler said.
Flash winced as a vision slammed into him. Brawler and Beast fusing, their bodies merging into a massive, feral white wolf, eyes like storm-light, teeth bared in primal defiance. The image was so vivid he rubbed at his temple, shaking his head.
Okay…so did the Keepers have a sense of humor, or was it bleeding through him into his newfound allies? Didn’t matter. He’d leave that revelation for the Veil. They could be the ones to deliver that news to the big man.Nope, not my jaw to punch.
Flash turned to Brawler, offering his fist, and Brawler bumped it with a wry look. “Hoo-yah!”
The room erupted with their call, and it never felt more real and more right in his life.
The house wasquiet when he stepped onto the porch, the late-afternoon light sliding across the street in long gold bars. Toby had gone inside after their talk, the boy’s excitement still buzzing through the walls. Brawler leaned on the railing, arms folded, trying to breathe past the knot in his chest. The op was coming, the fight was coming, and for the first time in years he felt like he had something to lose that wasn’t already sewn into his skin.
Emily was coming to him, and after all that had happened, the months that had passed with him waiting for her to finish her dissertation, Emma Sutherland, their CIA liaison, haddiscovered who had tampered with the UAV, one of the pilots. He’d betrayed his country for money. He was already paying for that.
A low rumble broke the quiet. Deeper, brighter than any car. He frowned, straightening. The sound thickened into a growl, then a roar that sent his heart thudding. Then he saw it, rolling down the street like sin dipped in bubblegum. A hot pink Mustang, gleaming like it owned the asphalt.
She stopped at the curb, cut the engine. When Emily swung out, red hair catching fire in the sun, he couldn’t move for a beat.
Toby and Beast came out of the house, clapping and barking. He laughed loud and deliberate, grinning like an idiot when Toby ran to her and lifted her off her feet, swinging her around while Beast danced around her. She laughed, breathless, hugging him back just as hard, petting the excited dog. “I’m so happy to meet you, finally,” she said when Toby grinned so wide it nearly split his face.
“Welcome to the madhouse,” Brawler said roughly, hauling her into his arms.
“I had odds,” Toby announced without preamble, ticking them off on his fingers, “that you’dactuallyown a pink Mustang. That you’d know jaguar stats better than me, and that your favorite Disney movie wasThe Lion King.” He paused, eyes sparkling. “Two out of three isn’t bad.”
Emily gasped, mock-scandalized. “The Lion King?I’msoaMoanagirl.”
“See? Told you.” Toby beamed, then grabbed her bag before she could protest. “I’ll carry these in. You two can stand here and be all mushy.” With that, he marched toward the house, Beast trotting after him like they’d known each other forever.
The silence that followed was different. Charged. Brawler shifted, running a hand down the back of his neck.
“I know this is a lot to take in, to live with every day. If you want…we can find a place of our own.” God, even the thought of it gutted him. “Doesn’t have to be here.” He forced the words out, rougher than he meant. “I don’t want you to feel trapped. With Toby. With me.”
She looked at him like he’d just spoken another language. “Why would we do that?”
He blinked.
Her smile was soft but sure. “We’re going to live here. With Toby. This is our home.”
Something broke loose in his chest, something tight and aching that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He cupped her face, thumbs brushed her cheekbones, and kissed her with everything he hadn’t said. When they pulled apart, his forehead rested against hers, both of them breathing hard.
“I love you, Emily.” His voice was steady now, iron under gravel.
She pressed her lips to his, whispering the words back. “I love you, too, Christian.”
For the first time, he believed in forever.
