Cooper

by Harper Sloan

  We expect that Dominic's trial will take years. That's not really an issue for us because there is no way he will ever live his life as a free man again even if he were to have a trial tomorrow. There is just too much stacked against him--all because of Asher.

  "I think they'll be here in about an hour. I wasn't sure about Maddox and Emmy. Not sure what's going on with them right now, so I guess we will see."

  "All right, baby." I lean my head and close my eyes, determined to sleep until the last second possible.

  I hear Asher laughing as he walks back down the hall to get the food ready for tonight.

  I smile and thank God for bringing that man into my life.

  ***

  Axel, Izzy, and baby Nate are the first ones to arrive. Izzy gives me a warm hug and we both laugh when our bellies smoosh together.

  "Are you still grunting and groaning about having a daughter?" I laugh, leaning over Nate to give Axel a hug.

  "I wasn't. Woman, did you tell them I was complaining about my princess?"

  Izzy bursts out laughing, her tiny belly bouncing with her mirth. "Oh my God! You're already terrible! She isn't even here yet and you're going all possessive over her! I tell you, Axel Reid, she is not going to like that when she gets older."

  He pulls himself up, towering over us all at six foot six, pulling Izzy to his side. He cups her under her arms and lifts her right off the ground as if she weighs nothing more than a feather. "You listen to me, babe. My princess will never date. Ever. I'm considering going ahead a looking at homeschool. We need to get all those dicks away from my baby."

  "Your baby?" she mocks.

  "You heard me. Just like her mom--she's mine, and I'm not letting some little prick get near my princess." He gives her a deep kiss before putting her back down.

  "Incorrigible caveman," she says under her breath, earning her a light smack against her ass.

  "Daddy! What's a prick?"

  We all turn our heads sharply when we hear Cohen speak from behind Axel. He looks up at us with his wide smile, chubby cherub cheeks, and his chocolate-colored eyes twinkling with wonder. He really is one of the coolest kids I've ever met. I've never seen him act up, and the things that come out of his mouth are hilarious.

  "Can you guys make at least a small effort to remember there are little human ears around?" Greg complains while carrying both of his daughters--in their car seats--into the house.

  Melissa follows close behind, a blinding smile across her face. She gives me a bone-crushing hug before following after Greg to help with their twins.

  Right when I'm about to close the door, I hear another car pull into the driveway. I smile when I see Dee and Beck. She is shaking her head and moving her mouth as if she's singing--but anyone who knows Dee knows that that's a terrifying thought. That girl can't hold a tune to save her life.

  Beck sits in the driver's seat, watching her with adoration shining bright.

  I shake my head and lean against the doorframe to wait her out. When the song finally ends, she jumps out of the car and runs towards me.

  "Guess what!" she screams.

  "Uh, what?"

  "We started trying," she says with the biggest grin on her face.

  "Awesome, Dee! And Beck! I would say have fun, but we all know that would be a pointless thing to say. I've heard stories about you, John Beckett!"

  He actually blushes at my jest. I laugh, throwing my head back and almost taking Asher's nose out in the process.

  "I don't tell her everything," Dee defends.

  "HA! Like he's going to believe you... Wildcat!"

  She smacks me in the arm before giving me a big hug. Beck gives me a one-armed squeeze. I never really understood the point of those.

  "Who is missing?" I call through the house, turning away from the door.

  "Me," I hear rumbled behind me.

  I turn around so quickly that I almost fall on my ass. Maddox reaches out quickly and steadies me.

  "Hey, Mad." I give him a big hug and kiss his rough cheek. "Where is Em?"

  "I'm right here," she grinds out, her eyes never leaving Maddox's. Well, alrighty then.

  "I swear, you two--both of you need to wear bells. It's just not natural how quiet y'all prowl."

  Emmy looks over and flashes me a smile. We've grown real close since she saved my life. I feel like I owe her tremendously.

  "How are you?" she inquires.

  "A lot better. I haven't had a nightmare since the bad one I had three days after it went down. I think I'm getting a lot better. Asher helps a lot though. If I need to talk, he helps me get it all out and sort my head. I still have my moments, but for the first time in a long time, I don't feel alone. I'm really happy. It doesn't hurt knowing that crazy bitch is going to be locked up in that mental hospital for probably the rest of her life."

  "They finally sentenced her?" Maddox asks.

  "As far as I know. I don't want to talk about the details with Asher. He let me know that she would be spending the rest of her life at a treatment center, and that's all I need to know. Apparently, she went batshit crazy, and no, that isn't the technical term they used. It's just a fact. I did ask him one thing, and really, it's the only thing I care about. I wanted to know why. Why she went so far off the rocker she fell of the porch and down a hill where she landed in a pile of shit."

  They all laugh. I join in because, really, now that it's over and done with, the only thing I can do is laugh. I don't want to remember the fear she had me drowning in. I see it every time I look at my wrists and see the scars that will probably always be there.

  "Anyway, she got hooked on some hardcore drugs after Asher dumped her ass. Her father cut her off both physically and financially. She's been living off her seriously thick trust fund for the last eight years."

  The specifics on just how she was able to get to me still make my skin crawl.

  "She had it planned for months. Or as soon as she noticed how serious Asher was with me. Then, when my stomach started growing, apparently that's when she snapped. They called it a psychotic break--or something like that. To her, I was the other woman who had moved in on her man." I could laugh at Emmy's shocked expression. We all knew that it was bad--we just didn't realize it was this bad. "She rented the apartment just a door down from ours. She would sit and watch our every move. The day that she knocked Joe unconscious and attacked me in our home was of the most terrifying experiences of my life, but I've vowed to put it behind me. It's time for Asher and me to start moving forward and focusing on all the positive things in our lives. I just wanted to know what her motivation was. Now that I do, I can move on."

  "You're one crazy-strong woman, Chelcie," Emmy says, and I see so much respect in her eyes.

  "I couldn't have done it without you, Em. You saved my life that day. Mine and Zac's."

  She blushes an adorable blush that covers her face and neck.

  "I'm just glad I had decided to stop by. I had been sitting on your baby gift for a few days--ever since I had gotten back in town--and with everything going on, I had forgotten to bring it to you." She shakes her head, and I reach out, hugging her tight.

  When I think about just how much her showing up was a huge tip of fate, how close I came to death that day, I still get sick.

  Just another reason for me to put it to rest and move on.

  "Go on in and get comfortable. Asher has the food out on the grill now, so it shouldn't be long."

  She moves past me, and I don't miss the look of pure fire she shoots at Maddox when she slips through to the kitchen, where I hear Asher greet her with a loud yell. He's decided that Emmy is his honorary sister. I think it's adorable. He gets almost fatherly with his protection over Emmy.

  Which should be hilarious to watch if Maddox ever decides to make a move on her.

  "Don't ask me about it, girl," he growls when I move my eyes from where Emmy disappeared to take him in.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," I sweetly respond, batting my ey
elashes in mock innocence.

  "Sure you don't. How are you? And I mean how are you really. None of that sugarcoated shit you've been handing out."

  "Is there anything that doesn't get past you?" I evade.

  "I'm waiting." His tone leaves no room for argument.

  I sigh. "I'm really good. I don't let what that woman did to me keep me from getting sleep at night. Do I have nightmares occasionally? You bet I do. Any normal person who went through that would. But, Maddox...if there's one thing I've learned this past year, it's that life is way too short to sit back and dwell on things I have no control of. I'm alive, I've got a wedding to plan with a man who worships me with love, and our son will be here in just over a month. We all have bad days. The only thing that matters is whether you focus on those days and not the ones that are full of magic."

  I reach out and cup his rugged cheek. His whiskers tickle my palm, and I laugh.

  "One day, Maddox Locke, when you decide to let go of that pain inside you, you're going to understand what I mean. You have so much love to give in you."

  And for just a second, he lets all those walls he's built around him down. It's a fortress of protection so heavy that I'm not even sure many people have seen the real him. I gasp when I see the unadulterated pain that swims in those coal-like eyes.

  "Yeah, sweetheart. Maybe you're right."

  We turn and walk into the house. Everyone is laughing and talking above each other. There is so much love in this house right now that I can't stop the huge smile from forming.

  ***

  (Asher)

  Damn, she is beautiful. I can feel my cock tighten in my pants when I see that huge smile curve her lips. Her face is so open in this moment, the love and happiness clear to anyone who looks at her.

  "You want me to wipe your drool there, Ash?" I vaguely hear Axel harass.

  "Maybe we should get him a bib," Greg booms with laughter.

  "Leave him alone."

  I move my eyes off my gorgeous woman and whip my head sharply to Maddox. He just storms past me and out to the back deck.

  "What the hell was that about?" Beck asks.

  "No clue."

  I know things have been tough since Maddox got home. With whatever happened between him and Emmy while they were gone hanging around them in thick waves of tension, it's only a matter of time before one of them explodes.

  "Hey, baby," Chelcie breathes, sidling up to my side and curling her arms around me. "Did you invite Sway and Davey? They haven't gotten here yet, so I wasn't sure if we should hold dinner for them."

  "They can't make it, Sunshine. Davey is taking Sway home to meet the folks this weekend."

  "What?" she gasps, excitement almost vibrating off of her.

  "You heard me, babe. It looks like Davey is getting pretty serious. I'll tell you this much--if they get married before us, I will not be a happy man."

  She cocks her head to the side in the most adorable way and ponders my threat. "Okay. Let's go to the courthouse Monday. I'm free, you're free--let's do this."

  I study her--trying to determine if she's pulling my leg or not. "You serious, Sunshine?"

  "Now, Asher Cooper, would I joke about something as serious as making you mine?"

  "I think you've got that a little mixed up, babe," I laugh, the sound roaring through the room.

  "Nope. You're going to be mine and I'm going to love every second of it."

  It takes me a second to realize that the room has gone completely silent. I glance over her head and into the living room and see each one of our friends--no, our family--looking in on us, listening to our conversation with no shame at all.

  "Well, it looks like we're getting married on Monday!"

  I give her a deep kiss that is packed with all the desire I have for her.

  I used to live my life in the past, stuck on a quest I was willing to die for. Trapped in a pit of darkness that I felt I would never leave. Until one incredible woman took a chance on me--shined her light full of love and hope in on that darkness--and she saved me. She showed me how to live my life for a future I wanted--how to make peace with my pain and how to embrace my happiness.

  And in two days, she's going to be my wife.

  Mine.

  ***

  (Maddox)

  I walk past Chelcie while I choke down a lump the size of fucking Texas. I purposely sideswipe Emmy when I see her standing just behind us, her eyes full of tears. Fuck. It kills me to see her hurting. Fucking breaks me. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms and promise her the world.

  But I keep walking.

  She deserves so much more than me--a broken man with nothing but the trail of pain behind him.

  I want to laugh when I remember Asher telling me about the darkness that was surrounding him. He acted like there was no way I could understand his situation. There's no doubt about it--he had a shit run. Losing Coop cut us all deep, so I can only imagine that the slice he took losing his brother cut him to the core.

  And if he had darkness closing in on him, then I've been stuck in a black fucking hole. I know darkness. It's my best fucking friend. It's tainted every inch of my soul.

  And that's why I am terrified to let Emmy in. To risk my angel becoming tainted with the shit that swirls around me.

  She's pureness. She's the definition of everything I don't deserve.

  I snag a beer out of the fridge and go sit in the living room. Silent as always. Listening to all of the people I care about laugh and love. Meanwhile, I keep my mouth shut, afraid that, if I let my guard down--if I let them in--I will destroy them all.

  I hear Asher announce from where he's standing in the kitchen that he and Chelcie will be getting married this week. Good for them. Chelcie looks at me and gives me a wink. I shake my head and look away. Right into the steaming-mad eyes of Emersyn Rose Keeze. I hold her gaze and wait to see what she will do next.

  "You're fucking unbelievable," she mumbles, almost low enough that I don't catch it.

  And like the idiot I am, I egg her on. "What was that, Em?"

  Her eyes flash. Her porcelain skin turns pink, and she jumps up from where she was sitting at the kitchen table. The chair falls to the floor in a loud clatter that draws the attention of the room.

  Fucking great.

  She storms over to me, grabs my beer from my hand, and takes a large pull before handing it back to me.

  "Look at you. Sitting there silent as always. You're in a room full of people who love each other. People who have fought their demons in order to be together. They had the strength to battle anything that stood in their way. The courage to push away from uncertainty of the unknown. And what does Maddox Locke do? He sits back and gives everyone else around him advice on how to make that happen! He fights for them, but he refuses to fight for himself. FOR ME! Well guess what, buddy? I'm sick of it. I love you FOR you. I never gave a damn about your past, those secrets you hide so deep. I've been willing to fight for you. Battle those demons that shake your doors at night. And while I'm at it, I might as well just go for broke, right?" She laughs, and it sounds so empty. "I never gave a damn about you having one leg. You think you're slick hiding it, but I see you! I didn't love you for whatever limbs you have or don't have. I want you for your heart, and I won't settle for anything less."

  She stomps over to Asher and Chelcie, gives them a hug, and apologizes for ruining their night--to which, of course, they assure her that she didn't. The whole time she's talking to them, Asher is throwing silent daggers at me with his eyes.

  I'm left there, my jaw slack, and a million doubts running through my mind. And for the first time in too many years, that small flame of hope starts to flicker.

  Epilogue - Chelcie

  Ugh. I feel terrible. My back has been killing me all day. Of course it doesn't help that I went crazy pregnant woman and cleaned every inch of the house I could reach yesterday.

  My due date has come...and gone. I'm so beyond ready to meet our baby that my an
xiety is making me crazy. Asher is just as bad. He's been calling me every hour, on the hour, for the last three days. Ever since I passed my due date, it would seem that I transferred over my basket-case persona to him.

  And it is driving me nuts.

  So here I am on this perfectly sunny day, surprising my husband with lunch at work. He hasn't been terribly busy lately, just going in for a few hours a day. With him and Maddox working the computers and technical team at Corps Security, they've been able to ease the workload considerably.

  I pull myself out of my brand-new Audi, a wedding present from Asher, and hike up my pants in a move that I'm sure is sexy as hell. I pull at the edges of my shirt to make sure it's covering my stomach before I reach in the car and grab the bag of lunch I picked up from Asher's favorite Mexican restaurant. The smell of it has almost caused me to wreck the damn car a few times on the way over.

  After making sure I have everything, I waddle over to the sidewalk, my flip-flops slapping loudly against the pavement. Seeing Sway in the window has me lifting my arm and waving wildly. The second I go to put my arm down, I feel this tremendous pain in my stomach. Sway cocks his head at me, clearly puzzled with my actions. I look down from his eyes and try to figure out what just happened.

  Sway bursts through the door to his salon about the same time that I realize that my water just broke. Of all places to have my water break, it's the damn golden sidewalk. I love this sidewalk. Now all I'm going to think about is my pregnancy water leaking out of my vagina.

  "Sway! My vagina broke the happiness!" I cry when he runs over. He grabs the food and my purse before helping me walk the few steps left to take me inside Corps Security. "Sway!" I pant. "Are you listening to me? My vagina broke it!"