Escaping the Blackness (A Cooper Brothers Novel Book 1)

by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

  Her shoulders sag, but I swear I see relief in her emerald eyes as she nods.

  Cara scoots beneath the duvet and I follow, shutting off the Tiffany lamp on the bedside table. I pull Cara’s long body against mine and she settles her cheek on my chest while her slender leg hooks over mine. I rest one hand on her exposed hip the other intertwining my fingers with hers on my abs.

  “Sleep, sweetheart,” I instruct, kissing her hair.

  She snuggles closer and just as I start to drift off I hear her whisper, “You’ll never be alone again. I’ll watch over you, protecting you even as you sleep. I’ll love you as much as you deserve to be loved. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

  My mother’s words flowing from her lips mends cracks in my heart I didn’t know existed. And when I fall asleep, I feel whole for the first time in six years. The piece of my soul is no longer missing. She’s right where she belongs.

  In my arms. In my heart. In my life.

  Always.

  Waking up in Jake’s arms was better than falling asleep against his chest. His arms were still protectively swathing me while his warmth heated every inch of me. He looked so peaceful. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Jake that calm. So I studied him.

  My eyes ran over his smooth skin, tracing every ridge and flat. I stared at the scars on his shoulder and abs, reminding myself that he’s still human when he always appears infallible. Jake’s skin is bronzed everywhere as though he’s been in the sun his entire life. The definition in his muscles is taut even as he sleeps. The angles of his face are chiseled like something from a sculpture. The stubble typically covering his jaw gives him a rugged look that begs to be stroked. Jake Cooper is stunning.

  I shake my head away from the memory as I sip my coffee. I can feel the heat of the blush decorating my cheeks as Dane sweeps a heavy arm around my shoulders.

  “My bed was awfully cold last night,” he says lightly with a cocky grin on his lips. “I’m assuming Jake’s bed was nice and warm.”

  I elbow him without response. I don’t have enough caffeine in my system to deal with him yet.

  “Where is that lucky fucker this morning?” he asks, ignoring my attempt at brushing him off.

  “Out for a run.”

  Cole and Sawyer roll into the kitchen, both shooting me questioning looks.

  “Let’s get this over with,” I grumble, setting down my mug and focusing on the Cooper brothers.

  Shirtless and inked, these three would make any woman swoon. They’re impressive specimens, built to impose. I only see my family when I look at them though. The people who love me and love to drive me insane.

  “I’m givin’ Jake a chance,” I explain. “I know he’ll probably leave again, but I’m takin’ the risk. I’ve spent six years being hurt and mad. I just wanna be happy and he makes me happy.”

  “Good,” they say in unison, shocking me.

  “That’s it? No lecture? No rubbing it in my face? Just…good?” I scoff, not believing they’re letting me off the hook.

  “Do you want us to give you shit about it?” Cole asks, moving into the kitchen to spoon up some oatmeal.

  “No.”

  “All we’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy. Jake’s here. We’ve got a niece. Mitch’s cool as fuck. And now you’re happy. I’ve got nothin’ to complain about,” Dane says succinctly.

  “What he said,” Sawyer finishes for the group.

  “Okay,” I respond in confusion.

  This is not how they act. They always have something to say.

  “How’s Jake feel about your date with Logan tonight?” Sawyer asks, flopping next to me with a mountain of food.

  “Shit,” I groan. I completely forgot about that.

  I pull my phone out of Jake’s hoodie and send a quick text.

  Me: I’m going to have to cancel tonight. Sorry.

  Logan: Wow. The last minute brush off. I didn’t think you’d do me like that.

  Me: I’ve got some family stuff I need to take care of. I’m really sorry Logan.

  Logan: I hope everything’s okay. Maybe we can get together over break?

  Me: I’ll let you know.

  Logan: Okay.

  I feel like an asshole as I shove my phone away.

  “I was kinda hopin’ you’d go through with it. I’d like to see Jake kick that guy’s ass,” Sawyer mumbles around a mouthful of toast.

  “Shut up, Sawyer,” I hiss. “Logan’s a nice guy.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Princess Cara?” Riley’s sleepy voice calls from the entryway to the living area.

  I spin on my stool to find a heavy-eyed girl yawning and stretching.

  “Good morning, Princess,” I coo.

  I can do morning sweetness for her. No question.

  I hop off my stool and scoop her onto my hip. I don’t get her for long before Cole snatches her away, cuddling her into his chest. The contented smile that dimples her cheeks makes all of my guilt about Logan fade away. This is where I belong.

  I make Riley a bowl of oatmeal, doctoring it with sugar and honey the way she likes it. Dane’s got her in his lap at the breakfast bar when I turn around. She looks miniscule compared to his wide body. But more than that, she looks safe with her three uncles flanking her. She’ll never be in danger again.

  “Did you sleep okay?” I ask, sliding her bowl in front of her.

  “Yeah,” she says with a contented sigh before shoveling food in her mouth almost identically to the way Jake does.

  Her hair keeps falling in her face as she leans down so Dane drops his spoon and quickly braids it to hold it back. He winks at her when he finishes and she giggles. That’s maybe the best sound in the world. Watching Dane Cooper braid a little girl’s hair is pretty soul-soothing to witness too. He’s not sweet with women. He’s a dog really. Never sleeping with the same woman twice and running through them like it’s a competition. But when he’s with his family, he’s present and attentive always. When he finally settles down, Dane will be an amazing partner in life.

  “Mornin’,” Mitch croaks as he saunters in.

  “Mornin’,” we all respond together.

  “Uncle Jase, there’s a booboo on your back,” Riley points out as he spoons up his breakfast.

  She’s not lying.

  Whoever he spent the night with was either part cat or Mitch knows how to turn a woman into one.

  “Princess, when I was walkin’ home last night, a cat jumped on my back! Can you believe that?” he asks dramatically.

  “You need some cream,” Riley says with concern.

  “I’ll be okay,” he assures her.

  When she goes back to eating, the Cooper brothers attempt to get their smothered laughs under control.

  “I assume you all had a good night?” I ask lightly.

  “It was pretty good,” Mitch assures me, bumping my shoulder with his.

  “I’ve had better,” Dane continues.

  “I’ve definitely had worse,” Cole finishes with a giant grin.

  “And how was your night, Cara?” Mitch asks innocently while his gaze is anything but.

  “We had a really good night, didn’t we, Riley?”

  She nods, smiling broadly at me.

  “You look happy, Cara,” Mitch whispers in my ear. “Glad to see it.”

  I swallow thickly and set about cleaning the kitchen. Riley entertains the crowd with her re-telling of Tangled. Her dutiful uncles follow along and ask questions the whole time.

  Mitch is right. I’m really fucking happy. So much so, that while I scrub dishes, my cheeks hurt from the smile on my face.

  “Hey!” Jake calls out as he shuts the front door.

  Riley scrambles out of Dane’s lap, running to her father. A few moments later, he strides in the room with her on his hip. His face is covered in a sheen of sweat while his buzzed hair glistens. He’s in a skin tight black shirt and loose sweat pants.

  It makes my stomach flip.

  “You ran without m
e?” Mitch pouts.

  “You got in pretty late,” Jake points out.

  “A cat scratched up Uncle Jase’s back,” Riley says with concern.

  “Oh yeah?”

  Jake sets Riley down and scowls at his best friend. He has the good sense to look apologetic in return.

  “I’m gonna hit the shower and then we need to talk,” Jake says.

  Mitch nods in return.

  Then Jake’s gaze lands on me and everything else in the room fades. He looks hungry and not for oatmeal. There’s a slight flaring to his nostrils as he breathes and then I realize he’s looking at his hoodie.

  “You still have it,” he rasps.

  “Wears that fuckin’ thing every day,” Dane spouts.

  “Language,” I hiss, but Riley’s playing with her cars and delightfully unaware of us.

  “Cara,” Jake commands, my gaze snapping back to his.

  I don’t know what to say so I shrug. “Couldn’t let it go.”

  Now he’s prowling toward me. His long fingers dive into my hair and his mouth takes mine. Takes. There’s no flirtatious request. There’s no passionate build up. Jake consumes me from the moment his mouth touches mine and I swoon, clutching his thick biceps.

  I try to keep up with his ravenous pace, but it’s a fruitless effort. I simply give him what I can and he pulls out more than I’ve ever experienced. Our tongues tangle and thrust rhythmically while my body heats to an uncomfortable level, begging me to strip out of my clothes. I mewl softly as he nips my bottom lip before diving back in.

  “This is pretty gross first thing in the morning,” Cole calls out. “You’re worse than Mom and Dad.”

  Jake releases me, breathing ferociously through his nose as his brown eyes glimmer with desire.

  He kisses my mouth once more. A hard press of his lips to mine before stalking out of the room with his middle finger directed at our audience.

  The four of them laugh boisterously as I try to regain my own breathing and balance.

  “Bet you’re glad you didn’t throw that thing out,” Dane says.

  “Who knew an old ratty hoodie could make Jake turn into an animal?” Cole adds.

  “Bet he wants it off her more than he wants it on her,” Mitch suggests.

  “I’m investing in ear plugs,” Sawyer finishes.

  “Shut. Up,” I hiss through my teeth.

  “Daddy likes kissing Princess Cara,” Riley announces. “She’s his happily ever after.”

  All the joking leaves the room. None of us can see her from where she’s playing against the wall. But her words hit us all as though she just shouted them in our faces.

  My heart hammers in my chest.

  He’s my happily ever after too.

  “What the fuck does that mean?” Mitch snarls as I finish telling him about Riley’s confession the night before.

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” I huff, rubbing my head vigorously.

  “You think she’s someone else’s kid?” he hisses, his deep grey eyes boring into mine.

  I stand up from the end of my bed and move toward him where he’s leaning against the closed door.

  “Yeah, and he was usin’ her to keep heat off him before we found her four years ago. I can’t figure out the play in Chicago though,” I explain quietly a foot away from my best friend who’s about two seconds from losing his shit.

  He rubs his big mitts over his face, trying to scrub away the same thoughts I’ve been having since Riley told me Smith wanted to trade her.

  “We need to get her off the grid until we figure this shit out. Smith dealt with the scum of the Earth. There’s no fuckin’ way we’re lettin’ those fuckwads near her,” he seethes.

  “I was thinkin’ the same thing. I don’t want the agency knowin’, but I’ve gotta call this in. We need research on this.”

  “If Cash’s dirty, he’ll find out. The human trafficking team will have to get involved, giving him the opportunity to find us. This is opening a can of rotten fuckin’ worms, Coop.”

  “Let’s call Roman and talk this shit out,” I suggest.

  He jerks his chin at me, trying to calm himself down. I rip a burner out of the drawer in the desk and flop into the tiny chair I’m certain can barely hold my weight as Mitch sits on the edge of the bed right next to me.

  “Knight,” he grumbles into the phone.

  I put it on speaker and lay shit out.

  “You need to get her outta Lawrence now. Fuck!” he roars as soon as I’m finished. “Some cocksucker from human trafficking came snooping around an hour ago. I knew somethin’ felt off about him so I sent him packing with some bullshit intel.”

  “Is it possible Cash passed Riley to Smith?” Mitch asks.

  “Anything’s possible at this point,” Roman grunts, his fingers smashing into a keyboard loudly. “There’s a safe house down in the Ozarks you can use. It’s only listed for our team. I’ll make sure human trafficking can’t get their hands on this location.”

  “Erica’s supposed to be here in an hour. How do we play that? She knows about Riley already. Am I bringin’ someone to my brothers’ house who could fuck us over?” I growl.

  “Erica’s solid. She doesn’t have anything to do with Cash. There’s no fuckin’ way she’d be a part of what that little shit’s involved in. Sayin’ that, don’t tell her you’re leaving. Let her set up the secure line as usual.”

  “Right.”

  “I can get you out of the country if you’d rather,” Roman suggests.

  “Riley’s been through enough. I can spin the Ozarks as a Christmas vacation or something,” I respond.

  “What about your family?” he asks cautiously.

  “I’ll deal with them. They’ll want what’s best for Riley.”

  “Take Cara with you if you can. She’s got the skills and with her background with Smith, it might be helpful to pick her brain while we dig.”

  I wasn’t planning on leaving Cara. I don’t really want to leave my brothers either. But an empty house will be a red flag to anyone who shows up looking for me. I don’t want them unprotected in this house though. I’ll have to run this through with them and decide as a family. I’m not dictating their lives again. I’m not making another mistake.

  “I’ll let you know,” I answer cryptically.

  “Call me once you’ve got somethin’ set up,” he directs. “Mitchell, you watch his fuckin’ back like a hawk.”

  “Always do,” Mitch snarls.

  “Right,” Roman responds through a chuff at my best friend’s protective stance.

  Then he hangs up.

  “I need to talk to my parents before we fill everyone in,” I grumble, hating this situation the more I think about it.

  “Cooper,” Dad grunts in the phone.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “What’s wrong?” he growls.

  I never could get anything past the man.

  “We’ve got a problem with Riley and I need to get her outta town quick,” I explain.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “No, I’m not callin’ for that,” I stop him. “I just wanted to run shit by you. Maybe pick your brain. Mom’s too if she’s around.”

  “I’ll grab her. Hang on a second.”

  Nick Cooper in DCA mode is all business and scary as fuck. I love it.

  “You lookin’ for a quickie, Mister Cooper?” my mom’s voice purrs.

  “Mom,” I groan, alerting her to my presence on speaker phone.

  I hear a thud and my dad let out an oof before my mom says, “Sorry, Jake.”

  Mitch is snickering into the back of his hand while my dad grumbles about abuse. I roll my eyes at my friend and try to wipe my parents’ sex life from my mind. I don’t need those images floating around in my head right now. Not ever.

  “I need to bounce some stuff off you, Mom,” I explain. “Last night Riley told me Smith was gonna trade her. Between that piece of information and the fact that we know he had her when she was
little, we’ve got problems.”

  My mom worked on the human trafficking team before she retired. If there’s anyone who can help me right now, it’s her.

  “Shit,” she hisses. “Run the details of the Palo Alto op by us again.”

  I do what my mother asks and avoid all the parts that upset her. Namely, me being shot and no one telling her. She’s not in mother mode right now though. She’s in agent mode and that’s just what I need.

  “Who the fuck is Agent Cash and how did Smith get past him?” Dad growls when I finish.

  “Cash was just starting when I retired. I don’t really know him. This sounds dirty, Nicky,” Mom says with a hint of menace in her tone.

  “Cash was found unconscious in the house. He said Smith got the drop on him in the commotion of the shooting,” I grumble, realizing it sounds fucking stupid. “Roman’s digging into Cash, but I’m more worried about Riley than I am Cash’s shit.”

  “Trades aren’t unheard of in human trafficking, Jake. If he had heat on him from the DCA, maybe he couldn’t get enough cash to come up with for new slaves,” Mom says.

  “He didn’t want girls under eight. That was the age he took them at. Always. Why did he have her in the first place?” I question.

  “You’re afraid she’s his,” Dad points out.

  “No, I’m worried she was someone else’s and he took her for protection,” I clarify. “Or that Cash gave her to him for somethin’ else.”

  “He’ll know where you are now,” Dad seethes.

  “Roman’s got a safe house for us to go to in the Ozarks. We’re headed there in a few hours.”

  “I’ll get on the phone and start talkin’ to my old team. We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry about Riley. We’ll keep her safe,” Mom says fiercely.

  “I’m gonna take Cara with me. She knows Smith and might be able to help. But that leaves the boys unprotected here. I’m not a fan of that,” I say.

  “They can come home for winter break,” Dad says. “It won’t raise any red flags. Sawyer’s gonna be around all the time anyway.”

  “How are things with you and Cara?” Mom asks tentatively.

  “Kat,” Dad admonishes her before I can answer.

  “What?” she scoffs. “They’re in the same house after all this time. You don’t think they’re just tiptoeing around each other do you?”