“That’s bullshit!” Nic couldn’t feel his lips, but he sure as hell knew when an exaggeration moved into a bald-faced lie.

“I’m serious as a heart attack.” Jared held up his fingers in a Star Trek salute. “Scout’s honor.”

Justin threw a wadded-up napkin at his brother. “That’s live long and prosper, dumbass.”

Jared glanced at his hand and extended his arm fully, squinting at it. “Whatever, you know what I meant.”

Justin glanced at Jacob and Jason. “You have kids. What’s the correct salute for Scout’s honor?” They lifted their hands and displayed the Boy Scout salute. Justin mimicked the salute, twisted his wrist and then let his middle finger fly at his brother.

“I swear he did it. I don’t know how, but that man,” Jared pointed at Jacob, who was sitting across the room from Nic, “is the reason Gabriel started the complex here.”

Jacob shrugged. “I suggested a place where teams could come to rehab, and it turned into this.” He lifted his tumbler, talking to the amber liquid instead of anyone in the room. “In reality, this complex was a combination of ideas and suggestions.” He pointed toward Drake. “The twins and Chief have been the energy behind building on those ideas.” He nodded toward Adam. “Doc took this clinic and then built a hospital. He has a rehab facility to rival any on the east coast, and he’s in charge of it all. The other extensions are all Jason. It may have been my idea, but this is the fruition of everyone’s efforts.”

“And now we are set to open one in Arizona,” Nic added.

“Yep, and we are looking for another site in the southeast,” Jason confirmed the rumors he’d heard. Three stateside complexes. Guardian was expanding like a wind-stoked wildfire raging across drought-stricken prairie grass.

“Any thoughts to an overseas complex?” Justin lifted from the stool he was sitting on and headed to the makeshift bar they’d built on an exam table.

“There have been talks. Gabriel knows a person who has property in several countries. The problem would be airlift and accessibility. It is something we are looking at, but with the current escalations, it will have to wait.” Jason explained.

“Where are Chad and Christian?” Nic suddenly realized they were missing.

Jared waved toward the door. “They started talking about a benefit for the center. They went over to Chad’s to check on his availability and to call some of his friends in the industry.”

“At ten o’clock at night?” Nic wasn’t sure that made sense.

“Performers are night creatures by habit.” Justin chimed in from the bar. “They always book the last seating for the night at the restaurants. Besides, Chad wanted to catch them before Christmas Eve. He said he wanted to approach them while they were in the Christmas spirit, but not piss them off by invading family time.”

“The man is smart.” Jared agreed.

Jason drank the last of his soda. “Hey, bring me some more, would you?”

Justin grabbed a can of soda and gave it to Jason. “Anyone else?” He held up a bottle and nodded at Nic.

“Put that away. I’ve brought the good stuff.” Gabriel’s voice rumbled down the hallway. Nic and everyone else stood out of respect for the man that had single-handedly built Guardian Security.

“Shit! Look at that, you have clones!” Jacob said exactly what Nic was thinking. Two men flanked Gabriel, and the resemblance was uncanny. They were a couple inches taller than Gabriel, but they’d definitely swum in the same gene pool. Dark hair, the same color eyes, and built like brick houses. The only difference was they lacked the gray hair and lines that life had carved into Gabriel’s face.

“I do. Deacon,” Gabriel nodded to the one on the right who held two small boxes and then indicated the man on the left carrying three dark colored bottles, “and Ronan. My sons. And we come bearing gifts. Two boxes of Cohiba Behike and three bottles of the best Cuban rum money can buy. Merry Christmas, and happy bachelor party, Nic.” Gabriel strode forward as he spoke and clasped Nic’s outstretched hand before he pulled him in for a hug. He whispered in Nic’s ear, “Congratulations and good luck with that one. She’s a bit crazy.”

Nic laughed as Gabriel pulled away. “Her crazy makes me happy.”

“Her crazy scares the fuck out of me.” Jared’s comment resulted in a surprisingly sober chorus of ‘here, here.’

“Don’t let me stop the party. I’m heading back to the ranch house. The wife and daughters are waiting.”

“Daughters?” The echo from most of the men earned a laugh from Gabriel and his sons.

“Yes, daughters, and yes, I waited until all of you were off the market before I brought them around. As much as I love you crazy motherfuckers, I wouldn’t let you anywhere near my girls while you were single.” Gabriel slapped Jason on the shoulder. “Need to talk with you for a minute.” Jason fell into step behind Gabriel, leaving his sons still holding the cigars and liquor.

“Well, I guess that is permission to drink some of this.” Ronan headed toward the bar and Deacon followed, setting the boxes of cigars on the exam table.

“No, I’ve got to draw the line. No smoking in the clinic.” Doc objected as the men descended on the Cuban cigars.

“But Doc, these are Cohiba Behikes. Damn near $20K per box. We have to smoke them.” Zane picked one up and sniffed along the barrel of the cigar. “It is freezing outside. Don’t make me freeze my balls off to enjoy a bit of paradise.”

Drake cleared his throat and gave Zane a look. The man glanced at everyone in the room. He singled out Gabriel’s twins. “You two have a security clearance?”

“Sure, vetted by the Air Force and before that by Dad.” Ronan grabbed a tumbler and added three fingers of rum to it before handing it to his brother and pouring another for himself.

His brother, Deacon, grabbed two cigars. “If you have a place to smoke these that won’t freeze our family jewels, I can guarantee neither of us will see a fucking thing, and if we do see it, we’ll suffer from a severe case of permanent selective memory loss.” He tossed a cigar to his brother, stuck the Cohiba in his mouth and reached into his jacket pocket. “Besides, we have the cigar clippers and lighter.” He waived them both at Zane.

“Fuck.”

Zane palmed his face and glanced at Drake who shrugged. “Nobody down there now.”

“Okay, but if anyone says shit, my portion of the organization is going to come calling. Got that?” Zane looked at each of the brothers.

Their ‘eat shit and die’ expressions told Nic they weren’t impressed by the threat of a visit by a Shadow. Nic, however, had a healthy respect for those operatives. He wouldn’t say shit to any of them.

“And exactly what portion of the organization do you oversee?” Deacon asked.

“The Shadow Division.” Zane nailed the twins with a stare.

Nic saw the recognition in their expressions. From that reaction, their father had vetted them and had told them about the organization, at least the structure.

“Dude, I will never speak of this night.” Ronan grabbed a bottle and passed it to Deacon.

“What night?” Deacon asked.

Zane stared them down for a hot minute. “Good enough.” He extended his hand and then dropped it when he realized the twins were packed for traveling and their hands were full. “I’m Zane.” He pointed to each man in the room and introduced them. “That is Jacob, Justin, Jared, Joseph, I believe you’ve met Jason, the walking mountain that just left. The dude getting hitched tomorrow is Nic. Next to him is Adam, and that guy is Drake.”

“Fuck, somebody have a J fetish?” Ronan tossed out as they all started to walk toward the back of the clinic.

“Something like that.” Behind them, Jason’s voice echoed down the hallway. “Where are we going?”

“To the labyrinth. Fucking Doc went all medical on our asses and won’t let us smoke in the clinic.” Drake’s voice came from the front of the gaggle. Nic chuckled to himself. What a fucking stream of unlikely friends it was. Assassins and mercenaries and cops, oh my. Well, not technically mercenaries, but fuck that was funny. His mind played it over again, and he laughed out loud. Fuck, he really didn’t need any more alcohol.

Jason laughed. “Nic, you’re drunk, and shame on you, Doc, for having standards.”

“I know right? What was I thinking?” Doc quipped.

“Damn good thing you’re my best friend or I’d have to hate you for being a stick in the mud.” Jacob slung his arm around Doc’s neck and pulled him in for a sideways hug.

Doc ducked out of the stranglehold. “Love you too, man.”

Drake stopped the procession and blocked a keypad with his body as he entered a code. He opened a door.

“You have an alarm on a fucking supply closet.” Justin laughed.

“Wrong again, twinkle toes.” Joseph’s evil laugh echoed as the back shelf opened and a steel door appeared. Drake entered another code, and the massive door to the underground system opened.

“Twinkle toes? Really? What the fuck?” Justin pushed Joseph’s shoulder, and the man laughed again.

“You’re the cat burglar.” Joseph pushed Justin through the door before him.

“High-value information extraction specialist.” Justin’s retort was met with laughter and catcalls that echoed around them as they descended.

Nic took in the long flight of stairs. He held his glass in one hand and the rail with the other. Stairs were not his friend on a good day. When he was drunk, shit could get ugly. Nobody behind him seemed to mind that he took his time and for that he was thankful. His half-pickled mind wondered if there was an elevator somewhere. Or, he could crawl up the stairs. That was always an option. Of course, Jared would… holy fuck!

“Son of a bitch!” Jacob muttered.

Joseph gave a low whistle. “Been busy, D.”

Drake turned and smiled at the group. “May I present Labyrinth Alpha. A series of apartments run down this hallway. That hallway leads to the flight line. We are about halfway done with that. This hallway leads to the Comm facility, gym and chow hall. The stairway you came down, of course, leads to the clinic.”

“It’s a fucking underground living facility.” That came from Ronan.

“It is made for our assets that need to remain anonymous.” Jason acknowledged. “The facility above ground that Kaeden and Zane use during normal operations is an entry point to the offices below ground. We have weapons vaults and IT, secure comms.”

“The air filtration system vents out by the windmills and the ductwork is camouflaged so no one would be able to recognize it for what it is.”

“What it is, is fucking impressive,” Nic said as he took in the area. The room where they were standing was basic and utilitarian, but it had couches and chairs. A television, movies on DVD, and game consoles lined a built-in shelving unit. Fuck, he could spend some time in this place and never miss the daylight.

“Well then, let’s get this party started!” Jacob slapped Deacon on the back and stuck his hand out. “Clippers, lighter and pop that rum open, son. We have a bachelor to send off tonight!”

Nic sent a worried glance at Jared. “What have I gotten myself into?”

“Fuck if I know. I can’t remember most of the last party we had. Just be prepared to be hungover in the morning.”

“Dude, I’m getting married at noon. I can’t be hungover.”

Doc grabbed his tumbler from his hand. “That’s right. Medically speaking it would be wrong of me to recommend you still be drunk when you get married, but as a friend… be drunk. Save the hangover for another day.” The refilled glass was shoved back in his hand along with a cigar.

“A toast, to Nic, a man with a set of brass balls. He’s marrying Jade, and nobody is putting a shotgun to his head. He is either head-over-heels in love, or he is the stupidest son of a bitch on the planet.”

A litany of ‘here, here,’ and ‘to Nic’ bounced around the underground room. Nic lifted his glass and took a drink. The rum was smooth and mellow and went down way too easy. He glanced at the men in the room with him. Damn good thing Jade was the understanding type. Yeah… not.

He closed his eyes and shook his head as another toast rang out. He was so fucked.