* * *

“Devon, Dev, look at me brother, right here.” Quinn pointed to his eyes. “He will never get through me. Every man in this room will stand in front of her.”

“We’ll do it for you and for her, but what’s more, we’ll do it for the CO. It’s the last thing he asked of us, to keep her safe, you know what that means.”

“He’s right Dev, at least we got her before he could. She’s never been as safe as she is here with us. We’ve kept the others safe this far we sure as fuck aren’t going to drop the ball now. He had Vanessa remember? I know how you feel.”

Damn I forgot about Zak and Nessa and the fact that she had been a prisoner of that sick fuck. “But she’s not like Nessa, she’s….she’s soft, gentle.”

“So is Dani, so is Gaby and all the others for that matter. But these women have proven, for all their griping that when it comes down to it, they kick ass.” Con took Quinn’s place and got in my face.

“That’s right, if we’ve learned anything it’s not to underestimate these women. Come on brother we’ve got this. Don’t crack on me now. Besides, I thought you weren’t interested?”

“Fuck you Lo.” The men grinned as the tension lifted. I felt the fire begin to ease in my gut and my head began to clear.

“Okay-okay, give me a minute.” I paced around the room to shake it off. It wasn’t easy, not with all the shit that was bottled up inside. Years of injustice had brought me to this moment.

An opportunity to save an innocent, the way no one had saved me. I pounded my fist into my palm as I worked it out in my head.

I reminded myself that she was safe with me. That no one will get to her as long as there’s breath in my body. I kept repeating that to myself over and over as I paced the room, always with that picture of her in my head.

When I stopped moving my brothers and the others had crowded around me like they were ready to take me down if need be.

It was the look on their faces that finally broke through the fog and haze. I was freaking them out. “I’m not going to freak, I’m not Ty.” Ty gave me the finger and that stupid gesture for some reason helped settle me down.

“Devon, brother, I know what it feels like to have your woman in that kinda danger, not just the threat of it, but the reality.” Lyon put his hand on my shoulder.

“I know what you’re feeling, I’ve been there. Right now, the best thing you can do for her is to work through the fear and the anger, stay calm, stay focused.”

“I don’t know who this Khalil fuck is, but I guarantee you he’s not crazier than me, he doesn’t stand a fucking chance.”

There were a lot of nods and laughter at Lyon’s acknowledgment and I have to admit that for some reason, I believed him. He’s that kinda person, a rock. A cross between Lo and Ty!

I nodded my understanding, took a deep breath and let my brothers know that I was fine. “I’m good, I’m cool.” Where the fuck did I just go?

“You sure? Maybe we should trank your ass like you fucks did to me?” Trust Tyler to make light of the situation and bring me back down to earth.

“Was I really as bad as him?” I asked the others with a grin that I didn’t really feel.

“Nobody’s as bad as him.”

“Thanks Con you lying fuck. I’m pretty sure I never spazzed out that bad. Cord might be a close second though.”

The men compared notes as to who was the craziest as we followed Mancini up the stairs but my mind was still on her.

There was a new urgency, now that she wasn’t just some faceless victim, but the woman who has been tying me in knots since we met.

“Where did you send them?” I asked Mancini as soon as we entered the room. He knew what I was asking and pulled up the media room on the wall screen.

I breathed a little easier when I saw her there with the others, and the way they were fawning over her. Her dimples were on full display as she smiled at something Gaby was saying.

I should’ve known my sisters and the others would take care of her. But why the fuck, am I so nervous?

I’ve never doubted that any of the others could hold their own, so why am I so worried about her fitting in?

“I feel like a father taking his kid to school for the first time and leaving her there without me.” I hadn’t meant to say those words out loud.

“We understand Dev, it’s because of the mark on her. Our women are in danger too, but not to the same extent. It’s okay, I get it, trust me.”

“What the fuck is wrong with me Quinn?”

“Nothing, nothing’s wrong with you. It’s what we all feel. I think it’s how you know you’ve found ‘the one’, you lose your fucking mind.”

“Ah damn! Bitch made.”

“Is that what that is? I’ve been trying to figure out for the past seventeen years what the fuck Kat did to me, now I know. I became a bitch.”

“Oh no Lyon, say it ain’t so.”

“I’m afraid so little brother. The right woman gets her hooks into you you’re done. Your life is never the same. And like I told you before, once they start bringing in ringers you my friend is totally fucked.”

Every man in the room was paying attention. This was Colton Lyon after all. The man was the definition of alpha male and here he was admitting that his wife had him by the balls.

“Like I said before, you boys are new to this shit, but let me tell you, it doesn’t get any better, in fact, it gets worst.” The others groaned making me laugh.

“Before I found her, I was a fucking beast. I did what I wanted, went where I pleased and fucked shit up on the regular.”

“Now each time I get on my ride my first thought is, don’t fuck around Colt. Who’s gonna take care of Kat and your kids if some fuck happens to you? They’re the last thing I think about at night, and the first thing on my mind every morning.”

“But I’ll tell you what.” He looked around the room at each of us. “You’ll never find anything better in your life like the right fucking woman. Hands down the best fucking move I ever made.”

No one was talking because I’m guessing they were all feeling the same. “Yeah, and when they’re innocent like that and some fuck mess with them, it takes you to a whole other place.” Justice looked towards the screen at his girl.

Lo clapped me on the shoulder. “See, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’ve just joined the ranks of the witless.”

“Yeah that helps.”

“I can tell you for a fact that women make men stupid, and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject.” Mancini took a sip from another one of his ever-present water bottles as he reclined back in the chair behind the monstrosity of a desk.

“We all have a dog in this fight brother. Our women have each been touched in one way or another behind this. We didn’t come this far to lose now.”

Law clapped me on the shoulder and I was beginning to feel like a selfish prick. I’d lost sight of the fact that each man in the room had a stake in this. That their women too were targets.

“Fuck no we’re not going to lose. That motherfucker’s days are numbered. We’re coming down to the wire. I can feel it.” Zak snagged one of Mancini’s water bottles and tipped it to his head.

“I pretty much feel like we’ve jumped the hardest hurdle. The deal was to find the girl and keep her safe. As far as I’m concerned that’s a done deal and the other thing has nothing to do with it. Separate the two in your mind brother.”

“We were always gonna go after Khalil, until last night we didn’t even know about the girl or why this whole thing was happening. We’ve already found her and it didn’t take much. Now as for taking down this fuck and his whole dirty brigade, that’s something else entirely.”

“I get what you’re saying Cord, I guess I didn’t think of it like that.” He was right. We’d done the most important part, getting her to safety.

The fact that Khalil was still out there meant nothing. He’s always been there and we’ve always been out of his reach as much as he’s been out of ours.

Plus the fact that we now know for sure who is helping him and how, that puts us a little bit ahead of the game.

“Look at them.” Mancini brought our attention to the room full of women who were laughing as they sat around talking like old friends.

“She’s fine, she’s already one of them. You see, we have something Khalil the fuck don’t have. We have this.” Tyler indicated the room and the room the women were in.

“We won’t let anything happen to anyone here. This is a family, we look out for our own.” I nodded at Lo. I wanted to tell them they could stop now, that I got it, but I got the feeling it was as much for them as it was me.

The dynamics had changed and something suddenly occurred to me. “Shit, her being here puts the others in danger. Maybe I should…”

“Don’t be an ass Devon; whatever you were about to say, don’t. How could you even think that shit?”

“Quinn is right, that’s asshole thinking. Now let’s get this shit moving.” Lo moved across the room no longer standing guard.

“Mancini, you have eyes on that arcade room? It’s been way too long since anyone had eyes on Mengele.”

“Dude, you gotta stop calling her that.” Tyler laughed as Mancini pulled up the room on one of the wall screens.

“See, poor kid’s just being a kid.” On the screen she was sitting with Zakira reading a picture book. Once Lyon was reassured that his kid wasn’t trying to burn the place down it was time to get to work.

“I will bet you any kinda money she’s up to some shit.”

“Colt, seriously, look at her, she’s like the perfect little princess. I can’t wait for Cierra and I to have one. She’s been going on and on about her ever since they met.”

“Remember you said that shit, but mark my words, that is one fucking scary kid. Only thing that gives me the sweats brother.”

No one said anything for a hot minute until they realized he was dead serious. “True story.” He nodded as Mancini switched off the monitor.