The Long Way Home (Corps Security #6)(64)

“Thank you,” I whisper in her ear, for her to hear only.

She leans back and studies me for a long moment. “For what?”

I smile sadly. “Raising a piece of the man I love.”

Her lips tremble.

“It’s easy to get wrapped up in sadness when life punches you in the gut. I don’t even know you, but I’m sure you’re one of the strongest women I’ll ever meet. You all lost him, but you also had a greater stake in that loss. Could’ve not had the baby, but you did. So thank you.”

“Hardly a baby anymore. More like a pain in my ass,” someone grumbles.

I look from Chelcie to where I heard the voice come from.

Without the heaviness of the situation, I allow myself to look at the man who just entered the room.

Asher Cooper.

He looks so much like Zeke, but also so very different. Both extremely tall, both blond, both blue eyed … if I didn’t know better, I would say they were twins. It’s uncanny. They even seem to stand the same.

I look back at Chelcie, who is looking at her husband with so much concern. “Would you please introduce me to your husband?” I ask her, hoping that little request will urge her past the pain she was feeling moments before.

She nods, wipes her face, and we turn to walk over to the Cooper brothers. Zeke tags my hand the moment I’m within reach and tugs me to his side. His arm goes around my shoulders, and he pulls me into his side tightly. Chelcie walks straight into Asher’s arms. I look away and up to Zeke once I see her relax into her husband’s arms. I study his face, trying to read his emotions. He bends, placing his lips on my forehead, and leaves them there for a beat before pulling away.

“Asher.” He clears his throat. “And Chelcie …” He pauses and dips his chin toward me. “Olivia.”

I smile awkwardly.

“And this …” He trails off, and I feel him shifting us so that we’re facing the rest of the people standing over to the side of us still. “This is my family.”

His voice is so deep, gravelly, and full of oh-so-much emotion.

I wave, looking at each face.

He moves me to stand in front of him so he can look down into my eyes. “Give me just a second?”

“Of course.”

He walks around me toward one of the couples—a tall, dark, and dangerous-looking man and the tiny blond woman at his side. She’s adorable and looks like girl-next-door sweetness. The man, however, is the complete opposite. He looks like he could kill someone by just breathing.

Maddox and Emmy. It has to be them. Based on what I know about these people and the photos that I asked Sway to show me before we left the hotel room, I had a pretty good idea who was who.

Zeke stops in front of Emmy.

“Hey,” he says low and thick with emotions. “Chin up, buttercup,” he adds, lifting her downcast face with a finger to her chin to meet his eyes. “What do you say?”

“Oh Coop,” she cries, wrapping her arms around him so tight he grunts. He returns her hug without hesitation, looking over her head to meet her husband’s eyes … Maddox Locke.

Wow. This guy is really intimidating.

Emmy pulls herself back and looks up at him.

“You’re really here?”

“I’m really here.”

She lets out another sob, but this time moves into her husband’s arms and continues to cry softly.

Maddox shuffles her with him when he reaches out, grabs Zeke by the arm, and pulls him close. He made it look effortless to pull a giant of a man around, too. I take it back, he’s not just intimidating—he’s intimidating and scary as all get-out when those almost black eyes look into your soul.

“I don’t understand how, but my God is this one of the most magical moments of my life,” someone says. Breaking my gaze from Locke, I look at the pretty redhead who spoke. Judging by the thickly tattooed mountain of a man holding her, I’m going to say that’s Izzy and Axel.

“You can say that again, princess.”

Zeke moves from the Lockes and walks toward the two. Izzy steps aside and the two men meet with another bear of a hug. They step back quicker than he did with Emmy, and both give each other a nod. Izzy gets the next hug, and she cries into his shoulder before her husband pulls—yes, pulls—her away. She drops her head into his neck and cries softly.

He moves to the two next to Izzy and Axel.

“Damn,” he grunts before they hug. “Get in here, beauty,” the man says, and the woman at his side wraps her arms around both men.

“That’s Greg and his Melissa,” Sway whispers in my ear.

Zeke steps away, taking a deep breath before moving to the last couple.

“That’s Beck and Dee, sugar,” Sway says, again low and just for me.

I knew from the little stories he has told me about his time with these people he considered his family that, next to his brother and Emmy, he was closest to this man named Beck. This man who isn’t even trying to hide the emotions written all over his face. Shock, pain, hopefulness, fear … hell, he might as well just be a giant mixing pot of every possible feeling one could experience. His tears, though, his tears show, which is winning—relief.

Dee gives him a hug first, looking up at him with a small smile and tears in her eyes. “It’s really you,” she whispers.