Corps Security, The Series (2)(60)

“Jesus Christ,” Maddox spits through clenched teeth.

Greg nods in agreement. “You aren’t lying, Mad.”

“Let me get this straight. You’ve been sitting on this for all of this time for what exactly?” Axel asks.

I hold my breath and wait for Asher to continue, knowing that this is the moment when these men will pick sides. They will pick sides and essentially decide my man’s fate.

“So that I can avenge my brother’s murder.”





CHAPTER 29

Chelcie

It takes only seconds after Asher hissed out those eight words.

Those eight words that will either be his demise or his salvation.

In that short time, the room explodes with voices of concern, outrage, anger, and understanding. I can’t tell with all of their yelling which is winning.

“Excuse me,” I try to say over the testosterone fest that is raging within the conference room’s four solid walls. They don’t even spare me a glance.

Each one of them is speaking over the other, trying to be the lone voice that gains the upper hand and gets to speak first.

Hell. No.

There is no way I’m going to sit back and let them help make the call that would define my future. No way. That would not only be tempting fate with Asher’s own life, but if I know anything about these men, it is that they would never let Ash go at this alone—effectively making this a call that will affect all of their futures and those of their families.

“Excuse me,” I try again, raising my voice slightly.

When that still doesn’t work, I push myself up, the chair wheeling back with a force so strong that it slams against the wall behind me. They still don’t even stop to look at me.

Looking around the room for something that will help me gain the upper hand, I see Maddox watching me with a small smirk on his face. He isn’t even attempting to stick his voice into the uncontrolled war around us. I’m not sure what compels me to act like a child, but seeing him just sitting there—doing nothing—causes my already rising temper to shoot through the roof.

I place my hands on my hips, cock my head to the side, and stick my tongue out at him.

Well, it seems as if basket case has decided to come and play today.

I see his shoulders move with his silent laughter, and then he pushes up from the table and walks around the short distance to me, all the while going completely unnoticed by the other men in the room. They just keep yelling over each other.

Maddox dips his head low, his face just inches from mine, and I try my hardest not to cower under his intense gaze. He’s standing so close that I can feel the heat of his nose against my own. He gives me one sharp nod, shifts to the right, and brings his mouth to my ear.

“You make sure and keep that damn light shining bright on him. You give a broken man like me hope that there might be something to be said about trusting that blaze that fights a man’s demons.” Then he pulls back just as quickly.

I get one hell of a smile before he places his hands on my hips, turns my body to face the men in the room, and lifts me up. I flail for a second until I realize that he’s helping me onto the conference table. He doesn’t remove his hands, making sure that I’m safe on my perch.

“EXCUSE ME!” I scream.

The room falls silent and all four of the grown toddlers fighting over the last cookie turn to look at me with shock.

Greg’s and Beck’s eyes go wide. Axel roars with laughter. But Asher’s face turns hard as he looks at Maddox with nothing short of bared vehemence.

“I suggest you get your fucking hands off my woman,” he fumes.

Maddox doesn’t move. He keeps his hold on my hips, and I see Asher’s eye twitch.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” he vows.

“Oh be quiet, you overgrown ape!” I scream down at him.

His blue eyes are alight with anger, but I can see the shock starting to hit him with my tone.

“That’s right. All of you just shut up for a second. Sitting here and pissing all over each other isn’t going to accomplish anything, but I have something to say and you’re damn well going to listen to me.” Maddox’s fingers flex against my hips in encouragement. “I will agree with Asher that this asshole, this vile excuse for a human, needs to pay for what he did and every crime he’s committed since Coop’s death. I firmly believe that he needs one hell of a kick in the ass. He needs to suffer, and he needs to suffer for a long time. That being said, going off half-cocked to seek some vigilante type of justice? News flash—you boys are not invincible and there are a lot of people who love you, who don’t want to see something terrible happen to you.”

I look around the room while I gauge the best way to express myself. “Tell me this. Would Coop, for one second, want you all to be putting your lives on the line just so that you can avenge him? Well, I’ll tell you this much—he damn sure wouldn’t. I might not have known him as long or as well as you all did, but I knew a man who lived each day as if it were his last. He laughed often. He loved fiercely. He was strong, brave, and courageous. He was a man who knew right down to the last second what he was giving up by stepping in front of that bullet.” Maddox’s hands clench so tight that I have to bite my cheek to keep from crying out in pain. “He assessed the situation and he decided that he would be the hero he was meant to be. He would be sick if he knew that any one of you were willing to follow him into the grave just to punish the man responsible.”