Dane's whole body had stiffened. Coop wasn't any happier. When they had first heard Alea's story, he, Dane, and Lan had sat down and talked. Even if she hadn't been raped, she'd been through a lot. They had backed off physically because of it. Coop had started reading about the psychology of victims, trying to understand.
Law frowned. "From what we've been able to tell, Alea was brutalized in every other way imaginable. They left her virginity intact for a reason."
Tal slapped at the table. "Do we have to talk about this?"
"The information won't leave this room," Coop vowed. "But you asked us to be responsible for Alea's well-being. It's hard to do that if we don't talk about information that might be relevant."
"This is none of anyone's business, even yours. I tasked you with making sure she doesn't get hurt again. That's all." Tal glowered.
Ouch. That hurt like a bitch. But Coop refused to back down. "Knowing what she endured may tell us what happened to her and why, so yeah, I think it's my business. I also happen to think that protecting her life is more important than protecting her modesty. She's not just a job to me. She's a good woman who deserves to close her eyes at night and sleep soundly, knowing that she's safe."
Tal drew in a calming breath. "Sorry. You're right. I know how you all feel about her. I've seen how Alea reacts to you three. I asked you here for a reason, and it wasn't as her security team."
That was news to Coop. The last he'd heard, the sheikh had reminded all three of them of their completely non-royal status. Dane had gone the "I hate authority" route, while Lan had slid into his whole "woe is me/I grew up in a trailer so no woman can love me" pile of shit. Coop … he'd seen the play for what it was at the time.
Back then, Tal had been in a bad place with Piper. He'd been a bear growling at anything that even halfway moved. Dane wasn't known for his subtlety. Lan sometimes stepped in it-when he bothered to speak at all. So they'd made nice, big targets for the sheikh. When Coop had written off Tal's craptastic mood and snarling outburst to not getting any, Dane and Lan had called him an overly optimistic Pollyanna and told him to shut the fuck up.
Coop shrugged. He was realistic, thank you. The other two could be morose morons. But they were his family.
"What are you saying, Your Highness?" Dane asked, his jaw squaring in that comic book, all-American hero way of his.
Tal turned to Dane. Coop's stomach rolled. Here it came, the big emotional "I'm sorry" scene that had been building for six months. Fuck. Coop hadn't gone into the Navy so he could have the verbal equivalent of dude hugs. He'd rather cut through the crap and put it behind them. "Let me translate. Tal fucked up and he's sorry. He's cool if we go after Alea because he knows we'll take care of her. Now can we move this along?"
Tal frowned Coop's way. "That's not exactly how I planned to say it, but yes. I had a very long apology planned, too."
"Can't we handle this like men?" Coop asked. "Just punch each other, then share a beer and we're all cool."
Dane's lips curled up. "Sorry, Tal. Coop isn't a big believer in the whole 'emotional sharing' thing. I think it's because he grew up surrounded by cattle."
Coop shrugged. Sometimes he missed his dad's ranch. "I was raised by cowhands who were long on work and short on chatter. Sorry."
A huge smile crossed the sheikh's face. "Well, Cooper was succinct, but correct. Alea needs you. I've talked this over with my brothers, and we've agreed that we will approve the marriage if you can convince her to accept."
"We will." Coop smiled now. "But it's not fair. You had it easier. You got to steal a bride."
"We followed in the tradition of our ancestors. They would whisk a woman away to someplace quiet and fuck her until she finally agreed to marry them," Tal said with a long sigh. "You'll have to be sneaky. I doubt Alea will prove as accommodating or as easily deceived as Piper. Plus, we had the whole language thing on our side. Unfortunately for you, Alea is proficient in five languages. I don't think she knows Swahili. Do any of you?"
Coop rolled his eyes. "I think we can all agree Alea is smarter than any of us. We're going to have to rely on how hot we are."
"That's worked so well for us up to this point." Dane rolled his eyes. "So please stop walking around in your boxers on the off chance that Alea will walk in, see your body, and fall at your feet."
He elbowed Dane. It could have worked.