Escaping the Blackness (A Cooper Brothers Novel Book 1)

by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

  “Really?” Riley gasps.

  “That’s not playin’ fair,” Dane grumbles.

  “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.”

  “Will we be here long enough for a tea party?” Riley asks me.

  “I’m not sure, Princess,” I answer honestly.

  Hurt flashes across everyone’s faces other than Riley’s. She trusts me. No one else here does.

  “We have a lot to figure out.” I try to ease a bit of the tension.

  “Let’s go meet the other two,” I suggest, leaving my family to talk about me.

  I sit on the end of the coffee table with Riley wrapped around me as I face Sawyer and Cara.

  “This is my brother Sawyer. He’s mad at me. But he’s not mad at you. So he’ll be nice to you.”

  Riley nods into my neck, but makes no move to look at my scowling brother.

  “And this is Cara—”

  Riley scrambles out of my lap and looks up at me.

  “Princess Cara from the story?” she asks excitedly.

  “Yeah,” I whisper.

  She heaves herself into Cara’s chest, knocking the unsuspecting woman back. Sawyer steadies them as Cara looks at me with pained green eyes.

  “You have a strong, brave heart. I can hear it,” Riley mumbles into Cara’s purple sweater.

  Cara’s breath hitches as she looks down at the tiny girl swarming her body. Then she shocks me, pulling Riley closer as she closes her eyes.

  “My daddy saved you, just like he saved me,” Riley says and Cara springs her eyes open, watching me for a long beat.

  “Yeah, he did,” Cara says softly into Riley’s hair.

  I look over at Sawyer and see understanding taking over his features.

  “I love you, man. I’m not gonna cause you problems. I only ever wanted you to be happy. You two deserve each other,” I state confidently.

  I have no claim on Cara and if Sawyer loves her, I have to let her go.

  He starts to respond, but I put my hand up to stop him. He doesn’t need to accept my words. I just needed to say them.

  “Come on, Princess. We should get back to our hotel,” I say, pulling Riley away from Cara.

  “You look good, sweetheart,” I tell Cara, standing up with Riley wrapped around me.

  It’s an understatement. She’s a showstopper. There aren’t words to describe the beauty Cara possesses. It’s not just her perfect face, perky boobs, long legs and her hypnotic green eyes; it’s her healed soul that shines from within her that takes my breath away.

  She offers me a tiny tip of her lips before curling into Sawyer’s embrace, and I move away as Mitch climbs to his feet to join us.

  “We’re stayin’ at the Oread for a few days. You can call me there if you wanna get together,” I say to the room. “Brock Hollister is the name we’re booked under.”

  “We’ll walk you out,” Dad says.

  Dane and Cole lift their chins at me while Sawyer and Cara stare at me like I’m a stranger. I suppose I am.

  “Bye,” Riley says, waving at everyone.

  “Bye,” my brothers and Cara say in unison, even Sawyer.

  “Come on,” Mitch says, reaching out to Riley. “I need a hug.”

  She jumps into his arms as we walk down the hall.

  Once we’re outside, he settles her into her car seat. I talk to my parents at the hood of the car, out of Riley’s earshot.

  “Thanks for comin’ out today. I know that was short, but Riley’s had enough for a few days. Roman gave me three months to figure shit out. I can take more or less if I need it. I’m not sure how I’ll replace Gage,” I huff, rubbing my buzzed head. “I need to run through all the shit that went down with Smith too. I’ll work from here for a few days and then I’ll probably head back to headquarters.”

  “Don’t do that, Jake,” Mom pleads. “Stay with us if you need to. We’ll watch Riley while you go on ops. She can start school here. We can give her roots. There’s a lot to talk about, but please don’t go back to Virginia.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” I respond evasively.

  Dad scowls at me while Mom nods in defeat. I can’t make promises to them right now. I have no clue what I’m doing. I haven’t killed anyone or hunted anyone in days and I’m craving that release like an addict searching for their next score.

  “Our girl wants noodles,” Mitch says, joining our group.

  “We better go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  I hug my mom tightly and then my dad crushes me in a rough embrace.

  “Proud of you,” he mumbles in my ear.

  I nod as he releases me.

  Mitch and my parents say goodbye before he and I climb in the SUV where Riley’s already nodding off. She’s wiped from all of this. I can’t push her anymore. This is the moment where she needs the stability our lives don’t have. A home. A bedroom. A safe harbor she can trust.

  This is my chance to give that to her.

  I just don’t know where I fit into that kind of life.

  I don’t know if I deserve that life.

  “Holy. Fuckin’. Shit.” Dane scours his face with both his meaty palms trying to comprehend what just went on here.

  Cole’s sitting on the end of the couch with his elbows resting on his knees, his hands hanging limply along with his head.

  Sawyer has his head tipped back against the couch with his eyes closed.

  “I knew,” I admit in a whisper.

  The three of them are instantly at attention.

  “I found out that night in Chicago. I didn’t get details, but something happened when I killed Smith and Riley was in danger. Jake blamed me. I didn’t tell you guys about Riley because I wasn’t sure what to say and Jake didn’t want me to talk about it. Just telling you guys what I did was a big risk, I couldn’t tell you about him bein’ a dad. It felt wrong,” I quickly explain.

  “He must’ve gotten her mom pregnant right after he went back to the training farm,” Sawyer says with disgust. “I don’t fuckin’ understand.”

  That hurts. I know what Sawyer said is true, and the fact that Jake had Riley here without her mother again makes me believe he’s on his own with her. Or maybe that’s wishful thinking. Am I a horrible person because I hope that Riley’s mom is out of the picture because the thought of Jake with anyone else is crippling?

  Yes. Yes, I am.

  I shake my head in irritation as the front door closes and Kat and Nick come back in the house.

  “Thanks for that,” Dane grumbles.

  “Watch it,” Nick clips. “The last time you saw your brother it didn’t go so well. I thought it’d be better to have a barrier. Riley seemed like the best choice. And guess what, no one fought and now we can talk about shit.”

  Nick drops into the chair in the corner, pulling a very pregnant Kat into his lap.

  “Riley’s not Jake’s biological daughter,” Kat says softly and her sons instantly sit up to listen while I take slow, metered breaths.

  “Did you fill them in on that stupid fuckin’ shit you did?” Nick asks me.

  I keep my eyes on the coffee table as I nod.

  “Dad, I get you’re pissed, but don’t talk to her like that,” Sawyer says pointedly.

  “Sawyer’s right. I’m sorry, Cara,” Nick says genuinely.

  “No, you’re right. I fucked up. I’m really sorry I betrayed you, Uncle Nick,” I apologize quietly.

  Sawyer pulls me against his side again and runs a big hand up and down my arm in comfort.

  “You and I are gonna talk about that later. Right now, we need to talk about Jake.”

  “So he has a daughter, but she’s not really his?” Cole asks, trying to get us back on track.

  “John Smith had Riley a few years ago. When Jake was on an op to take Smith out, he found Riley. Jake took her on after that. She’s his daughter and I caution any of you to say otherwise to your brother. I know how he feels,” Nick explains and the whole room gets it.

  We’re a fam
ily linked by barely a drop of blood. That’s not what builds family in our lives. It’s built with unconventional, unconditional love and none of us take too kindly to having those relationships questioned.

  “Why did Smith have Riley?” I ask, knowing that doesn’t make any fucking sense. That monster was methodical about only taking girls once they were eight.

  The perfect age to begin training.

  I shudder thinking about his slimy voice and Sawyer hugs me tighter while Cole slides against my other side, interlacing our fingers.

  “We don’t know, honey,” Kat says with emotion.

  I love Kat Cooper. She’s always been kind and accepting with me. Even the first night Nick and she found me running through their backyard, Kat was thoughtful and loving with me. I carry a soft spot for her and that means something beyond family to me. She’s a good piece of my battered soul. She helped to mend the cracks slicing through me.

  “Because Jake still doesn’t know where she came from, he felt it important to keep her away from us. Unfortunately, on that night Cara was in Chicago, Smith stole Riley from a DCA safe house and killed the agent who had guarded her the whole time she’s been with Jake,” Kat explains sadly.

  “Jake was right to keep his life separate from us,” Nick says and the Cooper brothers start to argue.

  “You boys don’t know what his job entails. His daughter was stolen from a DCA safe house. Do you have any idea the kinda power a move like that requires?”

  They all grumble, “No,” while Nick continues.

  “He’s off the DCA radar now. Jake needs time to figure out what happened and if eliminating Smith has taken care of the threat to Riley. I need you four to get your shit together. I get that you’re mad and hurt, but Jake needs us right now. He’s alone in the world with a little girl who was almost stolen from him. Find forgiveness and do it quick.”

  “That easy, Dad? Six years and we just forgive and forget?” Dane sneers.

  “Do you want him gone again?” Nick asks gruffly.

  “No.”

  “Then you’ll get your shit together. I know my sons and my niece. The four of you love harder than you hold a grudge. Jake has demons the rest of you haven’t seen in life. Understand that. Understand that when a toddler needed a man in her life to love her, he stepped up. Understand that when he got off the training farm he went after the person who hurt Cara before he did anything else. Understand that when Cara committed about twenty felonies a week ago, Jake made it go away without question. Understand that when you three got in that bar fight a year ago, Jake had it under wraps before I could do anything about it. Understand that your brother carries a picture of you with him at all times because you’re never far from his heart,” Nick dictates.

  “He’s been watching us,” Cole whispers with tears in the back of his pale blue eyes.

  “Always,” Kat says with pride.

  “I fucked up,” Sawyer grunts.

  “You’ll fix it,” Nick says without question, trusting his sons to bury the hatchet.

  I’m still reeling from everything Nick and Kat just explained. I’m so lost and I want nothing more than to run to Jake’s hotel and hug him. I want to thank him for going after Smith. I want to thank him for rescuing Riley because I know what her life would be if he didn’t. I want to tell him…no, that’s too far.

  “You’ve known what he was doin’ this whole time, haven’t you?” Dane asks his father.

  “I’ve always known where he was and what he was doin’. I didn’t know about Riley. Shane kept that from us,” Nick admits.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” Cole asks with offense.

  “It was Jake’s decision to cut off contact with our family. I respected that. But he’s my son and I made a decision as his father to watch him. It wouldn’t have helped you all any to know what he’s been doin’ the last six years. Trust me. It was pretty stressful havin’ those details,” Nick grumbles, rubbing his black buzzed hair. “I hate to admit this, but Jake was right to keep you guys out of his life. It wasn’t safe for you all to know what he was doin’. He was keeping you safe. I’m proud of him for that. You should be too.”

  “He’s gonna leave again,” Sawyer whispers solemnly.

  “He’s still an agent, but he needs help with Riley. He needs his family and I’m gonna do my best to keep them here,” Kat responds with conviction.

  Jake’s going to have a hard time getting away from his mother again.

  “I hope he’s still scared of you,” Dane teases his mother.

  “He better be,” she quips with a beaming smile, rubbing a hand over her big belly.

  “Little Cooper’s with Aunt Shanny?” Sawyer asks.

  He’s like a hawk with the little ones. I love seeing that protective side of him. When he has kids, he’ll be an outstanding father and I can’t wait to watch it happen.

  “Yeah, you two wanna tell me why you made Jake think you’re together?” Nick asks with a quirked brow.

  “You know why,” Sawyer huffs.

  “Pretty shitty, bud.”

  “Yeah.”

  Nick studies his son for a moment and lets it go. He’s not one to say things more than once. He’s made his point and he expects Sawyer to fix it.

  “All right. You three help your mom make lunch while I talk to Cara,” Nick instructs and we all obey without question.

  When the door to the office closes, I feel a slight panic creeping up my spine. I know Nick would never hurt me. But when I’ve disappointed someone, my old tortured soul tries to take me over.

  “Take a breath, Cara,” Nick says soothingly.

  I do. I take a few breaths and calm myself down as I sit in a rolling chair while Nick settles on the edge of the desk.

  “You broke into my computer,” Nick states without a hint of anger. “You wanna tell me how you did that?”

  “Not really,” I answer honestly.

  He chuckles at me and I relax completely.

  “I overheard you on the phone with Shane. I didn’t get everything, but I heard you say John Smith and that he was finally gonna get what was comin’ to him. I didn’t know Jake would be there. I thought you were checkin’ in with Shane because of me,” I explain.

  “It was both,” he grunts.

  “A few minutes later, Kat started screaming that Charlie had a shit catastrophe. You left the office in a rush to help her and you didn’t shut down your system. I poked around quickly and then came to help with Charlie’s bath. Once I tracked Agent Reed in Chicago, it was pretty easy for me to locate Smith.”

  “Fuck, Cara,” he huffs into his palms as he scrubs his face. “You can’t do shit like that. Do you have any idea what you did? Smith’s slaves were in bomb vests. Riley was in a bomb vest too. The bomb squad got Riley out of hers about ten seconds before it blew.”

  “I didn’t know,” I whisper with regret. “I wouldn’t have done it if I did.”

  “Jake got that prick Roman to clean up your end and I smoothed shit with Shane and the higher-ups, but you can’t do anything like this again. This is serious, Cara. The DCA doesn’t take kindly to civilians interfering.”

  “There’s no one else for me to kill,” I respond.

  “Hey,” he growls, tipping my chin up to meet his sapphire eyes. “I’m glad you got what you needed. But you’re in this family. You’re my fuckin’ family and I’d die if somethin’ happened to you. I thought we got this under control after your last adventure with Roman. I love you and I will not let any harm come to you, even if it’s you doin’ the harm.”

  “I love you too, Uncle Nick,” I say softly as he drags me to my feet and crushes me against his wide chest.

  “This shit with you and Sawyer makin’ Jake think you’re together is a bad idea. Don’t torture Jake. He does that enough to himself without any help from you guys. My son loves you, Cara. All of my sons do, but Jake loves you like I love Kat. Don’t use that against him. You’re better than that,” he mutters into my hair.
/>   “Sawyer made that move, but I didn’t stop him,” I mumble.

  “I’m not surprised,” he says with a chuff. “You doin’ okay with the Smith stuff? Nightmares or anything?”

  “Sleepin’ like a baby,” I say through a smile.

  “You’re just like your sister.”

  “Thank you.” That’s maybe the best compliment he could give me.

  We both chuckle and Nick releases me with a kiss to my cheek.

  “Let’s go eat and celebrate my son comin’ home and bringin’ me a granddaughter, as old as that makes me feel.”

  “You are gettin’ up there, Uncle Nick,” I tease and sprint away when he tries to grab me.

  “Hottest grandpa you’ve ever seen,” he shouts as I run into the living room.

  Yes, he is. Nick Cooper is definitely the most gorgeous grandpa the world has ever seen. And I’m certain Jake’s the sexiest father.

  I’m in trouble.

  I wake up to a soft tapping on the hotel door. Snatching my 1911 from the bedside table drawer where it’s nestled next to the complimentary bible, I roll off the bed. Riley doesn’t stir as I leave her.

  Silently, I pad through the room and press the muzzle of my weapon to the door before peering through the peephole.

  My shoulders sag in relief at the face staring back at me. I unlock the door and say, “Hey,” before allowing him to pass by.

  “I didn’t wake her up, did I?” Sawyer whispers, looking around for Riley.

  “She’s out,” I respond, flopping on the bright chartreuse pleather chair in the sitting area of our suite.

  I nod at Sawyer to take the tweed couch. He plops down, rubbing his palms over his face as I set my gun on the coffee table.

  “I shouldn’t have hit you,” Sawyer mumbles into his hands before dropping them to his jean-covered lap and turning his espresso eyes to me.

  “I had an ass whippin’ comin’ my way. It’s not a big deal,” I reply sincerely, crossing my ankle over my knee. My face is pretty much healed at this point other than a little bruising on my jaw. My ribs will take longer, but the ache reminds me that I deserved the punishment.

  He nods and we sit in uncomfortable silence before Sawyer speaks again.