Chapter 7: QUINN

That was the night they became my brothers in heart. It was from that moment on that the seven of us just clicked into place for me. That was a lifetime ago now and we'd come very far and had faced some serious shit together over the years that had only made us closer, stronger.

As time went by we became more than just a team. I don't remember us ever being apart even when we came back stateside after that. Lo had decided to take our training a step farther and since we were a motley crew of semi orphans, we all just seemed to fall into brotherhood.

Before that I was more of a loner; still have a bit of the lone wolf in me. The navy hadn't knocked the stubborn out of me and I'd say for sure if not for my brothers, my ass wouldn't have made it out of the sling a time or two. But since we 'semi retired' I've calmed the fuck down like ninety percent.

Lo has a lot to do with that. He knows each of us almost as well as we know ourselves. That's why he's so good at being our leader in the field and why we still trust him to call the plays now that we're home.

Before the CO left us this place, we'd hole up in some beach town somewhere or a cabin in the mountains when we didn't feel like dealing with people in our downtime.

We'd always planned to stay together when we got out, and the CO who always seemed to know everything, and had played a bigger part in our lives than just that of a commanding officer, had made that possible.

I pulled myself up out of the pool and dried off as I pushed the weirdness of the night from my mind and thought of my family. Though we were all roughly the same age give or take a year or two, we'd all fell into certain roles as easily as if we'd been born to it.

Logan was a born leader and protector. Connor's his wingman and the rest of us just found our place and took up position with Lo at the helm.

We've had very few losses over the years, and through them, because of our bond, I'd grown into someone I could be proud of.

Since dad was an asshole of the highest order and mom had been long gone by the time I signed up, it was my brothers with whom I'd shared my greatest achievements.

The kid who'd been aloof and withdrawn, who trusted no one but himself, had learned to trust, not just the men I fought and bled with, but the man who'd led us.

It was easy for me to take a step back and let Lo do his thing because I knew when it was needed he had no problem letting the rest of us take that position. We all played on each other's strengths.

He'd given Cord the reins this last go around which thank fuck we'd all survived. That boy is just a little bit touched if you know what I mean and there were times in the last couple weeks when things were touch and go.

Thank fuck he has his woman to keep his ass on his toes now and the rest of us can catch a break. We'd dodged a few bullets there and were facing yet more bullfuckery in the not too distant future, but the rules of our game had changed a hell of a lot.

We were all keeping it on low keel for the sake of the women, but had it been just us, we would've fucked shit up already, consequences be damned.

That usually involved leaving bodies scattered to fuck and back. But now with everyone becoming family oriented and shit, we're having to find new ways and means.

Plus, this shit was on domestic soil, something we've never had to deal with before, not like this. We were treading new waters with this one.

I don't know if it's divine intervention or just plain happenstance, but I find it more than just a little strange that in the midst of all this bullshit, my brothers have been dropping like flies. That shit so far, has been an adventure of a whole different bent.

I'd never seen them in love before. I don't think any of us ever even gave thought to the possibility. The kind of men we are, love just never seemed like it would ever be in the works and I think we were all cool with that.

But since we moved here something shifted in the wind or some fuck and boy has this shit been all kinds of entertaining.

Connor was the first to go, and he needed to be first. That's one crazy motherfucker. The danger with Con is that he seems calm as fuck, but beneath that veneer beats the heart of a true beast.

His quietness hides a deep-seated hatred for all the things we stand against as warriors. He, like the rest of us, believes in honor, courage, commitment and the fair treatment of everyone who deserves it.

I'd say he's probably the toughest nut to crack. I guess it was only natural that once he took the plunge the others would follow suit.

Logan is right behind him in the crazy stakes, but he has a little more control. His shit is like ice, but he can keep it contained and do what needs to be done.

Zak is outright nuts. He loves hard and it's even harder for him to forgive. But when he's on your side you know you're safe, you're gonna make it out of whatever situation you're in.

Ty, well, Ty is the baby of our little family even though he likes to pretend he's the big dog. Maybe it's because out of all of us, he got the shittiest deal in life and that's saying something.

But no matter what the rest of us suffered at the hands of others as children, nothing beats watching your mother murdered by some asshole, not knowing if said asshole was gonna come for you next.

So, we're all very protective of him though none of us would say that shit out loud. On a good day he's probably the most softhearted of us. But he's also the loose canon, the one most likely to say fuck it, break rank and off a motherfucker.

I guess you can say he's the brother who says and does the things you wish you could, but training holds you in check. He slips his training like a snake sheds its skin and don't give a fuck. Good times.

And then we have Cord, Mr. Master of all he perceives. No one really knows how deep that fuck runs, we just know that with him in our corner, whoever comes at us are gonna have to come hard as fuck.

Each of us have put our lives on the line for the others a time or two and would do it again without a second thought. Together we make a formidable team of bad-asses.

Devon is the silent creeper. He holds everything close to the vest, stays pretty much to the background taking in everything until it's time to strike. I'd die for each and every one of them, and now the women they'd brought into our tight little circle, and of course our baby Zak.

I grinned at the thought of my precocious niece who has us all wrapped around her little finger. My gut tightened up a bit when I remembered that my sisters were pregnant and we were in the middle of a shit storm.