Chapter 12 - History

'Bry...,' Chase starts, rising from the couch.

'So I’m gone for twenty four hours and you both just decide to tell her everything about us, she probably has enough information to put us in prison for the rest of our lives,' he says hotly, turning his steely gaze on me. His gaze pierces mine for a second before his mouth falls open and the blood drains from his face.

'What the hell happened?' he asks, striding forward and leaning over the back of the couch to get a better look at me.

I bat his hand away as he begins to examine my injuries. 'Chase already checked me over, I said i'm fine,' continuing to swat him away like a fly, but he ignores me as he checks each scratch and cut.

'What happened?' he asks again as he continues his examination and I sigh in defeat.

'I feel down the cliff side when I was walking back with Michael from the gun range,' I tell him, trying to sound nonchalant.

'What the hell were you doing at the range?' he asks confused, I think.

'Michael was going and I wanted to learn to shoot, so I asked him if I could tag along and if he could teach me a little bit,' I trail off uncertainly as Bryant turns to glare at Michael.

'I know I screwed up Bry,' Michael begins, raising his hands in surrender but I wasn't going to let him take the blame for me and Bryant reaction was quite frankly pissing me off, considering he didn't even see fit to tell me he was leaving.

'Don't give him shit about this!' I berate him while jabbing a finger into his chest, causing him to lean away from me and raise an eyebrow at my outburst.

'I'm a godamn grown adult, and I asked to go. Actually, I had a great day until the falling off the cliff part, besides you weren't here, you disappeared to get your dick wet so whatever happened in your absence is none of your business!' I'm yelling by the time I'm done, my chest heaving with the effort.

'Watch your language,' he growls at me, then turns to face Chase and Michael.

'Get my dick wet?' he eyes them dangerously as they both wince, the lets out a heavy sigh as Michael steps forward.

'Look Bry, I only look her up there to show her the basics. Once this is over and done with, she should know how to protect herself. I told you from the beginning that this job didn't sit right with me, it isn't what we do,' Michael says gravely as Bryant shakes his head in resignation.

'We didn't have a choice, Michael, you know that' Bryant replies, frustration colouring his voice.

'What happened?' I ask in a small voice, touching Bryant's shoulder to get his attention. I try to ignore the electricity that travels up my arm and through my body when my skin makes contact with his.

He looks at me for a long moment, his gaze is hard and serious before he begins his story, Michael and Chase sit close on the coffee table to listen to their story.

'Almost four years ago, we all served together within a Special Forces Task Unit in Afghanistan. I was in command, and we were tasked with taking out a high-profile target that intelligence told us was hiding in the area. Intel had an informant who was passing information to us in exchange for asylum and protection. Or at least, that was what we were led to believe.' Bryant rubs his forehead as if trying to physically erase the memory from his head, but after a short pause continues.

'Intel began by asking him for small things in the beginning, to test his skill and commitment to the task, and all the intel he gave us proved valuable, so they began to trust him.'

'Big mistake,' Chase grunted, Bryant and Michael nod to him in agreement.

'Eventually, we got the green light, and we were sent to ambush the building we were told the target was hiding in, but when we got there, we were ambushed by twenty of the targets soldiers and we were captured. The informant was a traitor, it was a double bluff. We were held captive for five months,' he stops then, a look of hatred and disgust like I’ve never seen crosses Bryant's face, and I hear Michael curse quietly under his breath.

'Oh my God,' I cover my mouth with my hand at the thought of what these men had gone through.

'The men who asked us to take you, and no, I’m not going to tell you who they are,' he says sternly, as I open my mouth to ask just that, but close it with a tight snap, my lips setting in a hard line.

'It's for your protection,' he adds more gently, 'not theirs.'

'If you know who they are, they won't let you go after this is over. I want you to be able to go back to your life,' he adds so earnestly, that I don't press him further and instead wait silently for him to conclude his story.

'Long story short, they saved us. They sent in a team of mercenaries, just like us to storm the building and retrieve us. They wanted us to join their team but in all honestly, after five months of capture, none of us were in any condition to be joining any teams, we just wanted to get home. So they let us, but asked us if they could call on us for a favour should they need it in the future, they had done so much for us, that of course we agreed without hesitation. We didn't really know what kind of men we were dealing with at that point. We all left the service when we got home and we started working together and created our own business,' he concludes.

'Thank you for sharing your story with me,' I say quietly, their story is heart wrenching and goes some way to soften me towards the three men before me. They have gone through so much, and while I won't ever condone them taking me against my will, I at least have a better understanding of why which I find oddly comforting.

Chase and Michael rise simultaneously from the coffee table, and make their way into the kitchen area, leaving Bryant and I alone on the couch. For some reason, I can't seem to look him in the eye, so I pick at a stray thread on one of the cushions. He starts to rise too, as if to join his brothers but then stops and turns to me, taking hold of my chin firmly between his thumb and forefinger, and tilting my head so I have no choice but to look him in the eye.

'Oh, and by the way, just so we are clear. There's only one person I want to get my dick wet with.'