BROKEN COURAGE (Broken Redemption Book 3)

Chapter 7

Lucas

Untangling myself from a sleeping Embree, I roll to my back and reach for my phone. Though I try to grab it before the ringing wakes her, I'm too late.

"Who is it?" she asks, her voice thick with sleep.

"Just Ben, sweetheart." I drop a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Go back to sleep." Pulling my arm out from under her, I sit on the edge of the bed and run a hand over my tired eyes. "What's up?" I answer the call.

"I'm ten minutes out. Get the guys up. We need to talk." His sharp tone is unexpected and snaps me awake. While early morning calls from him aren't unusual, his showing up at my door before six in the morning certainly is.

"Got it. We'll be ready."

Hanging up, I reach for my t-shirt and sweatpants, both piled on the floor where I tossed them last night in my lust-induced haze. Remembering how she looked up at me as she pulled down my pants and took me into her mouth makes me groan. She was so sexy and confident in her ministrations that two minutes was all I lasted before I shot down her throat in a heart-pounding orgasm that nearly buckled my knees. And the way she swallowed me up... Fuck! The memory awakens that tingling sensation in my balls and leaves me wishing I could stay in this bed to indulge in more of the immeasurable pleasure only she can give.

"Get your shit together," I mumble under my breath, as I pull up my sweatpants and adjust my erection so it's not tenting the fabric. Ben showing up at this hour can only mean something is up. Something important enough to warrant a face-to-face, and whatever it is, can't be good.

After stopping at the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I call Nero, who's been watching me from where he lies on his bed.

"Come on. Time to go." With an exaggerated groan, he stretches, his rear end rising first before he uses his front paws to drag himself out of bed like it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do.

I know exactly how he feels.

Shutting the bedroom door behind us, I sneak a quick peek at the girls, who are both sound asleep in their beds. Assured my three girls are safe and where they belong, I head downstairs to wake the guys. Knocking once so they know I'm coming, I let myself inside the control room. Zeb is at the monitors, looking over the screens, while James is asleep in a cot on the other side of the room—though he rouses awake just as I'm about to speak.

"Ben's on his way and needs us ready. I'll start coffee."

In the kitchen, I flick on the coffee machine, which is ready to go thanks to Embree, who prepped it the night before. It instantly whirs to life, and it isn't long before the air is saturated with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

"Come on. Let's go outside."

In the living room, I swing open the French doors and let Nero out. Despite the early hour, the morning feels unusually warm and humid. As such, Nero efficiently takes care of his business, marking several areas around the property before darting back inside. As I'm about to close the doors, James announces Ben's arrival. Not two seconds later, Ben bursts through the door, flanked by Dominick and Owen.

"Oh shit. If you got this guy to come out of his bat cave, it must mean we're well and truly screwed." Zeb grins as he shakes Owen's hand before pulling him in for a rough hug. Though it sounds like a joke, it's not. The only time Owen's ever out in the field is when doing tech installations. Otherwise, he's back at headquarters, manning the multiple screens and keyboards that are like a physical extension of him.

"This place is closer than the office. Plus, what we have to discuss is rather urgent," Owen explains.

"Let's get to it then. What's going on?" I usher the guys to the dining room, where we all settle around the table.