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The man smiled. “Not really, but you will know me. I’m just waiting for…”
Killion entered from the side and immediately dropped his weapon and secured it. “No fucking way. How is this… possible?”
Ronan and Ryker emerged from behind Killion, and they too lowered their weapons and secured them. While everyone else held their position, Ro and Ry moved in closer, jaw dropped and in total disbelief.
“This isn’t real,” Ronan said, engaging his weapon again.
Ryker followed suit. “You’re…”
“Dead?” the man questioned softly. “I know. I know.”
“Ah, no.” Hen shook his head. “Don’t tell me this is some of that shifter shit they were all talkin’ ’bout out there. Or some of thatundeadbullshit.”
“Shifter?” the man questioned with a snicker. “I can assure you I’m definitely undead, but I’m not a vampire. Good to meet you, Hen. I seem to have left you speechless, Wit.”
“Anyone want to tell me who the fuck this is and why he has that smirk on his ugly mug?” Wit asked.
“It’s coming to you, isn’t it?” the man asked. “You’re figuring it out. Or, at least, you recognize the familial traits. Big, edgy, operative… handsome.”
“Killion?” Wit quickly glanced at Killion, noting that he looked as though he’d seen a ghost… perhaps he had and was still looking at him. “What’s goin’ on? Ry? Ro?”
The O’Reillys were silent, all stunned by their discovery. It was hard to read if the rest of their body language was exuding anger, fear, disbelief, or shock. Maybe it was a little bit of everything. That is until Cane entered the building, walked straight up to the man, and sat on the desk in front of him. “You can’t come back from this, man. I would hate to be you right now.”
The man smiled and gripped Cane’s hand, pulling him in for a hug as he took to his feet. “Good to see you, Cane. Really good to fucking see you.”
“Something tells me this isn’t the first you’ve seen any of us in the past decade or so.”
“I saw you, but you never saw me,” the man admitted.
Wit noted Ronan’s and Ryker’s posture ease, and they wiped away the emotion that spilled over.
“Again… Anyone want to let us in on who the fuck this is?” Wit warned. “It’s like you’re havin’ some sort of family reunion, and only half of us are in on the family part.”
“Brodie O’Reilly. Our brother,” Ronan said. “Our presumed dead, brother.”
Brodie flashed a familiar O’Reilly megawatt smile. “And my dog, Jinx.”
* * *
After the initialshock wore off, the teams dispersed to handle various tasks. Some went back to Portland, some held their post outside while others patrolled the area, and those needed most remained inside the building where they’d all sat around a large rustic table that looked handmade and wore its wear like it’d seen just as much horror in its time as the people around it had.
“Welcome to Safe Haven,” Brodie said. “It’s yours.”
“Ours?” Wit questioned. “How? NobodyownsSafe Haven.”
“Yes, you do. Both you and Hen.” Brodie nodded to Wit’s brother. “This isn’t ownership in the sense that this is a profitable business you can retire off of. It’s the kind of ownership that comes with enormous responsibility and commitment. It’s to be cared for, nurtured, and run with heart for others, or it won’t run at all.”
“I still don’t understand,” Wit admitted. “So we’re supposed to be stewards of what?”
“Of Safe Haven. Its mission. To save those who need saving and remove the threats that put them in danger in the first place,” Brodie said. “This isn’t all by accident, Wit.”
“I’m starting to pick up on that.”
Brodie went on. “Let me back up a bit. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about me. They’re much like the story of everyone in this room. I served our country, excelled at it, did special ops and dark shit for the good and bad sides of our government…”
“Chalice,” Killion said.
“Precisely. A lot of us did. The one thing Chalice never took into account was the integrity and patriotism that we all have. That we wouldn’t stand for what they stood for, should we find out –– which we did. So just as they’d lose their hitmen for hire to the truth, they’d rise up a new regime to replace them. There are more operatives out there like Bozz and his team… What do you call them again?”
