“They’re fighting,” Grayson said.
Liam glanced at the closed doors. “Hope whoever it is beats the shit out of those assholes.”
Cooper couldn’t agree more. The fight didn’t last long before it went silent, and that silence was ominous. Who was out there? Were they good guys? Who had won the fight? The door eased open, and he held his breath.
A man dressed in all black, including a black face mask, and holding a revolver down by his side stepped inside. His gaze roamed over each of them. “Time to go home, boys.”
“Who are you?” Liam said.
A second man stepped up behind the first. “Your angels.”
The first one glanced back. “I ain’t no angel, Bear.”
Bear—who was about the size of a grizzly—laughed. “True that.” Bear stepped around the first man. “I’m Deacon, and my friend here is Sam, but he prefers you to call him Hollywood.”
Sam growled and stomped out of the room as Deacon pulled off his mask. “Hollywood gets a bit touchy if you call him Hollywood.” He grinned. “Which is why we go out of our way to do it. Any of you need medical care?” At the shake of their heads, he said, “Good. You boys ready to go home?”
All three of them jumped up, and as one, shouted, “Yes!”
“Thought so. Which one of you is Grayson?”
Grayson raised his hand. “Me.”
“Your dad sent us to find you. Looks like you have some friends here, so we’ll take them, too.”
Cooper’s legs almost buckled under him that he wasn’t going to be left behind.
“Are you SEALs?” Grayson asked.
The question seemed odd to Cooper until he remembered Grayson had said his father had been a SEAL, which he and Liam thought was cool.
“Yes, but civilians now,” Deacon said.
Grayson grinned. “Right. Once a SEAL, always a SEAL.”
“Right on.” Deacon raised a fist for Grayson to bump.
As much as they wanted to leave immediately, they had to give statements to the police first. While that was happening, they were checked out by two paramedics who’d arrived with the officers.
The two kidnappers were hauled off in handcuffs, and after the police and EMTs were gone, Deacon said, “Other than you boys could use a couple of cheeseburgers, fries and a big milkshake, sounds like you’re good to go.”
They did in fact make a stop for cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes—the best meal Cooper had ever had in his life—and then they were put on a private plane. Deacon and Sam accompanied them to Myrtle Beach, to Grayson’s house.
Cooper had driven by rich people’s houses, but he’d never been in one. He’d never met a rich man either. Both were more than he knew how to process. As soon as they walked through the door, a man held out his arms and Grayson flew into them.
“Son,” the man said. “Thank God you’re home and safe.”
Cooper couldn’t imagine such a greeting from his father, and he tried not to be envious. He tore his gaze away from the father-son reunion and took in the room. It was a big house, but the surprise was that the interior wasn’t what he was expecting. The living room was warm and inviting. He could imagine hanging out with Grayson, kicking back on the brown leather sofa andwatching a ball game on that huge TV mounted to the wall above the fireplace.
“My dad will probably put me on dishwasher duty for a year for missing work,” Liam said. “Getting kidnapped won’t be an acceptable excuse.”
Cooper glanced at his new friend. There was envy in Liam’s eyes that matched his own as they stood by, waiting for Grayson’s father to let go of his son.
“Let’s promise we’ll stay in touch, you, Grayson and me,” Cooper said.
“Absolutely.”
Grayson must have heard them because he turned to them and said, “Brothers for life.”