"I promise we are." There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to keep her safe and happy. "Trust me." Years ago, when he'd met her on a mission, he'd promised her forever. The words were a cover, the meaning behind them absolutely true. Now, he had the chance to make it happen. "Forever, Angel."

Matt Dean leaned against the headboard, his arm around a snuggly woman. Laney placed her hand over his heart and her head on his shoulder.

Pure trust.

She caressed him. "Are you sure you're all right?"

He tightened his hold. "I'm fine. I don't mind losing a game of baseball, especially when Jory kept making up new rules."

Laney snickered. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

He sighed. "I know. There was always a possibility of more brothers out there, considering we were created in a lab. Finding out that they might exist isn't a shock to me. Stop worrying, sweetheart."

"That's my job," she said lightly. "Now we have grandparents, kids, and a whole lot of brothers in love with pretty great women. I know you, and I understand how you take responsibility for everyone. For safety, for protection, for their lives."

Yeah, but he didn't have a life without them all. Not one he'd want. "This is the good stuff, Laney. The responsibility is part of what we want and need." Plus, it wasn't like he was alone in this. He'd trained his brothers until they'd nearly dropped, and they could take care of themselves and anybody they loved. "By the way, you were pretty d.a.m.n amazing taking out those chips the other day."

She shrugged. "No biggie."

He loved it when her words were country and her infliction all Ivy League. "The best moment in my entire life is when you found me in that alley," he murmured, brushing her hair off her shoulder.

She patted his chest. "Mine was the first time you kissed me."

"That made you mad." He smiled.

"You're dangerous when you kiss."

h.e.l.l, he didn't know how to be anything but dangerous. "I appreciate your moving to Montana and putting up with my, ah-"

She chuckled and threw a leg over to straddle him, her palms flat against his chest as her b.u.t.t settled on his thighs. "Your possessiveness? Bossiness? Extreme need to keep me secure and safe?"

His lids half lowered. "Yeah. That." Reaching for her waist, he tugged her closer, moving her along his shaft. Fire shot through his skin.

Desire flushed across her high cheekbones. "Since the chips are out, do you think you'll relax now?"

Man, he wanted to rea.s.sure her. To even lie to her. "No."

She coughed out a laugh.

He shrugged. "We're safer, but I wouldn't say safe." And if anything ever happened to her, he'd be destroyed. "I'll give you everything I can in this life, Lane. I promise." While keeping her safe.

"Hmmm." She played with his chest. "How about a baby?"

They'd never talked about kids. Longevity hadn't seemed possible, but now with the chips out? "You want a baby?" The idea of a little girl with Laney's pretty eyes warmed his heart.

She shrugged. "Watching Audrey throw up constantly hasn't quite won me over, but perhaps? What do you think?" Her chest lifted, and he could tell she held her breath.

He ran his hands down her toned arms, nearly overwhelmed with emotion. "I think we should start trying right now." Her chuckle as he flipped them over slid through his skin and into his heart. Where she belonged.

Nate Dean tossed the pregnancy book across the room. "This thing doesn't make any sense."

Audrey kicked her foot while sitting on the edge of the bed. "Morning sickness is normal."

"Not all day." He scrubbed a hand through his thick hair. Feeling helpless p.i.s.sed him off, and considering he spent tons of time p.i.s.sed off, he was tired of it. "We have to fix this." Seeing her in pain cut him deep.

She shrugged, her stunning blue eyes sparkling. "I just finished eating dinner, and I haven't gotten sick. In fact, I feel pretty d.a.m.n good." She patted her belly. "You're just worried about Mattie, and you can stop that. He's fine."

Nate paused and focused on the woman who held his world in her delicate hands. "He's fine?"

"Sure. You've known there could be other brothers, so it isn't a shock. Yes, Matt feels responsible for everyone, but you all do that. The chips are out, and there's time to find these other brothers before my psychotic mother gets to them." Audrey glanced toward the door. "Was there dessert?"

"You're sure? Matt's okay?" Nate studied her. The woman was a genius and read people better than anyone he'd ever met.

"Yes. Would I lie to you?" Amus.e.m.e.nt lifted her lips.

He narrowed his gaze. n.o.body could lie to him, considering one of his gifts was to discern any falsehood. The woman was telling the truth. "You're a smart-a.s.s, you know that?"

She shrugged. "Takes one to know one." Then she patted the bed. "Maybe you should do something about that."

He grinned. "You sure?"

She lifted a shoulder, pushed off, and bounced toward the door. "If you can catch-eek."

He easily caught her, wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her back to the bed. "You were saying?"

She pouted even as he lay her down. "You could at least give a girl the idea she has a chance."

"Oh, baby. You definitely have a chance." He tore the shirt over her head.

She laughed, cupping his jaw. "I love you."

The words were simple, but for him, they dug deep and healed. Every d.a.m.n time she said them. "I love you, too."

She shifted against him. "Prove it."

Now that he could do. His mouth took hers, promising everything he'd held inside for so long. Everything he was.

Jory tucked Piper closer into his side and tuned into the sounds of the house. He'd had to really block noises for a little while, considering there were many private celebrations going on for hours. They'd have to talk about building individual homes throughout the ranch soon.

Piper stirred against him and shoved curly hair from her eyes. "What are you smiling about?"

"I'm happy." For the first time in as long as he could remember, the rioting in his head, in his chest, had quieted. "You make me happy."

She grinned and caressed his chest. The woman liked to touch, and she did it naturally and without thought. So it meant more than he could express. Instead, he placed his hand over hers. "You're going to marry me, you know."

She stilled. "Marry?"

"Yep." Sure, it was too soon to ask, and he wanted to give her time to get on board.

"You're supposed to ask."

He smiled. "I will. When the time is right." Man, he'd probably have to ask Rachel for Piper's hand in marriage, or something like that. When he proposed, and he was going to do it right and big, he'd want an audience. The entire family, probably, so he could share the joy and the moment.

"Humph." She actually sounded disgruntled. "Did you have a time frame in mind?"

"Nope." Although they did have a couple of issues to discuss first. "Even though I'm comfortable on the computer, I'm still needed in the field. Especially once we find the other soldiers."

She blinked gorgeous green eyes at him. "I know."

"You're okay with that?"

She shrugged, and kissed his shoulder. "I'm in love with all of you, Jory. The computer geek and the soldier. n.o.body says you can't be both."

Acceptance. He warmed head to toe. "True." He rolled them over and settled on top of her.

She wiggled to get settled beneath him. "You're a hero, Jory Dean."

Man, was she off base. But he loved the idea that she thought that about him. "I'll never let anybody get to you, Piper. n.o.body will come close."

She smiled. "I know." Then she patted above his heart. "That darkness you try to hide so well? That keeps us safe and protected. It's time to stop worrying about whether you're good or not. You're great."

He studied her. "You don't mind the darkness?"

"Nope. Can't think of a hero who doesn't have at least a little bit."

Her way of looking at the world, of looking at him, eased a tension through his gut he hadn't realized had always been there. "You told me the truth," he said.

She ran her fingers through his hair, her gaze softening. "I did?"

"Yes. The first day we met."

She eyed his lips. "What did I say?"

"You said you were there to save me." He lowered his head, and his lips brushed hers. So much love slammed through him, he could barely breathe. So he lifted up and smiled. "You did."

EPILOGUE.

Two Weeks Later JORY CROSSED HIS arms next to his oldest brother and surveyed the living room. "I think we're closer to narrowing down the name or names of the other soldiers created by the commander." One may even be a brother, if the commander's intel was true.

Matt nodded. "Good." Then he sighed and surveyed the sprawling family room.

Riley barked and leaped over a pair of boots at Payton Manning, who caterwauled and flew across a table, scattering a candy dish. Grandpops Jim and Earl obsessed over the remote control of the television set and why the second screen refused to come up, while three boys wrestled on the floor in front of them.

Like boys should.

Audrey patted her belly while Josie and Laney flipped through baby magazines, filling out a sheet of paper on what to order on the Internet. If they kept going, the family would need to build two nurseries just for Audrey's baby.

A box of baby ducks rested over by the far wall with a sunlamp on them. Wade had rescued them a couple of days earlier.

Matt shook his head. "Ducks. We have ducks."

An aromatic fragrance wafted from the kitchen, where Piper and her mother, the amazing Nana Rachel, cooked something delicious. Piper poked her pretty head out to give instructions on the remote control.

Earl clicked a b.u.t.ton, and the entire screen went black. Both men groaned. Piper shrugged and winked at Jory.

Amus.e.m.e.nt bubbled up through Jory, and he smiled. She was here, she was his, and he wasn't ever letting her go.

She disappeared into the kitchen.

Shane tapped a hammer on the wall, placing one of Nana's paintings, while Nate walked by and checked him into said wall. Shane turned and was soon on the ground with Nate, rolling around. The three boys instantly jumped into the fray.

Audrey lifted her feet as they rolled by and then turned to flop her legs over the side.

The cat howled again.

"What the h.e.l.l did I do?" Matt rumbled, his chin lowering, his gaze on chaos.

Jory shook his head. His gut settled, and his heart warmed. "You made a family. You promised, and you got us a family."

The dog barked and went after the cat.

"I sure as h.e.l.l didn't mean to." Matt frowned. Warmth and determination filtered through his gray eyes-the look of protection and devotion he'd always worn for his brothers. He'd always have to hold on tight, but this was a good group to shield.

Jory grinned, his shoulders going back. He could accept the darker side of himself, the one he'd fought, because he was needed to protect and defend. He'd d.a.m.n well do it on the computer as well as in the field. He may be a nerd, but he was a f.u.c.king dangerous one. "It is a motley crew."

Matt snorted. "And they're all ours."

Yeah. They were.

Piper poked her head back in to check on the television and give more instructions, Rachel popping up at her side.

The time was now. Jory crossed to Piper and grabbed her, his lips taking hers. He kissed her until she sagged against him, filling himself up with love and woman.

Matt cleared his throat. "Get a room."

Jory grinned and stared down at the very flushed, bemused, perfect woman. "Marry me."

Rachel gasped and clapped her hands together, and the rest of the room went silent with held breaths.

Piper blinked and then slowly smiled. "Yes."