Ryker nodded. He lightly ran his hand up and down Brie's arm. "So, it’s over. For her." He spoke to himself, but Brody answered.
"Yeah, except for that dickwad councilman. But Bekki is on that shit like stink on week-old garbage. She's going to take that bastard down. I can hardly wait."
Ryker shifted and asked, "Shouldn't there be criminal charges?"
"Yeah, but there is nothing but hearsay now, and we don't know that the guys in the alleyway that were harassing Brie were connected to the councilman. Nothing to tie them to the guy. Let Bekki ferret out the rest of the rats and then the police can get involved."
"I guess we'll have to do that."
"And you're off for the next four weeks. Deputy Commissioner Duckworth has sent word to the team that if she finds out you're working we'll lose our positions. So, you're persona non grata."
Ryker chuckled. "I can live with that."
Brody stood. "Good, because I like my job. Besides, you two need to mend." He nodded to his sister. "Take care of her, Cap." Brody placed the chair back and headed to the door. He stopped and smiled at his sister. "I'm glad for both of you."
Ryker watched the door swing shut and closed his eyes, holding the woman he loved. Maybe this time he was enough. God, he prayed he would never let this woman down.
“It's a freaking disaster.” Brie glanced at the vehicles parked outside of the huge house.
“It's just your family.” Maybe. There were several cars he didn't recognize.
“I told them something small.” She parked in the only open slot in front of the house.
“Small for your family is something just this side of five hundred people. You should have been specific with your mom.” Hannah King would take the reins in any situation. The woman was full tilt. Always.
“I was! I said small. In what world is all of this small?” Brie spread her arms, indicating the slew of vehicles piled into the cul-de-sac.
“In your mom's world, babe.” Ryker chuckled and got out of the passenger side of Brie's vehicle. He'd been damn good about following the doctor's orders this time. He had one more week of medical leave and other than doing some computer work and making sure Terrence and Brody were on track, he'd kept his ass at home, away from any temptation of going back to work too early.
“I'm sorry.” She walked up beside him. “I never should have told her we were getting married.”
“Like she wouldn't have figured it out when you showed up wearing this ring?” Ryker held her left hand in his. He'd bought her a diamond solitaire. It wasn't huge, he wasn't made of money, but Brie had loved it when they went shopping for rings and that was all that mattered.
“Right? Well, I guess we deal with whatever Mom has in store, huh?”
“Her intentions are good.” They held hands as they walked past the cars that lined the street.
Brie stopped and looked at a rather expensive-looking Land Rover parked next to a huge 4x4 truck. “Remember you said that, okay?”
Ryker looked at the vehicles. “Why? Who do these belong to?”
“Us.”
Ryker spun. Xander and Killian were on the sidewalk just this side of the gate where the others gathered. “We didn't go in. When we got the call there was going to be an engagement party...” Killian shrugged. “If you don't want us here, we'll call the others and tell them not to come. They are waiting around the corner. We didn't want to ambush you.”
Ryker squeezed Brie's hand and held it tight as he approached his brothers. “I'm happy you're here. What will Benjamin say? I'm sure he's against any reconciliation between us.”
Xander shrugged. “I've lost a great amount of respect for him, but he is my father. I will always try to be the man he raised me to be. Except in this situation, he is dead wrong, and we've all talked. We're successful. If Father wants to cut ties, we'll all be okay. We hope it won't come to that, but he's hurt all of us by driving a wedge between us. It's time to heal. If he can't be a part of that, it's his own fault.”
“Call the rest of the boys then. I'd like you to meet our family.” Ryker put his arm around Brie.
“Perfect.” Xander smiled as Killian removed his phone from his pocket. He nodded to the sling. “I thought you were supposed to be out of that by now.”
Brie tipped back her head and laughed. “Oh, boy! Xander, why don't we go into the backyard and grab a beer?”
Xander offered her his arm. “Why do I get the feeling there is a story there?”
Ryker watched them walk into the backyard arm-in-arm. “They're on their way.” Killian pocketed his phone. “Elias doesn't have much time away from the hospital, but he wanted to be here to congratulate you. Dimitri, Xander, and I can stay for the duration, but we've all agreed if it becomes uncomfortable for you, we'll leave. We don't want to disrupt your life.”
Ryker nodded toward the backyard. “That family is like the family we could have been. They are the salt of the earth and are way too deep in each other's business.” He turned at the sound of car doors closing. His brothers strode up the walk. They'd changed so much yet remained the same.
Elias was in the lead. Dimitri’s smile lit up the street and he bounded forward. The hug wasn't as hard as he was suspecting, which was a godsend. He didn't want to face Doctor Phillips anytime soon. “I missed you, Ry.”
He hugged his brother back. “I missed you, too.”
Elias hugged him gently after Dimitri moved away. His youngest brother backed away and
