Beyond Pain Read Online Free
in a twist over a whole mess of things."
Of course they did, because the sectors were in upheaval. Power fluctuations were unstable, dangerous. Maybe no one gave a shit that Gareth Woods--a councilman, one of their own--was dead. The man had been crooked, even depraved. But with the sectors in flux, they'd be watching anyway.
Bren changed the subject. "Anything else I should know? Word on the ground?"
Coop nursed his beer for a moment before nodding abruptly. "A lot of eyes on the sectors, but it's more than that." He hesitated. "The whole city's got a vibe, like something bad might go down, but we don't know what it is yet."
A warning, loud and clear. When the men with the helicopters and explosives got nervous... "Everyone's waiting to see what happens next, and whether they need to blow it all to hell and back."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Coop fixed him with a steady gaze. "You just make sure you're not standing there when it does. I put too much effort into you to have it all go to waste."
"I'm an O'Kane now. If it comes to that, you know exactly where I'll be."
Coop sighed. "I know. At least you've got Cruz to watch your back now. That's something."
It wouldn't be a visit to his friend and mentor, his surrogate father, if he didn't ask. "There's a place for you there, you know. No questions. Tammy, too."
"I know, but I still have a few comforts inside these walls. And Tammy's tough as nails, but she's an Eden girl to her bones." Coop's smile returned, amused and a little self-mocking. "She gets flustered at the idea of kissing before marriage. You O'Kanes would give her a heart attack."
"Could be. But I think you'd be surprised how fast that fades when you get outside of these walls."
"A lot of shit does," the old man acknowledged. "You look good, Bren. You happy out there?"
"I'm--" He had everything. Power, security, the kind of family he'd have killed for as a child on the streets in the slums of Eden. Not a damn worry in the world.
Except for Six.
His lips formed the words without his thought or consent. "You've had a lot of kids come through here. How broken is too broken? How do you know what you can't fix?"
Coop didn't answer right away. He twisted the beer bottle in his hand, staring at the label as he picked away at the edge. "No one's too broken. But you can't fix a damn thing. All you can do is figure out which ones want to fix themselves, then give them the tools to get the job done."
Wise words, and it was just as well. Bren wasn't the man anyone called to fix things. He tore them down, ripped them apart. Killed them and disposed of the evidence.
He wasn't a man meant to build things--Eden had made sure of that, both with his childhood and his military training--but maybe he could stand beside her while she picked up her pieces. And the truth, something she'd definitely never heard from Wilson Trent's lips--about her situation, about Bren himself--he could give her that, too.
Surely it would be enough.
Bren was used to being called to Dallas's office. The man handed out orders from behind his wide desk, inhabiting the space with an assurance that spoke of power.
The woman at his right hand, though... That was new.
Lex studied Bren as Dallas poured a round of drinks. She had stepped fully into her role as queen, all right, but it was obvious she didn't intend to plan parties and serve as eye candy on her man's arm. She was in it, advising Dallas every step of the way.
"Bren can handle it," she said finally. "And if he can't, he'll let you know. He won't let his ego choke the shit out of him."
"You hear that, Bren?" Dallas grinned. "Rare fucking praise, indeed."
Bren held his answering smile in check. "I didn't know I had an ego. What exactly am I handling?"
Dallas stabbed a finger down on the map spread out between them. "Sector Three."
Bren stared at the lines marking out the sector. So far, Dallas had sent the usual suspects over to Three--him, Jasper, and Mad. "Why me?"
Lex
Of course they did, because the sectors were in upheaval. Power fluctuations were unstable, dangerous. Maybe no one gave a shit that Gareth Woods--a councilman, one of their own--was dead. The man had been crooked, even depraved. But with the sectors in flux, they'd be watching anyway.
Bren changed the subject. "Anything else I should know? Word on the ground?"
Coop nursed his beer for a moment before nodding abruptly. "A lot of eyes on the sectors, but it's more than that." He hesitated. "The whole city's got a vibe, like something bad might go down, but we don't know what it is yet."
A warning, loud and clear. When the men with the helicopters and explosives got nervous... "Everyone's waiting to see what happens next, and whether they need to blow it all to hell and back."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Coop fixed him with a steady gaze. "You just make sure you're not standing there when it does. I put too much effort into you to have it all go to waste."
"I'm an O'Kane now. If it comes to that, you know exactly where I'll be."
Coop sighed. "I know. At least you've got Cruz to watch your back now. That's something."
It wouldn't be a visit to his friend and mentor, his surrogate father, if he didn't ask. "There's a place for you there, you know. No questions. Tammy, too."
"I know, but I still have a few comforts inside these walls. And Tammy's tough as nails, but she's an Eden girl to her bones." Coop's smile returned, amused and a little self-mocking. "She gets flustered at the idea of kissing before marriage. You O'Kanes would give her a heart attack."
"Could be. But I think you'd be surprised how fast that fades when you get outside of these walls."
"A lot of shit does," the old man acknowledged. "You look good, Bren. You happy out there?"
"I'm--" He had everything. Power, security, the kind of family he'd have killed for as a child on the streets in the slums of Eden. Not a damn worry in the world.
Except for Six.
His lips formed the words without his thought or consent. "You've had a lot of kids come through here. How broken is too broken? How do you know what you can't fix?"
Coop didn't answer right away. He twisted the beer bottle in his hand, staring at the label as he picked away at the edge. "No one's too broken. But you can't fix a damn thing. All you can do is figure out which ones want to fix themselves, then give them the tools to get the job done."
Wise words, and it was just as well. Bren wasn't the man anyone called to fix things. He tore them down, ripped them apart. Killed them and disposed of the evidence.
He wasn't a man meant to build things--Eden had made sure of that, both with his childhood and his military training--but maybe he could stand beside her while she picked up her pieces. And the truth, something she'd definitely never heard from Wilson Trent's lips--about her situation, about Bren himself--he could give her that, too.
Surely it would be enough.
Bren was used to being called to Dallas's office. The man handed out orders from behind his wide desk, inhabiting the space with an assurance that spoke of power.
The woman at his right hand, though... That was new.
Lex studied Bren as Dallas poured a round of drinks. She had stepped fully into her role as queen, all right, but it was obvious she didn't intend to plan parties and serve as eye candy on her man's arm. She was in it, advising Dallas every step of the way.
"Bren can handle it," she said finally. "And if he can't, he'll let you know. He won't let his ego choke the shit out of him."
"You hear that, Bren?" Dallas grinned. "Rare fucking praise, indeed."
Bren held his answering smile in check. "I didn't know I had an ego. What exactly am I handling?"
Dallas stabbed a finger down on the map spread out between them. "Sector Three."
Bren stared at the lines marking out the sector. So far, Dallas had sent the usual suspects over to Three--him, Jasper, and Mad. "Why me?"
Lex
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