Under the light of a full moon, they reached the grave, and both exhaled. The rounded dirt showed the path, and it was small. Too d.a.m.n small for a grave site-kids shouldn't die. Jory worked the controls and slowly churned up earth. By the time he'd cleared the small casket, Matt was dropping the helicopter three yards away.

Jory jumped down. "We need to lift him out. If I use the tractor, the coffin will split."

"I'll pull out the coffin." Chance kept a hand on his bleeding shoulder.

Matt, Shane, and Nate all leaped from the helicopter and strode toward the open grave site, determination on their hard faces.

"Greg belongs to all of us now, Chance." Jory turned to help Chance down. "Let's get our brother."

Even wounded, even in pain, the brothers lifted the casket out with reverence and carefully placed it down the center of their transport. It rode the helicopter home in the middle of the aisle, where they all could touch and find comfort.

Laney worked tirelessly in c.r.a.ppy conditions to st.i.tch them up, finally sitting back with a loud sigh. "This is why I became a bartender."

The second they reached Montana airs.p.a.ce, something in Jory relaxed. Completely. He had to talk to Piper and make sure she really was all right with his killing the commander, and he should probably debrief his brothers. But first, they all had something important to do.

Matt dropped down on the north side of the property near an outcropping of majestic pine trees just as dawn began to emerge from the east. "Here?" he asked.

"Here." Jory jumped out first, holding back a wince when his st.i.tches pulled.

"I thought so." Matt stopped the engines. "I called Josie and the gang to bring shovels." He hadn't finished speaking when two SUVs drew up. Kyle and Wade jumped out and ran right for Chance.

Wade stopped cold. "You got Greg?"

"Yeah. We got Greg." Chance dropped an arm around Kyle's shoulder. "How about there?" He pointed up at a blue spruce about a hundred years old.

Kyle's eyes filled. "Yeah. That's good."

Grandpop Jim carried over shovels, his face somber. "We're ready to dig."

Jory reached for a shovel while Chance did the same. Within fifteen minutes, with almost everyone digging, they were able to bury the coffin.

"We'll get a nice marker," Matt said, his voice hoa.r.s.e.

Jory leaned against a tree. "Chance? You want to say anything?"

Chance nodded and stared down at the fresh earth covering his brother. "Greg was a good guy. Smart with computers, c.r.a.ppy with knives, but good with guns. He was kinder than anybody else I've ever met." Tears clogged his voice, and he cleared his throat. "More than anything, Greg was a good brother. The best."

"The best," Wade said, tears on his face.

Kyle wiped his eyes. "We miss you, Greg."

They stood there in the early evening, a family made by blood, circ.u.mstance, and hope. One by one, they gathered up to head to the ranch for dinner.

Soon, only Chance and Jory remained.

Chance hadn't moved. Even now, his head down, his gaze remained on the earth. "You don't have to stay with me."

Jory pushed off from the tree so they stood side by side. "Remember our mantra?"

A choked sound came from Chance. "Never alone."

"Yeah." Jory dropped an arm around Chance's shoulders. "No matter what, you're never alone again. I promise."

"Do you think Greg's in a better place?"

Jory breathed out, his chest constricting. "I really do. He's in a good place now."

"Even if we don't have souls?"

Jory tightened his hold on his brother. "We have souls. From the beginning, I could see beneath the surface of everything. Everybody. We have souls because I've seen them move. Grow. Hurt. Love. I promise you, no matter how they made us, we have souls."

Chance stiffened. He coughed. Then, with a shudder of absolute defeat, he turned his head into Jory's good side and broke.

Finally. Jory held him as he let it out, watching over Chance, keeping him safe. His gut hurt, his heart hurt, and now, it was time for them all to heal. Chance would be all right. And he'd never be alone again.

CHAPTER.

30.

PIPER TAPPED AWAY on the commander's laptop while her mom bustled around with dishing out breakfast. Fragrant homemade cheesy egg ca.s.serole had delighted the two younger boys, who were digging in over by the grandpops. Her mind spun.

Now that the danger had pa.s.sed, where did she and Jory really belong? Was it all the tension? Would he still want her now that he had an entire life to live?

How well did she know the guy?

After dinner, they really needed to talk. Her heart kind of hurt, and she couldn't keep questioning everything.

She nibbled on her lip, flipping through files. Many old mission notes, many contacts delineated in governments around the world, and several plans to grow the compounds and the military research facilities. The commander had been a visionary-and crazy. She'd never think of him as her father again. In the short time she'd known Earl, the guy had acted more parental toward her than the commander ever had. Before breakfast had been served, Earl had mentioned speaking to Jory about his intentions toward Piper.

Matt Dean had paused in grabbing plates for the kids. "Can I watch?" he'd deadpanned.

Laney had promptly elbowed him in the ribs. "I think we should discuss your intentions toward me."

Matt had turned to her, gray eyes softening. "Oh, we probably shouldn't discuss my intentions in mixed company."

Laney had snorted. "Perv."

The place felt like home, and the people felt like family. Piper genuinely liked Laney, Audrey, and Josie, and they seemed to like her. Piper hoped she got to stay with Jory.

Man, she wanted to keep him. In this amazing place.

A sense of finality and relief permeated the makeshift family meal, along with a strong feeling of freedom.

Finally, the Dean brothers were free.

She'd be forever grateful they'd destroyed the kill chips. The Dean brothers deserved to live.

Jory and Chance walked through the front door, chuckling about something. Chance's face was puffy, but his body was relaxed. She lifted an eyebrow at Jory, and he gave a quick nod. All was okay.

Her mother hurried toward Chance and led him to the kitchen sink. "Wash your hands, sweetie. Then we'll dish you up some food."

Chance blinked and then nodded, allowing her to lead him to the sink. "Thanks, Nana Rachel."

So d.a.m.n sweet. Piper rubbed her eyes and went back to the laptop.

A hidden file caught her eye, and she clicked to open it. Secured. Hmmm. Her fingers all but flew as she hacked, the challenge rising in her. Within minutes, the file opened.

Jory dropped into the seat next to her with an overflowing plate of eggs and bacon. "I love your mom."

"So do I," Piper murmured absently, scrolling through doc.u.ments. He said he loved Piper, too, but she needed to hear him say it in the light of day and not when death loomed over their heads. She stilled. "Oh, my."

"What?" Jory happily shoveled in protein.

She rapidly read the file. "I found a file on Matt."

Matt lifted his head from across the room. "What kind of file?"

"Everything." Piper lifted a shoulder. "Your early tests, your schooling, your psychiatrists' notes." She peered closer. "I'm not reading any of them... just listing them for you." She flipped through and then caught her breath. "The number of brothers created from your father's sperm."

Jory stopped eating and leaned to look, while Matt rose and crossed the room.

Piper started reading. "Oh G.o.d."

"What?" Matt asked, moving next to Jory.

"There are more... at the same time as you. At least three." Piper scanned the doc.u.ments. "The maternal donors were, ah, taken care of." That could mean anything from bribery to death.

Matt slid onto the bench next to Piper. "More brothers our age?"

Piper swallowed and opened a word doc.u.ment. "Yes." She sat back, her mind spinning.

The computer dinged. Whoa.

A series of code scrolled across the screen. She started typing, trying to slow down the numbers to see what was going on. "s.h.i.t. The file triggered an automatic link." She reached for the OFF b.u.t.ton.

Jory grasped her hand. "We can't be traced here, and we won't stay on long. Let's see who opens up the other side." He slid the computer more in front of him as a picture began to form. "s.h.i.t," he muttered.

Dr. Isobel Madison came into view, her face close to a screen. Probably a smartphone. "Jory! You little b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Jory blew out air. "I'd hoped you were dead."

"Not yet. No thanks to you." Her gaze went behind him. "Is my daughter around?"

"No." Jory's expression gave nothing away. "Where the h.e.l.l are you?"

She sniffed. "I do not know, and this call is being monitored. Come and get me. You owe me."

"Not a f.u.c.king chance. Why did this file trigger your cell phone?"

Madison snarled. "Oh, that. Well, I wondered if you'd ever get into those files. Which one did you find?"

"You tell me," Jory said evenly.

"I don't know." The nutty scientist giggled. Weird, that.

Matt reached for the laptop. "Do I have other brothers out there?"

Delight flashed across Madison's face. "Oh. That file. Yes, you do... and I know who and where they are. Of course, unless you rescue me from the PROTECT organization, I'll have to tell them everything."

Matt frowned. "You already did, or they wouldn't have let you answer this phone."

She leaned down and glared. "You killed Franklin. You will die."

Jory leaned closer to the camera above the screen. "Look in my eyes. I. Killed. Him."

Pain and then calculation filtered through her gaze. "I always figured it'd be Matt."

"So did Matt," Jory said. "You were both wrong. I'll carry that one. Easily."

Her lips pinched. "You'll die next, then. I may not agree with the PROTECT group, but they've vowed to help me avenge Franklin's death in return for information. I am going to bury you."

"Any time, any place. Come get me." Jory shoved the computer away.

Audrey had waited patiently across the room and now moved toward them, leaning down over Matt's shoulder. Nate was instantly at her side.

"Mother? Just leave us in peace, would you?" Audrey asked, her skin so pale as to be translucent.

Isobel's blue eyes narrowed. "Good Lord, you're pale. Morning sickness?"

"Yes."

Isobel snickered. "Not surprised. You don't even know what you have growing in you, do you? What they are?"

Audrey leaned down. "I know exactly who my son is and who they are. Come after me, and I'll take you out."

"Turn against your own mother, would you?" Madison shook her head. "Not a chance."