Chapter 160

"How do you boys feel about taking a trip?" the Commandant asked as Nicole placed a plate of french toast, eggs over medium, and sausage on the kitchen table in front of him. He nodded a thank you to her, then turned his full attention back to the men at the table.

"Where?" David asked as he nursed a glass of orange juice. Brie made him cut back on the coffee.

"Russia."

"HELL TO THE NO!" Dan said as he cut a bite out of his french toast.

Brie came over and sat a plate in front of David. He pulled her down and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, baby." She winked at him and walked off. "Why, Commandant?" David asked as he cut into his steak.

"The Russians have information that I need on the Utopians and they won't give it to me unless you guys go over there and give them a concert in Moscow." The Commandant looked at David's plate. "Why do you have a steak on your plate and the rest of us have bacon, sausage, or a pork chop?"

"I don't eat pork. I'm Jewish, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right. Sorry. Anyway, what do you guys say? I need this Intel to end this war."

John, who had remained silent even when the other guys groaned when Brie came in and started David's steak for breakfast and announced that the Commandant had arrived, finally broke his silence. "Here's a thought, Commandant, why don't you let us actually talk about it and get back to you instead of insisting that we give you an answer right this moment? Or, better yet, why don't you tell us what this concert in Moscow is going to entail? Can we take our families? Come on, details, facts, beginning, middle, end. In that order would be nice." He popped some food in his mouth.

The Commandant looked a little taken aback. "I've never heard you talk like that, Moyer. What the hell?" John just shrugged as he chewed a piece of bacon and cut into his french toast. "Well, you could take your families, but remember, this is Communist Russia. The role of women is viewed differently there than it is here." David rolled his eyes but kept silent as he chewed a bite of his french toast that he'd dipped in the yolk of his eggs. "It would have to be a two hour show. Malachai couldn't go onstage."

David slammed his fork down on the table. "Who the fuck do the Russians think they are telling us how we can and can't put on a fucking show? If I want to take my son onstage with me, then you better believe that I'm going whether the Russian government likes it or not."

"I guess that's a no, then", the Commandant said.

"No, we haven't decided", Mike said. "But, I think I can speak for all of us when I say we're leaning toward not just no, but HELL TO THE MOTHER FUCKIN' NO!!!!" He looked at the guys. "Am I right?" The other guys just nodded.

"But, after you leave, we'll talk about it amongst ourselves and get back with you", Dan said.

"Excuse me for a moment", David said and left the table. The next thing anyone heard was thing banging, clanging, and breaking in whatever room of the house David was in.

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Brie walked into the room that they had all officially labeled "The Breaking Shit Room". She was sure to stay close to the door so as not to get hit when he chunked something against the wall. This time it was a trash can. "BULL SHIT!" he yelled.

"DAVID!" she yelled over the mayhem. He snapped to look at her. "Baby, calm down. I love you, you know that. Malachai loves you. He tells you every chance he gets. I'm sure that he would understand if he couldn't go onstage with you should you guys agree to do it. Personally, I think it's a bad idea. If you agree to do it, you're all stupid. But, I can't make the decision for you. It's something that you need to decide for yourself, baby."

He punched the wall. "It's bullshit. The only way he can get the information is if we agree to go to Moscow and put on a fucking show. Don't get me wrong, I've missed touring, but I'm not going to FUCKING RUSSIA just so that jack ass can get some fucking information. Why couldn't the Russians ask for money or something? Why US?"

She walked carefully into the room and to David, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him against her. "I don't know, honey. I wish I did. But, you need to calm down or you're going to scare the quads, let alone Maddie and the twins. They've never seen you mad like this."

He buried his face in the softness of her neck and breathed in the sweet scent of her skin. She smelled of her lavender and vanilla shampoo, cucumber melon body spray, and her Shea butter lotion. The mix of them would probably smell horrible on anyone else, but she did it right. The cucumber melon body mist was so light you barely noticed it unless you knew it was there. The Shea butter lotion had time to soak into her skin over night, but the shampoo... that lavender vanilla shampoo. It was just as intoxicating now as it had been their first night together. It was sweet and relaxing.

She felt him relax with every breath. She just stood there and held him as she rubbed those useless circles on his back. "I'll give you a massage after the Commandant leaves. Tell the guys I'll do the same for them. It should give you all a chance to clear your heads and think about it reasonably. Sound good?" He just nodded. He was intoxicated by what he was smelling, remembering that first night all over again.

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They walked back into the kitchen hand in hand. The Commandant was still at the table. "I apologize for that. I needed to go break something real fast."

"Feeling better, brother?" John asked.

"Yeah. Oh, and Brie wanted to do some body work for all of us after we've eaten." The look on the Commandant's face made David smile. The fucker had no idea what he was talking about. Good, he thought.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'll take my leave now. I'll let myself out. Mrs. Donegan, thank you for breakfast. I hope to hear something positive from you guys here soon." He replaced his cover and left the house.

"THE COMMANDANT HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!!!" Tina shouted after they heard the door shut behind the Commandant.

"You can say that again", Kristen said. "What bullshit! Like you guys are his ONLY bargaining chip. What the hell."

Brie took a seat next to David while he ate, setting a cup of coffee down in front of him. "I'm getting to where I really don't fucking like that man. A Marine he may be, but, officers are jack asses. I've always thought that and always will."