Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

I whistled to myself and walked out of the outhouse. Apple trees in bloom, sky was blue, birds chirping. Might be a good day. If Danny would just get back here…

I'd heard him come back in last night after I'd gone to bed.

I'd also heard him rev the engine of his motorcycle at the crack of dawn this morning. My heart had jumped out of my body about a second before the rest of me had jumped out of bed. But his belongings were still in the cabin.

He'd be back. He would.

Back inside the cabin, I grabbed a towel and bar of soap from my duffel, and then I took off my clothes and headed outside again. The lake might be cold all year around, ranging between fifty-five and sixty degrees in the summer, but it was clean and a gorgeous blue-green color. Almost good enough to drink. I had my own little pebble beach too.

I left the towel on a bigger rock and waded into the water. Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me . Oh, I loathed this part. I winced and ripped off the Band-Aid, diving under before I could chicken out. Bloody fucking hell! Always a shock to the system. I resurfaced in waist-deep water and got cracking.

"Jesus Christ." I shuddered and scrubbed the soap over my arms.

Wait, did I hear an engine? It sure sounded like—yes. I heard it. Thank fuck. Definitely a motorcycle.

The twins should be back in forty-five minutes or so too.

I soaped up my armpits, my neck, and my chest, and I felt relieved when I finally spotted Danny coming in around the bend, his bike kicking up dust along the way.

Hopefully, there'd be no awkwardness. He must've seen me noticing that plush toy last night.

It was his. It simply had to be. If it'd belonged to someone else, he wouldn't be embarrassed. If that's what he was. Or had been. I didn't fucking know.

The bike suited him perfectly. A vintage-looking Yamaha, all chrome and metallic black. Nothing monstrous, just clunky enough not to be called sporty. It made me miss my own bike. I'd stupidly sold it a few years ago.

Danny removed his helmet and squinted toward me. He had the sun in his eyes. "Will you put on a show every morning? I just wanna make sure to clear my schedule."

I chuckled and made quick work of turning my hair white with suds. "Morning to you too. You should get in. It's freezing."

"Later." He dismounted his bike and flipped open one of his saddlebags. "I bought breakfast. How do you like your eggs?"

Well, hell. He didn't have to do that.

"Soft-boiled," I replied. "For the record, that's not your responsibility, Danny."

He quirked a smirk and revealed a lot more than a carton of eggs. I spotted a bakery bag and something wrapped in newspaper. Which meant he'd been to Frank's Deli the next town over. Everything in our own sleepy village was closed till ten.

"Can a guy express his gratitude to his new PMC instructor?" he asked.

Fuck, he was too cute. Too goddamn gorgeous.

"I guess you don't have to twist my arm," I answered. Then I went to shallower waters to wash my junk.

Danny averted his gaze and headed up the porch steps. "The water can't be too cold," he muttered.

I coughed around a laugh, a little surprised. Did he make those comments every time he showered with the guys in his detachment? Our kind couldn't spell modesty.

While he disappeared inside to get breakfast ready, I finished washing up. I supposed fresh bread and eggs beat oatmeal, which I was used to. It was easy. Oatmeal and cinnamon was sort of the trademark Emerson breakfast.

It was possible the twins had gotten sick of it.

I submerged myself once more and scrubbed myself free of suds, and then I was sufficiently chilled down.

The morning sun felt amazing on my back as I got out of the water.

I tossed the soap bar onto another rock, then picked up my towel to dry off.

If Danny was gonna be blunt about things that were usually more…private, so to speak, I would have to come up with verbal shields to change the topic. It would be too easy for me to do the opposite. Life was too short to beat around the bush, and I usually didn't have the time. In between work assignments, I put my cards on the table pretty damn fast if I was interested.

Partly because it happened so rarely, too. Sticking my cock into the closest willing hole hadn't appealed to me in ages. Arden and I had bitched about it together, because he was the same. We needed that mental connection. Something that reeled us in and stimulated our minds.

I tightened my towel around my hips and left the soap for tomorrow's repeat.

"Payne, would you recommend the fireplace or the grill to make coffee?" Danny hollered from inside.

"The fireplace. Did you find the strainer for the coffeepot?" I climbed up the porch steps and stayed in the doorway.

"Yup, right here." He was a busy bee at the counter. He had a pot for the eggs too.

"Do you need a hand?" I asked. I didn't wanna get dressed yet—or go inside. The sun felt too good.

"No, sir. You go sit down on the porch," he replied.

Very well. I wasn't gonna turn down getting spoiled for breakfast. "Don't make a habit out of this, boy. I'll get too comfortable."

He flashed me a grin. A fucking beautiful grin that reached his eyes. He was relaxing, wasn't he? I'd never seen him at ease. This was a whole other Danny.

"Good to know," he said.

I left the doorway to clear my head. The stuffed animal was at the forefront of my mind too. I wondered what kind of smile he'd give if someone tucked him in at night and placed that toy next to him.

Did Arden really think Danny could be a Little of any kind?

I could see it just as much as I couldn't. Psychologically, it made perfect sense. A young man robbed of his childhood, of safety, of protection, of…so many other fundamental things. Always carrying the world on his shoulders. Always the tough guy. Serving his country, saving lives, ending some too.

Even those men and women needed to let go every now and then.

In my circle of BDSM friends, I'd met women who were submissive through and through, women who rocked a CEO title by day and a slave label by night, men who shed the suit to become a boy, men who played across the entire spectrum, and soft-spoken kinksters who wielded one hell of a whip.

I got comfortable in one of the chairs and planted my feet on the cooler at the center.

Being a Daddy Dom was my way of tending to that other side of me. The one who wanted to take care of his Little and just make him happy. See the good in the world and focus on nurturing. Balancing spoiling someone rotten with providing firm structure and guidance.

Spending the past five months with the twins was making me miss kink more and more. I'd made my choices when it came to work, but that didn't mean it was wonderful all the time. Shit got lonely, and temporary arrangements barely scratched the itch.

I rubbed my chest absently and closed my eyes. If only the sun could heat up my cold center too.

Okay, Christ, pity party for one. Time to stop.

Being the twins' guide was plenty. Now I'd lead the way for Danny too. I'd do everything in my power to prepare them for a life in the field.

I heard a muted clank coming from inside, followed by a low curse.

I tilted my head, half glancing over my shoulder, ready just in case. Danny wasn't the type of person who would ask for help if something went wrong.

"Everything all right?" I asked.

"Yes, sir!" His voice was pitched a tad higher than usual.

We might need to have the conversation I'd already had with River and Reese.

I got out of the chair and aimed for the door, and I found some damning evidence before I even entered the cabin. Knife, cutting board, a chunk of slab bacon he'd been in the middle of slicing, and a few drops of blood.

"I'm fine. Go sit down again." He had his back to me and was bending down over his backpack, digging through it for…for his first aid kit.

Yup, this was the conversation I'd had with the twins. "We'll need to discuss honesty for even the smallest injuries, Danny. You, of all people, should know that a paper cut can turn into a disaster in the field." He'd been trained in this.

"We're not in the field now." He was dismissive about it. He returned to the kitchen counter with his kit, and that was when I noticed he'd cut himself pretty deeply.

Soldiers could be fucking untrustworthy. Including the twins. Reese had twisted his knee during one of their earlier training assignments, and he hadn't said a word about it until shit had gotten worse.

I shook my head to myself and took over. I poured fresh water into a smaller bowl—because the water in the basin needed to be changed—and I grabbed the kit from him right as he pulled out gauze.

"It's about building up trust too," I told him. "You don't have to call 9-1-1. Just let me know you cut yourself." I found antiseptic cream in his kit and held his hand over the basin. "Are we clear?"

He huffed. "Fine. I just got distracted."

I side-eyed him quickly, then refocused on cleaning his wound. I poured water over the inch-long cut below his thumbnail before I grabbed a couple compresses and pressed them tightly to the laceration.

"By what?" I wanted to know.

While I held his thumb, waiting for the blood flow to slow down, I started preparing the next few steps. His first aid kit had only good shit, at least.

"I don't know." He shrugged and looked at the cutting board. "I was happy, I guess. I've wanted this for two years, you know? But then I remembered that I know how to fuck things up, and it's only a matter of time before you kick me out."

Christ.

He knew how to put a dent in my jaded heart. The little prick.

"The only thing that would end our training is if you actively work against me, Danny." I lifted the compresses, satisfied. "You're gonna make mistakes. You're gonna take a couple steps backward during your progress. Kicking old habits ain't easy. That's part of it." I applied the antiseptic cream, then folded a new compress to the wound. "Hold here."

He obeyed, and I snatched up the roll of tape. The fabric kind that didn't fall off in a minute.

"We'll call this a lesson," I said. "This isn't the Army. Even though communication is vital there too, you'll wanna go further with me. Without established units to fall back on, it's important to touch base frequently. The more I know, the better. I'd rather you tell me too much than too little."

He chewed on his lip as I fastened the tape around his thumb.

There, good as new.

"Looks like you'll live." I handed the tape back to him.

He quirked a quick, hesitant smile. "Thanks. So, um…I don't need to tell you every time I go to the bathroom, but I should let you know if the wound gets infected."

I smiled back. "There's your first gold star."

He snorted a laugh and stowed away his portable hospital again.

Not ready to end the moment, I took a few steps back and leaned against the doorframe. The sun hit my shoulders, and I could watch Danny finish up breakfast.

He concentrated as he sliced the rest of the bacon and dumped the strips into a skillet.

The cabin was already beginning to smell of coffee. My stomach tightened with hunger.

"Will you train me with the twins or separately?" he wondered.

"Little bit of both." I scratched my jaw. Danny joining us would change everything, because River and Reese would get to see a Special Forces soldier in action. I wanted him to be his own brand of role model for the twins. Just like I hoped Danny would pick up a thing or two from them.

At the same time, they were on completely different levels. River and Reese had just started shaping their mind-set and building their knowledge. Danny was fluent in Farsi, Russian, Spanish, and German. His expertise lay in counterinsurgency, unconventional warfare, special recon, and hostage rescue. Skills highly coveted and constantly honed by any PMC worth his salt.

But we needed to add infiltration to his already impressive résumé. The ability to blend in and disappear was sometimes our only cover.

River had, in a short period of time, proven to be somewhat of a natural when it came to infiltrating and hiding in plain sight. I wasn't sure I'd met such an observant kid before. Not without proper training.

Danny brought the bacon over to the fireplace and removed the pot with what I assumed contained eggs. "Can I ask you to do something and let it go afterward?"

I folded my arms over my chest, curious. "Not at all."

He sent me a scowl over his shoulder, and I smiled.

Why would I agree to anything before I knew what it was?

"But you can trust me to have your best interests at heart." I threw that out there.

He mulled it over and brought the eggs to the counter. He let them sit in the hot water while he wiped the cutting board clean and took out the loaf of bread he'd bought.

Avoiding eye contact was a surefire way to let me know he was uncomfortable.

"Don't tell the twins what you saw in my backpack last night," he said quietly. "I don't want them to laugh."

Damn, so we were acknowledging the pastel-blue, pink-eared elephant in the room. But not without him putting another dent in my ticker. God-fucking-dammit, I felt for him. Because I knew exactly what would happen if someone laughed at him for having a stuffed animal. Danny would put that person in the hospital and hide his own hurt.

"I would never do that to you, kid. Your secret is safe with me." I scratched my neck absently and squinted downward, warring with myself, warring with my fucking brother. His voice in my head. Was Danny a Little? Was he even remotely active in kink? Was it something new to him? Should I offer an olive branch to make him comfortable? In theory, I could let him know I understood him. That I was intimately familiar with the fetish and?—

"Thanks. And now we'll never talk about it again. Deal?"

Uh…

"I think it's sweet." Sorry, I couldn't help it. I wasn't ready to put the topic to rest.

Danny got irritated. "I said I don't wanna talk about it."

"And I didn't agree to your terms." I shrugged. "For the record, it's no laughing matter to me?—"

"I already know that." He cut me off abruptly and returned to the fire to check on the bacon. "I met your brother, remember?"

True. More than that, he'd met my brother at Clara Hill. Even if Danny hadn't been exposed to anything nefarious, the implications were clear as soon as you arrived. It was a grand estate from the Gilded Age, no dungeons on the ground floor or anything, but it was highly likely he'd seen something else. BDSM equipment being carried through, a consensual slave walking by, someone kneeling for another, and so on.

Hm. And if you weren't involved in BDSM yourself, that would look very strange.

Danny had to be at least somewhat familiar with kink.

"What else do you know, Danny?" It was time to get it all out there. I'd agreed to be his mentor and instructor. The least he could do was practice some honesty. "You wrote all those notes about me. You met Arden. You spoke to Kane and God knows who else."

He shook the skillet with unnecessary force and shuffled around the bacon with his knife. "Your family history is public once you know your dad's last name, which I obviously got from Arden. He didn't change his, did he?"

I was with him so far; he didn't have to get snippy with me. It was the rest I wanted to know.

"I overheard you once, okay?" he said impatiently. His temper was getting the best of him, as usual. His defense mechanism. "I was gonna make a call in the courtyard, and you were there, talking to…whatever, I guess some submissive or someone who had the hots for you."

I frowned and stiffened.

"You told him to stop calling you Sir because you're not a Dom or whatever," he muttered. "That's it, I swear. Then I met Arden and figured you're not a stranger to kink but that it's not for you."

I remembered that call now. Fucking hell. Someone who had the "hots" for me, yeah, sure, and someone who couldn't take no for an answer. I'd never played with Patrick. He'd dated a friend of mine—and not very faithfully. But Danny was wrong. I hadn't told Patrick I wasn't a Dom. I'd said I wasn't his Dom. Then I'd hung up on him, pissed I'd called him back in the first place. Not that I'd had much of a choice. He'd been leaving messages for me through Robin, and she'd gotten fed up.

I groaned internally, recalling what Arden had said. That Danny must've misunderstood something.

I sighed and ran a hand over my head.

"Can we let this go now?" Danny returned to the counter with the skillet. I just watched him. He pulled four plates from the cabinet. Two slices of bread on each, two eggs, and a few thick strips of bacon.

Last but not least, four tin mugs filled with coffee.

I dodged his question and asked one of my own. "Did you see the twins on your way back?"

He nodded curtly. "They'd just reached the dirt road when I pulled up."

"Am I gonna be impressed by their appearance?"

"Probably, but they must've committed a minor felony to find a ball cap from the University of Michigan in the middle of the night."

I let out a chuckle. Excellent. Those felonies were all right.

So they were in "Venezuela" as students. Good route for two boys their age.

Danny held two plates and faced me with a blank expression. "You didn't answer me before."

Astute.

I smirked faintly and took a measured step toward him. I liked that little flicker of apprehension in his eyes when I was so close to him. Correction—I loved it. Just a few inches closer, and I could cup his jaw and stand a little too close.

He went rigid as I brushed the pad of my thumb across his bottom lip.

What the hell are you doing, man?

Fuck it. I was weak.

He swallowed hard, a sight that pushed a wall of thick tension through me.

"Thank you for your honesty, little one," I murmured.

A breath gusted out of him, and his pupils dilated.

Ease the fuck off.

It was my turn to swallow, and then I forced myself to back away. I took one of the plates and realized I was royally screwed.

I was pushing forward in the one area I should be pulling back, and I couldn't even care. I grabbed my coffee and headed outside.

My God, I wanted to fuck him stupid.

See him writhe in pleasure and pain underneath me as I pumped my cock in and out of his ass.

Maybe while he held his little stuffie.

Shake it off.

I took a steadying breath, my heart racing a little too fast.

I'd just done that. I'd just crossed a line with him.

I exhaled and slumped down in my chair.

Bloody fucking idiot.

Danny's estimate on the twins' return was pretty spot-on. He'd poured their coffee right on time.

He shuffled out of the cabin, and the twins trailed up the steps. Quiet good mornings were exchanged behind my back while I peeled the shell off my eggs.

"Have a seat, boys," I said, clearing my throat. "Danny cooked up a feast."

"Coffee," one of the twins groaned.

They hadn't slept, had they?

The brothers appeared with their plates and coffee, and they slumped down in the same spots they'd had dinner last night.

I crammed a perfectly soft-boiled egg into my mouth and eyed the twins with a pinch of amusement. And wonder. They'd been busy .

"You're just gonna get the shell everywhere." Reese—that had to be Reese. He took the plate from River and started peeling his eggs. He was the caregiver when it came to River's eating habits. River could get by on coffee and ramen, something his brother wasn't a fan of.

Reese was the one with the Michigan ball cap, then.

The matching cargo pants had belonged to them already, but the short-sleeved plaid button-downs had come from somewhere else. One in blues and greens, one in reds and blues.

"Welcome to Venezuela," I said with a smile. Danny took the last chair, same as last night as well.

"Yeah, thanks." Reese yawned. "Did you shower?"

"Where would I do that?" I took a sip of my coffee—and fuck me if that wasn't perfect too. "I think I'll be asking the questions now. How was your night?"

He squinted at me. "Are we in character?"

I shook my head. "No need for dramatics. I just wanna do a background check. We'll start with your names."

Over the next few minutes, they did excellent with the basic stuff. They were students at U of M and currently part of a research study in Venezuela. They didn't hide the fact that they'd spent the night in the bush. Their pants were dirty, fingernails too, some minor scratches… Hell, that might actually be makeup. It was subtle. Reddish brown, the faintest of streaks, and irritated dots looking remarkably close to mosquito bites.

I asked who their professor was. Margaret Hawthorne . What they were studying. Biodiversity in endemic species of fish . Where they were staying. Dormitory just off campus of the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas . How old they were, what year they were in, what they hoped to accomplish with their degrees, how long they'd been in Venezuela for… They did well.

Obviously, if this had been real, they would've needed tons more to back up their lies. Passport stamps, fake identifications, fake phone numbers to call for confirmation at the university or ecology department, but they'd done everything they could've done for this particular assignment.

"Let's see some pocket litter," I requested.

Reese stuck a piece of bacon into his mouth and then dug through his pockets.

River followed suit.

"Where did you get the ball cap?" Danny asked.

Reese smirked wryly. "I saw it hanging off a lawn mower in someone's yard. That was how Riv got the idea."

I chuckled. "Just be sure to return it later. And the shirts? Off someone's clothesline?"

"Yeah, we'll return those too." Reese held out the contents of his pockets. "We got cheap reading glasses at the gas station, and?—"

"The makeup pen." I smiled, admittedly impressed. "Tums?" Spot-on.

"I mean…" Reese grinned.

Danny cracked up. "That's fucking legit. I was popping Imodium like Tic Tacs in Somalia."

I shook my head in amusement, having been there myself more than once. Tums and Pepto were staples.

All in all, I had to give the boys a solid score. "When we get home, I want you to read a book about the Canadian Caper. Have you heard of the operation?"

"Yes, sir." River nodded. "The CIA and the Canadian government smuggled American diplomats out of Iran in 1980."

Exactly. "Good. It's an excellent example of what you need to learn about clandestine ops. But for now, I want you to get some rest. You've definitely earned it."

"Can we hop in the lake first?" Reese asked.

"Of course." I nodded toward the beach below. "There's soap on the rock over there if you didn't bring your own."

"I was told the water's frigid," Danny supplied. "But you couldn't tell by looking at Payne."

I narrowed my eyes at him. Had someone regained his confidence?

Reese found that funny and turned to me. "Is this flirt of yours gonna stick around?"

I smiled faintly. "Aye. He's my new recruit. You're gonna learn all about Danny Rose in the months to come."

"Sounds like a threat to me," Danny mumbled around a mouthful of food.

A threat, a promise…