Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

" A Navy bar?" I made a face.

Paul chuckled and opened the door. "I was in the Navy, asshole."

"Don't remind me." I walked in and stifled a yawn. What I really wanted was some shitty Chinese food or pizza delivered to my equally shitty hotel room, but Paul wanted to go out.

I couldn't blame him either. He'd been stuck with MREs and desert food for a month and a half. Now he was back on US soil and wanted…bar food.

And it was packed in here. Fuck.

"We did your errand. Now we do mine." Paul grinned and walked past me.

I huffed and looked down at the little plush toy in my grip. I'd ducked into a store; it'd taken me five minutes. Something told me we'd be in this bar for quite a while longer.

Getting a table was out of the question, so we'd have to eat at the bar.

I ordered us two pints while Paul went to the head. Again. He'd had stomach problems since I'd arrived in Afghanistan, pretty much.

Despite the ruckus around me—from sailors who were clearly visiting the port, not stationed here permanently—it was easy to sink into my mind, where it was quiet and still. I was simply too exhausted to register the laughter, the glasses clinking, the pissing contests, and the back pounding.

I stared at the stuffie on the bartop and took a swig of my beer.

Fifteen days was much too long to go without Danny. My God, had he changed me.

Before I'd recruited the twins, I'd been used to longer assignments. A month or two, sometimes three. Being on my own hadn't bothered me much either. Granted, I met up with other contractors from time to time. Like I'd done with Paul now. We'd finished the job he'd started. I'd led the way to a safe area for him and his interpreter.

I'd kept my promise to Danny too. Not a single scratch.

Part of me was dying to find the nearest pay phone so I could call him, but I knew it would make the longing worse. Besides, we were initially supposed to be dropped in Florida. Then we'd landed in Germany and gotten a ride from the Marines instead, bringing us to Norfolk. Much closer to home.

I could last… I checked my watch. Hm. Some eighteen hours…? Thereabouts. And then I'd have him in my arms again.

Hopefully, he'd like the toy. It was a golden retriever.

I'd gone into the store utterly clueless—I'd just seen the displays for those Beanie Babies, and I'd decided to get him one. Then I'd arrived in the right aisle, and I'd stood there a solid minute or two, wondering what the fuck I was doing. Until I'd spotted this one.

If I was his first rescue dog, this could be his second.

"For your kid?"

I turned toward the voice, coming from a young man seated next to me. Definitely a sailor.

"Something like that." I grabbed the toy and stuck it into the inner pocket of my jacket.

"Do you realize it's the middle of summer?" He smirked.

Yes, well. I wasn't going to explain to him that a ride home in a C-130 was cold as fuck or that a jacket was the best way to conceal weapons or, frankly, that I'd been too exhausted and scatterbrained when we'd left the hotel. I'd grabbed my jacket out of habit.

Most contractors I knew had one weak spot, myself very much included. And it was the two or three days that followed an assignment. When we got home and landed mentally, we were…not really present. We were tired, a bit spaced-out, and thick in the head.

"Only a sailor would focus on what others are wearing," was my clever retort.

He grinned and let out a laugh. "Damn, man. I should've stayed on the ship."

Possibly.

I side-eyed him and then refocused on my beer. The young man was handsome and charming in that "I haven't seen the world yet" kind of way. The type of wet-behind-the-ears attractiveness I only found appealing because it made me miss those days. When nothing weighed you down, when you didn't know shit, and when the world was still your oyster.

I'd never seen Danny that way. He'd been hardened already when I'd come to Fort Campbell.

Fucking hell, I missed him. I'd had a sucking feeling in the pit of my stomach since the day I'd flown out, basically. It tightened and grew more painful whenever I pictured his face.

At this point, I was fairly certain I loved him, but I wasn't going to be the idiot who blurted it out just because I hadn't had him in my arms for two weeks. Then again… I sighed to myself and drained my beer.

It wasn't going to be long before I told him.

Needing a distraction until Paul returned, I turned to the kid next to me again, and I asked if they'd just arrived in port today.

"Yesterday, but I was too tired to go ashore last night." He fiddled with the label on his beer bottle. "To be honest, I was too tired today too. All these fuckin' drills, man. I get it, but when it's all you do, they seem pointless."

Oof. I'd heard that before.

"Are you military?" he asked me.

"No."

He observed me for a beat. "You have an accent."

I chuckled. "All right."

"All right," he mimicked. "Are you British?"

"You're sharp." I got the bartender's attention and gestured for another pint. "What's your name, sailor?"

"Elliott," the kid replied. Literally—kid. Was he old enough to be in here?

I nodded once. "You focus on those drills, Elliott. I assure you, they're not pointless." My guess? We were looking at the next war within five or six years.

I sensed the kid staring at me while I got my second pint—and Paul better get back soon. Did he have anything left to shit out? I just wanted to get some food and then go back to my hotel room. Because I was setting the alarm for five. We had a rental ready to be picked up.

"I don't think you're a civilian," Elliott decided.

"Who said I was?" I asked.

"You said you're not military."

He could think on that for a moment, because I saw Paul returning through the crowd. He eyeballed someone who almost spilled his beer over him, then made his way over and sat down on my other side.

"Goddamn day care," he grumbled. "Let's eat so we can fuck off. I have a physical to bullshit my way through tomorrow at noon."

I smirked while he scanned the little menu on the bartop. "You could also rest up before the next contract. At least till you're shitting solid again."

He winced and shifted on the stool. "My ass is on fuckin' fire."

I laughed, even though I commiserated. I mean, we'd all been there—and were likely to revisit. It was more a rule than an exception when you went to regions where clean water was scarce.

When the bartender came by again, we ordered two baskets of wings and fries, and Paul, the dumb fuck, wanted his extra hot. Had he been Danny, I would've made him order the grilled cheese. It was the mildest item on the limited menu.

Danny, Danny, Danny.

I miss you, baby boy.

"Jones! We gotta get back to the ship!"

I threw a sideways glance as some punk came up next to Elliott, drunk off his ass, and dragged the guy with him. Elliott laughed and drained the last of his beer before he shoved the other one off him.

"I'm not the one who needs help walking, fucker."

I shook my head and returned my attention to Paul's whining.

With Paul passed out in the back seat, I broke every speed limit on the way to DC the following morning.

I'd reported back to Terrance, and then I'd called TJ to dig for clues about where I might find Danny today. He had his first counterterrorism class at ten, and then he had infiltration tactics right after. So, depending on traffic…

Once we got past Richmond, I could almost taste our reunion. I was gonna hug him so hard he couldn't breathe, even if I had to lock us in a bathroom for privacy.

"I might need to stop again," Paul groaned.

I eyed him in the rearview. "Mate, are you sure it's nothing worse than the runs?"

"Pretty sure," he replied. "No fever, no nausea, no headache."

Fair enough. "I gotta get gas anyway. You should drink something."

"I'm just gonna tough it out till I get the sweet relief of my banana bag."

I snorted. "Okay, tough guy."

We did have to stop ten or so minutes later, but after that, I was done. If he needed to go to the bathroom again, he'd have to stick his ass out the window. Because the closer we got to DC, the more nervous I got. And it was fucked, right? It was just nerves and irrational fears. Like…if he'd suddenly met someone new. Or he'd changed his mind and hightailed it back to Kentucky. Which no one had done ever. He'd be the first in history to do so.

Arden would laugh if he saw me now.

He'd laugh when I told him Danny and I were together too.

No, scratch that. He wouldn't laugh. He'd smile smugly and say something like, "As predicted. Good."

In my defense, I was incredibly jet-lagged. Jet lag was, on its own, a mindfuck.

Another reason not to tell Danny I was in love with him yet.

I was gonna wait until I was fairly sure he felt the same.

He'd feel the same eventually.

Yeah?

"Fuck. Payne, I?—"

"Clench the fuck down, mate," I said abruptly. "We're twenty minutes out."

"You're mean ."

Paul ran for the restrooms past the elevators in the lobby.

I walked briskly for Danny, stuffie safely secured in my leather jacket, despite it being the middle of summer.

Rather than stowing away my duffel in my locker on the second floor first, I took the elevator up one flight. Danny should be halfway through his infiltration tactics class, and I was going to be the bastard who knocked and asked to sit in.

Leg and I went way back, so I knew he wouldn't mind.

When I reached the classroom, I knocked twice and leaned closer.

"…and that's why… That's why you can't stop studying." The voice came closer. "How else will you infiltrate anything? To infiltrate is to blend in and become one with a community, no matter how small. You must know the local culture, the language, the accent, the terrain—et cetera. If you don't…? You will doubt yourself. You might lose a second when you hesitate, and that's all it takes sometimes." With that said, Leg opened the door and smiled in surprise. "Payne. Welcome back."

I nodded and shook his hand, already seeking out Danny in the room. There. He sat straighter and actually gripped the edges of his desk, as if preventing himself from rushing to me.

"Good to see you, Legacy. Mind if I…?" I gestured at the classroom.

"Not at all."

"There it is again!" Reese exclaimed. "It's the third time someone's called you Legacy. Are you gonna freaking explain or not?"

"Maybe he's a former pilot," James guessed. "I got a call sign too."

"He's not a pilot," I said, trailing back to the end row.

Danny watched me the whole time, and I sent him a quick wink.

It was fucking incredible seeing him again. It felt like long enough to notice changes in his appearance, but he obviously had none. Except for a faint bruise across his jaw. Presumably from training—but I'd make sure later.

"My ridiculous nickname is not the reason we're here today," Leg reminded everyone. I counted five recruits today, and I didn't recognize the fifth. "Before our break, we're going to explore a simple scenario that might fuck things up during a gig." Oh good. I could wait a minute or two. "Say you've introduced yourself to a man in Damascus. You're not a local, but your person of interest believes you've traveled a lot in the region. You know the language somewhat." He adjusted his tie—he might be the only man in the building to wear one—then folded his arms over his chest. "What happens if he suggests a restaurant in a neighborhood you've never heard of? Is it safe to travel there? Is he testing you? Is it safer for you to be the first one to suggest a spot to eat, or does that raise suspicion?" He paused briefly. "What will you say if he asks about your favorite place to eat?"

The boys were quiet—never mind. River raised a hand.

"Yeah, one of the twins," Leg said.

I coughed around a chuckle.

"That's River, man," Danny said. "Think about it. He actually raised his hand."

I grinned.

The other boys cracked up.

I'd have to tell Leg later about my trick. The twins were still ordered to wear different shirts so I could tell them apart. That said, Danny was on the right track. There were ways to identify them.

"River, then," Leg amended patiently.

River shifted in his seat. "I would make up a story about a restaurant that closed."

That was a good option.

Leg nodded. "That's a good one. The person of interest might push harder, though. What will you do then?"

River mulled things over for a few seconds. "I mean, I get the point. We have to know before we make contact. I don't know squat about Damascus, so I can't bullshit anythin' right now."

"That is the point," Leg agreed. "You always need to have an answer to every question—and if you can't answer something correctly and factually, then you better know enough to bullshit your way out of the mess." He pointed his marker at the board. "Which brings us back to the list. Restaurants, cafés, train stations, places of worship, escape routes, the infrastructure in general—you must know these things."

He checked the time next, and I waited with bated breath.

"All right, take ten minutes," he said. "When you get back, we'll discuss homework. You're going to pick a city in Asia, South America, or Europe for an infiltration exercise. You'll be tested on this next week."

"You can't tell me you're not a teacher," Danny huffed.

Leg smiled. "I'm not a teacher. I'm a professor."

Our one and only. A Vietnam veteran who wasn't able to adjust to civilian life after years of trying and went so far as to become a college professor—but he happened to know Terrance, who'd welcomed him on board. John "Legacy" Williams wasn't a field operative, but he knew how to help create them.

The recruits were eager to take their break, except for Danny, and I told Leg I needed a word with young Mr. Rose.

"No problem. I need more coffee anyway," Leg responded. "The talkative twin is full of questions."

"Word of advice, sir," Danny said, lifting his brows. "Tell him to pick up a fucking book. He sure as hell won't do it voluntarily."

I was definitely curious about the time Danny had spent with the twins without me.

"Oh, he'll have books to read," Leg said and walked out.

He closed the door behind him, and I turned to Danny. A fraction of a second later, he lit up and rushed toward me, and I couldn't fucking describe the feeling. My chest swelled with emotions, and I met him halfway and crushed him in my arms.

"You're two days late!" He smacked me on the chest before relocking his arms around my neck.

I winced and chuckled, then started peppering the side of his face with kisses. "I'm sorry, baby. Fuck, it's good to see you."

"The operation handlers are already sick of me," he croaked. "I was up there a million times."

"Didn't they tell you everything was fine?"

"Well, yeah—when you landed in Germany. But still! Shit can happen there too!"

I smiled and kissed his neck, where I about expired. Goddamn , he smelled good. One whiff, and I was fucking done for. I almost groaned—and I definitely sucked on his flesh.

He exhaled a laugh and squirmed. "What're you doing , Daddy?"

Daddy.

"I'm evidently getting ready to eat you alive." I couldn't keep the sudden urgency out of my voice, and I squeezed him tighter to me and finally captured his mouth with my own. "I missed you so much."

"Good," he replied, exhaling. He shivered too. "I missed you more. Reese is very high-maintenance, and River is more stubborn than all the mules in the world."

We could discuss the brothers later. Much, much later.

I kissed him hungrily and slipped my hands down his cargo pants, belt be damned, and I squeezed his perfect little ass cheeks until he was making pleading noises into every kiss. Waiting until tonight was going to be excruciating.

The way he smelled, how he tasted, every reaction he gave me… Within a minute, I was rock hard and wondering if I could lure him into the nearest bathroom for a quickie.

"Oh fuck," he panted.

"You'll have to forgive Daddy."

"Forgive? How about we just go home so I can take care of you? I need it too."

I could feel that. But…no. There was a time and a place for a quick fuck, but this wasn't one of them. I wanted to take my time and get my mouth on every inch of his body.

"Tonight," I forced myself to say. "No skipping classes for my boy—and I'm gonna get some work done too." Every month, most senior operators had a quota to fill. Government agencies and private corporations sent certain employees to our firm for training, and I was one of the unlucky bastards who had to be in charge of such nonsense. I had one group of security guards to train in de-escalation tactics and riot prevention.

"But, ohhh," he whined. "You got me all needy now, Daddy."

I smiled into another kiss, loving those unfiltered pleas. "Be needy for me tonight too. In the meantime…" I eased back enough so I could zip down my jacket. "I found you something yesterday in Norfolk."

"So, Germany and Norfolk. Zero clues about what came before."

I smirked. Give it a few weeks, and I could tell him more.

Thankfully, the glimpse of the stuffie caught his attention, and he immediately reached out to touch what was sticking out of my inner pocket.

He was so fucking adorable I didn't know what to do with myself. Gone was the soldier with an edge, revealing a sweet boy with a big smile and wonder in his gorgeous eyes.

I touched his cheek. "I'll keep him safe until we get home later, okay?"

He nodded quickly and brushed a finger over the pup's head. "Thank you so much—he's so cute. I'm gonna name him Billy or Killing Machine."

I grinned and coughed a chuckle, then shook my head and wished more than ever that we didn't have work. His response was just so him, and I loved it. I… Fuck, I loved him, period.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened to your jaw?" I kissed the spot right below the bruise—and I did my best to keep my hands to myself. Well, not myself, but away from the areas he got distracted by.

He was busy doing the last of the dishes after our takeout feast from the local Thai place down the street.

He huffed and set a clean plate on the towel next to the sink. "Darius fuckin' Quinn happened. We sparred together in the basement, and maybe he was a little faster than I anticipated."

I smiled and shifted my attention to his neck and shoulder, where his skin was so soft.

"But believe you me, I showed him," he added.

I had no doubt. "I'm glad you're makin' friends." I grazed my teeth along his flesh and rubbed his hips.

"Yeah. He's way more mature than Reese." He said it loud enough for the twins to hear on the couch, and Reese obviously took the bait.

"What the fuck?" Reese scowled. "Also, when do we get to meet this Darius Quinn? He has a reputation."

"Go back to studying," I told him. There were countless operators he hadn't met yet, and I suspected it'd be a while before he ran into Darius. Darius tended to avoid recruits and the areas where they trained.

I was sure he'd made an exception for Danny, considering his background.

"He doesn't like newbs," Danny replied, smirking.

To a senior operative like myself, Darius was very much new too, but yeah, there was something about him. As if he'd lived a hundred lifetimes already.

Reese scratched his eyebrow with his middle finger.

Safe to say, no need to ask about how life had been around here while I'd suffered in the desert. Danny and Reese were acting more like bickering brothers than before, and River was the opportunist who picked the side that suited him in that moment. I'd seen it at work after I'd finished my tasks, and I'd seen it all throughout dinner.

"I'm too full," Reese complained. He kicked up his feet on the coffee table and threw his book next to him. "I need a break." He glanced over at us again. "Are y'all leavin' the door open tonight, or should I just go out for a run?"

I'd prefer?—

"Enjoy your run," Danny replied. "I'm not in a sharing mood."

Thank fuck, because neither was I. The twins could watch tomorrow.

Reese sucked his teeth. "I guess you're only in that mood when I grab the last slice of pizza in the cafeteria."

Good Christ. It was difficult not to laugh. Danny didn't even bother trying to hold back.

"Were they like this the whole time I was gone, River?" I asked.

He didn't look up from his book. "Yup."

Poor kid. Poor me , if this continued.

"Okay, I'm done with my chores," Danny declared and turned off the water. "Take me to Poundtown, Sir. Then to Boneville. And possibly Fuckistan."

I snorted a laugh and threw an arm around his shoulders. My little clown. I'd make sure he'd see all three sites before sunup.

To be honest, he could've been to one of those places already, but he seemed to need a chore or two. And I got it. Chores provided structure. I had a perfectly functioning dishwasher, but if it made him feel better to do the dishes, I was happy to enforce the rules. Cleaning the bathroom once a week was his job too.

"Try to keep it down," Reese said. "Some of us are tryin' to study."

I didn't miss a beat. "We'll be mindful for River's sake."

Danny laughed and started dragging me toward our bedroom, and I wished the boys a good night.

Something shifted between us when we got in the shower. The need simmered through me like a thick stream of lava, but it wasn't as urgent as it had been earlier today. Nor were our touches laced by our Daddy/Little dynamic. Even though the labels and terms of endearment were very much present, we were just… us .

It made me pump the brakes, because I wanted to savor every moment. More than that, I wanted to explore every aspect of our relationship, and with Danny, I shared three major parts. We worked together. I was his Daddy, and he was my sweet boy. But we were also equals sharing our first real relationship together, and we hadn't given that side of us much time yet. Instead, we'd jumped between work and our semi-relaxed state of D/s.

He closed his eyes as I started washing his hair. "I hated being away from you."

I dipped down and kissed him. "Me too. Especially since I couldn't call."

He hummed. "I hope we get some assignments together in the future."

He did?

Hell, I was starting to hope we'd get several, if not all. That was the worrywart in me, I was sure. Maybe. Fuck. No, I wasn't sure one bit. I knew he was going to make an excellent operator, and he was taking his training seriously, despite the complaints. This ran deeper. I simply didn't want to be without him.

The question was if I could be a good partner to him in the field—or if I was going to be overprotective every step of the way. In which case, we wouldn't make a good team. I could cost us precious time and make the wrong decisions if I treated him like my Little.

"I'm afraid I'd treat you unfairly in the field," I admitted.

He cracked one eye open. "How so?"

I shrugged slightly and nudged him under the hot spray again. "When it's a matter of life and death, I'm not sure I can separate the soldier from the man who's become so…" Important was an understatement. Everything rang truer, but that felt intimidating to say out loud. So I sighed at my uselessness in finding the right word, and I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him. "I've never been in the field with someone I adore, baby. I don't know how I'd react."

He scraped his teeth over his bottom lip, and a slow smile appeared as he slid his hands up my chest and around my neck. "I have an idea," he murmured. He pressed himself impossibly close to me and pulled me down enough to ghost his lips over mine. "See, I've never been in the field with someone I adore either…"

Fuck.

I kissed him, and through no fault of my own, my hands covered his ass.

"So I suggest we spar together," he whispered. "Face me on the mats in the martial arts studio, and I will show you, Daddy."

Jesus Christ. My brain flooded with images of the two of us, fighting, sweating, turning into animals…

The darkest desire slithered through me, and I kneaded his ass cheeks and let my fingers slide between.

His breathing hitched as he flicked the tip of his tongue against my own. "We'll get there with baby steps," he said quietly. "You'll see my results from training and test scores."

I made a rumbling, humming sound into a deep kiss, and I'd heard enough. He'd seduced me properly, and now I needed all of him.

After one more hard kiss, I spun him around to face the wall, and I reached for the baby oil.

"Push out that tight little bottom for Daddy," I said.

The first round was going to be quick.