“I was angry that you went without telling me. But I’m proud of you. Most people couldn’t do what you did.”
Clover rested his cheek on Tank’s pec. “But I wasn’t fast enough. They took Boar. They beat Drake to such a horrible state. I keep replaying it in my head, and I can’t stop. That maybe I could have done something differently. Gone back in there with the guard’s gun, or knew a way to crack the guy’s phone password. But I didn’t. I thought I knew it all, and it turns out I’m useless, and I dragged Boar down with me.”
Tank exhaled. “Boar’s an adult. He made that decision. You can’t blame yourself for asking him to help.”
Clover sobbed, and as heart-breaking as the sound was, it brought Tank relief that he could at least be there for Clover now. That he could be the rock his boy needed. And once Drake woke up, Tank would be a rock for him too. And then for Pyro, once the fucker sobered up.
Clover’s shoulders shook as he cried, clutching at Tank’s clothes. “I don’t know what I was thinking trying to join your crew. When Apollo’s men threatened me, I completely lost my shit. I can’t handle anything, and it doesn’t matter if I can climb a tree or hit a target.”
Tank swallowed, but gently rubbed his hands up and down Clover’s sides, which were in far better condition than his back. “Nobody reached mastery of anything in a short time. I’ve seen you learn so much this past year, Clover. What you lack is experience, but that’ll come with time, if you even want to keep doing this. What happened to you was too much too soon.”
Clover sniffed, his head bobbing in agreement. “I don’t even know what I want anymore. I know I want to find Boar.”
Tank stroked Clover’s hair. “We will. We will do everything we can. Together. If… If I weren’t so stern in telling you what to do, maybe I would have listened. Maybe we would have all gone to that meeting with Apollo, and none of this would have happened.”
Clover pulled back to meet Tank’s eyes, his expression fierce despite the glistening streaks running down his cheeks. “No, it’s not your fault either. I guess we’ve all made the shittiest mistakes. I just wish I’d have learnt this in a different way. I… I still love you. You know that, right?”
Tank’s eyes started stinging as soon as he heard that, and he squeezed Clover even harder as the wind intensified, pushing them together for warmth. “I love you too, Clover. I admit I was angry at first, and now I’m worried for Boar, but this doesn’t change how I feel about you. We will get on with life and do what’s needed,” he said, wishing he could convince himself as well as Clover.
But Clover frowned and looked over his shoulder. “Do you smell smoke?”
Chapter 18 – Clover
Clover stared toward the house. “Is he… drunk grilling?”
Tank’s chest sank when he exhaled. “No. No, he’s not,” he said before untangling himself from their embrace and bolting down the long driveway. Clover followed his lead without thinking, his heart thumping much faster than his legs could run, but each time his feet touched the asphalt, the impact trailed up his shins and eventually reached his head, fueling worse nightmares.
He was weakened, and with each move, the freshly stitched wounds screamed at him to stop, but he couldn’t. If Pyro acted on his threats, they needed to reach the house as fast as possible.
Clover heard Tank yelling before he even turned the corner and faced the inferno of the living room visible through the glass doors. One of the tall windows had been reduced to a pile of glass, so the heat from inside blew into Clover’s face even at a distance. Now he could feel it. A thick smell of gasoline. And as if to confirm Clover’s suspicions, Pyro tossed an open canister inside, creating a fireball that made even him take a step back, just in time for a clash.
Tank reached him like human-sized bullet, his fist descending on Pyro’s head with so much momentum he fell over like a kicked twig.
“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Tank yelled, dragging Pyro into the grass, but Pyro still managed to throw a bottle of vodka at the burning house, igniting yet more flames. His face was a mask of contrast, with the bright flames creating whitish fields against shadow.
“I warned you!” Pyro yelled, trying to punch Tank back, but he was in no state to fight. His feet pathetically slipped on the grass, but Tank hit him over and over, enraged like a bull fighting for his life in the arena.
But all Clover could think of was that Drake was inside. Sedated. Vulnerable.