Their Bounty (Four Mercenaries 1)

“There was blood in the motel room. I called Drake, and we did everything we could, but it was all for nothing. A week later, Raul’s body was found by a country road with signs of torture. They must have grilled him for information. And to this day I think that if I hadn’t drank that much, if I were more cautious, it wouldn’t have happened. I was supposed to look out for him but couldn’t do anything when shit hit the fan.”

Drake continued petting Clover as Tank worked, but Clover only realized the procedure was over once Tank put a dressing on the wound. So maybe he’d panicked over nothing, but Drake’s arms were so soothing he didn’t want to let go just yet. Drake always had him in bondage and didn’t let Clover touch him much, so just like the kiss earlier, the hug was a breakthrough he’d indulge in.

“At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for ourselves,” Clover said.

“No!” Tank pulled on Clover’s arm, forcing him to meet his eyes. “I promised to keep you safe, and I will do everything I can to keep that promise.”

Sparks exploded at the back of Clover’s mind when Tank leaned in, touching him with fingers that were still covered with latex, and sucked on Clover’s bottom lip, creating a sensation so intense Clover let out a soft moan in response.

The onslaught of emotion coupled with the strangeness of the numb flesh, and Clover let himself be dragged out of Drake’s lap and into Tank’s. It was a done deal. By letting them do this, Clover had agreed to become bait. He needed to trust that they weren’t lying to him. That they would actually get him back, if push came to shove.

“You’re a part of our team now, boy, and you want to learn, I get it,” Tank said, lips brushing against Clover’s. “But don’t for one second think that changes things. You’re still ours. You’re my boy, and there’s no way around it. I will always treat you different than the other guys, even when I trust your growing skills. I will always keep an extra eye out for you.”

Clover accepted it with another kiss. Navigating a complex set of relationships with four men would never be a walk in the park, but he understood Tank’s message loud and clear.

He was youngest. He was a romantic partner in a way the others weren’t. It made sense that Tank treated him differently. If anything, it was endearing rather than a nuisance.

Clover offered him a smile despite the stinging in his shoulder. He’d never felt more marked. “Thank you, Daddy. You’re all a boy could dream of.”

Tank snorted. “You’re such a shit sometimes. Don’t know if you’re serious or sarcastic.”

“I’ll take those out of the way.” Drake rose from the bed, gathering all the supplies used. He was already looking away, as if he felt like an intruder in this moment of intimacy between Clover and Tank. But he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Clover grabbed his hand. “Stay the night?” he asked, trembling when Tank unexpectedly rubbed his naked shoulder with his stubbly chin. He couldn’t bear Drake returning to his cold room and locking the door while Clover and Tank were free to share affection. He wanted to share this with Drake as well.

Drake stilled, staring at Clover’s hand on his forearm, then up, past Clover’s shoulder.

Tank pressed a kiss to the back of Clover’s head, humming softly. “Stay.”

Drake exhaled, his brows gathering into a frown, as if he couldn’t decide what it was he wanted.

Tank licked up Clover’s neck and all the way to his ear. “We can use restraints, you know I love that shit too.”

Excitement sank into Clover’s flesh like the tiniest needles. It was obvious who those restraints would be used on.

The black eyes were still sharp, but Drake put the towel-wrapped supplies on the bedside table and climbed onto the mattress, his nostrils flaring like an animal’s who wished to have a taste of the delicacies on offer yet wasn’t certain of its safety.

“You’re so beautiful. I’ve never met anyone like you,” he whispered, pulling his fingertips down Clover’s face. They trembled so slightly it was hard to notice, but the fact that Drake was apprehensive at all made Clover itch to become his anchor and help him settle into safety.

He kissed Drake’s fingers, drowning in the joy of knowing that Drake didn’t hate him, didn’t resent him, and that there was still so much left in him to discover. Where Boar carried his vulnerability on his sleeve and Tank and Pyro’s hard exterior reached all the way to their cores, Drake’s walls hid a vulnerable soul Clover wanted to cradle to his heart and protect. It was strange to think that way of a man so much stronger, so much more capable, a man who knew how to tie up Clover and leave him helpless, but reality didn’t always align with the first impression of another person.