Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“I love you. Only you get to see both sides of me,” Pyro said softly, hiding his face close to Boar’s neck. Boar was the only person who never laughed at him or used his weakness. And this worked for Pyro. It worked perfectly.
He was startled by a thud above, and when he raised his gaze to a window in the second floor, he saw Clover pressed against the glass, with Tank’s hand in his hair.
Maybe the boy was about to get his orgasm after all?
Chapter 7 – Clover
Tank’s grandma had the fanciest comforter, all soft and silky against the skin. It was still dark, and Clover longed to stay in bed that bit longer, so he spun around in search for the warm embrace he wanted to spend that time in. But his hand patted luxurious fabric and nothing else, even though Tank liked being the big spoon. Would he be getting breakfast to bed?
Something rustled nearby, something that didn’t sound even remotely like a parrot.
Clover frowned, still too sleepy to put two and two together, but despite the pillow calling his head, he looked over his shoulder and saw Tank’s towering presence. Completely dressed, he had the tiniest flashlight between his teeth and was in the process of checking his rifle.
“What...”
Tank turned his head toward Clover as if it had frozen in one position. The pale light hurt Clover’s eyes, but he wouldn’t close them.
“Sleep, baby, no need for you to get up.”
“But you’ve got your gear on.” Clover pointed at the bulletproof vest Tank wouldn’t wear on regular days, and certainly not to breakfast with his gran.
The somber face didn’t even twitch, but the realization of what Tank was preparing for shot through Clover’s head like lightning, burning through the peace and trust they’d established this past year. “You’ve got your gear on,” Clover repeated, his tone becoming shrill. There was no way he’d go back to sleep now.
He rolled out of bed and sped across the room, putting all the momentum he’d gained into a hard shove at Tank’s chest.
He could not believe this.
“You tried to leave me behind. What the fuck! Do the others know?” Clover demanded despite his air ducts feeling unpleasantly narrow.
Tank grabbed his wrists. “Not yet,” he said in a stern voice. “Why do you have to make it so difficult? You’ve got a warm bed, and you’ll be safe here at Jolene’s until we come back.”
Betrayal was thick in Clover’s throat when he struggled against the grip that felt as effective as any shackle would have been. “I’m not your pet. You can’t just trick me into staying behind. I trusted you when you said I can come too. What the actual fuck?”
Tank looked to the window with a deep sigh, as if he were dealing with a pile of laundry he needed to hang, not with his life partner. “We’ve taken you with us here, there’s no need for you to also go to Jerry’s. How do I know you won’t throw a fit around him when you couldn’t keep your cool with a stranger?”
Clover stepped back, his brain boiling over. “You lied to me, and now you’re trying to explain yourself? How can you demand trust from me when that’s what you do with it?”
Tank pursed his lips but didn’t speak. If this wasn’t proof that he’d been caught red-handed, Clover didn’t know what was. “Is it so bad that I want to protect you, boy?” He slid his hand to Clover’s hip. “You’re my one shot, the only guy I can see my romantic future with. I can’t lose you.”
This was such dirty play. Clover couldn’t believe that Tank of all people would stoop so low. “And I can’t even trust your word? Are you trying to say that I’m important enough to be lied to for some greater good?”
Tank tightened his hold on Clover. “Yes, yes you are. I love you, boy, and I would hurt your feelings to protect you. Sue me.” His gaze was intense in the first rays of sun that snuck through the blinds, and it pinned Clover to the floor.
Clover stared at him, his chest hurting from the invisible arrow stuck in his heart. “Seriously? I’ve waited to hear this for so long, and this is how you tell me? To soften the blow of leaving me behind?” But he couldn’t bring himself to push Tank away even when his eyes started welling up.
Tank flinched and stroked Clover’s shoulder. “No, no, no, don’t cry baby. I’ve only had good intentions. You know how much I care about you, right?”
Clover choked up as the wound in his chest only grew more infected. “Like a pet. You don’t see me as an adult at all, do you? As a partner? You just want to make all the decisions for me! That is so unfair.”