Page 55 of The Story of Danny Rose

He chewed on the corner of his lip and nodded. “It’s a load off. I wanna get the physical training too, but it helps if we get an extra year.”

Yeah, no doubt.

“Then it’s settled. If you’re happy, I’m happy,” I said. “I wanna be there when you meet with Terrance next time. I’ll make sure you get what you’ve earned.”

If they were going to dedicate themselves fully to the agency on that level, they deserved proper compensation.

“Thanks. We appreciate it,” River murmured. “Do all recruits graduate within a year?”

“Maybe half and some change,” I replied thoughtfully. It wasn’t black-and-white, and I had to explain it. “Getting the operator title doesn’t mean you’re done. Danny’s probably gonna graduate with a top score—but with a requirement to advance in some fields. Ultimately, we want everyone to be specialists in one or two fields, and it’s common for operatorsto pursue that after graduation. And in the meantime, you’re qualified to take on assignments suited to your skill set. Make sense?”

They nodded.

“Good. You take the time you need, River,” I told him. “I don’t care if it’s one year or three. Chances are you’ll set the bar high, so by the time they drop you two somewhere, you’ll need to be fully prepared.”

They looked at each other, undoubtedly feeling the gravity of their future responsibilities.

I believed in them, though. Reese would probably get impatient here and there; he shared that trait with Danny, but it would work for them in the long run to do the work before taking on the final selection in Ecuador.

“Get some rest, boys,” I said. “We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Right. Goodnight, sir,” Reese answered.

“Night,” River yawned.

This might actually work out for the best. As I returned to my room, I made a mental note to schedule an appointment with Terrance tomorrow.

I heard Danny in the bathroom. Humming to himself.

I smiled and opened the door wider.

My boy was happy and brushing his teeth.

He turned to me, toothpaste dribbling down his bruised chin, and grinned.

Just like that, work shit disappeared, and it was just him and me.

“You still high on adrenaline?” I chuckled.

He shook his head and spat out some toothpaste in the sink. “I’m high on youuuu.”

My heart.

That was it. The final straw.

I couldn’t wait another minute. It was physically impossible. I walked over to him and took over, grabbing the toothbrush from him. He had to be careful with those cuts and bruises. Reese had still gotten him good a few times.

“Open.”

He obeyed, and I brushed his teeth and made sure I didn’t get close to the cut in the corner of his mouth. He watched me; I watched him. My God, I loved him. And all that he was. Right now, he was actually both the soldier and the boy. He had his cute pajama bottoms I’d given him, the carefree smile, happiness in his eyes, and all the marks from today’s sparring. The beginnings of a black eye.

“Don’t renew the lease on your apartment,” I murmured.

He backed away to spit and rinse, and he turned the water colder. “Why?” he asked quietly in between sips.

“Because I don’t want you to go back there,” I answered. “I…” Fuck. This was harder than I thought it would be. I’d never put my heart on the line before. I swallowed my nerves and handed him the toothbrush. “I don’t even wanna see you take on solo assignments.”

He turned off the water and reached for a towel to wipe his mouth. It’d been a while since he’d eyed me with such wariness. “Can you spell it out for me, please?”

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