Page 36 of Stryker

“I guess it’s just old hatfor you.”

“I wish I could say itwasn’t, but it is.”

Stryker undressed to hisboxer briefs and crawled into bed beside John, who immediatelycuddled into his arms.I canget used to this.Thatwas a dangerous thought.

After a few minutes, John said, “Tellme about your time in the military.”

“What did you want toknow?”How far down the rabbit hole do youwanna go?

“Where did you travel to?I imagine you covered the globe over all your time on the SEALsteam.”

“Yeah, you could say we’vetouched all four corners of the globe. We’ve been waist-deep in thesnow in Eastern European towns and the swamps of the FloridaEverglades and covered in sand across the Middle East. I’ve been tothe Arctic Circle and Death Valley all in the same week. We’vecamped in Central America, Western Africa, and Asia jungles. We’vedived in the Arctic, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North andSouth Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans.”

“Wow, seeing all thosedifferent places must have been amazing.”

“It wasn’t a pleasurecruise, but there were times I’ve seen the beauty of nature in themiddle of nowhere, without any signs of man’s destruction. I’vealso seen and done things you can never imagine or believe true andbeen taken prisoner for my troubles.”

That got John’s attention as he sat upin the bed, looking Stryker over, his hands running over Stryker’sbody in some mad search for evidence.

He was struggling to hold back hisnatural response by being touched by John. Any minute now and theevidence would be out there, ready for John to see. Strykershifted, trying to hide his arousal. Luckily, John dropped hishands and stared at him in horror.

“You were taken prisoner?When? By who? Were you hurt?”

The questions were coming fast.Stryker hadn’t meant to share that bit of information, but now thatit was out there, he had no choice, as per their pact, to tell thetruth, and not hold anything back.

“The team was on a missionin Iraq what feels like a lifetime ago. It all turned outokay.”

“I understand if you don’twant to talk about it. I get it.”

“I’ll make you a deal.When we’re in bed together, we can tell each other anything. It’sour safe place.”

“I like the sound of that.I’ve never felt like I had a safe place to talk.”

“You do now,” Stryker saidas he pulled John back into his arms. “I want to know everythingabout you.”

“And I want to knoweverything about you. I care about you, Stryker, more and moreevery day. Is that wrong of me?”

“I hope not because I’mdoing the same with you.” Honesty was first and foremost betweenthem.

“Good, I’m glad I’m notalone in this.”

“If I have anything to sayabout it, you’ll never be alone again.”

John tightened his arms aroundStryker, making the bigger man smile.

“It was 2016. We were sentin during the War in Iraq to free some high-ranking prisoners beingheld in Fallujah. The team was ambushed a couple of miles behindenemy lines but managed to fight their way out, except…”

“Except for you,” Johnfinished for him.

“Yes, except for me. I wascovering our retreat when I got cut off from the rest of theteam.”

“How long were you heldhostage?”

“Eight days. The teammanaged to get me out along with three other hostages.”

“Were youhurt?”

“Nothing that didn’theal.” Eventually.

---