Page 74 of Damaged

“We have food in the main house too,” Quick said, walking over to them along with Crow. “I have a room prepared. I’m assuming I don’t need two rooms?”

“No,” Rogue chuckled.

“Hey, I’m curious,” Wrath said to Crow. “Did you ever find who you were looking for?”

Crow’s eyes swept over Rebel. “I did,” the man said and spun around to head toward the house.

Wrath, along with Rogue, walked toward the house with Quick. There would be time later to talk to his brother.

But first, Rip needed to call Justice.

And Wrath did not want to be any part of that conversation.

Rogue sat on the porch that wrapped around the Nightfall Drifter’s main house and in the comfortable chair next to him sat Wrath.

They both held steaming cups of hot coffee between their hands. It was the third week of July in Nevada and hotter than hell, but he still loved his coffee, and he knew Wrath did too.

They’d been there for a week and decided they would stay a bit longer before heading back to Santa Barbara.

One thing Rogue knew for sure was that Boston wasn’t coming back with them. Quick had offered to train the boy and even though Rip had gotten in Quick’s face about that, Quick hadn’t backed down. Boston was staying.

Rebel, on the other hand, wanted to come back to live at Dave’s estate.

Since the property was a joint operation between the military and the private sector, Crow had disappeared in the military area and hadn’t come back around at all. Rogue had overheard Quick telling Jagger that Crow would soon be leaving for another mission.

Some of the men and a few of the women filed out onto the porch with cups of steaming coffee. They sat down across the porch from them, leaving him and Wrath semi-secluded.

“You know…” he began, and Wrath gazed at him.

“What?” the man asked softly.

“I haven’t had one nightmare since I’ve been here.”

“This place has that effect,” Wrath said around a sip of coffee.

“No, it’s not the place, it’s you.”

“Me?” Wrath’s eyes went wide like he didn’t believe him.

Rogue sat his coffee on the small table between them.

“I love you,” he said. Lifting Wrath’s hand, he locked their fingers.

This man right here was his missing link.

Sure, with the job they did, they were always one step away from getting dead, but if the rest of the time was spent living life with Wrath, then Rogue would happily take it.

Wrath’s insides melted and he set his cup on the small table alongside Rogue’s. He covered their linked fingers with his hand. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear those words.”

“How long?” Rogue’s lips brushed the top of his hand.

“It seems like I’ve loved you forever,” he told the man who held his heart and soul.

“You know…I don’t feel…” Rogue swallowed as if struggling for the right words.

Wrath stayed quiet and gently rubbed his thumb over the side of Rogue’s hand where it held his.

“I don’t feel as… damaged anymore. Do I sound crazy?” Rogue asked and Wrath saw the vulnerability in the man’s gray eyes.

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