Page 98 of The Wounded Warrior

“I was out of the closet. I was the golden son of someone that didn’t play their game. I think Harris wanted to blackmail me into working for him. It didn’t work. He couldn’t touch my folks. I brazened it out.” He’d gone to law school, refused to hide his face, then used the inheritance his pappy had left him to put his plan into motion. “I was nineteen. I didn’t know that they would hurt me.”

“God.” Luke squeezed his hand. “They didn’t…did they hurt you?”

“I don’t have any diseases from it. They used condoms, you could tell from the photos. I don’t remember it.” He didn’t remember, and he’d moved on. Mostly. For the most part.

“So it was a fucking power play. They got off on it. You think Harris is a closet-case?” Luke’s voice had gone cold. Hard.

Rory had a feeling if Luke ever saw Harris again he might try to kill the man.

“I think he wanted to ruin something and I was there. Now I’m going to ruin him.” Rory sucked in one deep breath after another, because he wasn’t ashamed, but…this was Luke, for fuck’s sake. He needed Luke to want him, see him.

“I love you.” He didn’t expect to hear it, and for a momentRory thought it was just sympathy, just Luke feeling bad for him, which would be worse than fucking pathetic.

Then he looked into Luke’s eyes again and he knew it was the dead truth. Solid and sure and real.

“I love you too, Luke. I’m sorry there’s a story to tell.”

“Me too, but I can’t even blame you for the vendetta. I mean, I would take his ass down.”

“Everyone thinks I was drunk, I came onto them, I embarrassed myself. I didn’t. I had one glass of wine.”

“I’m so sorry, babe. You had to be so nervous, so excited to make contacts.” Luke shook his head, droplets of water flying. “Nothing is ever what everyone thinks, is it?”

“No.” He didn’t have anything else but that. Maybe ‘don’t hate me’, but they’d already gone over that with the ‘I love yous’, and besides, it was a little teenager of him.

“We all have our shit to deal with, babe.” Luke laughed, the sound a tiny bit harsh. “More than thirty missions, and you know what takes me out? A frickin’ IED on the side of the road when I’m on my way to a three day in the Qatar country club. Every time someone thanks me for my service I feel like this huge fake.”

He winced, reached for Luke’s leg. “That’s no fucking fair.”

“No. My first R&R in nearly a year and a half.” Luke sighed. “Broke both femurs. Shattered a kneecap and an ankle. Mangled my left hip. I mean shit, babe, I know I’m lucky. Two guys in the same transport lost limbs and one had a traumatic brain injury.” Luke pulled him closer, fingers around his wrist. “It took Matt and the new ranch and you to make me feel lucky, though.”

“I’m glad I could. I wanted you when I first saw you, and I know I seem like a slut, but—After all the shit that happened, I just… I wanted to take control of coming on to someone. Is that reasonable?”

“Absolutely. Fuck sitting around feeling like it’s your fault.” Luke nodded as if that was that, then grabbed the soap to start washing them both.

The touches felt sure, normal, and he thanked God for them. He didn’t want to be broken. This was too important to lose over something like that asshole Harris.

Rory was no idiot. He knew Luke was worried about him, about potential violence. They had shit to work through. But this—this was good.

“I’m glad you’re here, Luke.” Simple and true. No more secrets. No more shame.

“Me too.” That smile was open, honest and so Luke it made Rory grin back. “I’m glad you have a huge hot water heater.”

“What can I say, honey? I’m a hedonist.”

“Mmmhmm.” Luke scooted a little on the bench to reach Rory’s hair.

He leaned and begged the touches—he needed this. Needed Luke.

Luke lathered up his hair then dug in lightly, just enough to be a good head massage. His headache eased right away as his muscles relaxed.

“Oh, God. God, thank you.”

“I got you, I told you that.” Thumbs rubbing deep, Luke moved down his neck.

“You did.” And Luke knew what had happened and it was okay. Well, not okay that it happened, but things were fine with Luke.

Luke kissed the back of his neck after rinsing his hair, sliding both arms around him. That hug took away the rest of his tension.

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