“He’s here?” Finn was pleased by that news, not only because he did want to see Drew, but also because it made getting Operation: Backup Whether Stubborn-Ass Joe Morrissey Likes It or Not underway easier. “Please do.”
“He’s right outside.” Joe hesitated for a moment, looking at Finn. “Just remember that I love you.” He turned and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. Finn heard a low exchange, and then the door opened wider and Drew entered. He looked Finn over quickly before crossing to the bed with an expression of happy relief.
“I thought I told you having sex while jumping out of a moving car was a bad idea,” Drew teased him. “But no, you always have to push the limits, don’t you?”
“You know me,” Finn said lightly, holding out his hand to Drew. “I’ll try anything once.”
Drew took the offered hand, raising it to his lips and kissing it gently. “Twice if you like it, and three times just to make sure, right? My mama warned me about boys like you.”
“Your mama was right,” Finn said, warmed by the tender kiss.
“She generally is.” Drew leaned in and kissed Finn’s forehead, pushing Finn’s hair back and combing his fingers through it. “How are you doing? I imagine you’re not on your deathbed or Morrissey wouldn’t have been walking out the door.”
“Not much else would’ve kept him here.” Finn tightened his fingers around Drew’s, drawing strength and comfort from the contact. “I need to talk to Herc.”
Drew nodded. “Joe’s going off on his own, isn’t he? I figured from what he said that he was planning to go it alone.”
“He is, because he’s a stubborn dumbass who takes too fucking much onto his own shoulders,” Finn said, his concern coming out as causticness. “I told him to let Herc help, but no, he’s got to save the world alone. I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit by while he hares off on a suicide mission.”
“The Irish do have a strain of stubborn, I’ve noticed,” Drew replied, his tone dry as dust. “And he may be a dumbass, but he’s our dumbass, right? So both of us will be damned if we’ll let him kill himself out of some misguided sense of honor.”
Finn knew the smile spreading across his face was goofy and besotted, but he didn’t care. Hearing Drew speak so possessively of Joe didn’t bother him. Instead, it filled him with hope that the future would be far better than he thought it could be—assuming they got Joe back home in one piece.
“Damned right,” he said, gripping Drew’s hand as tightly as he could. “Our dumbass has no idea what he’s up against with the two of us working together.”
Drew chuckled. “Yeah, he tends to underestimate us both, and combined, well, he doesn’t stand a chance.” He grew more serious, squeezing Finn’s hand in return. “I take it you want me to go after him.”
“All I had in mind was asking Herc to organize a team to follow Joe and be there to pull his nuts out of the fire if necessary,” Finn said. “But if you’re volunteering…. Well, there’s no one I’d trust more to take care of Joe.”
Drew nodded. “He would see a whole team coming, even if it’s Herc’s guys. But he won’t expect me. He told me to take care of you.”
“Which would you rather do?” Finn asked, suspecting he knew the answer already. “Sit around the hospital and watch my bruises fade, or go after Joe?”
“It’s probably safer for me to remove my tempting person from your presence so you can concentrate on healing.” Drew grinned wickedly. “I know you wouldn’t be able to resist being naughty. So I’d best go after Joe and save both of you from yourselves.”
Finn chuckled and didn’t try to argue. He couldn’t, really. No doubt he’d be tempted to push himself a bit when he felt better if either Joe or Drew were around, but if they were both gone, he could—and would—wait and focus on healing.
“It might be the best thing for all three of us,” he said. “Be careful, okay?”
“Always.” This time Drew’s kiss was on Finn’s lips and he didn’t hesitate to deepen it, as though aching to savor Finn’s taste.
Moaning, Finn yielded and slid his arm around Drew’s broad shoulders, holding him close while he could. Drew took his time, but after several long moments he drew back, smiling ruefully. “I accuse you of not behaving, but if it weren’t for this hospital bed, I’d be the one pushing the limits. Really, I should go before Joe gets too much of a head start on me. I have no doubt I’ll be able to track him, but I don’t want to make it harder than it has to be.”
“Good idea,” Finn said, releasing Drew with reluctance. He wasn’t thrilled about both of the men he loved running headlong into a dangerous situation without him there to help, and waiting to hear from them would be excruciating, but he wasn’t in any shape to do more than that.
Drew picked up Finn’s hand again. “I love you, you know. And I like Joe, believe it or not. I’m not just doing this for you, but for all of us. Maybe if I save his ass again, he’ll finally believe I’m on his side, too.”
Finn twined his fingers with Drew’s and squeezed gently. “I love you too,” he said. “He’s thawing a little. I can tell. Just go easy on him. That mission in Pakistan shook him in ways I haven’t seen before. He needs help—more than you or I can give him. But we’ve got to get him home in one piece before he can get it.”
“Yeah, I got the idea he’s dealing with some heavy shit, butI won’t promise to go easy on him. Joe strikes me as the kind to refuse gentle efforts at persuasion. It’s gonna take some tough love to make him face up to whatever is eating at him.”
Finn’s eyebrows climbed as he listened to Drew, and he had to acknowledge the point even as he was surprised by Drew’s insight. “You’re probably right, so I’ll amend my statement to do what you need to do. I trust you.”
Drew smiled, the wry expression reminiscent of Joe’s crooked smile. “Now if I can just get Joe to trust me, maybe we’ll get somewhere.” He squeezed Finn’s hand and then released it. “You take care of yourself, and I promise I’ll take care of Joe, whether he wants me to or not.”
“That’s the spirit.” Finn gave a little fist pump as he watched Drew move away from his bedside. A small part of him wanted at least one of them to stay with him while he faced the arduous path ahead, but he couldn’t ask that of either man under the circumstances. “Hurry up every chance you get.”
“I will.” Drew stopped at the doorway, giving Finn a heated look. “You just concentrate on getting better so we can celebrate when I bring our dumbass home, okay?”
Finn couldn’t help but smile, pleased by the promise he saw in Drew’s eyes. “I’m looking forward to it already.”
Drew grinned, and then blew Finn a kiss before heading off, letting the door close softly in his wake. Finn watched him go, worried about both Joe and Drew, and what they were walking into, but he was determined to channel his worry into productive action.
He reached for the phone on the bedside table and dialed a number.
“Hey, Lexy, it’s Finn. I need to speak to Herc right away.”
