All Chapters of COLLATERAL DESIRE : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

86 Chapters

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Several months passed, and whatever Lance had hoped would fade… didn’t.If anything, it got worse.By the time his body fully healed and he was back on regular duty, it meant one thing, he was around Ragnar even more.And that was the problem.Because Lance wasn’t even pretending anymore, at least not in his own head.He liked being around him.No, he loved it, more than he should have.Every briefing. Every mission. Every quiet moment where Ragnar stood there, calm and unreadable while everyone else shifted under pressure.Lance noticed everything now.The way Ragnar spoke, low, controlled, like he never wasted a word.The way people listened when he did.The way he carried himself like nothing in the world could shake him.It got to a point where Lance had to actively check himself.Like that one time.They were all gathered in the main hall, Ragnar standing in front of them, going over the aftermath of a shootout. His tone was flat as he listed numbers of casualties, losses, what

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

The office felt smaller than usual. Or maybe it was just the tension. Lance stood near Ragnar’s desk, trying and failing to act normal. His hands were shoved into his pockets, shoulders slightly stiff, like if he moved too much he’d somehow make everything worse.Ylva, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed. Too relaxed. She leaned against Lance’s side, her arm casually wrapped around his, her fingers tracing slow, absent patterns on his sleeve like this was the most natural thing in the world. Like nothing had changed. Like he hadn’t spent months slowly losing his mind over someone else.Lance swallowed. “Ylva…” he muttered under his breath, trying to subtly shift away.She didn’t budge. If anything, she leaned in more. “What?” she asked softly, glancing up at him with a small smile. His chest tightened and not in the way it used to. Not like before. Now it just felt… complicated.“I’m working,” he said quietly, hoping she’d get the hint.“Oh?” she tilted her head slightly,

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

Lance got out of that room faster than he should’ve.His heart was still racing, his thoughts tangled into something messy and dangerous. He had just been standing in the same space as his girlfriend… and her father, the man he couldn’t stop thinking about.What kind of messed-up situation even was this?He exhaled sharply as he stepped into the courtyard, the cool air hitting his face like a slap. It helped. A little.Leaning back against a pillar, he closed his eyes, letting the wind brush against his skin, trying to steady himself.He never thought his life would turn out like this.But here he was anyway.Footsteps.Soft.Familiar.Lance didn’t need to open his eyes to know who it was.“Are you okay?” Ylva’s voice came, gentle but laced with concern. “You’ve been acting so weird.”His eyes snapped open, and he straightened slightly.“I’m fine,” he said quickly. “Just tired.”She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded anyway, stepping closer.“So… you’re working for my father now,”

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

The sun was slowly sinking behind the walls of the estate, painting the sky in orange and gold.The light stretched across the courtyard, long shadows spilling over the stone floor, everything calm in a way that almost made you forget what kind of place this really was.Lance stood with his hands resting on the low wall, watching the sunset like it might tell him what to do with his life.It didn’t.“Beautiful, isn’t it?”He didn’t turn around.He already knew that voice.Ylva.He just nodded.“Yeah.”She walked up beside him and leaned on the wall too, following his gaze toward the horizon.For a while, neither of them spoke.The only sounds were distant birds and the faint rustling of leaves in the evening breeze.It was peaceful.Too peaceful for the mess sitting between them.“I’m going back to the quarters tomorrow,” Lance said after a while.“I’m fully healed.”He saw her reaction from the corner of her eye.Her eyes widened slightly, surprise flashing across her face, but she q

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

The next day, Lance went back to the quarters.The moment he walked in, he knew something was up because the place was louder than usual.Music was playing from someone’s phone, the table had bottles already lined up, and Porto was the first to spot him.“Welcome back, boy!” Porto shouted, walking over and patting him hard on the back. “Good to have you back.”Lance let out a small scoff, but there was a faint smile on his face.Yeah… he was back.Mar walked over next, giving him a nod.“Welcome back, Lance.It was a hell hole without you.”Lance chuckled a bit at that.He was already exhausted mentally, but hearing that they actually missed him, that they were happy to see him, made something in his chest loosen a little.It made him feel like he had people who actually cared if he was around or not.And lately, he really needed that.They all cheered, popping open beers and handing one to him.Lance took it without arguing, and for the rest of the day they just drank, talked nonsens

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

Lance blinked.He felt like he'd been hit with a ton of bricks.Once.Twice.Then he laughed.Not a normal laugh, too quick, too loud, too forced.“What?” he said, still half laughing. “Where the hell did that come from?”Mar didn’t laugh.Didn’t smile.Didn’t even move.He just kept looking at Lance like he was waiting for the truth to walk out of his mouth on its own.“I asked a question,” Mar said calmly. “Do you have a crush on Ragnar?”Lance’s smile slowly faded as reality set in, hard.His brain was suddenly moving too fast, trying to figure out what to say, what Mar knew, what he saw, how much damage was already done.“You’re crazy,” Lance said, shaking his head and walking past him. “Actually insane.”Mar grabbed his arm before he could leave, stopping him dead in his tracks.“Don’t lie to me.”Lance stopped walking.Slowly, he turned back to look at him, his heart racing like mad.“I’m not lying,” Lance said, but his voice wasn’t as confident now, and they both knew it.Mar

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

Days passed, and Mar decided he was going to help Lance get rid of whatever madness this was. At first, he thought it was just a stupid crush that would disappear if Lance stayed busy enough or met someone else. But the more time he spent watching him, the more he realized this was not something small.Lance wasn’t just crushing on Ragnar.He was gone.Mar noticed little things first. Lance never complained when Ragnar insulted him. Not once. If anything, he looked almost satisfied, like even Ragnar’s irritation was still attention, and that attention alone was enough to keep him going for the rest of the day.It was strange to watch.Mar didn’t really understand what Lance was feeling. He had never been in love before, never even close, but he wasn’t stupid. Whatever this was, it was intense. Lance wasn’t climbing into this slowly, he was already too deep to see the surface anymore.So Mar started keeping an eye on him more closely.Whenever Lance stared too long at Ragnar during me

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

The next evening Mar found Lance sitting alone outside the quarters, on the low concrete wall near the fence. He had a bottle in his hand but wasn’t really drinking, just turning it slowly between his fingers like he was thinking too hard.Mar walked over and stood in front of him for a moment before speaking.“We need to talk.”Lance groaned without looking up. “Why do you always say that like you’re about to arrest me?”“Because you keep doing things that will get you killed,” Mar replied calmly.That made Lance finally look up at him. “You’re being dramatic.”Mar shook his head slowly. “No. You are the one who doesn’t understand the situation you’re in.”Lance leaned back slightly, still sitting on the wall. “Okay then, enlighten me.”Mar crossed his arms and looked at him seriously. “You cannot break Ylva’s heart.”Lance frowned. “I know that.”“No, I don’t think you do,” Mar said. “You’re thinking about your feelings, your confusion, your little internal crisis. But you’re forget

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

The rest of the guys were gathered in the common area, beers and snacks scattered across the table. The conversation was loud, full of jokes, arguments about past missions, and Mar quietly correcting Porto’s terrible facts about literally everything.Lance leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a small, tired smile. He decided today was not a day for drinking. He could feel his thoughts already chaotic enough without the influence of alcohol, and Porto’s display wasn’t helping calm them. Still, it was almost mesmerizing in a way—the way Porto acted like it was completely normal, like the rest of them weren’t just casually ignoring an entire scandalous public display.Porto didn’t even notice the room around him. The girl on his lap had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, lips pressed to his in a heated, demanding kiss. He groaned into her mouth, one hand gripping her waist, the other tangling in her hair as if he might never let go.The guys around them barely reacted.

CHAPTER FORTY

He watched her sit up, his eyes tracing over her skin before settling on her face. The soft morning light spilled across the room, catching the curve of her cheek, the way her damp hair clung slightly to her neck.“Morning,” he murmured, voice low and hoarse.She smiled, leaning in to kiss him, and he felt the warmth spread through his chest.“Are you trying to continue where we left off?” he murmured, hands drifting to her hips, thumb brushing over her skin.“You’ve ruined me enough,” she chuckled, teasing him, her lips still brushing his.“Come on… can’t handle a little more?” His lips trailed down to her neck, and he felt her shiver beneath him.She giggled, shaking her head. “I need a shower.”“I’d be more than happy to join,” he smirked, but her eyes narrowed in suspicion.“Not falling for that one,” she said, though a small curve of a smile betrayed her amusement.She stood, her body on full display and he groaned, his eyes following her every movement. “Damn,” he muttered under

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