All Chapters of COLLATERAL DESIRE : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

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

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,”

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

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

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.