Scan barcode
A review by leahkarge
Special Forces - Mercenaries Part II by Aleksandr Voinov, Vashtan, Marquesate
5.0
Review for Special Forces as a whole can be found here.
Favorite Quotes:
Duncan said, made a movement with his hand, as if trying to brush all of it away. “Fast forward, aye? So, how did you figure out that you were attracted to each other?”
“Oh,” Dan laughed suddenly, a single dry sound, “that was easy. Vadim just shot me in the shoulder.”
(39, Duncan & Dan)
Vadim pushed his cuffs to the side to check on his watch. “Twenty minutes. Should we head downstairs?”
“I think we should. I need to show off my fucking sexy, goddamned perfect partner.” Dan grinned.
(132, Vadim & Dan)
Still grinning, he got out of the car, not bothering to lock it. "It’s strange, you know." Standing and inhaling deeply, while very slowly turning around himself.
“Strange?” Vadim closed the car door. He figured locking that wouldn’t strictly be necessary either, but he still did.
“Aye, strange. I never had a home. Not since I left my family’s farm.” Dan’s face faintly illuminated by the new moon. “And here I am, at the other side of the world, with my partner, and standing in front of our home.” He turned to face Vadim, “it’s one of the best fucking feelings ever.”
Vadim closed the distance and embraced him. “It will be good, Dan. I promise.”
(189, Dan & Vadim)
“Give me time.” He whispered, face close, heads touching. “Give me a little time until I’ve understood myself, and I’ll be what you need me to be.”
“You are everything I need. I’m just saying, I trust you. Whatever you want to do. I need you. And that includes ways and things that everybody else would shy away from. Because we’re not everybody, Dan. We’re us.”
(196, Dan & Vadim)
“As long as you’re not in love with the man, then why feel guilty because you’re having fun? Besides, I’ve been thinking...if you did fall in love with someone else there would be pretty little I could do.” He suddenly chuckled, “except for ripping your guts out, cutting your balls off and stuffing them down your throat, of course.”
“Charming way to say you’re jealous.” Vadim gave a soft laugh, and noticed the faint but good coffee smell spread in the kitchen.
“I’m not!” Dan protested, too quickly to be entirely believable. “Just...damn, I remember I told you I’d never be separated from you again. Now that I am I don’t fucking like it.”
(275, Dan & Vadim)
And he needed to know, had to...why? Because hurt ran as deep as blood and lust, but nothing ever reached as far down as the love. Battered, broken, full of anger, but he’d been through too much to give up on it. Not yet.
(358, Dan)
Kissing once more, didn’t matter that they were scratchy and stubbly, hadn’t changed their clothing for too many hours and the only water that touched them had gone down their throat. Didn’t matter. Just Vadim. Too long, but it was all good now. Had to be. After all, the truth was an old acquaintance of his.
(477, Dan)
“You could think he got me into prison. Truth is, I got myself there. And he got me out of it. He’d been keeping me together, Katya. He’s keeping me sane. He’s there when I wake up screaming at night. He's there to guard my back against the savages down in the Balkans. The Gulf. And wherever else we go. We’re soldiers, still. Mercenaries. We put our skin out there, our hearts, minds, whatever we are, and we already go through so much shit. My mind’s broken, and Dan’s body is starting to come apart, and all we want is to gracefully retire and make it out alive, and then you use his child to hurt my partner? The man I depend on for my sanity? That’s low, Katya. That’s off target, and you know it. And I know it, because you’ve never done anything this ignoble and downright wretched before. I know. I know you’re made from steel and bone, and I’ve always respected you. But hurting Dan like that? Kicking a man who has never done you any harm? Not a nice thing to do, Katya.” He looked at her, and she was pale, taut, angry, shocked. He waited, breathing, knew he’d let his anger out, too much of it, likely. Truth was, somebody had had to say it.
(535, Vadim)
“It’s beautiful.” Dan sipped his wine, watching. “Like you.” Fuck, and where had that stuff suddenly come from?
(538, Dan)
"I owe you."
“You owe Dan.”
“He’s a friend, too. But ...” Dima inhaled, his grip stronger now. “If I have to choose, I’m standing with a brother.”
Vadim smiled, touched against his will. Brother. The good kind of family.
“Thought you never bought the military doctrine bullshit.”
“No bullshit.” Dima stared at him with an intensity that was unlike him. “I won’t do it a second time. I’ll be there. Whatever you need, whenever you need me. I’ll be there. As a comrade.”
(641, Dima & Vadim)
Favorite Quotes:
Duncan said, made a movement with his hand, as if trying to brush all of it away. “Fast forward, aye? So, how did you figure out that you were attracted to each other?”
“Oh,” Dan laughed suddenly, a single dry sound, “that was easy. Vadim just shot me in the shoulder.”
(39, Duncan & Dan)
Vadim pushed his cuffs to the side to check on his watch. “Twenty minutes. Should we head downstairs?”
“I think we should. I need to show off my fucking sexy, goddamned perfect partner.” Dan grinned.
(132, Vadim & Dan)
Still grinning, he got out of the car, not bothering to lock it. "It’s strange, you know." Standing and inhaling deeply, while very slowly turning around himself.
“Strange?” Vadim closed the car door. He figured locking that wouldn’t strictly be necessary either, but he still did.
“Aye, strange. I never had a home. Not since I left my family’s farm.” Dan’s face faintly illuminated by the new moon. “And here I am, at the other side of the world, with my partner, and standing in front of our home.” He turned to face Vadim, “it’s one of the best fucking feelings ever.”
Vadim closed the distance and embraced him. “It will be good, Dan. I promise.”
(189, Dan & Vadim)
“Give me time.” He whispered, face close, heads touching. “Give me a little time until I’ve understood myself, and I’ll be what you need me to be.”
“You are everything I need. I’m just saying, I trust you. Whatever you want to do. I need you. And that includes ways and things that everybody else would shy away from. Because we’re not everybody, Dan. We’re us.”
(196, Dan & Vadim)
“As long as you’re not in love with the man, then why feel guilty because you’re having fun? Besides, I’ve been thinking...if you did fall in love with someone else there would be pretty little I could do.” He suddenly chuckled, “except for ripping your guts out, cutting your balls off and stuffing them down your throat, of course.”
“Charming way to say you’re jealous.” Vadim gave a soft laugh, and noticed the faint but good coffee smell spread in the kitchen.
“I’m not!” Dan protested, too quickly to be entirely believable. “Just...damn, I remember I told you I’d never be separated from you again. Now that I am I don’t fucking like it.”
(275, Dan & Vadim)
And he needed to know, had to...why? Because hurt ran as deep as blood and lust, but nothing ever reached as far down as the love. Battered, broken, full of anger, but he’d been through too much to give up on it. Not yet.
(358, Dan)
Kissing once more, didn’t matter that they were scratchy and stubbly, hadn’t changed their clothing for too many hours and the only water that touched them had gone down their throat. Didn’t matter. Just Vadim. Too long, but it was all good now. Had to be. After all, the truth was an old acquaintance of his.
(477, Dan)
“You could think he got me into prison. Truth is, I got myself there. And he got me out of it. He’d been keeping me together, Katya. He’s keeping me sane. He’s there when I wake up screaming at night. He's there to guard my back against the savages down in the Balkans. The Gulf. And wherever else we go. We’re soldiers, still. Mercenaries. We put our skin out there, our hearts, minds, whatever we are, and we already go through so much shit. My mind’s broken, and Dan’s body is starting to come apart, and all we want is to gracefully retire and make it out alive, and then you use his child to hurt my partner? The man I depend on for my sanity? That’s low, Katya. That’s off target, and you know it. And I know it, because you’ve never done anything this ignoble and downright wretched before. I know. I know you’re made from steel and bone, and I’ve always respected you. But hurting Dan like that? Kicking a man who has never done you any harm? Not a nice thing to do, Katya.” He looked at her, and she was pale, taut, angry, shocked. He waited, breathing, knew he’d let his anger out, too much of it, likely. Truth was, somebody had had to say it.
(535, Vadim)
“It’s beautiful.” Dan sipped his wine, watching. “Like you.” Fuck, and where had that stuff suddenly come from?
(538, Dan)
"I owe you."
“You owe Dan.”
“He’s a friend, too. But ...” Dima inhaled, his grip stronger now. “If I have to choose, I’m standing with a brother.”
Vadim smiled, touched against his will. Brother. The good kind of family.
“Thought you never bought the military doctrine bullshit.”
“No bullshit.” Dima stared at him with an intensity that was unlike him. “I won’t do it a second time. I’ll be there. Whatever you need, whenever you need me. I’ll be there. As a comrade.”
(641, Dima & Vadim)