Three the Hard Way by Sydney Croft Page A

Captain America here is going to let me get anywhere near ACRO? He wants me in chains. And not the fun kind.”
    “I’ll talk to him—”
    “Why?”
    “Because Itor isn’t going to stop coming after you. If you work for ACRO, you’ll be safe.”
    He snorted again. “Are you planning to go to ACRO?”
    Tag cursed. ACRO might have been an option four years ago, but it wasn’t now. He’d killed ACRO agents. They’d probably want him in chains right alongside Ian.
    “We aren’t talking about me,” he said.
    “No, we’re talking about me going to work at ACRO. Let’s say they want me. What do you think they want me for? I’m a Seducer, Tag. I have special skills and training, and I’m good at it. ACRO will want me to fuck people for them. At least as a free agent, I have some control.”
    Tag’s heart broke wide open. “You’re an Excedosapien. You have cheetah speed. ACRO can use that. You don’t have to go in as a Seducer—”
    “Drop it, Tag.”
    “No,” Tag snapped, angry that Ian wasn’t making even a token attempt to save himself. And yes, he was fully aware of the irony of trying to get the guy to join an agency he himself had refused to join, but if it was the only way for Ian to survive, it had to happen. “Dammit, Ian, you aren’t even trying.”
    Ian loosed a juicy curse. “I did try. Years ago. ACRO rejected me because of my family ties. It’s a done deal, so drop it, okay?”
    Yeah, like that was going to happen. Tag opened his mouth to tell Ian exactly that, but suddenly, Justice roared in pain or rage or something, and before Tag could react, had kicked out, catching Ian in the temple with a modified roundhouse kick.
    “Justice!” Tag tackled him as he sat up in bed, fists swinging and legs flailing.
    “Shit!” Ian yelled. “Hold him down!”
    As if Tag was just standing around.
    As gently as he could, he plastered his body against Justice’s and pinned him with a forearm across the throat. It took several tries to gather Justice’s wrists in his other hand, especially because Justice was bucking like a rodeo bull, but finally, thank fuck, Ian jabbed a needle in Justice’s arm, and within seconds, he settled down.
    “That should do it,” Ian said. “Crazy bastard.”
    Tag eased up, and sure enough, Justice just lay there, eyes closed, breathing slowing in a steady rhythm.
    Pushing himself over to sit on the edge of the mattress, Tag looked between the two men, and it occurred to him that he was in the most fucked-up situation ever. Two ex-lovers in one room. Both enemies.
    Nope, there was no way this could go wrong.

Justice had no idea how long he was out for, but he woke up, if he could even call it that, woozy and pissed. And pissed that he was woozy.
    He blinked, tried to focus. “Where am I?”
    “Inside Tag’s cabin.”
    That was Ian’s voice. Must be dreaming because last he remembered, he hadn’t been inside. He stared up into Ian’s face. The guy was handsome, he’d give him that. Handsome . . . and a total prick for trying to fuck Tag when he hadn’t been looking.
    “You’re talking out loud, Justice. Might not realize that.”
    Ian’s voice. Again. Ian’s hands, pressing on his bare chest. “Am I naked?”
    “Just about,” Ian confirmed, sounding way too happy. “Guess it’s time to check you for wires.” And then Ian’s hands slid up his side.
    “The fuck?” He tried to push Ian’s hands off him—mainly because they felt good and he didn’t want to feel good from Ian, and he blurted out that sentiment before he could stop himself.
    Ian was obviously trying to hold back a smile. “I’ll make sure it hurts more. Promise.”
    “Fine,” he huffed, watched Ian scoot down the mattress to tend to his leg. “Motherfucking Tag’s trap. Only got caught because he distracted me.”
    “Because a tree was getting ready to fall on your head,” Tag’s voice drifted from somewhere behind Ian.
    “A whole tree fell on me?” Justice