Chapter 6

 

THIS NIGHT was turning into one spectacular clusterfuck. Lou ordered a JD and Coke and Dex ordered a beer. He took a quick survey of the place. Calvin and Hobbs had disappeared. Ash was over in the corner with Cael, having an animated conversation that Cael seemed to find particularly amusing for some strange reason, while Letty and Rosa were on the dance floor busting some serious moves. Relieved his team was none the wiser to his disaster of a love life or more likely, life in general, he turned to Lou, who was looking both embarrassed and startled. Seeming to snap himself out of it, Lou spoke up.

“He’s….”

“My partner at the THIRDS and my Team Leader,” Dex replied in a hushed tone, though there were enough people crowding the bar and enough noise to drown out their conversation from eavesdroppers.

Lou nodded. “I was going to say scary, but okay.”

“That too. I need you to keep what you saw to yourself. I could get into trouble if my superiors, including my dad, found out, not to mention I’d be transferred from the team. Please, Lou.” To his surprise, Lou stiffened, looking affronted.

“Dex, I’d never be so vindictive. Especially not with you.”

“Thank you.”

“So, he’s a Therian.”

“Yes.” He knew Lou had a thing against Therians, though he’d only discovered it while in the process of being dumped. It had been an unexpected revelation to say the least.

“Is….” Lou swallowed hard, his eyes falling to his drink. “Is that why it didn’t work between us? Because I wasn’t—”

“No! Jesus, Lou.” Dex put his hand to Lou’s shoulder. “I really cared about you. I still do. What happened between us had to do with us not being right for each other and nothing to do with you being Human. I wasn’t making you happy, and you deserve to be happy.”

Lou nodded. “Does he make you happy?”

That was the million-dollar question. Or was it? “When I don’t want to strangle him, yes, he makes me happy.” A sad smile came onto his face. “Even if he has a hard time believing it.”

“Sounds like you two have issues to work out.”

Issues? More like subscriptions. Dex took a sip of his beer in an attempt not to give it too much thought. “Yeah, but I think we’ll get there. He’s a good guy.”

There was silence between them, both taking sips of their drinks until Lou got that mischievous look in his eyes. “I guess he’s kind of hot, for a Therian. I bet he’s huge.”

“Oh my God, Lou!” Dex nearly spit out his beer. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at his ex-boyfriend. Lou gave a delicate snort.

“You’re such a prude. Well, is he?”

He knew Lou wasn’t going to let up until he got his answer. Dex had never been shy about this sort of thing, but talking about Sloane’s sexy parts with his ex was wrong on so many levels. “It is proportionate to the rest of him.”

“In other words, he’s hung.”

Dex pinched the bridge of his nose, resigned to the absurdity that was this evening. “Yes. I can’t believe I’m discussing my guy’s dick with my ex.”

Lou’s face went beet red, and Dex wished he’d ordered Bradley’s “special” instead of beer.

Over his shoulder, a gravelly voice sealed the deal. He should have expected it, really. “That makes two of us. But I guess I should be glad you approve.”

Lou held his hand out to Sloane, a wide smile on his face. “You clearly know who I am. Thank you for not punching me.”

Sloane accepted the handshake with some hesitation. “I’ll admit, I was tempted, but I guess if you hadn’t dumped Dex, he wouldn’t have given me a chance.”

“He’s an amazing guy.”

“Having second thoughts?” Sloane cocked his head to one side, his expression guarded.

“He’s happy, and that’s all I ever wanted for him.”

Dex noticed the way Sloane peered at Lou. Did he not believe Lou? Then again, he didn’t know Lou and therefore had no reason to. “You were flirting with him.”

“Before he told me he was seeing someone. Look, I know you’re probably expecting me to be the evil ex who comes swooping in trying to dig my claws into him, take back what I think is mine, and all that campy drama, but I’m not. I respect him, and I would never come between him and someone he cares about. I had my chance, and I blew it. So take it from me. Don’t blow it. I would, however, like to be his friend. Would that be acceptable to you?”

Dex had to admit, he was surprised. Not that he had anything against being friends with Lou. He was a good guy, despite the dumping, but Lou had been adamant about Dex not contacting him, and Dex had obliged, deleting Lou’s details from his life. He recalled Lou’s answer on having second thoughts, or rather the fact he hadn’t given Sloane a direct answer. Had Lou been having second thoughts? He’d never tried to get in contact with Dex. Not that it mattered. There was only one guy who made Dex’s toes curl, and that guy was currently giving thought to Lou’s offer. What the hell?

“Remember,” Lou added with a wicked grin, “I know everything about him. Like his fear of goats.”

Dex’s jaw dropped. “Seriously, Lou? That’s what you’re going with?”

“Deal.” Sloane held his hand out, and Dex watched, stunned, as his ex-lover shook hands with his current lover. With an arched eyebrow, Sloane turned to Dex. “So, goats, huh?”

“Have you seen their eyes? The way they climb up the side of mountains or perch on branches like gravity doesn’t apply to them? They’re evil! Evil I say!” An image of the hairy beasts with their freaky eyes made him shudder. Sloane and Lou both laughed, and Dex let out a groan. “I think I liked it better when you wanted to punch him.” Sloane ignored him, giving Lou a pat on the shoulder.

“Let me buy you a drink.”

This couldn’t be happening. Why was this happening? This night had started out so well. “Why? Why are you buying him a drink? Are you going to ask him stuff about me? What happened to getting to know someone? The thrill of the chase. The mystery.”

“Overrated,” Sloane replied sweetly, not bothering to look at Dex. “So, this zombie thing he has going on in the morning before he’s had coffee. How long do I have to get away with something before he’s awake enough to know what’s happening?”

“What?” Dex squeaked. That was his most guarded secret. How could Lou betray him like this? Dex pinned his ex with a glare, which only resulted in a knowing smile from Lou.

“Ah, the Waking Dead.”

Sloane let out a laugh and Dex gasped. He quickly recovered and slammed a fist down on the bar. “You can’t tell him about the Waking Dead! I forbid it! I’m demanding you adhere to the ex-boyfriend code of honor.”

“There’s no such thing,” Lou stated. “So, the Waking Dead. From the moment he gets his ass off the mattress until he takes the first sip—providing he hasn’t showered, you’re in the clear. After the first sip, you have exactly twenty-three minutes.”

“Oh my God, you timed me?” Could this night possibly get any worse?

“Of course. How else do you think I got you to say yes to the white antler chandelier?”

“I knew it!” Dex thrust an accusing finger at Lou. “I knew there was a reason I couldn’t remember saying yes to that hideous monstrosity. I’d like to say, this is not cool, and you’re both dicks.” He sulked all the way to their table where most of his team had regrouped. “Rosa, I need your maternal bosoms.” He flopped down onto the chair and let Rosa wrap him in her embrace, his head pressed against her breasts as she petted his head. Ash’s expression would have been hysterical if Dex wasn’t so busy being miserable.

“Let me get this straight.”

“Did you intend that to be a pun?” Cael asked in amusement, obviously knowing what Ash was about to say. Hell, they all knew what Ash was about to say.

“Quiet, you.” Ash turned to address Rosa. “So because he’s gay, he can get all up in your boobs and that’s okay? What is it with gay guys and boobs? You don’t even enjoy them!”

“Not true,” Dex said, snuggling against Rosa. “They’re very comfortable.”

Rosa rolled her eyes, her attention returning to Dex. “Aw, poor baby. What’s the matter?”

Dex threw a hand toward the bar. “My life is ruined.”

“Is that your ex talking to Sloane?”

“Yep.”

“They’re laughing together.”

“Yep.”

Rosa cringed. “Ooh, your ex is spilling the beans, isn’t he?”

“Apparently, in exchange for being my friend, Lou gets to tell Sloane whatever he wants to know. Sloane knows about the Waking Dead, Rosa! The Waking Dead!”

“I… I don’t know what that means, but I’m going to assume that’s bad.” She looked to Cael with a shrug.

“That’s bad,” Cael said, looking concerned. “He really told Sloane about the Waking Dead?”

“Yes!” He needed a drink. “I need a drink. Someone get me something that’ll get me shitfaced. I need to soften the blow of this heinous breach of the ex-boyfriend code of honor.”

“No such thing,” Letty chipped in.

“Et tu, Letty?”

Ash pushed his whiskey glass containing a clear drink in front of Dex. “Vodka and lemonade. You wanna inhale the fumes? That should be enough.”

“Screw you.” Dex snatched up the glass and threw the contents back. “Damn it, Ash,” Dex wheezed. “You dickhead. There was no lemonade in that at all, just vodka!”

Ash let out an evil cackle. “I know. I really enjoy watching you get shitfaced.” Cael let out a fierce yawn and rested his head against Ash’s shoulder. With a chuckle, Ash wrapped an arm around Cael. “Looks like someone might be ready to call it a night.”

“Damn. I really wanted to get more drunk. Drunker. My brain’s given up.” Cael sat up, his hair sticking out on one side of his head. He grinned sleepily at Ash. “I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

Dex arched an eyebrow at his brother, his face feeling flushed. Looked like the vodka was doing its job. Sweet. “You pick Ash up for work?”

“Yeah, we carpool. Saves on gas,” Cael replied with another yawn. “So what? You and Sloane carpool.”

Dex opened his mouth then quickly shut it. He and Sloane carpooled because they were more often than not waking up after a night of horizontal poking. “True,” he muttered, though it didn’t exactly scratch the particular itch he got when he thought about his brother carpooling with Ash. Neither had to worry about scrimping on gas money. He doubted Ash was the environmentally conscious sort. They weren’t even partners. What was the real reason they carpooled, and whose idea was it? Could it be possible his brother actually—gasp—enjoyed hanging with Ash? Ash caught him contemplating and scowled at him.

“Don’t hurt yourself, Daley. My apartment’s not far from Cael’s, and it’s on the way to work. Plus sometimes we hang out if it gets late, or we have a few too many, and the last thing I want to do is worry about facing morning traffic. I am not a morning person.”

Dex blinked at him. “You? Grumpy in the morning?” He jumped from his chair and held his hands out. “Stop. Everyone stop what you’re doing.” The people seated closest to them stopped to observe in amusement. “This is serious news. Ash Keeler, the warm, fuzzy bunny you see before you, is not a morning person. He is, in fact, grumpy. You might want to tweet that. The world shouldn’t be deprived of this shattering revelation. Thank you for your time.” He resumed his seat, a wave of fuzziness washing over him and making him all tingly. Yay, vodka. He grinned broadly at Ash, who ignored him to address Cael. Pfft. Rude.

“Ten squads, Cael. Your dad could have put him on any other squad, but no, he sticks Dudley Do-Right on ours. Be honest with me. Your dad hates me, doesn’t he?”

“Everyone hates you,” Dex muttered, looking down at his shirt. Was it inside out? Hey, sunglasses. He put on his aviators and smiled at Ash. “That’s why everyone wants to kill you, remember? Why’s it so dark in here?” He looked around with a frown. “Rosa? Something’s wrong with the lights. Is it closing time? No, wait, the lights would get brighter not darker.” Where the hell was Sloane? He looked up and gave a start. “Whoa! Hey, partner, I was wondering where you were.” Why was Sloane looking at him funny?

“Why are you wearing sunglasses?”

“What?” Dex touched his eyes. “Oh. I don’t know. Why not? Where’s Lou?” A thought struck him and he chortled. “Skip to my Lou.”

“Oh God. Yeah, it’s time to go,” Cael said, getting up, making Dex momentarily sad.

“Why?” He stood, the world spun, and he threw a hand out, hitting something hard that suddenly steadied him. Man, it was dark in here. “Come on, little bro. I’ll buy you a drink.”

“I don’t think so. You’ve had enough for the both of us and I’m tired. Sloane, can you take him home before he ends up drooling on the bar? Again.”

Sloane chuckled. “Sure.”

Mm, sexy rumbly chuckle. No, not sexy. Dex whispered to himself in his head, the team is here. Play it cool.

“Hey,” Dex thrust a finger at Ash. No, wait, he meant to point at his brother. He moved his arm over. “There you are. I did not drool on the bar. I spilled my drink and then fell asleep on it. It was sticky. Get your facts straight.”

“Okay, then. Good night, everyone.” Cael waved and Dex waved after him, smiling broadly.

“Ash, take care of my precious baby brother, or I will drug you and shave off your mane. Have you ever seen a lion without his mane? Not so majestic. Either that or you’ll look like a lady lion.” He turned to Sloane. “Help me out here. Lady lion?”

“Lioness,” Sloane offered, a dimple forming on his cheek. Dex was tempted to put his finger to it, but controlled himself.

“Right. Lioness.” He turned back to find Ash and his brother gone. With a snort of disgust, he turned to Sloane. “That guy is sooo fucking rude. I’m hungry.”

“All right. Time to go.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dex turned and blew a kiss at Rosa and then Letty. “Hasta luego, mis ermanas, or is it companeras?” Dex let out a gasp. “Oh my God, you guys! Why didn’t you tell me I sounded like such a douche speaking Spanish?”

“It’s hermanas and compañeras,” Rosa corrected, but kissed his cheek anyway.

“I love you, Rosa. You’re so good at kicking Ash’s ass.” He hugged her tight until Sloane started pulling him away. “Love you, Letty! Your gun skills make angels cry ’cause it’s so beautiful.”

“Okay. Let’s get you out of here before the public loses any more respect for our organization.”

Dex allowed Sloane to lead him outside into the cool night air. “I’m hungry. And why’s it so dark?” Something moved in front of his eyes and it got brighter. He looked up at a handsome smiling face. “You’re so hot. I’m hungry.” Sloane. Food. Sloane. Food. How was he supposed to decide? Unless… “Can I have both?”

“I think you left the other half of that question in your head,” Sloane said with a chuckle as he walked Dex down the street, his big, strong, beefy arm around Dex’s shoulders. He liked Sloane’s arms. And other things. “I’ll make you a sandwich soon as I get you home,” Sloane added.

Next thing Dex knew, he was sitting inside some car. “Whose car is this?”

“It’s a taxi,” Sloane said, handing him something cold and wet. “Here. Drink this.”

“I’m not thirsty.” He took a swig and scrunched his nose. “This doesn’t taste like anything.”

“Because it’s water. Just drink it.”

“All of it?” Dex’s eyes widened. “It’ll make me pee.”

“Then you pee.”

“You’re so smart.” Dex leaned into Sloane and inhaled deeply. “God, you smell good.” Dex opened his eyes and found he was standing on the sidewalk in front of his house. Damn. That taxi was astoundingly fast. Like… the Doc’s DeLorean. Now that was a cool car. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He was still hungry, but the water Sloane had given him had helped clear his head some. He heard Sloane talking and turned to find the taxi driving away. The fact it was driving away without Sloane left butterflies in his stomach. He should be feeling happy about it, knowing there was probably some sexy time in his near future, but he started thinking about other things that weren’t sexy. He’d tried to keep it to himself, but he couldn’t any longer. With a pathetic frown, he came out and said it.

“Am I a sucky partner?”

 

 

SLOANE CAME to an abrupt halt at the murmured words. “What?”

This was usually the part where Sloane ended up at Dex’s for some hot, drunken sex, except tonight, something was off, namely Dex. Sloane wrapped his arm around his too quiet partner as he helped him up the front steps. Before getting in the cab, he’d managed to walk Dex around in an attempt to sober him up and made him drink a whole bottle of water. He’d expected some more of Dex’s drunken ramblings, but not the serious concern on the man’s face and certainly not the question he’d spouted.

“Am I a sucky partner?” Dex repeated. His voice was barely audible, and his words came out slurred.

“Okay, sit down with me. The night air will do you some good.” Sloane sat Dex down beside him on the top step, and he held Dex against him so he couldn’t fall forward. He smiled as Dex turned into him, nuzzling his neck, and snuggling close.

The street was quiet, lined with trees, and the lighting dim enough to conceal them from any curious passersby. He ran a hand over Dex’s head and through his hair, speaking softly. He reckoned the night hadn’t gone exactly as planned for Dex. He felt guilty now for leaving Dex to get information from Lou. Considering what he’d found out, maybe not so guilty. He’d make it up to Dex, but first things first. “Now what’s this whole sucky partner business?”

“What if I’m kidding myself? I’m a detective, not a soldier. You, Ash, Hobbs, you’re tough as bricks, Therians who bench press busses, or at the very least a Volkswagen Beetle. Letty was in the army. Rosa, I’m pretty sure, is the next evolution of Terminator. Calvin can shoot the wings off a fly with his eyes closed, and Cael can program algorithms in his sleep. What the hell do I do, besides sing karaoke and win at laser tag?”

Sloane turned to cup Dex’s cheek, wondering where this sudden bout of insecurity was coming from. Dex never showed the slightest hint of being anything other than confident in nearly everything he did. Maybe Sloane didn’t know as much about his partner as he thought he did. “Dex, just because you haven’t had the training we have, or the experience, doesn’t mean you’re not a good soldier. You never hesitate to go out there and do the best job you can. You’re smart, clever, enthusiastic, driven. You never give up, and you lift everyone’s spirits. If we didn’t have you to pick us up, to pick me up, I don’t know where we’d be.”

“Bored,” Dex muttered. “So I’m the comic relief?”

“No. You’re an important member of this team. They love you, Dex. You’re the perfect fit and exactly what we needed. After I lost Gabe… I was so sure I was going to lose them too. It was unbearable, watching them retreating into themselves, not being able to do anything about it. Rosa kept to herself. Letty spent more time around guns than she did people. Calvin was always moping around. Hobbs barely said a word.”

“If that’s a joke, it’s in poor taste. Hobbs is awesome.”

“No, I’m not kidding. I know it looks like he doesn’t talk, but he talks to Calvin all the time. I mean, you never hear him, but you can see him talking. After Gabe died, Hobbs didn’t even do that much. It really got to Calvin. Ash was even more unbearable, and your brother? He stopped smiling, stopped being playful, and holed himself up in his office, hiding behind his computers. At first, I thought they were grieving. I had no idea how bad it really was. Before you came, I was losing my team, Dex. You changed that. You, with your amazing smile. Even when I tried to push you out, you never stopped being you. You showed them it was okay to keep on living.”

“What about you?” Dex asked murmured.

“You showed me that too. I know it’s been… difficult with me in particular, but I promise you, I’m trying.” He ran his thumb over Dex’s bottom lip and leaned in for a kiss, tasting the alcohol on Dex’s tongue. Dex shivered beneath him and when Sloane pulled away, he received a warm smile.

“Thank you.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you. And you’re a great agent, trust me.”

“You’re just saying that to be nice.”

“Think about that for a moment. When do I ever say anything to be nice?”

Dex chuckled. “True. Grumpy pants.”

Sloane let his head fall against Dex’s and sighed. “I didn’t know you were so worried about your position. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you’re my Team Leader. You got real shit to deal with. I wasn’t going to bother you with my pathetic whining.”

“It’s not pathetic whining, and if you’re going through a rough patch, I want to know about it, as your Team Leader, your partner, and… more.”

Dex pulled back, his gaze searching Sloane’s. “Really?”

“Yes, really. And please don’t let Ash get to you.”

“That guy,” Dex let out a frustrated groan. “I really want to shoot him. Next time we’re at the firing range, if I promise you a blowjob, can I shoot him? Just a nick. He’ll barely feel it.”

With a laugh, Sloane helped Dex to his feet. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

“We can pretend it was an accident. A ricochet.”

“I’ll think about it.” Sloane walked Dex to his door and waited until he had it open. He paused before going in, and Sloane held his breath. Despite how many nights he’d spent at Dex’s, he still got butterflies in his stomach when Dex said that one word.

“Stay?”

Sloane nodded and followed Dex inside. He couldn’t find it in him to say no to Dex, and what’s more, he didn’t want to.

Dex locked up, and they walked in companionable silence upstairs to get ready for bed. In no time at all, they were huddled close under the sheets. Sloane wrapped Dex in his arms, softly stroking his back as Dex’s warm breath hit Sloane’s shoulder. This night hadn’t turned out as disastrous as he thought. Dex was out within seconds, and Sloane shouldn’t have been far behind, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Dex.

Lou had confessed to Sloane his regrets on hurting Dex as he had and walking out on him. He’d been certain things wouldn’t have worked out, and Dex had agreed, but the longer he spent away from Dex, the more he realized the mistake he’d made. Lou admitted he had taken Dex for granted. He’d gotten scared and instead of turning to Dex, he bailed. He warned Sloane not to make the same mistake.

It was easy to get caught up in the job, in the past, in life, and without realizing it, end up putting everything before those you cared about, until one day you looked around to find yourself alone. Sloane had spent a good deal of his life alone, and he’d grown accustomed to it. He had been fine being alone. Then he’d met Gabe, and he’d stopped being alone. He’d taken Gabe for granted, believing he’d always be there, but then Gabe had done the same. How much had they missed out on? Sometimes they’d been so scared of being discovered, so scared to take the most minimal of risks, that at times, Sloane worried about their future. He’d convinced himself everything would turn out fine. They’d worry about it later. And then there was no later.

Dex let out a soft huff and mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, his brow creasing with worry. It wasn’t like Dex to have unpleasant dreams, and Sloane was certain he was partially responsible. He ran his fingers through Dex’s hair and kissed his head, hushing him tenderly.

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

Dex hummed and snuggled closer, his bare leg slipping between Sloane’s so he was all but wrapped around Sloane, pressed against him from head to toe. It made Sloane smile. He’d never been much of a snuggler, but Dex had a way of bringing it out in him, and he happily surrendered. Giving in to the feel of Dex in his arms, for the first time in a long time he drifted to a sleep devoid of nightmares.

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be facing a different kind of nightmare in the morning.

“Oh shit!” Sloane bolted upright, cringing at the loud thud that followed, accompanied by a slew of sleepy groaning. He leaned over the side of the bed, wishing he had more time to soothe his groggy, dazed partner. “Sorry, but you need to get your ass up. We’re going to be late!” They’d both forgotten to set their alarms, and although Sloane was usually pretty good with waking up before it went off, today he hadn’t. Luckily, they weren’t already late, but they definitely had no time for their usual morning routine, and if he didn’t rush his partner out the door, they wouldn’t make it. “We’re going to have to shower at work. Brush your—Oh my God, are you sleeping?”

Scrambling out of bed and nearly tripping over himself when his leg got caught in the sheets, he stomped over to Dex and grabbed him by the waist to haul him to his feet. Dex was fast asleep. “Unbelievable.” He dragged Dex over to the bathroom, held him in front of the sink with one arm and with his free hand filled a cup with cold water, and splashed it in Dex’s face. His partner gasped and flailed, sputtering water.

“Why you trying to drown me?” he grumbled, still half asleep.

“Because we’re going to be late, and I’m never late!” He took Dex’s toothbrush and shoved it at him. “Now brush your teeth. We’ll shower at work.”

“Coffee?” Dex asked, looking like he might pass out.

“You have an addiction,” Sloane said, grabbing his toothbrush. “We’ll get coffee on the way there, but you need to move your ass.”

Dex nodded and went about brushing his teeth. While he was doing that, Sloane managed to brush his teeth, take a piss, change, and grab Dex’s clothes. “To hell with this. You’re changing in the car.” As soon as Dex finished using the bathroom, Sloane snatched Dex’s backpack from the armchair and stuffed a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, socks, and Dex’s Chucks inside. He slung the backpack over his shoulder, grabbed Dex, practically carried him downstairs, swiped Dex’s keys from the bowl near the front door, and pushed Dex outside to lock up.

Dex stood yawning next to him. Either he wasn’t aware he was standing outside barefoot, in nothing but his boxer briefs and a T-shirt or he didn’t care. A little old lady walking her tiny dog gasped as she shuffled by. Dex waved at her, another yawn escaping him.

“Hi, Mrs. Bauman.”

“My God, how have you survived this long?” Sloane ushered Dex down the stairs toward Sloane’s Impala parked in front.

“Coffee.”

Sloane pressed his lips together to keep himself from responding. He shoved Dex in the car, thrust his backpack at him, ordered him to get dressed, then climbed behind the wheel. At this rate, after picking up some drive-through coffee and a breakfast sandwich, they’d have enough time to hit the showers and dress before heading to their morning briefing. He took a deep breath and pulled out into Barrow Street. Provided traffic wasn’t too bad, they could make it in under twenty minutes. They were okay. He hated rushing, but he hated being late even more. Dex changed in the seat beside him, albeit somewhat awkwardly, and they’d had a close call when Dex almost smacked Sloane in the face trying to get his jacket on.

Not long after, Sloane’s panic had eased, they’d had their coffee, and eaten, with Dex insisting on feeding Sloane his Tater Tots so Sloane wouldn’t have to take his eyes off the road. The whole thing was very couple like. Sloane had even let Dex tune into Retro Radio, laughing at his partner’s antics as Dex played air guitar and sang along to “My Sharona.” Dex made stupid sex puns to go with his lewd gestures, and Sloane went along with it. He’d never had this much fun driving to work.

Luck was on their side and they made it on schedule. Soon they were on their floor’s male locker room, showered, and getting dressed. Dex was in his baby-blue boxer briefs, and Sloane did his best to concentrate on tying his bootlaces and not his partner’s ass, which happened to be at eye level.

“Shit. I left my toiletry bag in the showers. Be right back.” Dex headed back to the shower as Agent Taylor was heading toward Sloane.

“Hey, Daley.”

“Hey, Taylor.” Dex gave the Therian agent a nod as he walked past him, and to Sloane’s surprise, Taylor’s eyes followed Dex. Sloane finished tying his boots and stood, rounding his shoulders.

“Damn. How do you work around that ass and not want to pound it?”

“Excuse me?” Sloane closed his locker, his glare pinned on the back of Taylor’s auburn head. Taylor turned to him with a leer.

“Come on, Sloane. From one Team Leader to another, I’m not even into Humans, but I’d tap that. And those lips? That mouth was made to have a dick in it.”

Sloane shoved Taylor up against the lockers. “Show some respect.”

“Hey, what the hell, man?” Taylor tried to move, but Sloane held him in place with an arm to his chest.

“Dex is my partner and my friend. I hear you talking shit about him to anyone, I see you trying to fuck with him, and you and me are going to have problems. Understood?” Taylor had a reputation for being a player and a certified asshole, not that Sloane cared who the hell Taylor fucked, but if the guy was getting any ideas about Dex, Sloane was going to put a stop to it right here and now. Taylor eyed him warily, as if he wasn’t sure if Sloane was kidding or not. Sloane was far from kidding. “I asked you if you understood.”

Taylor threw his hands up. “Yes! Fuck, man. I didn’t know you two were so close.”

“We don’t have to be close. Like I said, he’s my partner. You want to get laid, do it on your own time and away from my fucking team.”

“Can you believe Howell was using my shampoo? Dude doesn’t even have any….” Dex’s voice had Sloane moving away from Taylor. His partner looked from Sloane to Taylor and back. “Hair. Everything okay?”

Taylor grinned widely, his intense gaze on Sloane. “Everything’s copacetic, Agent Daley. See you on the field.”

“Sure.” Dex watched Taylor stroll off whistling to himself, before he turned to Sloane. “What was that about?”

“Just straightening something out. You gonna get dressed, or you plan on hanging out in your undies all day?”

Dex pulled his uniform out of his locker and gave him a wink. “Don’t want other dudes checking out my sweet ass?”

Despite his jokes, Sloane knew his partner was oblivious to the ogling he received from both his male and female coworkers. For all of the THIRDS’ rules on fraternizing, the place was incestuous. It wasn’t so much that their employer didn’t know agents were sleeping together, but as long as there was no evidence of it, they could pretend it wasn’t happening. “Come on. Cael should have something from Allan and the CDC registration office by now. I want to see—”

The panic alarm blared through the locker room, the emergency lights flashing. Something serious had gone down.

“Shit.” Dex finished tying his bootlaces, and they made a run for it, rushing through the bullpen and out into the hall toward the elevator. On the way down, Sloane fastened his earpiece and connected. It beeped once and he tapped to answer.

“What’s going on?”

Maddock’s deep voice answered somberly. “There’s been an explosion.”

“Where?”

There was a slight pause and for a moment, Sloane thought he’d been disconnected. “Sarge?”

“Sorry. At the Therian Youth Center on the corner of East Tenth Street and Avenue A, by Tompkins Square Park. I don’t know for certain, or how many, but there may be casualties. Suit up. We’re heading out.”

Sloane stood numb for a moment, before turning and slamming a fist into the stainless steel elevator wall. “Fuck! That piece of shit!”

“Hey, calm down.” Dex’s gentle words had Sloane taking a deep breath. His partner’s hand came to rest on his shoulder, and Sloane shook his head.

“Kids, Dex. He put a bomb in a kids’ center.” Sloane pressed his head against the wall, his hands curling into fists. No matter how much he’d seen, how long he’d been on the job, there was no preparing for something like this.

“Do we know if it was him?” Dex asked as the elevator pinged. Sloane stormed out toward the armory with Dex at his side.

“I know it is. I can feel it in my gut. There’s a special place in hell reserved for Isaac Pearce, and I’m going to be the one to put him there.”

“Hey.” Dex grabbed Sloane’s arm before they reached armory’s huge metal doors. When Sloane didn’t turn around, Dex stepped in front of him. “We all want this bastard as much as you do, and we’re going to get him, but I need to know you’re going to be able to face him and not lose your shit.”

Sloane wanted to snap at Dex that he didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. No one wanted to get his hands on Isaac Pearce the way Sloane did, but his partner was right. As much as he personally wanted to bury Isaac, he had a job to do. His badge weighed heavily on him, and with a grunt, he stormed into the armory to suit up. He had to keep a level head. Something told him he was going to need it.

As soon as the team geared up, they headed out to the BearCat where Maddock instructed Hobbs to take FDR Drive. Hobbs gave Maddock a curt nod and dashed around to the driver’s side, with Calvin joining him on the passenger side. They all climbed into the BearCat, the doors slamming behind them before they took their seats and buckled up. The BearCat’s engine roared to life, and they were soon weaving through traffic, sirens blazing and lights flashing, though their sirens weren’t the only ones that could be heard. Maddock tapped away on his tablet, most likely bringing up their target location.

“Cael, what can you tell me about the center?”

Cael followed Maddock’s lead, scrolling through the information Themis was providing him on his THIRDS issued tablet. “It’s a nonprofit organization providing emergency and transitional housing for Therian youth. Their funding comes from either direct donation via individuals, fundraising, or businesses, with some private grants. They also have a strong educational program, with over two dozen staff, from a couple of physicians and psychologists, to art directors and social workers.”

“Structure?”

“Five floors, including a rooftop court. We’re talking a hell of a lot of rooms. Recreation rooms, dormitories, swimming pool hall, classrooms, lunchroom….”

“That son of a bitch,” Ash growled, shaking his head. “A kids’ center. When I get my hands on that sick fuck, I’m gonna—”

“Take it easy, big guy. We know.” Cael gently patted Ash on his leg, and Sloane saw the gruff agent give Cael a sad smile. It was amazing how Cael was the only one who ever got through to Ash and didn’t come out of it verbally pummeled. Even Sloane would get a coarse reply or growl from Ash. Though right now, Sloane knew how Ash was feeling.

If this really was Isaac’s doing, no matter what rock he tried to crawl under, Sloane wouldn’t give up until he found him and made him pay.