Chapter 8
DEX
The faint sound of his name being called woke Dex with a start. He rubbed his eyes and sat up when he remembered where he was. Jumping to his feet, he ran to Cael’s bedside, his heart squeezing at the sight of his little brother smiling at him.
“Hey, you’re awake,” Dex said, putting a hand to his brother’s head. “How are you feeling?”
“Like shit,” Cael replied, his voice raspy. “Can I have some water?”
“You can have all the water you want.” There was a jug of water, along with some plastic cups on the small table beside the bed, and Dex poured some, handing it to Cael then pausing. “Can you hold it?”
Cael rolled his eyes and took the cup from him. Well, it looked like his baby bro was going to be fine. He drank down the whole cup and passed it back to Dex. “Thanks. How long have you been here?”
Dex looked at his watch. “A few hours. Dad brought me some clothes, and I used your shower. You know, if this is to get out of programming more algorithms, there are better ways to go about it than getting yourself blown up.”
“Screw you,” Cael said with a laugh, then winced. “Ow.” He frowned, his expression giving way to panic. “Hobbs? Is he okay? I heard you say he was trapped just before I got knocked out.”
“Take it easy. Hobbs is fine. He’s pretty banged up, but he was lucky. They’re treating him for smoke inhalation.”
Cael nodded somberly, his eyes welling up. Dex carefully took a seat on the edge of his bed. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Hobbs is okay because he’s a Therian. What if he hadn’t pushed you out of there?”
Dex’s close call hadn’t even crossed his mind until now. He’d been so busy worrying about his brother and his teammate, he hadn’t given it much thought. He swallowed hard and gave his brother a reassuring smile. “You know me. I got a hard head.”
“How can you joke about this? You could have been killed!”
“It’s my job, just like it’s yours. You think I wasn’t going out of my head, thinking the worst when I heard about you?” Dex had known from the moment he was recruited how much more vulnerable he was to the rest of his team. Not only were his teammates Therians, they were more often than not facing Therian threats. His Human teammates had the advantage of experience over him, but Dex couldn’t spend his time worrying about what ifs.
“Yes, but I’m a Therian. I know I’m not as strong as Sloane, or Ash, or Hobbs, but I can take more than you, and you’re on Defense.”
“Hey, don’t work yourself up. I’m fine. What about when I was in the HPF? I was just as likely to be hurt there as here.”
“That doesn’t help,” Cael muttered pathetically. “Promise me you’ll be careful?” He narrowed his eyes at Dex. “You’re not really John McClane, you know.”
“Thanks for bursting my bubble.” Dex could see Cael trying not to smile, but he failed miserably.
“Ass hat.”
There was a soft knock at the door, and Dex called for them to come in, surprised to find it was Ash, though he was more surprised by Ash’s behavior. It almost resembled… insecurity. That couldn’t be right. It would mean the guy possessed feelings other than anger and disdain.
“Ash,” Cael said cheerfully, his smile stretching from ear to ear. Dex still couldn’t fathom how these two were such close friends. It was like a bunny becoming friends with an anaconda.
“Hey.” Ash returned Cael’s smile and held up a thermal lunch bag. “Rosa made you dinner. She’s convinced the only way you’ll get better is if she gets some of her Boricua food in you.” He walked over to Cael’s bedside and handed him the bag.
“Ooh, did she make me some arañitas?”
Ash chuckled. “Of course she did. She knows how much you love those things. A bit too greasy for my taste, but they’re not bad.”
“Are you kidding? They’re awesome! Fried shredded plantains with the right amount of garlic. Besides, Rosa’s cooking is the shizzle.”
“You and your brother, man. What is it with you two and food?”
“Um, it’s tasty.” Cael motioned over to his right and Ash followed the movement, giving a start when he saw Dex. What the hell? Seriously?
“Daley. I didn’t see you there.”
“Yeah, I must have been real difficult to spot with all the other people not in the room,” Dex muttered. Jerk.
Ash opened his mouth then seemed to think better of it. When he turned his attention back to Cael, he was smiling again. “Did you want to eat now?”
“In a minute. Thanks for bringing it.”
“No problem. How are you feeling?”
“Better, now that you’re here.”
Dex’s stunned expression mirrored Ash’s. Cael carried on, obliviously.
“Yep. Letty came by—”
“Wait a second.” Dex held a hand up. “I’ve been here the whole time. When did she come by?”
“While you were sleeping, a.k.a. dead to the world,” Cael said with a snort. “She tried to wake you up, but you rolled over and mumbled something about having coffee first.”
Dex had no recollection whatsoever of someone trying to wake him, but he knew his brother was speaking the truth. Hence, his ex-boyfriend getting away with horrendous home furnishings for the house. “Makes sense. Carry on, then.” Cael rolled his eyes and turned back to Ash.
“Anyway, as I was saying. Letty came by earlier today, said she was worried about you. Apparently, you’ve been acting like an ass.” Dex opened his mouth and Cael put a finger up without glancing in his direction. “Shut it.”
Dex made a zipping motion over his lips.
“She called me an ass? What the hell?” Ash pouted, his beefy arms crossed over his chest.
“No, I’m calling you an ass,” Cael corrected.
“What for?”
“For blaming yourself. This wasn’t your fault, Ash. And before you say anything else, you were on the other side of the damn building. There was nothing you could have done. You know that, right?”
“I know, I just….” Ash let out a long breath.
“Come here, big guy.” Cael carefully shifted over and patted the bed. After some hesitation, Ash sat down beside him with exceptional care. Dex tended to forget how big Ash was, since whenever Dex saw him, the guy was usually standing around Sloane, Hobbs, or other Therian agents closer to his size, but next to Cael, the difference was staggering, especially since Cael was shorter and slighter than Dex. Cael’s size and Therian qualities weren’t suited for Defense, but they were an exceptional fit for Recon. His size, stealth, speed, agility, and smarts made him perfect for the reconnaissance position. “Bring it in. Time for a hug.”
Dex watched flabbergasted as Ash gently pulled Cael into a hug. His brother tilted his face toward Ash’s neck, his fingers slipping under the collar of the larger Therian’s uniform. With a smile, Ash pulled back, giving Cael a wink, followed by a playful nudge on the cheek.
“I gotta go. If you need anything, and your bro’s busy, or sleeping on the job, call me.”
Cael grinned widely. “Okay.”
With a grumbled “good-bye” in Dex’s direction, Ash left the room. Dex waited until he’d closed the door behind him before taking a seat on the edge of Cael’s bed. His brother wisely avoided his gaze, his eyes dropping to his fingers.
“What?”
“Christ, it’s that bad?” Dex said, running a hand through his hair. He got up and started pacing. “Cael, we went through this. Remember your senior year in high school? You remember what I told you?”
Cael nodded somberly. “Yes.”
“What did I say?”
Cael swallowed hard, his voice quiet. “Never fall for a straight guy.”
“And what happened with Shane? He broke your heart into tiny pieces.”
“Yes, I remember.” Cael lifted his chin defiantly. “Thank you, Dex.”
“And out of everyone, you’re gonna fall for him? The guy’s an asshole!”
“He’s not!” Cael snapped, startling Dex. Damn, it really was that bad. “I know he might seem that way, but he’s really not. I don’t know why you two can’t get along. He’s outspoken, and yes, crude sometimes, but underneath all that, he’s really…. He’s a good guy.”
“Okay, look, as much as the guy annoys me, you know I’d support you in anything that made you happy, with anyone who made you happy, but Cael—”
“Yeah, he’s straight. I get it. But you know what, sometimes, I’m not so sure.”
“Cael….” Dex let out a sigh and resumed his seat beside his brother. He wanted nothing more than to see his brother happy, even if it was with, God help him, Ash, but his brother was looking for something that wasn’t there. “Don’t confuse affection for something more. He cares about you. I know he does. It’s obvious. He treats you differently than he does everyone else. I admit, it amazes even me, but I don’t think it’s more than that. Have you ever seen him do anything with anyone that made you think he might be interested in males?”
Cael shook his head, his bottom lip jutted out. “But maybe it’s different with me. Maybe it’s the first time he’s thinking… he might want to.” He worried his bottom lip, when he suddenly seemed to think of something. “You could ask Sloane.”
“What?”
“Don’t tell him it’s for me, but ask him if he might know something about Ash that maybe we don’t. They’ve been best friends since they were little. If anyone knows anything, it’d be Sloane, right?”
“Things are tense at the moment between us, what with my going against his orders.” Cael nodded dejectedly, and it was too much for Dex. “But as soon as we sort it out, I’ll talk to him.”
“You will?”
“Of course I will. You know I’d do anything for you, bro.”
Cael smiled sweetly at him, before letting out a yawn. “Thanks, Dex.”
“Why don’t you get some sleep, huh?” He gently pulled Cael in for a hug and planted a kiss on his brother’s head. “We’ll sort it all out.” As soon as Cael drifted off to sleep, Dex lay back down on the couch. He should have seen the signs sooner. Why hadn’t he paid more attention? Cael had a bad habit of falling for guys who weren’t good for him, and now he’d fallen for the mother lode. Even if there was the slightest probability Cael was right, Ash was so deep in the closet, he was taking Aslan’s place in Narnia. Whatever the outcome, it was going to be one hell of a tough road for his baby brother.
IT HAD been two days since Sloane had spoken with Dex, and he’d genuinely believed he would’ve simmered down by now, but when Dex undressed beside him in the locker room, the bandage around his leg glaringly white against his fair skin, Sloane was far from calm. The more he thought about it, the more he could feel his anger rising. He recalled the way Dex had limped out of the building, leg bloodied, face dripping with sweat, and smudged with muck from the explosion, an explosion that had happened mere feet away.
Dex finished getting dressed and turned to him with a sigh. “Look, I know you’re pissed off—”
“Pissed off?” Sloane slammed his locker shut, the rest of the agents in the locker room gathering their belongings and bolting. “I’m not pissed off, Dex, I’m fucking furious.”
Dex swallowed hard and stood his ground, rounding his shoulders. “I was doing my job.”
“No, you were disobeying orders. You not only put Hobbs’s life in danger, but your own.”
“He would have died. How much more in danger can he get?”
“Don’t—” Sloane caught himself and tried to pull his anger in check. “I’ll see you upstairs.” He needed to cool off, but every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Dex lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Since the explosion, Sloane had been sleeping at work in his sleep bay, and both nights he had the same nightmare he’d had back at Dex’s place, with the same outcome, except instead of Isaac pulling the trigger, Sloane had watched a mirror image of himself doing the shooting. Disturbed didn’t begin to cover it.
His team was his family. If he lost one of them…. Goddamn it, he had a job to do. Protocols were put in place for a reason. If the structure had given way…. What the hell would he have told Cael? How would he have faced Maddock? How would Sloane have explained to Maddock he’d let his son die because he hadn’t the balls to put his foot down and take control of the situation? Dex was a good agent, but emotionally, he was too green. Maybe in the HPF, Dex could get away with running headfirst into the fray, but not at the THIRDS, and certainly not on Sloane’s watch. He’d make Dex understand, one way or another.
When he walked into their office, he went straight to his desk, where he brought up the files he needed and typed in the time and date, as well as a quick and brief description of the incident. Afterward he would attach his notes and the appropriate reports. As soon as Dex walked through the door, Sloane tapped a code into the side panel. The door swished closed, and the room went into “privacy” mode, the frosted white walls turning solid white so no one could see inside or overhear any conversation.
“Sit down,” he stated calmly. Dex pressed his lips together and did as asked. There was no telling how Dex would react, but Sloane reminded himself he was doing his job, and although his partner would most certainly disagree, he was doing it for Dex’s own good. Sloane would have done the same had he been facing any other of his teammates. Pressing the “record” button on the panel of his desk’s interface, Sloane began.
“Team Leader Sloane Brodie, badge number 0102, issuing a verbal reprimand to Agent Dexter J. Daley, badge number 2108, for direct violation of Policy 2-3, Failure to Follow Procedure.”
Dex gaped at him. “You’re taking disciplinary action?”
Sloane paused the recording. “Were you expecting special treatment?”
“You mean because we’re fucking?” Dex hissed quietly, though with the room in “privacy” mode, Dex could shout at the top of his lungs and no one would hear a word. “No, I didn’t expect any special treatment for that. What I did expect from you was guidance.”
“You knew exactly what you were doing,” Sloane ground out through his teeth. He leaned his arms on his desk and met Dex’s stubborn gaze. “That wasn’t a rookie mistake and you know it. You deliberately went against direct orders!”
Dex jumped to his feet. “And I’d do it again! I’m not about to stand by and watch one of my teammates die when I can do something about it.”
“The structure was unsound!”
“It was sound enough. I was there and you weren’t. This isn’t about not following orders. It’s about you not trusting me on the job, or outside of it.”
“What?”
“You don’t trust me.”
What the hell? “Bullshit. You’re my partner. I put my life in your hands every time we go out in the damned field.”
“Only because you’re taking the lead. You’re not risking a part of yourself.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I take the lead because I’m the Team Leader and that’s my job! Like it’s your job to do whatever the hell I tell you to do!” If he wasn’t careful, he was going to lose it. Dex had a talent for getting under his skin and that angered Sloane further. “Why are we having this ridiculous conversation?”
“Argument,” Dex corrected. “We’re having an argument. And we’re having it because you can’t open up and trust me. I know my eight months on the job are shit compared to your twenty-something years, but I’m not an idiot. That structure was sound. What’s more, you know I’m right. That’s why you’re shouting.”
“You’re not thinking objectively and that’s what this is about.” He hit the pause button again to resume the recording. “Performance improvement to a satisfactory level is required to prevent further disciplinary action which may impede the course of your training and development, or lead to punitive action which may result in your dismissal. You have a right to contest to this reprimand, under THIRDS Policy 6-2, and are permitted three weeks in which to do so.” He took a deep breath and braced himself. “Do you have anything you’d like to add?”
“No,” Dex replied through gritted teeth.
“Verbal reprimand concluded.” He hit “stop,” wishing he could do the same with the shitty feeling turning his stomach. What the hell had gotten into him? He’d never shouted at any of his coworkers. He’d never shouted at Gabe, and they’d had plenty of arguments at the office.
“Are we done?” Dex asked.
Sloane was tempted to keep arguing, but instead, he nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Dex stood, typed his code into the panel and marched out. Just Sloane’s luck, seconds later, Ash walked in.
“You okay?”
Again, all Sloane could do was nod. He dropped down into his chair, hearing the swish of the door, and watching the walls go white once again. Ash came to stand beside him, and stared at him in disbelief.
“You gave him a verbal reprimand? Why?”
Sloane glanced up at his friend. “What do you mean, why? He disobeyed orders.”
“We disobey orders all the time. Orders aren’t always right. You know that better than anyone.”
“Are you going to tell me how to do my job too?”
“What the hell’s going on with you? You wouldn’t have reprimanded Gabe.”
Sloane jumped to his feet to confront his friend. “Gabe would have followed orders.”
“Don’t bullshit me, man. Gabe would have done the same. Hell, any one of us would’ve if we’d been in Dex’s place, and I know you wouldn’t have resorted to disciplinary measures.”
“He has to learn he can’t go off half-cocked, disregarding his safety, like everything will turn out fine.”
“So this is about Dex.”
“Yes, it’s about Dex. It’s about him thinking he can do whatever the hell he wants without having to face the consequences. He thinks he’s goddamn indestructible.”
“No, I meant this is about how you feel about him.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You think I don’t see how close you two have gotten? It’s fine. No one’s going to hold it against you.” Ash took a seat on the edge of Sloane’s desk and shrugged. “It was bound to happen. He’s your partner.”
Sloane’s frown deepened. There was no way Ash could know.
“You two have become close friends. You work together, hang out together. No one said you can’t be friends with your partner. Look, the guy annoys the ever-living fuck out of me, but I can see why you like to hang out with him. You’re too serious, were too damn serious, and he changed that.” Ash let out a heavy sigh and tapped away at Sloane’s interface as he spoke, bringing up several online news sites. “After what happened to Gabe, I thought… I really thought that was it for you.” Sloane’s surprise must have shown, because Ash glared at him. “Don’t look at me like that. Of course, I was worried. You’re my best friend, but let’s face it, you’re different with him, in a good way. He makes you laugh, drags you along to do stupid shit. He’s like an excited puppy that never sits still, which makes me want to punch him.”
Sloane peered at his friend. “You want to punch puppies?”
“I’d never punch a puppy. What’s wrong with you? Dex I’d punch.”
“So what’s your point?”
“My point is, before he came along, all you had was the job. I could never get you to fucking relax outside of it. I can’t believe I’m saying this—and I swear if you tell him, I will deny it to my dying breath, and then I will beat the shit out of you. Don’t screw this up, Sloane. Talk to him. He’ll listen to you. The guy practically hangs off your every word.” He tapped the desk and the board to Sloane’s right filled with news articles, all concerning Dex.
Sloane came to stand before the digital board, looking over at various photos of Dex captured by photographers spanning from Detective Walsh’s trial, to the bombing at the youth center. He stepped forward and double tapped the image of his partner and lover emerging from the smoke filled building, his arm slightly forward as if he were reaching for Sloane who was walking ahead of him. The tagline read, Human agent, Dexter J. Daley saves Therian teammate in the aftermath of tragic events. Sloane swallowed hard. The irony wasn’t lost on him.
“Talk to him,” Ash insisted, the swish of the doors the only indication Ash had gone, leaving Sloane standing there in the silence of his empty office, staring at pale blue eyes.
“Damn it.” He walked back to his desk and closed the window containing all the articles, leaving the reprimand glaring back at him. His finger hovered over the “Submit” button before he tapped the screen and hit “Delete” instead. It asked him if he was sure and he let out a scoff. “I don’t know what the hell I’m sure about anymore.” Tapping “Yes,” he logged into his partner’s communication device. Dex was in Sparta. Fucking fantastic. This wasn’t going to end badly at all.
He headed down to Sparta, mumbling a greeting to his fellow agents as he searched for Dex. Just his luck, he found his partner in one of the training bays set up for boxing. Dex was down to his snug, black undershirt, his tac pants, and bare feet. He was taking his frustration out on the battered leather bag swaying in front of him, with wraps around his hands instead of gloves. He didn’t bother looking at Sloane when he spoke.
“What? Did you come to grade my performance? I’m not wearing shoes. Have I breached protocol again?”
“You gonna throw a hissy fit every time I have to do my job?” Yep. Not going to end badly at all.
Dex delivered a fierce left hook to the bag, followed by a right. “You weren’t doing your job, you were being a dick.”
Calm. Remain calm. “There are protocols and you failed to adhere to them.”
“I’m really starting to hate that word,” Dex muttered, delivering another right hook to the bag. “The structure was safe.”
“You don’t know that.” Sloane tried his hardest to summon patience, despite knowing he wouldn’t last much longer, especially with Dex’s punches growing angrier. The sweat dripped down his face, and Dex stopped long enough to swipe the back of his hand across his brow.
“What if it had been Ash or Cael?”
Sloane rounded his shoulders, answering tersely. “My orders would have been the same. You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment.”
“Well excuse me for having any,” Dex spat out.
That got Sloane’s hackles up. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” Dex turned back to the punching bag, but Sloane wasn’t about to let him off the hook, not with what he was implying.
“It’s too late. It’s out there now, so own up to it.”
“You want me to own up to it? Okay. I know it’s your job not to let things get to you, but sometimes I wonder if you have an off switch. Don’t you get tired of being the Sloane Brodie all the fucking time?”
“Is that what you think?” The remark cut deep, but Sloane didn’t want him to see that. At least Dex hesitated, which told Sloane maybe his partner’s words were more out of anger than anything else. Still. He didn’t appreciate the remark.
“Sometimes.” Dex shrugged. “Look, the job is important. Believe me, I know. But you know what? So is family. If it came down between my teammate’s life and my job, fuck the job. They’ll stick some other agent in my place, but my friend, my brother, my dad, will never be replaced.”
“Losing our teammates is the risk we take. That’s why you’re here.” How could he make Dex understand? Surely he’d faced similar situations with his fellow officers at the HPF? Sloane was aware it was slightly different with a team. When one was out of commission, the rest suffered. When one was lost, the rest grieved. They laughed together, cried together, waded through scandal and death, and a river of toxic shit, protecting each other, caring for one another, at times falling in love. But they were also soldiers, officers, defenders for the public. They took an oath to put the citizens of the city before themselves.
“I’m here to prevent loss of life. Prevent. Or have you forgotten? And that’s what I did that day. Yes, sometimes a situation will be out of our hands, and lives will be lost, but if I have a choice to do something about it? Guess what I’ll be doing?” Dex went back to punching the bag, and Sloane grabbed his arm.
“Damn it, Dex. Will you look at me when I’m talking to you?”
“Let go of my arm,” Dex warned, his hand curling into a fist at his side.
“Seriously? We’re going to do this?” Sloane nodded and took a step back, motioning for Dex to advance. “All right. Come on. If it’ll get it out of your system, I’ll oblige.”
“Now who’s being patronizing?”
“Why do you have to be so goddamn unreasonable?”
“I’m unreasonable, Mr. It’s-your-job-to-do-what-I-say?” Dex’s jaw muscles clenched and he put his hands up. “You know what? Screw this, and screw you.”
Sloane scoffed, his voice a low grumble so only Dex could hear him. “Yeah, you won’t be doing that any time soon.”
“You can be such an asshole.” Dex made the mistake of thrusting his hand out toward Sloane. He might have been going to poke Sloane, or shove his shoulder, but Sloane’s instincts kicked in and he caught Dex’s left wrist, twisting his arm and forcing Dex to double over. The hold didn’t last long, as Dex twisted his body toward Sloane, bringing his right fist with him.
Sloane caught Dex’s fist and swiped his leg out from under him. He stood back, watching Dex push himself off the mat with a frustrated growl. Dex came at him with everything like he did during their training sessions, with the added bonus of being truly pissed off. Sloane wasn’t too proud to admit he had to watch himself. Dex’s skills had improved dramatically since he’d joined, and Sloane could no longer take Dex’s rookie status for granted. The guy was a fast learner, determined, and quick to adapt. He was also frustratingly good at mimicking Sloane’s movements. Sloane reeled backward, getting clipped on the chin by one of Dex’s right hooks. He’d had enough of this.
Dex charged him, and Sloane used his size, weight, and strength to his advantage, grabbing Dex, lifting him off his feet, and slamming him down onto the mat. Then he rolled his partner over, and pulled his arms behind his back. “Calm down.” Sloane swiped a zip tie off his utility belt and looped it over Dex’s wrists, giving it a tug. He got to his feet and took a step back, surprised when Dex started laughing. “What the hell’s so funny?”
With a shake of his head, Dex rolled onto his side and sat up. His expression darkened as he rose. “One, I resent the fact you don’t think I can still kick ass with my hands tied behind my back, and two….” Dex bent over and thrust his arms down. The zip tie snapped and fell to the floor. He swiped it up and tossed it at Sloane’s feet. “I grew up in two cop houses. You think I don’t know how to get myself out of a fucking zip tie? You want me down and out, you’re going to have to do better than that.” Dex stormed off with Sloane staring after him. What in the hell just happened? He snapped himself out of it, the agents around him pretending they hadn’t seen a thing. Well, some of them were pretending.
“What are you all looking at? Get back to your training.” He turned and ran into Ash. “Now you’re babysitting me?”
Ash looked unimpressed. That made two of them. “Maybe I should have explained how talking works.”
With a grunt, Sloane swept past him. “I didn’t realize I was talking to the expert on communication.” To his frustration, Ash followed him out of the training bay, out of Sparta, and into the busy corridor.
“Don’t get pissy with me. You gave him a reprimand, lectured him, and then restrained him? I would have been surprised if he hadn’t tried to kick your ass.”
“Ash, go away.”
“Not gonna happen. Didn’t happen when we were kids, ain’t gonna happen now. Get your shit together, bro.” Ash walked off, and Sloane put his hand to the elevator panel. Had someone drugged the water around here? Released some toxic gas into the vents he hadn’t become aware of? How had he ended up the bad guy in all of this, with Ash defending Dex, no less? Had the world gone crazy?
“Screw this.” He had way too much shit to do to go chasing after Dex. His partner needed time to cool off and come around to the fact Sloane was right. In the meantime, he would head to the Recon department and try to get some answers from someone. This whole case wasn’t sitting right with him. Not so much from Isaac’s end. The man was a lunatic bent on vengeance. That Sloane understood.
What he didn’t understand, was why everything was moving so goddamn slow around here. Something was going on, and he had every intention of finding out what it was, with or without Dex.