Hell & High Water (THIRDS 1)

“Really? Because this….” He motioned at Sloane in general. “This doesn’t look like fine. It looks a lot like trouble. He’s not Gabe.”

“I know that,” Sloane snapped, irritated. If he’d only acknowledged that in the beginning, none of this would have happened. “Dex is nothing like Gabe.” The two were as different as night and day. Gabe with his dark eyes, his shy smile and quiet laugh, always calm and collected. He’d always known what he’d wanted and how to get it. Dex was confident, but a good deal of the time, he hid his insecurities behind his smile and jokes. He was a charmer, hot-blooded, and full of life. Vibrant, loud, and enthusiastic. Gabe had made Sloane feel secure, appreciated, loved. Dex made him feel like his body was on fire from the inside out, as if he was the only guy in the room. The way he looked at Sloane… was as if all he could see were the good things in him, as if the terrible, frightening, ugly parts didn’t exist.

There was a low groan and Sloane jumped to his feet as Dex’s eyes slowly fluttered open. “Hey, you’re awake.” He reached out to take Dex’s hand but Dex moved it away, scratching the back of it where the IV was.

“Damn this is itchy.” His voice was raspy and groggy, but it was music to Sloane’s ears.

Sloane couldn’t help his smile. “Yeah, they’re pretty annoying. I’m glad you’re awake. How do you feel?” Dex arched an eyebrow at him and Sloane cringed. “Right. Dumb question.” He bit his bottom lip and decided the hell with it. “I’m sorry, Dex. I’m so sorry.”

“No,” Dex said firmly, his mouth in a tight line.

Sloane braced himself. He would take whatever Dex threw at him. It was the least he deserved.

“Don’t you dare blame yourself for this. I was stupid. I didn’t use my head.”

Wait, was Dex reassuring him? After everything he’d done? “Yeah, but if I hadn’t been such a complete jerk, you wouldn’t have left, and—”

“And they would have come after me somewhere else.”

“When I saw you there on the pier, bleeding….” His heart did a little flip when Dex smiled up at him. How was it the guy always knew what to

say or do where Sloane was concerned?

“Hey, one thing you’ll learn about me is I have a pretty thick skull, and as you’ve probably noticed, I get beat up a lot. Like, more than is normal. It must be my charm. It brings all the boys to the yard. I would teach you, but I’d have to charge.”

Sloane felt the back of his eyes sting, but he quickly pushed that sentiment away. “You’re such an ass. I’m glad they didn’t damage your cheesy sense of humor.”

“Hey, Dex.”

Dex shifted his gaze to Ash, his smile pleasant. “Simba.”

Ash looked unimpressed. “I should pull the plug. Put you out of your misery.”

“You don’t need to pull the plug for that, just cover your face. I think there’s a bedpan around here you could use. Probably less full of—”

“Dex!” His partner had the ever-living shit kicked out of him, yet was fine enough to continue his little feud with Ash. Amazing.

“Sorry,” Dex murmured.

“Ha!”

Sloane gave Ash a sidelong glance of utter disbelief. “Really?”

“Sorry.”

Casting his best friend one last warning glare, Sloane turned back to Dex. “Hey, I know you’re feeling like shit right now, but what can you tell me about what happened?” Dex patted the bed, looking for the tiny remote, and Sloane slid it into his reach, waiting as the bed slowly raised Dex into a sitting position. The fact that Dex sucked in a sharp breath and winced with the bed’s leisurely pace gave Sloane an idea how much pain he was in. Sloane expected the doctor would prescribe some hefty painkillers. When the bed finally reached its destination, Dex started talking.

“I didn’t realize the guy was the same one from the club until it was too late. Also, I was stupidly too worked up to pay attention like I should have been. It was a warning. He told me I needed to back off the HumaniTherians case….” Dex bit his bottom lip, his gaze darting to Ash and back.

Ash held his hands up. “Fine. I’ll be outside, but keep in mind, Maddock’s gonna be here soon.”

Sloane thanked his friend, turning his attention back to Dex. “What is it?” Dex didn’t shy away from his gaze when he spoke.

“He told me to stay away from you.”

“None of this makes any sense. We’ve been working the HumaniTherians case for months before you were recruited. Why the warning now? And why you?”

“And what does it have to do with you?” Dex shook his head with a groan. “This felt… odd.”