Catch A Tiger By The Tail (THIRDS 6)

Seb refused to sit, so Ethan took a seat in the chair closest to his brother, Calvin at his side. He held Ethan’s hand, and Ethan placed it to his lips for a kiss with a small smile. Having Calvin at his side helped put him at ease. He caught Rafe’s surprised expression. His brother’s eyes dropped to Ethan’s hand in Calvin’s before he shook his head and stood. He started to pace, something obviously weighing on his mind. Ethan had an idea what that something might be. Rafe was headed in their direction when the doors opened, and a wolf Therian doctor emerged.

“Agent Hobbs?”

All three brothers approached.

“Oh.” The doctor checked his tablet. “Sebastian Hobbs.”

“That’s me,” Seb said, holding a hand up.

“Agent Hobbs, you’re listed as Dr. Colbourn’s next of kin.”

Seb nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

Hudson still had Seb down as his next of kin? Why hadn’t he changed it? Not that Ethan was opposed to Hudson’s decision, but if Hudson truly wanted to sever ties with Seb, he’d have changed his records. If anything, having Seb listed as his THIRDS next of kin kept Seb in his life and in a decision-making capacity. From the looks of it, his brother knew it hadn’t been changed.

“Dr. Colbourn is out of surgery and being transferred from ICU to a private recovery room. We were able to retrieve the bullet from his back with minimal tissue damage. Thankfully, it remained intact, so there were no fragments. He’ll be closely observed for the next forty-eight hours. Once he wakes up, we’ll assess the situation and determine how long we’ll be keeping him in recovery. We can decide on a timescale for his recuperation by then.”

“Thank you,” Seb said, shaking the doctor’s hand. “When can I see him?”

“You can go in now, but he won’t be awake for a few hours, and then he’ll need plenty of rest.”

Seb was still talking to the doctor and signing some forms when Dex and Sloane returned with coffee for everyone, and presumably a hot chocolate for Cael. Calvin updated them on Hudson’s condition while they drank down a much-needed hit of caffeine. Everyone was relieved to know Hudson would be all right. While Seb finished up with the doctor, Sloane brought them all in close.

“I checked in with Maddock. Recon’s picked up Hector’s crew, but Hector’s on the run. Unit Alpha has three teams out looking for him. In the meantime, Recon’s trying to get his cohorts to talk. Sarge will let me know when he hears anything.”

As soon as the doctor gave them the all clear, they followed Seb and one of the Therian nurses. They made sure to use plenty of sanitizer before going in. Ethan stopped by the door, a lump forming in his throat at the sight of Hudson hooked up to the various pieces of monitoring equipment. It hadn’t been so long ago that Ethan had been in a similar position. Seeing how hard this was for his brother made Ethan realize what it must have been like for Calvin, to see him lying there, hurt, trying not to think about how much worse it could have been. They stood quietly as Seb pulled up a chair beside Hudson’s bed and took hold of his hand. He spoke quietly to Hudson, his thumb stroking Hudson’s hand.

Ethan turned to Calvin and pulled him into his arms. He let his head rest against the side of Calvin’s, whispering in his ear.

“I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through.”

Calvin squeezed him tight. He pulled back and put a hand to Ethan’s cheek when Rafe appeared beside them, a deep frown on his face.

“So when were you two going to tell me?”

“It’s not like we announced it,” Calvin replied quietly. “It’s complicated.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Rafe turned to Sloane, his eyes narrowed. “What kind of team are you leading here, Brodie? Is there anyone on Destructive Delta who isn’t sleeping with a teammate?”

“You’re one to talk,” Ash scoffed.

“Nina and I aren’t on the same team. It’s not against the rules,” Rafe growled.

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Sloane’s jaw clenched. “Now’s not the time for this, Rafe.”

“Oh? When’s the right time?” Rafe thrust a hand toward Hudson. “When someone ends up dead? Is there anyone on your team who hasn’t ended up in this hospital? Is there anyone you know how to keep safe?”

“That’s enough,” Sloane warned.

Rafe shook his head in pity before moving his gaze to Dex. “I feel sorry for you, man. With his track record, you’ll be lucky if he doesn’t get you killed.”

“You son of a bitch.”

Sloane charged Rafe, and it took Ethan, Cael, and Ash to hold him back. Seb stood and rounded on Rafe.

“What the fuck is the matter with you? Haven’t you caused enough pain? Now you have to attack my friends too?”