Ash let out a loud huff before climbing in the van. Dex waited on the steps of the closed church as his team shifted. How the hell had Seb found out they were here? Cael wouldn’t have told him, Dex was sure. Checking his watch, he saw it was almost noon. Shit. Sloane had to be up by now. His thoughts were interrupted a few minutes later when he saw Seb thundering over to him. Although not at 100 percent, considering postshift, he was still intimidating as hell.
“You have every right to be pissed.”
“Is this why you were glad Sparks gave me the case? So you could make an asshole out of me?” Seb demanded.
“What? No. Jesus, Seb. Of course not.”
“Really? Because it sure as hell feels like it. I can’t even begin to list the number of protocols you’ve broken. And worse, you roped our brothers into this? You put your whole team in jeopardy. For what? Ego? What are you trying to prove, Dex?”
“I’m not trying to prove anything.” Dex rose, the step he stood on making him the same height as Seb. “The guy tried to blow up my team! He had Ash shot and Sloane….” Dex shook his head and did his best to keep his emotions in check before he said or did something he would regret. Just because the guy was Hobbs’s brother didn’t mean they were best buds.
Seb’s expression softened, and some of his anger seemed to have shifted. “Hey, Sloane used to be my Team Leader too. He’s a great guy and a damn good agent. What happened was fucked-up. I know how you feel.”
“Then you know why I have to go after Hogan.”
“It’s not your job! I’m sorry, Dex, but I have to report this.” Seb reached for his phone and Dex caught his wrist, his eyes pleading.
“You would have done the same.”
Seb frowned at him and shook his head. “I’d be pissed as hell, but I wouldn’t go against orders, put my team in danger, or risk disciplinary measures.”
“You did once.”
Something flashed through Seb’s eyes and he straightened. “That has nothing to do with this.”
“It has everything to do with this.”
A puzzled look came onto Seb’s face as he studied Dex when realization dawned on him. “Shit.” He wiped a hand over his face and shook his head before his eyes landed on Dex again. “Shit.”
“Tell me something. If you had it to do over, knowing what would happen, would you let him die so the boy could live?”
Seb looked away as he thought about his answer. Finally, he shook his head before meeting Dex’s gaze. “No. I’d take the bullet myself so they could both live.” The conviction in Seb’s voice left no doubt of how serious he was.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to fuck with your case. I couldn’t sit on my ass doing fuck all after what Hogan did to Sloane. I’ll take full responsibility for this. Report me, not the team. They did it for me,” Dex pleaded. He watched with bated breath as Seb mulled it over.
“I know I’m going to regret this. I’m not going to report you, but you stop investigating immediately.”
“I can’t.”
Seb threw his arms up. “Jesus, are you always this fucking difficult?”
“Only on days ending in ‘y.’” Dex’s attempt at humor fell flat, and he decided the hell with it. He wasn’t too proud to beg. “Please. Let us work with you off the books. If anything happens, none of it will get back to you, and you can disavow all knowledge of us working with you. I’ll take whatever heat comes down. But if we catch Hogan, you can take the credit. I just want to see his ass nailed to the fucking wall.”
Seb eyed him. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“No.”
“I must be out of my damn mind,” Seb muttered. “Fine, but I want to know everything you know so far, and you don’t make a move without me. Got it?”
“Deal.” He held his hand out, and Seb shook it. Having Seb on their side certainly evened the odds. “Ash will fill you in. I need to speak with a contact. Anything I find out, I’ll call you. Collins won’t be coming back here. I hope we don’t have to start from scratch.” Dex followed Seb to the van where his brother and Felid teammates were back to their Human form and dressed. The girls had taken care of their postshift trauma, and now they all sat waiting. “Hey, how’d you know where to find us anyway?”
Seb climbed up and helped Dex in. He looked embarrassed. “Cael tried to sneak off this morning without waking me up, and I was worried, so I followed him.”
Dex never saw it coming. One minute Ash was sitting on the bench, the next he had Seb pinned against the van’s wall with his forearm against Seb’s throat. Ash’s pupils were dilated and his fangs growing.
“You son of a bitch! You slept with him?” Ash growled.
“What the fuck, Keeler?” Seb threw his arms out and shoved Ash away from him. The two Felids advanced on each other when Cael squeezed himself between them.