Rise & Fall (THIRDS 4)

“Enough!”

Ash balled his hands into fists, his pained gaze on Cael. “How could you sleep with him?”

“I didn’t,” Cael hissed angrily. “You assumed I did. We had dinner last night. I had too much to drink, and Seb kindly took me to his place. We talked, and I crashed on his couch. Is that okay with you, Ash? Or do you assume every guy I hang out with is fucking me?”

The fight went out of Ash and he deflated. “All right, I get it. I messed up. I’m sorry.”

Seb opened his mouth, but Dex elbowed him and shook his head. If Seb wanted to keep his stripes, it was best he not get in the middle of an argument between Cael and Ash. He motioned to the bench, and Seb took a seat. Dex slid in next to him, catching Letty and Rosa’s worried expressions as they whispered to each other. Hobbs discreetly pointed to the front of the van and Dex nodded. He and Calvin practically tripped over each other trying to escape to the front seats.

“You know what, Ash?” Cael closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “I’m exhausted. I can’t do this with you right now.” He marched over to the bench and dropped down beside Dex, snuggling in close. He twisted his body slightly so he was facing Dex, his head resting against Dex’s arm, and his eyes closed. The van fell into awkward silence, and Dex saw Seb pull his phone out. A few seconds later, Dex’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out and read Seb’s text.

Should I be worried?

Dex texted back. About what?

Your team.

It’s fine. We’ll handle it. It was all he was going to say on the matter. After texting Seb, he texted Hobbs, telling him to drop him off first. Dex needed to call Austen and fill him in. They had to approach this from another angle now that Collins was gone.

Half an hour later, after Cael reassured him for the hundredth time that he was fine and how he didn’t need Dex babying him, Dex was back in Lou’s basement. Damn it. They’d been so close. Austen was doing reconnaissance, and everyone else was waiting to see what Dex would come up with. But the truth was he had nothing. He’d been bent over this table for hours, searching through all his notes and reports. His back was killing him, his head hurt, and a sharp pain went through his side every time he inhaled.

“Dex!”

“Hm?” Dex looked up wondering how long Lou had been standing there. “What, Lou?” He opened several map windows on his tablet, all filled with abandoned buildings. Fuck, it was like finding a needle in a haystack. New York City was littered with old buildings waiting to either be torn down, sold, or restored. Hogan, Collins, and the rest of those assholes could be anywhere.

“I can’t believe you’re still here. Did you go home last night?”

Dex followed Lou’s gaze to the couch. “I crashed here.”

“Have you been home at all today?”

Dex let out a noncommittal grunt. Couldn’t Lou see he was trying to get some work done? Had Collins and the rest of his gang been hiding out in the ballroom all this time? Had Hogan been there? Dex would be mighty pissed if he found out Hogan had been hiding out there and they’d missed him.

“You need to go home, Dex.”

Dex waved a hand dismissively. “I will. I just need to figure this one thing out.” Considering where they found Collins today and Austen’s intel on previous Coalition sightings, not to mention the group’s need to stay hidden and their penchant for abandoned buildings—

Lou grabbed Dex’s arm and jerked him back, surprising the hell out of Dex.

“Stop it.”

“What the hell, Lou? It’s fine. Go home.” He checked his watch. Jesus, it was almost ten o’clock already?

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?” Didn’t Lou understand how important this was? It wasn’t like the guy didn’t know Dex

. They’d had four years together. Then again, Lou had never been a fan of Dex’s career choices. The job was always at the heart of all their arguments.

“You’re putting the damn job before everything and everyone else.”

“Did you come down here to lecture me?” He really didn’t have time for this.

“Dex, your boyfriend was almost killed. He’s at home, in pain, needing you, and you’re here obsessing over this case.”

“I’m doing it for him,” Dex argued. “I’ve been working my ass off for Sloane, for my family, my friends. To keep them safe.”

“Bullshit. You’re doing it for you!”