Blood & Thunder (THIRDS 2)

“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 t

he 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.”