Against The Grain (THIRDS 5)

Dex patted his tac pants. “I think I might…. Aw, damn. Sorry. I must have left my knife in my other pants.”

“You little bastard,” Ash growled, taking a step toward him.

Dex bolted for the bay doors, calling out behind him. “I’m going to grab it now! Wait here for me!”

“He’s not coming back,” Ash sighed and turned to Cael, who patted his arm.

“I’m still here.”

Ash smiled sweetly. “Then that’s all I need.”

Cael wasn’t fooled. He returned Ash’s smile.

“You want me to untie you.”

“Gee, that would be real swell.”

Cael seemed to think about it. A wicked gleam came into his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe I need to hear you say it first.”

Cael headed for the doors, and Ash quickly followed with a frown on his face.

“Hear what?”

“How badass we were.”

Ash peered at him. “That depends. Do I have to include your brother?”

“Yep.” Cael made his way through Sparta toward the elevators with Ash close behind. He ignored all the amused looks and snickers from his fellow agents as he walked past them with his wrists bound behind his back.

“Damn.” Ash stepped into the elevator next to Cael. There were a couple of other agents in there, both desperately trying to hold back their laughter.

“What? You ain’t never seen a zip tie before?” He cursed under his breath.

The elevator pinged, and Ash followed Cael out, turning to walk backward so he could glare at the agents, who burst into laughter as the doors closed.

“I know who you are!” He spun around and caught up to Cael in Unit Alpha’s bullpen. “Aw, come on, Cael. Seriously? You’re gonna parade me around like this?”

“All you have to do is say it.”

“Hey, Keeler,” Taylor called out. “That’s a good look for you.”

“You know what’s a good look for you, Taylor? My fist in your face. Shut the fuck up.” Ash turned and ran in front of Cael, cutting him off, his words quiet. “Come on, darling.”

Cael’s smile never left his face. “Aw, listen to you. Sweet talker. Of course I’ll get them off. When you say it.”

“I can’t,” Ash whined. He actually fucking whined. “It’ll kill me. I really think it might make me keel over. I can’t.” Compliment Dex? Unthinkable.

Cael stopped outside his and Rosa’s office. “I guess you’ll have to get out of it yourself.”

He patted Ash’s arm, ready to step around him. Ash let his head hang. He mumbled the words, gritting his teeth when Cael put a hand to his ear.

“I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Fine,” Ash ground out. “That was badass. You and Dex were a couple of badasses. Okay?” He looked over Cael’s head at their fellow agents pretending not to eavesdrop on what was going on. Bunch of nosy bastards. “You can all stop pretending. Cael and Dex floored me, okay? Probably because that’s what I’m fucking training them to do, so you can all get those stupid smiles off your faces.”

There was a snicker, and Ash’s brows rose. “You wanna get in the ring with me, Herrera?”

Herrera looked like he was about to shit himself. “What? No.”