Hell & High Water (THIRDS 1)

“You sound like a grumpy old man.”

Dex cast him a sideways glance as they rounded the back of the BearCat. “Shut up and get off my lawn.”

“I’m not on your lawn. I think the Alzheimer’s setting in.” That earned him a chuckle, and Sloane held back a smile. When he wasn’t fighting it, Sloane could fall into an easy banter with Dex, something he hadn’t had since Gabe. The thought that he might actually have found a partner he could get along with should have made him feel relieved, but instead, it made him feel guilty. Before his thoughts could delve any deeper, he told himself now was not the time to be thinking about this.

Cael was already in the truck when they climbed in, and the young agent scooted to the end of the bench. With a subtle prod to Dex’s arm, Sloane motioned toward Cael. Dex slid up to his brother, bumping his leg playfully. When Cael’s frown only deepened, Dex leaned in to talk quietly. Sloane couldn’t make out exactly what was being said, but he did hear the sincerity in Dex’s low voice. He also heard something that sounded like an apology.

As Sloane took a seat and watched Dex, he felt a hint of sadness wash over him. How different might things have turned out if he’d grown up in a family like Maddock’s, a loving home rather than padded white walls, siblings and parents instead of doctors and nurses. Cael’s laugh snapped him out of his dark thoughts, and he found himself smiling at the brothers. Dex’s arm was around Cael’s neck as he teased him, Cael’s words filled with affection despite his cursing.

“You’re such a dork,” Cael laughed softly, shaking his head at his brother.

“All right, team. We’re heading to the catering company,” Maddock declared, joining them along with the rest of the team. Dex removed his arm from around Cael as everyone took their place on the bench and buckled up. Rosa waved her tablet from beside Ash to get their attention.

“We’ve got a possible lead from a witness who stated there was an Unregistered Therian employee—a bartender and possible Felid, working with the catering company. According to guests, they were served drinks by him at his station until just after noon when he left—the guy was pretty hard to miss. To be honest, I don’t think he’s our guy. He would have had to slip away long enough to undress, shift, kill Ortiz without leaving anything behind, shift back, and even if he managed to dress himself afterward, he would have needed PSTC. No one claims to have seen anyone with PST symptoms. Still, he’s the closest thing to a lead we’ve got right now. We need to interview him.”

Next to Rosa, Letty spoke up. “Even if the catering company hired an Unregistered, you really think they’re going to admit it?”

“They don’t have to,” Dex pitched in. “They’ll have records.”

Sloane regarded him. “You sound pretty certain.”

“My ex owns a catering company. He’s dealt with Unregistered Therians in his business before and there’s always a trail. Invoices, receipts, schedules, something.”

“A cop’s boyfriend hiring Unregistered Therians?” Ash sneered. “How’d that work out?”

“It didn’t, because he didn’t hire them.” Dex pinned Ash with a glare before turning his attention to Maddock. “Lou might not have hired Unregistered Therians, but he worked with vendors who did. They usually handled backend duties like making deliveries or working storerooms. The vendors always kept some kind of record to cover their asses.”

Maddock gave a nod. “Okay. Cael, you and Rosa go in and see about those records. Sloane, you and Dex go in as backup. Ash, Letty, stake out the perimeter, Calvin and Hobbs will handle surveillance. Cael, bring up everything you’ve got on the catering company.” He stood and made his way to the surveillance console, Cael joining him. Next to Sloane, Rosa and Letty chatted when Ash leaned over Sloane to sneer at Dex.

“Ex, huh? What’s the matter? He couldn’t handle all that Daley charm?”

Dex’s jaw muscles tightened but he remained silent.

“Shit, Rookie’s got no comment? Must have been bad then. Means he dumped your ass.”

“Ash,” Sloane warned, frowning at his friend. It was starting, just as it had with the other agents.

Candidates who passed their training and made it to the final round of the application process were interviewed by the team, and although all the other agents who had slipped in and out of Gabe’s position had been approved, it hadn’t been because the team believed they’d fit in, but because they knew they wouldn’t, making it seem like it was the rookie who couldn’t hack it once he was in. It was fucked up, Sloane was aware of that. And if their superiors found out he’d not only known about what was going on, but had allowed it, he’d be in deep shit. The simple truth was, his team hadn’t been ready for anyone new, but the higher ups didn’t care. They were a man down. Sloane didn’t hold it against them. They didn’t know what Gabe had meant to his team, to him. With anyone else, Sloane would’ve let Ash do his thing, but now… he wasn’t so sure.

“What? We’re a team. If Daley really wants to be a part of it, he needs to share with us.”

Sloane was about to advise his friend to mind his own business when Dex leaned over him, his intense pale gaze focused on Ash. The anger and pain in those blue eyes caught Slo

ane by surprise. He didn’t know what it was about Dex, but the guy had a way of getting to him.

“Yes, he did dump my ass, because apparently I’m an asshole for believing an unarmed kid, Therian punk or otherwise, didn’t deserve to be shot in cold blood in the back. Because the guy was already dead, right, so why be a dick and turn my partner in? Why turn my whole fucking life upside down for a silly little thing like the truth? My ass got dumped because the whole thing became such a fucking inconvenience for someone who was supposed to have given enough of a shit about me to be there for me, who promised me he would stick by me, but at the first sign of real trouble bailed. And why wouldn’t he when the fucking Titanic was sinking around him? Is that enough sharing for you, Ash? Because if not, I’ve got some great stories of me when I was a kid and found out my parents had been killed by a bunch of street punks. Would you like to hear about that? No? Then shut the fuck up and keep your dick comments to yourself, you self-absorbed prick.”

The truck fell into thick silence before Maddock’s gruff voice cut through it. “Dex, come here a minute.”

“Coming, sir.” Dex unfastened his belt and stood, pinning Ash with another glare before leaving them to join Maddock.

“What the hell was that?” Ash said with a laugh.

“That was you being a dick.” Sloane shifted in his seat to put some distance between him and his friend. As expected, Ash’s grin faded, and he glared at Sloane.

“Wait, so you’re on his side now?”

“I’m not on anyone’s side, but if you pull a shitty move, I’m going to call you out on it and you know it.” Their friendship had never been easy, but it was honest, no minced words between them.