Rise & Fall

by Charlie Cochet

  “Are you sure you’re not moving too quickly, Dex? Sloane’s kind of… restless.”

  How the hell did Lou know? “We’re working on it. And it’s not like I asked him to move in. I’m just taking care of him while he’s getting better. He could have said no.”

  “He could have.” Lou got up and walked over to a framed painting of cloves, the sweet yet spicy aromatic flower buds the company was named after. Behind it was the small wall safe where Lou kept some cash, important paperwork, and spare keys, including the keys to the office Dex was asking to borrow, though right now he was more interested in whatever point Lou was trying to get at. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, Dex, but Sloane has a really hard time saying no to you.” He removed a set of keys from a key box and tossed them at Dex who caught them in midair. “Granted, you have a knack for getting your way, but Sloane in particular has trouble putting his foot down around you.”

  “What are you talking about? Sloane says no to me all the time.”

  Lou put his hands up before closing up the wall safe and returning the frame to its original spot. “Never mind. It’s your relationship and none of my business.”

  “You can’t start something like that and not follow through. You’ve obviously got something you want to say. Come on, Lou.”

  “When you and I were together, you did and agreed to a lot of things to make me happy, even if you weren’t ready.”

  Dex frowned. “Like what?”

  “Like moving in.”

  They’d already been over this. He’d even been over this with his dad. It was all in the past. Yes, Dex had gone through the motions with a lot to make Lou happy at the time, believing it was also what he wanted, but his relationship with Sloane was different. “I don’t see what this has to do with my current situation.”

  “Are you sure Sloane’s not doing the same? Moving at your pace to make you happy? He obviously cares about you a lot, but he doesn’t strike me as the relationship kind of guy, so if he really is trying for a future with you, maybe you need to follow his pace for a while.” Lou sat down again, and Dex tried not to sound annoyed, even if he was.

  “No one makes Sloane do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

  “This is different, Dex, and you know it.”

  Dex opened his mouth when he heard a familiar voice calling down the hall.

  “Lou?”

  Lou sat up straight and smoothed down his shirt. “In here, Bradley.”

  Bradley peeked into the room, a broad smile on his face. “Hey, guys.” He walked in dressed in trendy faded jeans and boots. The charcoal V-neck shirt and leather jacket covered up his arms’ tattoo sleeves, though part of a tattoo could be seen poking out from under his collar. The tall jaguar Therian extended his hand to Dex.

  “Hey, Dex. How are you?”

  “Good,” Dex returned Bradley’s smile and shook his hand.

  Bradley’s smile faded, concern coming into his amber eyes. “How’s Sloane? I’m sorry about what happened. I’ve been really worried about him.”

  “Shit, you called that day. Sorry, man. I meant to call you back.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You had your hands full. I completely understand.”

  Dex stood and backed up toward the door. “You could say that. Sloane’s doing better. Thank you. Listen, I don’t want to keep you guys.”

  “If you need anything, you have my number.” Bradley turned to Lou with a wide smile. “You look amazing.”

  “Thank you,” Lou replied, his cheeks turning pink. He stood and fidgeted with his hair.

  “We should go. Reservation’s for nine.”

  “Right.” Lou came around his desk to Bradley who gave his cheek a kiss, and Lou went red to the tips of his ears. As Bradley ushered Lou to the door, Dex whispered over at Lou.

  “You’re blushing.”

  Lou jabbed a finger in his direction. “Shut it, mister.”

  The three of them walked out, saying good night to the staff on the late shift. Outside it was breezy, the scaffolding against the building’s façade making the sidewalk a little darker than usual. It would give Dex a little more cover for when he came and went, which was helpful. Bradley waved at Dex, his free hand going to the small of Lou’s back as they headed for his car.

  With a chuckle, Dex waved the pair off. “You crazy kids have fun.”

  Dinner reservations, blushing, telling Dex to shut it. Lou was definitely crushing on Bradley. Dex was glad. The pair looked sweet together. Soon as he saw Bradley’s slick Grand Cherokee drive off, Dex headed for the black metal door next to Clove Catering to check out the state of the office. Making sure no one was watching him, he unlocked the door and slipped inside, locking it behind him. He flipped the light switch in the narrow hall, noting how it had been recently given a fresh coat of cream-colored paint. At the end, a wooden door led downstairs to an office and supply closet.

  Downstairs, Dex couldn’t have found a better setup. “Thank you, Lou.” There wasn’t much to it, but it was more than Dex could have hoped for. The rectangular room had a large metal table against the far wall, some electric sockets, a drab but clean gray carpet, some cabinets, a small fridge, and a long couch Dex remembered had been upstairs when Lou had first rented the place. Lou had gasped in horror at its seventies-green velour and demanded Dex get it out of his sight immediately. This would be perfect. His phone rang, and Dex fished it out. It was Sloane. Fuck. He’d told Sloane he’d be back tonight. He closed his eyes as he answered.

  “Hey, handsome.”

  “Hey, you okay to talk?”

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  There was some hesitation before Sloane answered. “I was wondering if you were going to stop by tonight. I understand if you’re in the middle of something.”

  “Actually, just finished wrapping up a long-ass conference call with PR.” Dex winced at the lie. “I’ve still got my bag there with you, so I’ll shower there and crash on the couch.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Of course.” Dex smiled at Sloane’s hopeful tone. Was Sloane missing him?

  “Okay. See you soon, then.”

  The smile in Sloane’s voice wasn’t lost on Dex, and he found himself smiling too. “See you soon.” He hung up and stood there staring at his phone. Was he really going to do this? He wouldn’t be able to keep the fact their team had been pulled from the case from Sloane, not when his partner could easily find out from Ash or any of the others. Which meant he’d have to have an excuse for being out. His phone pinged, and he let out a frustrated groan. Another meeting with PR. On second thought….

  Looked like he’d found his excuse.

  Chapter 5

  “THIS SUCKS.”

  Sloane was pouting. The hospital had given him crutches to use, along with a list of exercises he was supposed to do each day before the therapy sessions for his leg started. The crutches annoyed him. His leg not cooperating annoyed him. The asshole pulling out of his parking space with his head up his ass annoyed him.

  “That guy’s pulling out,” Sloane grumbled.

  “I see him.”

  Sloane chose to ignore the amusement in his partner’s voice. “Well, I don’t think he sees you.” Sloane reached over Dex and slammed his fist against the horn before pressing the window button and bellowing, “Hey, watch it!” The car stopped, and the guy glared at Sloane. Wait a second. “Did he just flip me off?”

  “Um….”

  “I think he flipped me off. Stop the car. I’m going to get out and beat him with my crutch. Asshole. Thinks he owns the whole fucking road.”

  “Easy there, grumpy pants.” Dex reached over and took hold of Sloane’s hand. He gave it a squeeze and smiled. Sloane wanted to be annoyed at Dex’s lopsided grin, but he couldn’t. He sat back with a heavy sigh and hit the window’s button to raise it.

  “Sorry,” he muttered. “This just…. It sucks.”

  Dex chuckled. “You sound like me.”

  “No. If I wanted to sound
like you, I’d have said ‘this sucks aaaaass,’ followed by the chewing of gummy bears or crunching of Cheesy Doodles.”

  “You are as wise as you are grumpy.”

  “I am a grumpy pants,” Sloane admitted. “You sure you want me around like this?”

  Dex stopped at the red light and leaned over to give his lips a quick kiss. “Absolutely.”

  It felt like hours before they reached Dex’s house, but in reality, it hadn’t been long. He was pretty sure he’d dozed off once or twice. Damned meds. Getting out of the car was the first challenge. Sloane had been forced to lean on his crutches. It was going to take getting used to. He already wanted to chuck them into the middle of the street so they could get run over by a truck. Dex took hold of one of the crutches and wrapped his free arm around Sloane’s waist. His smile kept Sloane from bitching and cursing every step of the way. Though he did a fair amount of it anyway. Each step had been excruciating, and the few steps leading to the front door might as well have been the goddamn Andes Mountains. His body ached all over, his side was killing him, his head hurt, and he was already out of breath. Fucking awesome.

  “It’s okay. We have lots of time,” Dex said, his voice soothing in Sloane’s ear. By the time Sloane was at the top, his brow was beaded with sweat.

  “I’m fucking heavy.”

  Dex chuckled and gave his bicep a squeeze. “It’s all that sexy muscle.”

  His partner was crafty. Sloane knew what Dex was doing. What he’d been doing since Sloane had been released from the hospital. He was distracting him. From the frustration, the pain, the urge to throw a punch at something. Sloane appreciated it to no end. Somehow he wasn’t surprised Dex was the only one who could drive him to distraction. Even now as Dex unlocked the front door and bent over to pick up the mail on the floor, Sloane found himself distracted. It was the first time he’d thought about anything sexual. Now he couldn’t stop thinking about it. About Dex lying under him gasping and moaning, begging for Sloane to fuck him. God, he missed that.

  “Fuck!”

  Dex spun around, his eyes wide. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “We can’t have sex,” Sloane whined.

  Dex stared at him before bursting into laughter. “Is that what you’re worried about? Not having sex?”

  Sloane glared at Dex as his partner helped him inside and closed the door behind them. “I don’t see what’s so funny. This is a serious situation.” The sinful look on Dex’s face was enough to have Sloane swallowing hard. It was followed by Dex slipping his arms around Sloane, his hand migrating south to Sloane’s ass where he gave it a squeeze. When Dex spoke, his voice was low and husky.

  “Do you really think not being able to have sex is going to stop me from finding ways to make you purr? To drive you absolutely fucking crazy? You think I don’t know how to get creative?”

  Sloane licked his bottom lip. “Well, when you put it like that….” The thought of all the new ways they could get off together had Sloane’s pulse quickening. Challenge accepted. He kissed Dex, relishing in the low moan Dex let out and the way his partner pressed his hard body up against him while simultaneously being gentle. Being around Dex made Sloane want to hold on to him and not let go. Dex pulled back, giving his bottom lip a tug with his teeth before releasing him. Sloane was reluctant to let go, but he was already feeling tired. Dex removed his own jacket and hung it up on the hooks behind the door before carefully helping Sloane out of his and doing the same. Then Dex helped him into the living room where Sloane turned in the direction of the couch only to get led toward the stairs. “Where are we going?”

  “Upstairs.”

  “But, the TV is down here.” Even if the meds made him groggy, he had no intention of spending all day sleeping. Plus there was the little problem where he needed to limit the number of stairs he used in a day.

  “The TV is also upstairs. It’ll be much easier for you to get to the bathroom.”

  Sloane paused at the bottom of the stairs to look at Dex. “You got a TV for the bedroom?”

  “Yep.”

  “Because of me?”

  Dex’s smile warmed Sloane all over. “I don’t want you to get bored when I’m not here.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” He was touched Dex would install a TV in the bedroom just for him.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  The trip upstairs was another trek up the Andes. This one taking much longer. Damn houses with damn stairs. Along the way he’d been in danger of losing his temper, but Dex would step in with a kiss, a tease, or a flirt, and Sloane would forget what he was pissed off about. He’d get lost in those amazing blue eyes, cheeky smile, and infectious laugh. Before he knew it, they were inside the bedroom. Sloane stood inside the doorway, stunned.

  Dex had mounted the large flat screen on the wall across from the bed, and to the right of what had become Sloane’s side of the bed, was a sleek black minifridge with a basket on top. A small trash bin sat on the floor beside it, and next to the bed was a trendy adjustable rolling tray table.

  With exceptional care, Dex walked Sloane to his side of the bed and helped ease him down. The bed was outfitted with a garrison of soft pillows and warm, fuzzy blankets. Sloane watched with a belly full of butterflies as Dex got down on his knees and removed Sloane’s boots and socks before gently lifting his legs onto the bed. Once Sloane was settled back against the pillows, Dex walked over to the minifridge and opened it. Sweet Jesus. It was filled with snacks. Healthy snacks.

  “Water, juice, and your favorite snacks: hummus, guacamole, peanut butter, and fat free Ranch dressing to go with all your raw veggies. There’s also fruit, yogurt, cheese, and sliced chicken.” He closed the fridge door and motioned to the basket on top. “Mixed nuts, beef jerky, protein bars, blue corn tortilla chips, pretzels, napkins, plastic cutlery, small paper plates, and paper cups.” Dex turned to him and stilled. “What’s wrong?”

  Sloane realized his staring probably made him look like a crazy person. “Sorry. I’m just… amazed you would go through all this trouble for me.”

  Dex kicked off his shoes and climbed on the bed to settle in beside Sloane. “First of all, it wasn’t any trouble. Second of all, I said I wanted to take care of you, and I meant it.”

  “Thank you.” Sloane held him close, still trying to take it all in. No one had ever been so attentive to his needs, even when he wasn’t aware himself of what his needs were. He supposed a lot of it had to do with him never allowing anyone to see him in any kind of vulnerable position. With Dex, it was different. Either Dex had worn him down, which was a possibility, or something in Sloane was changing. Somehow, he didn’t feel as nervous about the idea.

  As Dex lay against his good side, his hand on Sloane’s chest, Sloane wondered if he should bring up the fact he knew Sparks had pulled Destructive Delta off the case. Why wouldn’t Dex tell him? Probably because he knew Sloane would get pissed off. It was stupid. How could Dex possibly believe he stood a chance against Hogan on his own? Dex was a capable agent, but he was up against a murderous Therian nearly twice his size. Dex was smarter than that.

  “Sloane?”

  “Hm?”

  “I’ve got something to tell you.”

  “Okay.” Sloane held his breath as Dex looked up at him.

  “I didn’t tell you earlier because you were in the hospital, and drama was the last thing you needed, but Sparks pulled us off the case and put Destructive Delta on leave.”

  A huge wave of relief washed over Sloane, followed by a pang of guilt for having doubted Dex. He squeezed Dex against him and kissed him until they had to come up for breath. When he pulled back, Dex let out a soft laugh and licked his bottom lip.

  “Wow. What was that for?”

  “Thank you for being so considerate.” Something flashed through Dex’s blue eyes, and Sloane’s smile fell away. He didn’t like what he saw. “Dex, promise me you’re not going to go after Hogan. Sparks gave her orders. Leave Seb and Theta Destructive
to do their jobs.”

  Dex pulled away and sat up. “Wait, you knew?”

  Pissbunnies. Nice going. “Yeah, Ash came to visit me at the hospital. It came up.” Damn it. Dex had been considerate in waiting to tell him while Sloane had been what? Distrusting of his partner? Dex frowned at him.

  “Were you going to tell me?”

  There were a million excuses Sloane could give, all which would placate his partner. But Sloane didn’t want to give an excuse. He wanted honesty between them. “I’m sorry. I understand if you’re pissed. I thought you were trying to keep it from me because you were planning on going after Hogan yourself, and it upset me. I hadn’t figured out much else.”

  Dex swallowed hard and didn’t reply. Goddamn it. Sloane realized his initial reaction had been correct.

  “No.” He shook his head. “Dex, you can’t.”

  “Sloane, the guy almost killed you. We should be the ones bringing him in. What if he leaves the city? How can we live with ourselves knowing he’d still be out there somewhere, waiting to regroup and strike again? We’ve been working this case for months. We know him better than Seb and his team. They’ll be working on Hogan’s profile from Themis, whereas we’ve had experience with that asshole and his crew firsthand.”

  Sloane let out a heavy sigh. He should have known it wouldn’t be easy. “You have to learn to walk away, Dex, no matter how much you don’t want to. Sometimes there are more important things at stake than the job. You said so yourself.” It was the reason behind their first real fight, because Dex had put his personal emotions before the job. Under those circumstances, his partner had been right to go against orders. One of their own was in trouble, but this was different.

  Dex went pensive before meeting Sloane’s gaze. “Would you walk away? If the roles were reversed?”

  “At one point, maybe I wouldn’t have.” He laced his fingers with Dex’s and brought him in close once again before kissing Dex’s hand. “But I’d like to think I’ve found something worth walking away for. Something worth walking toward.” Sloane watched Dex intently, watched the uncertainty and conflict in his eyes. It was hard as hell for any good officer to stand down in the face of a threat, but he needed Dex to understand what was at stake. “Promise me you won’t go after Hogan.” He could almost see the little wheels in Dex’s head spinning furiously. Finally Dex looked up and gave him a nod.