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“I don’t know. Ash has been… off lately.” Rosa turned to Sloane. “You should talk to him. He’s been in his own world for weeks, and he won’t talk about it. Not that he’s ever been big on sharing, but I’m worried. He hasn’t said anything remotely inappropriate to me in ages.”
“I’m rather disturbed we gauge Ash’s wellbeing through his lack of inappropriate comments,” Hudson muttered, taking another sip of his tea.
“Everyone has their little telltale signs,” Rosa said. “For instance, the more cups of tea you have in a day, the more stressed you are.”
Hudson’s teacup came to a halt in midair. He frowned and glared accusingly at the brew before setting it down. “Betrayed by my beverage.”
“This is his fourth cup this morning,” Nina chipped in with a broad smile.
“Thank you, love.” Hudson sighed and carried on drinking his tea.
Sloane didn’t like the sound of that. Hudson was nothing but steady and calm. Granted, attempting conversation with Ash was a surefire way to spike your blood pressure, but judging by Nina’s comment, Hudson seemed to have been feeling agitated far before his debate with Ash. “Everything okay, Hudson?”
Hudson’s cheeks flushed slightly, and Sloane wondered what he’d said to bring about such a response.
“Everything’s perfectly fine. Thank you, Sloane. It’s just one of those days.”
Nina leaned forward, talking quietly. “One of those days when Sebastian Hobbs walks into the lab to pick up lab results looking all fine and muscly.”
Hudson’s teacup clattered against the table. “Oh for heaven’s sake, Nina.”
“What?” Nina blinked innocently.
Ah. That explained it. Sloane gave Hudson a sympathetic smile. If there was ever a cautionary tale regarding the dangers of falling in love with your teammate, that was it. The irony wasn’t lost on Sloane. However, Sloane wasn’t Sebastian Hobbs. Seb had been madly in love with Hudson, so much so it led to him being careless, disregarding protocol, and the results had been catastrophic for everyone involved.
An agent had to fuck up pretty bad to get transferred off a team, and Seb had not only fucked up, but done so with flying colors. The incident had destroyed Hudson and Seb’s relationship, though it was clear the two still harbored deep feelings for each other. It was a shame. The two had been sweet together.
Sloane had tried to help his friend and teammate at the time, but love had turned Seb inside out, and in the end Sloane watched an exceptional agent break down and lose it. Sloane would never allow himself to follow such a path to ruin. He cared about Dex very much, and there was little he wouldn’t do for him. But to be blinded by love to the point where he’d risk everything? The career he’d worked so damn hard for? The safety of his team, of those around him? He’d like to think he had better sense than that. Besides, he and Dex were doing just fine as they were without bringing love into it. They’d only started officially dating a few months ago, and it had been rough getting there.
The rest of the table broke off into conversation again with Rosa changing the subject much to Hudson’s obvious relief. Sloane excused himself, reluctantly took Dex’s mug, and headed back to the office, his thoughts going to his own relationship. At times, he wondered if things were moving too fast between them. There had been a strong, sexual attraction from the start, and that attraction had turned into affection. If Dex hadn’t asked for more, would Sloane still be lingering on the edge of commitment? Would he have taken the next step in their relationship? His earpiece beeped, cutting through his thoughts. He tapped it and answered.
“Brodie here.”
Lieutenant Sparks’s voice came over the line. “Sloane, would you stop by my office for a moment?”
“Yes, of course. I’m on my way.”
“Thank you.”
Sloane stepped into the elevator, wondering what the lieutenant wanted to speak to him about. Maybe they finally had a break in their case. A few minutes later, he walked into Lieutenant Sparks’s office. She motioned for him to close the door. Doing so, he took a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk and waited for her to finish typing something into her desk’s interface. Once finished, she leaned back in her chair and smiled at him. Her eyes went to the mugs in his hand.
“Interesting choice of drink ware.”
He followed her gaze to the two mugs, completely forgetting about Dex’s “poop” mug. His face probably looked as red as it felt.
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s Agent Daley’s mug.”
Sloane cleared his throat and nodded. “You would be correct.”
She chuckled. “I knew he would be a good fit for your team.”
Funny how everyone had known that before Sloane. It had taken him longer than most to see it, but now he couldn’t imagine being partnered with anyone else. The lieutenant’s smile fell away, and she was all business.
“I called you in because we haven’t had a chance to talk since the incident at the facility. I wanted to know how you were doing.”
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” Although he did appreciate his lieutenant’s concern, why was it coming now and not months ago when the incident occurred? Regardless, he was happy she’d taken the time to talk to him personally. “I appreciate you not suspending me,” he added.