“You okay?” Calvin asked, his expression turning concerned. He sat back against the couch cushions, his sharp blue eyes studying Dex. “You look a little… restless. I mean, you’re normally fidgety, but this is different. How are you holding up?”
“I’m working on it,” Dex admitted. Calvin, like the rest of Destructive Delta, was up to speed on Dex’s recent encounter with the not-so-charming Mr. Wolf. According to Sparks, the team had been called in by Ash after Sloane woke up to find Dex gone. A lump formed in Dex’s throat when he thought about how everyone had dropped everything to support him and Sloane. TIN had escorted most of the team home after Dex had been found, but Sloane insisted they be kept in the loop. There was no telling what might come next, and their friends deserved to know the truth. Especially if there was a chance they might get sucked into the danger.
Calvin gave him a nod. A smile appeared on his face, and he removed his sketchbook from his messenger bag. “I’ve got something for you.”
Excitement rolled through Dex, and he quickly joined Calvin on the couch. “Is it what I think it is?”
“Yep.” Calvin opened his sketchbook, flipping through pages filled with incredible artwork. Some were just rough lines, while others were exceptionally detailed. Dex reached out to stop him from flipping away from one particular page.
“Holy shit, Cal. That’s fucking amazing.”
Calvin’s face flushed, and he gave a shy smile. “Thanks. I could probably draw him in my sleep now.”
Dex was blown away by the detailed sketch of Hobbs. He was lounging on the couch, propped up against a multitude of throw pillows, one long leg bent at the knee, and a book in his hand. He was clearly absorbed in whatever he was reading. The details in his face, hands, and the folds of his clothes were incredible. Dex could see the sparkle in his bright green eyes.
Calvin flipped the page, and Dex gasped. “Is that…. That’s it, isn’t it?”
“What do you think?” Calvin held the book out to him, and Dex took it, his eyes on the gorgeous design. “We can change anything you like or even scrap it and start from scratch.”
Dex shook his head. He was finding it a bit tough to speak past the lump in his throat.
“No, it’s shit? Or no, don’t scrap it?”
Dex swallowed hard. “It’s perfect.”
“Really?” Calvin’s smile went wide. “You sure?”
Dex placed the book on the couch beside him, and turned to face Calvin. “I’m going to hug you now. Sorry, I’ve been doing that a lot to people lately.”
“Um, okay.” Calvin clearly didn’t know what to make of the situation, but he let Dex hug him, even patted his back. He laughed softly as Dex pulled away. “Better?”
“Much. Can I take a picture of it? I’m going to need to stare at it some more. A lot more.”
“It’s going to be on you for the foreseeable future, but go for it.”
Dex removed his smartphone from his pocket and snapped a really good picture. He was so excited he was practically bouncing. The design was gorgeous and exactly what he wanted. He hoped Sloane liked it.
After Dex fanboyed over Calvin some more, they talked a bit more about art, tattoos, and even spoke to Bradley about booking a consultation with the guy who did all his ink. Bradley was almost as excited about the tattoo as Dex was, and cheerfully volunteered to accompany him. Apparently Dekatria could survive one day without him. A couple of hours later, Dex thanked Calvin for coming over. They’d spent most of the day together, talking and laughing. Dex had a great time hanging out with Cal. Maybe the next couple of days wouldn’t be so bad. He had Sloane and his friends to keep him from going stir-crazy.
Feeling better about being indoors and excited about the tattoo he’d be getting on his marked arm, the remaining couple of days went by much quicker. Dex was riled and ready to go. Just one more evening until he was back at work. He’d never been more relieved to be back on the job. But first….
Dex tackle hugged Sloane at the kitchen sink while his partner finished washing up the last of the dinner dishes. “Tomorrow I’m back at work. How about we celebrate tonight? A few drinks out with Ash and Cael.”
“You sure?” Sloane turned in his arms, pulling him in close for a kiss.
“Just a couple of drinks. Cael’s getting antsy. So am I.” Dex never went this long without seeing his little brother or his dad. Come to think of it, Dex was surprised his father hadn’t shown up since the first night Dex had gotten home after the incident. He’d called to check in but seemed to be working late a lot
this week. He wasn’t exactly the most patient guy when he was waiting on answers, especially if it concerned Dex or Cael. His dad seemed to be kind of preoccupied lately. Then again his dad was always buried in his work. Maybe he’d mention it to Cael tonight, see what he thought. “Besides, I need to get outside the house for a while. Get my groove on.”
Sloane chuckled. “Okay. Sounds good. You text Cael. I’ll call Ash.”
“They’re probably at Ash’s sucking face anyway,” Dex said with a grimace. He did not need that image in his head. With a spring in his step, Dex grabbed his phone on the way to the bathroom. It was time to resume his regularly scheduled program of bugging his little brother, tormenting Ash, and loving up Sloane. Bring it.
Chapter 5
MAYBE THIS hadn’t been such a good idea.
Dex was his cheerful, playful, energetic self, or that’s what he wanted everyone to believe. Sloane knew better. It was obvious to him that Dex was far from all right. It showed in his subtle reactions. The barely there flinches when a door slammed or glass shattered. The stiff shoulders when someone other than Sloane touched him. When they’d arrived at the bar, Dex hesitated in the doorway, snapping himself out of it when Cael asked if he was okay. Dex’s smile had been wide, but it didn’t reach his bright blue eyes. After Dex walked in, Cael glanced at Sloane, his concern evident. Sloane wasn’t the only one who’d noticed something was wrong.