“It wasn’t your fault. You were protecting me. If Taylor had been stronger, if he hadn’t given in so easily to his Therian side, none of this would have happened. His claws snagged on my pants. It was bad timing on my part.” Dex leaned into him, his voice soft. “Thank you.”
Sloane stared at him. “For what? Almost ripping your arm off?”
“For defending me so fiercely yet not hurting Taylor. We both know the damage you could have done.”
Sloane scrunched his nose up. “I was tempted. My Felid half wanted blood, but I just wanted him to get that I wasn’t giving you up. I couldn’t let my Felid half maul Taylor. I’d hoped he’d get a hold of himself, but I don’t think he realized until the others showed up and scared the shit out of his Felid half. I don’t think he’ll be trying again.”
A big black truck double parked across from them and honked.
“There’s Seb. Ready for some awkward?”
“Awkward? Why?”
Sloane followed Dex to Seb’s truck. Dex grabbed the handle and wriggled his brows at Sloane, chuckling when Sloane gasped.
“You’re not.” Sloane shook his head at him. “Dex, you can’t—”
Dex opened the door, cutting Sloane’s protest short. Sloane gave him a pointed look before getting into the backseat. Dex climbed up into the passenger seat and buckled up, waiting for Seb to pull into traffic.
“You both look like hell,” Seb offered. “Where are we going?”
“I need to see a doctor,” Dex replied with a smile.
Seb stopped at the red light and arched an eyebrow at him. “And what, they ran out at the hospital?”
“I can’t go to the hospital. Too risky. And I only know one other doctor.”
Seb’s brow furrowed. “You planning on telling me, or am I supposed to guess?”
Wait for it.
The light turned green the same time realization hit Seb. The shrilling honk of a car horn snapped Seb out of it, and he turned his attention back to the road, hitting the accelerator harder than necessary. “No.”
“I need you to take us there. I don’t know where he lives.”
“And you called me?” Seb growled. “That your idea of some kind of joke?”
“You know the THIRDS doesn’t give out personal information, not even to other agents.”
Seb made a sharp turn down a residential street before coming to a screeching halt. He put the truck in park and turned in his seat, his nostrils flaring and green eyes blazing.
“Everyone on your fucking team knows where he lives, including your boyfriend, who’s in the backseat! Do you think this is funny? Do you have any idea how painful this is for me, and you’re playing fucking games?”
“He wears your shirt under his. Did you know that?”
Seb’s anger appeared to slip away as quickly as it had come. When he spoke, his voice was quiet.
“How do you know?”
“He showed me. He came to visit me a few weeks ago, when I got hurt, and we talked.”
Dex motioned to the road, and after some hesitation, Seb got them moving again.
“He told me about what happened at the hospital.”
Seb gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. “Then you know I’m the last person he wants to see.”
“You’re the only person he wants to see. Every day, you’re all he sees.”