Rise & Fall Read online

  Readers love the THIRDS

  series by CHARLIE COCHET

  Hell & High Water

  “This book was a fantastic surprise! Great writing, fantastic world building, two interesting and very real MCs alongside a great team of secondary characters and an unusual slant on shifters.”

  —Prism Book Alliance

  “It’s probably her best yet—definitely most ambitious…”

  —Boys in Our Books

  “Holy Cow! I loved this book! This will definitely be a re-read and one of my all-time favorite books/series. This is an absolute must read.”

  —Hearts on Fire

  Blood & Thunder

  “…another great installment in what is turning out to be a fabulous series.”

  —Joyfully Jay

  “This has become my favorite series in the genre in just two short books! I think anyone would find something in this series they can latch on to and enjoy.”

  —MM Good Book Reviews

  Rack & Ruin

  “I had a fabulous time reading Rack & Ruin… Another THIRDS winner!”

  —Sinfully Sexy Books

  “This book kept me hooked from the first word to the very last word, AGAIN!! These books just keep getting better and better.”

  —Love Bytes

  By CHARLIE COCHET

  A Rose by Any Other Name

  THE AUSPICIOUS TROUBLES OF LOVE

  The Auspicious Troubles of Chance

  The Impetuous Afflictions of Jonathan Wolfe

  NORTH POLE CITY TALES

  Mending Noel

  The Heart of Frost

  Vixen’s Valor

  THIRDS

  Hell & High Water

  Blood & Thunder

  Rack & Ruin

  Rise & Fall

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Copyright

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Rise & Fall

  © 2015 Charlie Cochet.

  Cover Art

  © 2015 L.C. Chase.

  http://www.lcchase.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

  ISBN: 978-1-63216-768-2

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63216-769-9

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2014953761

  First Edition February 2015

  Printed in the United States of America

  This paper meets the requirements of

  ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

  To my amazing Beta readers, thank you so much for your outstanding support and encouragement.

  Richele, Emily, Alec, Tammy, Chris, Ange, Tess, Susan, Vickie, Lisa, Isabel, and the rest of the THIRDS Nerds, you’ve made this a wild and wonderful ride. Thank you for your support, enthusiasm, and love for this series. It’s been an inspiration.

  To all my lovely readers, thank you.

  CAST MEMBERS

  IN THE THIRDS SERIES

  (You’ll find these cast members throughout the whole of the THIRDS series, some being introduced in different books. This list will continue to grow.)

  DESTRUCTIVE DELTA

  Sloane Brodie—Defense agent. Team leader. Jaguar Therian.

  Dexter J. Daley “Dex”—Defense agent. Former homicide detective for the Human Police Force. Older brother to Cael Maddock. Adopted by Anthony “Tony” Maddock. Human.

  Ash Keeler—Defense agent. Entry tactics and Close Quarter Combat expert. Lion Therian.

  Julietta Guerrera “Letty”—Defense agent. Weapons expert. Human.

  Calvin Summers—Defense agent. Sniper. Human.

  Ethan Hobbs “Hobbs”—Defense agent. Demolitions expert and Public Safety Bomb Technician. Has two older brothers: Rafe and Sebastian Hobbs. Tabby Tiger Therian.

  Cael Maddock—Recon agent. Tech expert. Dex’s younger brother. Adopted by Anthony Maddock. Cheetah Therian.

  Rosa Santiago—Recon agent. Crisis negotiator and medic. Human.

  COMMANDING OFFICERS

  Lieutenant Sonya Sparks—Lieutenant for Unit Alpha. Cougar Therian.

  Sergeant Anthony Maddock “Tony”—Sergeant for Destructive Delta. Dex and Cael’s adoptive father. Human.

  MEDICAL EXAMINERS

  Dr. Hudson Colbourn—Chief medical examiner for Destructive Delta. Wolf Therian.

  Dr. Nina Bishop—Medical examiner for Destructive Delta. Human.

  AGENTS FROM OTHER SQUADS

  Ellis Taylor—Team leader for Beta Ambush

  Levi Stone—Team Leader for Beta Pride. Arrested for being a mole inside the THIRDS and part of the Ikelos Coalition.

  Rafe Hobbs—Team Leader for Alpha Ambush. The oldest Hobbs brother. Tiger Therian.

  Sebastian Hobbs—Newly promoted to Team Leader for Theta Destructive. Was once on Destructive Delta but was transferred after his relationship to Hudson ended in a breach of protocol and civilian loss. Middle Hobbs brother. Tiger Therian.

  Osmond Zachary “Zach”—Agent for Alpha Sleuth in Unit Beta. Has six brothers working for the THIRDS. Brown bear Therian.

  OTHER IMPORTANT CAST MEMBERS

  Gabe Pearce—Sloane’s ex-partner and ex-lover on Destructive Delta. Killed on duty. Human.

  Isaac Pearce—Gabe’s older brother. Was a detective for the Human Police Force who became leader of the Order of Adrasteia. Was killed by Destructive Delta during a hostage situation. Human.

  Louis Huerta “Lou”—Dex’s ex-boyfriend. Human.

  Bradley Darcy—Bartender and owner of Bar Dekatria. Jaguar Therian.

  Austen Payne—Squadron Specialist Agent (SSA) for Destructive Delta. Cheetah Therian.

  Angel Reyes—Member of the Order. Former member of the gang Westward Creed.

  Dr. Abraham Shultzon—Head doctor during the First Gen Recruitment Program who was personally responsible for the wellbeing of the THIRDS’ First Gen Recruits. He was also responsible for the tests that were run on the Therian children.

  Arlo Keeler—Ash’s twin brother killed during the riots in the 1980s.

  Felipe Bautista—Drew Collins’s boyfriend.

  EXTREMIST GROUPS AND GANGS

  The Order of Adrasteia—Group of Humans against Therians. Leader was killed by Destructive Delta. New leader is said to be rising through the ranks of remaining members, though most members have jumped ship.

  The Ikelos Coalition—Vigilante group of Unregistered Therians fighting the Order. Leader is Beck Hogan. Beck’s second-in-command Preston Merritt was killed by Destructive Delta during a hostage negotiation. Most of the members of the group were arrested, leaving only Hogan, his new
second-in-command Drew Collins, and a small group of Therians.

  Westward Creed—Gang of Human thugs who went around assaulting Therian citizens during the riots of 1985. Were arrested for causing the deaths of several Therians but released due to “missing” evidence. Eight members all together but only five became members of the Order: Angel Reyes, Alberto Cristo, Craig Martin, Toby Leith, Richard Esteban, Larry Berg, Ox Perry, Brick Jackson.

  GLOSSARY

  Therians—Shifters brought about through the mutation of Human DNA as a result of the Eppione.8 vaccine.

  Postshift Trauma Care (PSTC) —The effects of Therian Postshift Trauma are similar to the aftereffects of an epileptic seizure, only on a smaller scale, including muscle soreness, bruising, brief disorientation, and hunger. Eating after a shift is extremely important as not eating could lead to the Therian collapsing and a host of other health issues. PSTC is the care given to Therians after they shift back to Human form.

  THIRDS (Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron)—An elite, military funded agency comprised of an equal number of Human and Therian agents and intended to uphold the law for all its citizens without prejudice.

  Themis—A powerful, multimillion dollar government interface used by the THIRDS. It’s linked to numerous intelligence agencies across the globe and runs a series of highly advanced algorithms to scan surveillance submitted by agents.

  First Gen—First Generation of purebred Therians born with a perfected version of the mutation.

  BearCat—THIRDS tactical vehicle.

  Human Police Force (HPF)—A branch of law enforcement consisting of Humans officials dealing only with crimes committed by Humans.

  Chapter 1

  “YOU’RE GOING to get us fucking killed!”

  Dex ignored Ash and hit the gas, speeding after the ambulance heading up route 9A toward NY Presbyterian Hospital, its wailing siren and flashing lights an unyielding reminder of what he stood to lose. The ambulance had left before them, but Dex was in his Challenger with its own THIRDS-installed lights flickering and sending out a warning to everyone around him to get the hell out of his way.

  When Ash had finally released Dex from his iron grip, Dex had stood on the sidewalk in front of his house, amidst the smoke and burning car parts unable to believe what had happened. He’d been at a loss, watching the chaos unfold as emergency teams and THIRDS agents flooded the scene. Orders had been shouted, the area evacuated, blue-and-black THIRDS tape marking off his personal disaster zone. And then a bright orange beacon parked near the end of the block gave him clarity.

  Dex maneuvered through four lanes of traffic, changing gears and working the pedals. No one knew how to drive his baby like he did, and nothing on God’s green earth was going to make him lose that ambulance. Not with Sloane in the back of it fighting for his life.

  Sloane….

  No matter how hard Dex tried, his head kept replaying the scene like a goddamn looped video: Dex bolting for the front door, not caring what might be on the other side—getting to Sloane had been all that mattered. He has to be okay. Please God, let him be okay. Clouds of thick black smoke. The sidewalk in front of his house looking like a war zone, littered with debris and pieces of twisted car parts. The trees on fire. Dex tackled to the ground, the breath stolen from his lungs. Ash on him keeping him safe. Bullets flying. Sloane under a piece of mangled door. Screeching sirens and uniformed bodies rushing in. Blood everywhere. Sloane unmoving. A jagged piece of metal sticking out of his side. Blood, so much blood.

  It should have been me.

  “Fuck! Mother fucking asshole son of a bitch!” Dex slammed his hand against the steering wheel before swerving around some bastard going the speed limit. He was losing his shit. It was fast approaching much like the yellow—soon to be red—light ahead of him, yet he was helpless to stop it. The Challenger flew past the red, missing an oncoming taxi by inches.

  “Enough!” Ash snapped at him. “You’re gonna get us fucking killed! Keep your shit together and get us to the fucking hospital in one goddamn piece, or I swear to Christ I will fucking knock your ass out and drive us there myself.”

  Dex wanted to tell Ash where he could stick his threats, but he didn’t. He heard Ash suck in a sharp breath, and Dex eased his foot off the accelerator just enough to keep the ambulance’s flashing lights in sight a few cars ahead. Ash held on to the passenger door with one hand, his other pressed against his side to ease the pain along with the slow trickle of blood seeping through his torn stitches. Stitches he’d torn saving Dex.

  “Sorry,” Dex said through his teeth. They were almost at the hospital, which meant more traffic. “Sorry for being an asshole and for what I’m about to do. Hold on.” He hit the gas pedal again, and the engine thundered as he raced forward. After a couple of close calls, they got to the hospital before the ambulance. He skidded into valet parking, put the Challenger in park, jumped out, and tossed the keys to the valet guy. Ignoring his teammate’s bitching, Dex called out over his shoulder for Ash to take care of it. The ambulance arrived seconds later, and Dex ran up to it, watching with his heart in his throat as the backdoors swung open and the EMTs rushed out. The gurney swiftly emerged with Sloane strapped down on his uninjured side, an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth, and the jagged metal piece jutting out from the right side of his torso. Removing it without surgery was clearly out of the question.

  Dex followed the EMTs as they rushed Sloane through the huge open glass doorway into the hospital, shouting out codes and medical jargon Dex couldn’t make out. One of the EMTs said something about the THIRDS, and a Therian nurse behind the desk snatched up a phone and rambled something off. Within seconds, a handful of Therian doctors and nurses came running, joining the EMTs as they stole Sloane away into a wide, brightly lit corridor. Dex attempted to follow only to have his path blocked by two male Therian nurses.

  “He’s my partner,” Dex pleaded, trying to get around them.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t go in there.”

  “The hell I can’t. He’s my partner!” Dex grabbed one of the nurses when a pair of beefy arms wrapped around Dex’s waist, lifting him off his feet and away. “Fuck off, Ash! Get off!” He couldn’t leave Sloane in there all alone. Sloane hated hospitals as it was. What if he woke up and freaked out? What if he didn’t know where he was? What if something happened and Dex wasn’t there? He couldn’t lose Sloane now. It wasn’t Sloane’s time. They hadn’t had enough time!

  “You’re not the only one who needs him.”

  Dex stilled. It wasn’t so much Ash’s words, but the subtle desperation behind them. Ash put him down, and Dex turned, the look on Ash’s dirt-smudged face taking the fight out of Dex. He’d never seen the gruff agent looking so helpless, and despite clearly having his own fears, Ash met his gaze.

  “He’s all the family I’ve got. Just let them do their job. It’s the best we can do for him.”

  Dex swallowed hard and nodded. He had to get a hold of himself. It was only when Ash winced that Dex remembered the guy was slowly bleeding out. “Shit, Ash. Come on. We need to get you fixed up.”

  “I’m fine,” Ash muttered, wiping the sweat from his beaded brow.

  “Yeah, you look fine.” Dex refused to give in to his teammate’s stubbornness. He called over a nurse who took one look at Ash and ran off to get assistance. Ash continued to argue when Dex spotted his dad marching their way. Tony stopped beside them, his gaze dropping to Ash’s hand against his bleeding side before he barked out an order.

  “Keeler, get your ass in there and get those stitches seen to.”

  Ash looked like he wanted to argue but knew better. With a resigned sigh, he headed for the anxious looking nurses. As soon as Ash disappeared, Tony put a hand to Dex’s shoulder, concern in his deep brown eyes. It was too much for Dex right now.

  “Hey. I’m going to take a walk. Call me if anything happens.”

  Thankfully, his dad knew him well and gave him a nod. He removed his han
d from Dex’s shoulder and let him go. Right now, Tony had to be his sergeant. Anything else would break Dex’s tremulous hold on his emotions. He walked off to gather his strength. He was going to need it.

  IT’S NOT fair.

  How many others had thought the same as they paced these halls? It wasn’t fair. But then life rarely was. Dex had learned as much from a young age. Some naïve part of him had believed he’d never find himself in this position again. First his parents, now…. He quickly shook the morbid thought away. God, he was such an idiot. His job was as high risk as it was before he ended up falling for his Team Leader.

  For the first time in his life, he was a hot mess over a guy. Then again, Sloane Brodie wasn’t just any guy. He was rolling thunder and a sweet summer breeze. Passionate, complex, and intense. Mysterious and brooding. He made Dex laugh, beg, and want to scream. With one look he could crush Dex’s heart, with one whisper have him on his knees. It was terrifying and exhilarating. Dex thought he’d been in love before, when he was in high school, then college. Now he knew the difference. Their relationship was hard work, had been from the day they’d met, but every moment with Sloane was worth it. Dex had never met anyone so resolute in tearing through the obstacles the world threw his way than Sloane Brodie. There were moments of hesitation where he faltered in his steps, but he reached deep inside and found the courage to keep going. And no matter how damaged or dirty he ended up, he came out the other side more determined than ever.

  Outside it was a warm September day. The temperature was in the midseventies, and the sky was sunny. The street buzzed with its usual activity while the city continued to pulsate with life. Tony, Cael, and the rest of the team sat in the waiting area, had been for hours while Sloane was in surgery. Dex couldn’t get himself to sit still long enough to wait with them, not with the way his blood pressure skyrocketed every time someone in a white lab coat or teal blue scrubs walked out. Plus the TV kept running news reports of the explosion, posting images and video footage of Sloane out in the field. The imposing and larger-than-life images of his lover, the depths of those amber eyes, mesmerized Dex. No one knew what was behind them like Dex did.