Rise & Fall Read online

  “I can’t believe Brodie survived,” someone else muttered, the others murmuring their agreement.

  “Christ.” Hogan rounded on them. “Do you all realize what fucking amateurs we look like? First, we let Reyes slip through our fucking fingers, then those THIRDS bastards. Three times!”

  Drew Collins—the only one who seemed to have any brains—came to stand beside him. At least he had someone at his side he could count on. It was disgusting and humiliating how his once fierce group of freedom fighters had been reduced to a few reliable Therians and a bunch of brainless thugs. Damn it. He’d told Merritt not to take their best Therians to the exchange with the THIRDS, but Merritt had been confident. Now his friend was dead, the best of his crew were behind bars, and he was left with the rabble.

  “Hey, you have to keep in mind Brodie and Keeler have been doing this shit for years. Plus they’re Alpha Therians. Felid Therians.”

  “And traitors to their species,” Hogan spat out. “Working with those Human pieces of shit.” Hogan shook his head. How could their own brethren turn on them? Working with Humans to cage their own kind in the back of a truck? It was unforgiveable. Humans were beneath them. Therians were the next step in evolution. Genetic mistake my ass. It explained why Humans were so damn scared of Therians. Why they forced them to get marked like cattle and passed laws to keep them from shifting when they pleased. It was in their nature to be free. To let loose the wild beasts inside them. Humans were weak, and they knew it. One calculated swipe of his claw, and a Human wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Hogan resumed his seat. If it weren’t for the THIRDS, no one could stop Therians from taking their rightful place as the dominant species. As much as he hated to admit it, the THIRDS were winning. Not only did they have military-grade weaponry, but agents like Brodie and Keeler posed the biggest problems. From what he remembered, there was a tiger Therian on the team as well. Fucking great.

  “So what are we going to do?” someone asked.

  “We’ve crippled Destructive Delta,” Collins said, coming to take a seat on Hogan’s armrest. “Without their two strongest members, they’re left with the tiger Therian and three Human agents.”

  “Four,” someone piped up. “The female partnered with the twink cheetah Therian.”

  Hogan sat up. “What did you say?”

  “The uh, the cheetah Therian. The one Keeler insisted wasn’t his boyfriend.”

  Hogan’s smile grew wide. “The one he took a bullet for.” Hogan looked up at Collins, feeling his resolve strengthening. “Merritt said something about the kid having a brother. Wasn’t he the guy Stone knocked out and brought back to the base? Keeler refused to let Merritt even go near him. What was the guy’s name?”

  “Hold on a sec.” Collins reached into his pocket and drew out a small tablet. A few taps later, and he had his information. “Dexter J. Daley. Brodie’s Human partner.”

  “So we have two Alpha members of the team recuperating from injuries and vulnerable, both tied to these brothers.” Hogan sat quietly thinking while everyone observed in silence. Attacking Keeler and Brodie head-on would be stupid. Vulnerable didn’t mean accessible. The THIRDS were expecting Hogan and his crew to make a move. They were watching the streets and most likely their recovering agents. Keeler would be on alert after the second attempt on his life.

  Collins interrupted the silence with his concerns. “With Keeler and Brodie out of commission, we’re likely to be facing a new team and I imagine backup. There’s no way the THIRDS would send four Human agents after us. The cheetah Therian wouldn’t last. Besides, he’s Recon. What are you thinking?”

  Hogan drummed his fingers on the chair’s armrest as he thought. “Have some of the guys keep an eye on the brothers. I want two guys on Brodie and another two on Keeler. Don’t approach them, watch them. I need time to come up with a plan. I want everyone else looking for those Westward Creed assholes. And remember, I want them brought to me alive. I’ll deal with them personally.”

  Collins gave him a nod and rounded everyone up, issuing orders and leaving Hogan in blissful silence. They had to find those Westward Creed bastards first, and if any THIRDS agents got in their way, they’d deal with them. Then he’d come up with a way to make that son of a bitch Keeler pay. The guy had pretended to care for their cause only to betray them. His act had been good. They’d all fallen for it. Having an agent like Keeler on their side would have taken them to a whole new level. Now look where they were. Keeler had gotten Merritt killed, their men imprisoned, and then the prick had the audacity not to fucking die when he was supposed to.

  Hogan wasn’t stupid. Even if they managed to find those Westward Creed assholes and make them pay, they wouldn’t make it out of this city alive. There was no way in hell he was going to prison. He’d made peace with his decision. What the hell did he have left to lose anyway? The Humans had taken everything from him. But if he was going down, he was going to take some of those THIRDS bastards with him. He’d do more than make Keeler bleed. He was going to destroy him. And he had an idea how he could do it.

  Chapter 3

  SLOANE HAD been moved into a private room with simple but modern décor. It had a great panoramic view of the East River and Manhattan skyline from its two huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The room was mostly white with a few wood accents. A dark gray armchair sat in front of the window at the far end, a matching sleeper sofa was positioned in front of the second window, and between them sat a small, round, white table with two gray chairs. The room had free Wi-Fi and a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom with shower, and meal service. They were nice digs, but Dex was glad it wasn’t a long-term setup.

  His partner still looked banged up, but at least the color had returned to his cheeks. The cuts and scrapes were healing, as were the bruises. Dex closed the door behind him and left his shoes on the mat to one side before walking over to Sloane’s bed. He placed the insulated lunch bag on the small bedside table.

  “Hey, sexy-pants. What have you been up to today?”

  Sloane turned his attention away from the TV and smiled at him. It was amazing how one little smile could disarm him. “Watching Indiana Jones and eating chocolate pudding.”

  “The high life, huh?”

  Sloane chuckled. His gaze landed on the lunch bag. “Are those what I think they are?”

  “Yep. Rosa made you your favorite empanadas.” Dex tried not to laugh at the way his partner’s eyes lit up. Like a little kid who’d been told he could order whatever he wanted from the ice cream parlor. Dex hardly blamed the guy. Rosa was an amazing cook, and she loved to feed their team. Between Rosa’s Puerto Rican food, Letty’s Cuban food, and Lou’s Dominican food, it was amazing their team fit in the BearCat.

  “Meat?”

  “Yep, plus a couple of guavas, some chicken, and beef with sweet plantains.”

  “Oh God, those are so good.”

  It was amusing how even the most steadfast of health nuts had their vices. Dex leaned over to give Sloane’s lips a kiss. “How are you feeling?” Sloane had no idea how much his smile affected Dex. Hobbs had been right. Dex never saw Sloane give that smile to anyone else.

  “Better, now that you’re here.”

  Dex was caught off guard by the affectionate admission. “Aw, painkillers be making you sappy,” he teased. “I like it.” He kissed Sloane again, loving the taste of him.

  “Mm, I like that,” Sloane murmured against Dex’s lips.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Come ’ere.” Sloane carefully shifted over and patted the bed. Good thing it was Therian-sized. Dex was happy to oblige. He removed his leather jacket and draped it across the side table, followed by the off-duty holster attached to his belt securing his Glock, and his badge clipped beside it. He didn’t want to unintentionally hurt Sloane. Soon as he was done, he climbed up with care and huddled close to Sloane, resting his hand on his partner’s chest. Sloane’s larger hand promptly covered Dex’s, making him smile. It also made him think of
how close he’d come to losing this.

  “God, Sloane, when I saw you lying there… I thought—” Dex closed his eyes. He’d known there were risks, but he hadn’t expected his resolve to be put to the test so early on in their relationship. He felt Sloane’s hand on his cheek, and Dex leaned into the warmth, not quite ready to open his eyes yet. He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. Man, he was such a goner.

  “Listen to me. I’m glad it was me.”

  Dex shifted so he could look up at Sloane, and the intensity he saw in his partner’s eyes amazed him. “How can you say that? Look at you. You were almost killed.”

  “If it had been you, Dex, you would have been killed. The only reason I survived is because I’m a Therian. An explosion of that magnitude would have killed any Human who’d been as close to it as I was.”

  “So because you’re a Therian, you should automatically be the one to risk your life every time? I had the keys. I was the one who was supposed to have gone out there.”

  “And for whatever reason, I decided to go instead, and I’m thankful for it.” Sloane was serious. There was also something else in his eyes. Something Dex wanted to know more about but knew now was not the time. Seeming to sense this, Sloane cleared his throat and averted his gaze. “How’s Ash taking it?”

  “Man….” Dex sighed. Where did he even start?

  Sloane groaned. “What did he do now?”

  “You know, when I think I’ve got him figured out, he does something that completely screws with my head.”

  “Dex.”

  Sloane was going to be so pissed at him. Maybe. Dex gave his sweetest smile, but it only earned him a frown. Yep, definitely gonna get pissed. Might as well get it over with.

  “He most likely saved my life,” Dex said quietly, watching Sloane’s eyebrows draw together.

  “I don’t understand. What happened?”

  Deep breath. “When I heard the explosion, all I could think about was you. I ran outside, not thinking the threat might still be out there. We were shot at.”

  Sloane let his head fall back onto the pillow. “Jesus, Dex. You could have gotten yourself killed! After all the training we’ve done? After everything we’ve talked about, you run right into the line of fire without any regard for your safety whatsoever?” He turned his head to glare at Dex. “You’re lucky I’m too damn grateful you’re here to beat the shit out of you. Also, I can’t right now.”

  “I know. I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

  Sloane narrowed his eyes. “You best put that lip away because pouting is not getting you out of this one.”

  “I wasn’t pouting,” Dex mumbled.

  “Yes you were. I know when you’re pouting even when you don’t. Now, tell me everything.” Sloane gave him a squeeze, which Dex guessed meant he’d been forgiven, though Sloane wasn’t likely to forget it. Jaguar Therians never forget. Dex was pretty sure it would conveniently cross his partner’s mind during a training session, and Dex would get his ass kicked for it.

  “Ash knocked me to the ground. He tore his stitches to keep me safe from the shooters. I kept trying to get away from him to get to you, but he wouldn’t let me.”

  “What about the shooters?”

  “Ash said they were in a black van and long gone before emergency services arrived.”

  Sloane pressed his lips together, meaning he was trying his best to remain calm.

  “I swear it won’t happen again.”

  “Damn right it won’t. You….” he trailed off and sighed, his gaze going to the ceiling. Sloane pulled Dex closer against him. “I’m glad you’re okay.” When Dex didn’t reply, Sloane glanced over at him. “You are okay, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah. I was thinking….”

  “You really need to stop doing that thinking thing,” Sloane muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching in its desire to smile.

  “Dick. Anyway, I was thinking you should stay with me while you recover.” He was hardly about to tell Sloane his dad and everyone else had sort of already decided for him. But from everyone else’s standpoint, it was a tactical move. From Dex’s it was a personal one. He wanted Sloane with him. If he explained all the logical reasons why it would be a good idea, he had no doubt Sloane would agree, but Dex didn’t want those reasons to be why his partner accepted.

  Sloane stared at him. “But that’ll take weeks. Maybe longer.”

  “It doesn’t matter how long it takes.” Dex leaned in and kissed Sloane, his thumb stroking Sloane’s jaw. “Let me take care of you. Not because you can’t look after yourself but because I want to help.”

  Sloane closed his eyes and Dex waited. It wasn’t an easy decision for his partner, especially since it would feel like they were living together. Dex was always the one to make the first move, to nudge Sloane in the direction Dex wanted their relationship to go in. He didn’t want to keep pushing. A part of him feared he’d push Sloane too far, and the guy would turn and run like he’d done before. Each time was more painful than the last, and although Sloane always came home, Dex’s heart couldn’t take it. He’d told Sloane as much. If Sloane needed space, all he had to do was ask, and Dex would be happy to give it, but there was always the worry their relationship would reach a point Sloane wasn’t willing to go beyond. After what seemed like forever, Sloane spoke up.

  “I need to know something first.”

  Dex’s pulse quickened. “Okay.”

  “Are you going to wear one of those sexy male nurse’s uniforms, the white latex ones with the assless chaps?”

  Dex let out a bark of laughter. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you remembered.”

  “Of course I remember,” Sloane said with a wink. “I told you. I remember everything.”

  “Then you’ll also recall you didn’t wear one for me.”

  “True,” Sloane admitted, “but white latex wouldn’t look good on me. I’m more of a black leather type of guy.”

  Dex’s mouth dropped open. “Dude, we can’t have sex for like ages, and you’re putting all these naughty images in my head.”

  “I’m not putting anything in your head. I was commenting. Now on you, I think it would be a different story.” He ran his hand from Dex’s chest down to his thigh.

  That really wasn’t helping the no-sex situation, but he left Sloane’s hand resting on his thigh regardless. “You honestly want me to wear white latex assless chaps?”

  Sloane’s cheeks flushed and he shrugged. “I’m not saying you should, just that I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

  “Uh-huh.” Dex held back a smile. He knew his partner had a bit of a kinky side. Not that he was complaining. He loved it when Sloane got all bossy in the bedroom or talked dirty to him. Now he had sinful images of Sloane dressed in leather in his head. Guess he knew what he’d be thinking about in the shower later. Sloane dressed in nothing but a pair of tight black leather pants with maybe some straps around his beefy biceps. Oh yeah. He needed to get off this train of thought before he ended up poking his partner with a different part of his equipment. “We’ll see. So, will you stay with me and let me nurse you back to health?”

  Sloane’s expression turned serious, and he removed his hand from Dex’s leg. “I have some terms and conditions.”

  “All right. Lay them on me.” Dex braced himself. He half expected Sloane to whip out a monocle and unfurl a list of rules long enough to reach the end of the room.

  “I control the music.”

  Dex gasped. He might have whimpered a little too. “Does that mean no Retro Radio?”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it. It means I’ll decide when and how often we tune in to Retro Radio. I would rather give up my left testicle than sit through another one of their Musicians with Mullets marathons.”

  Dex let out a snicker. “You were so ready to lose your shit.”

  Sloane smiled pleasantly and booped the end of Dex’s nose. “And that’s how serial killers are made.”

  “Okay,” Dex said with a laugh. “Okay. No mullet music
marathons. Anything else?”

  Sloane grinned widely. “You bet your cute little ass. I’ll give you my list of demands after I’ve settled in.”

  “Hold up. So I have to accept the terms and conditions without knowing what they are first?” So not fair! And pure genius. Why the hell hadn’t Dex thought of that?

  “Yep.”

  “Are you going to make me regret asking?”

  “Quite possibly.”

  Dex eyed him suspiciously before pretending to think about it. “Fine. It’s a deal.”

  “Good.” Sloane let out a yawn, his eyelids growing heavy. “You’ll need to pick up some clothes and toiletries for me at my apartment.”

  “No, prob. I’ll drop by on the way home.”

  Sloane let out another yawn. “Can you pick up my mail?”

  “Sure thing.” Dex gave his cheek a kiss, earning himself a contented smile. It was most likely the meds putting Sloane in such a sappy mood. Dex might as well enjoy it. He ran his fingers through his partner’s hair. It was starting to grow long again after he’d been forced to get it cut, thanks to Tony finally carrying through with one of his famous “get it cut before I cut it for you” threats. Poor Sloane. It had been a traumatizing experience for his Felid Therian partner. Sloane hummed and turned his head toward Dex. When he opened his eyes, he looked uncertain.

  “You really want me to stay with you? I mean, you’ll have enough to deal with at work without having to worry about me.”

  Shit. Work. For a moment, Dex had forgotten about work and the case. The case he’d been pulled from. He leaned in to kiss Sloane, being gentle while at the same time trying to show Sloane how glad he was they were together. Sloane placed a hand to Dex’s cheek, his thumb stroking softly, and a lump formed in Dex’s throat. He smiled up at his partner, a guy who was quickly taking over his world. How could Dex tell Sloane their team was no longer out there searching for the bastard who’d done this to him?

  Dex kissed Sloane once more before carefully getting off the bed. “I’m sure. I’d worry if you weren’t there.” He clipped his holster back into place, along with his badge before he picked up his jacket.