Page 114 of Cohesion

“Have you told him?”

“Yeah, he knows.”

“And…?”

“He lets me have whatever I want, and he shouldn’t. He feeds it, and I can’t ever let him go.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“It sounds fucked up. You can say it.”

“Love doesn’t always make sense. I’m in love with four other men, who are all in love with each other. Make sense of that.” Maybe they hadn’t all said it, but Sebastian would be an idiot if he hadn’t noticed or feltit. He prided himself on being smarter than that. Most of the time. He should have listened when they’d tried to tell him to be more vigilant, more careful.

Spencer’s laugh was low and a little pained and the best sound that Sebastian had heard in a while. A piece of happiness in a situation that had sucked every ounce of sunshine from inside him.

Spencer put a hand on Sebastian’s arm and straightened, alert. “Footsteps.”

Sebastian sighed, his bruises aching again as if they knew what was coming. “Guess one of us is up?”

“They’re coming for us,” Spencer said firmly, holding his hand and squeezing.

Sebastian could only squeeze back and brace himself as the door opened. Those words were the only ones getting him through.

His men were coming.

Chapter Sixteen

The first time Peytonhad gone on deployment after they’d met, Will had obsessively checked every avenue he could within the media and his own contacts to try and piece together what was happening in Peyton’s last-known location. He’d learned an important lesson those eight months: the more he knew, the worse his imagination could be. It played havoc with everything and made shadows twist into monsters.

This was just like that. Worse, somehow. The weight of his tactical gear, his SIG MCX rifle slung across his shoulders, it was all familiar. He’d done this kind of op so many times he could have done it in his sleep. Go in, put everyone on the ground, search them, transport anyone under arrest.

This time it would be different. They had no idea what they were walking into. Jericho had said this “Xavier Alicent” wasn’t mafia, but whatever he was, Will had no doubt he was dangerous. Regardless of what happened in there, there wouldbe no transporting anyone, and the information they were looking for would need to be extracted at the scene.

By any means necessary? Is that what they’d come to? What would Will do to save someone he loved? He didn’t know. Wasn’t sure hewantedto know what he was capable of deep down. He’d like to think he was better than that. But at the expense of someone he loved? He didn’t honestly know.

“Will, quit it,” Roy said gruffly. “You’re rattling the whole damn car.”

“Fuck off,” Will responded instinctively. He did force his knee to stop bouncing, though. They’d split up into three SUVs. Will, Cain, and Roy in one. Hunter, Peyton, and Six in the second. Jericho, Quinn, and Diego in the third. Then they’d all taken different routes to get to their destination. Extra precautions that made Will nervous.

None of the cars were apparently traceable, and if they had to, they would leave them there. Quinn had mentioned they had one currently in their records that had been ransacked while in police custody, insinuating that Jericho knew something about it. Jericho had just grinned. He always knew something about everything.

It didn’t matter what vehicle they were going in. None of this was officially sanctioned. Even though Cain had slipped the weapons out with no one the wiser, if someone caught wind of it, every bullet they fired would be a hole in their badges and a monumental risk to their careers.

Will was eternally grateful for his team. Knowing they had his back, no matter what? Luckiest guy in the world. He owed them dinner and expensive ass alcohol after this.

“Let me get this straight,” Cain drawled from the backseat. “We’re heading to a bar that’s owned by a well-known criminal—”

“Not proven,” Will interjected.

“Not proven well-known criminal,” Cain corrected, continuing without missing a step, “which we all know means he’s not just shady as all get out, he’s asmartshady fucker. We love those. And then we’re gonna rough up some random people to find out where they took yourkidnappedboyfriend? With a black ops team that doesn’t technically exist?”

Will went over the words. “Yes,” he said. That all sounded right. “Why?” He’d already gone over this when they’d gotten in the car. The clock on the dashboard said they’d been driving for thirty minutes. Will could have sworn they’d been driving for thirtyhours. It was taking too long.

“Just making sure they all know how to shoot. Don’t need some amateur fucking turkey waving their weapon around like it’s a dick they’re jerking.”

Will… had no response whatsoever to that comment.

“Is that what you do when you’re jerking it?” Roy asked, snorting. “Explains so much.”

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