Page 36 of Cohesion

“Don’t answer that.” Riley briefly closed his eyes and sat back. “I hope that you know whatyou’redoing.”

“I don’t. But I’m doing it anyway.”

Riley didn’t seem surprised. Peyton and Lucas had always been the impulsive brothers. Making decisions in the moment instead of thinking about them first. Sometimes regretting those decisions. Sometimes not. Peyton didn’t know which one this was, but he doubted he could ever regret how all four men had made him feel these last few weeks. How much he’d experienced and learned with them. How much he’d stupidly fallen in love with them because he couldn’t claim that he felt any other. It didn’t matter that it was way too soon for any of that. He’d been in love with Will and Quinn for years. How could he also not love the two men who saw what he saw?

Even Jericho. Peyton wanted to know everything about the man. Wanted to spend his nights going to sleep with him alongside all of them. Wanted to wake up and see his real eyes before he hid them behind layers. He felt free andhimselfwhen Jericho was around because Jericho didn’t shy away from any parts of him, took every dark corner of Peyton in stride.

They all made him feel that way. What else could that be but love?

“I’m here if you ever need to talk. Get something off your chest. Anything. Just because I don’t agree with your decisions, doesn’t mean I won’t stand by you while you make them.”

“I know.” Of course, Peyton knew that. Riley and Kellan had been his rocks throughout his entire childhood. They were the quintessential big brothers and had always been there for all of them. Maybe not in all the ways that Peyton wished they were, but it wasn’t fair to blame them for not stopping him from making a stupid decision when he knew he would have made it anyway.

Besides, it was less about what he’d chosen to do and more aboutwhohewas, and how that had impacted it. Their brother, Danny, was doing the exact same job right now with the exact same team that Peyton had once been part of, and he was handling it just fine. The hangups had been aboutPeyton, not the job.

He didn’t know what to do with that. How to fix what was wrong inside himself.

“I mean it, Peyton. What you’re stepping into, it’s… Just know that no matter what you need, whatever it is, you only have to ask.”

Peyton couldn’t talk about that. It wasn’t what he was there for. “I want to know who was trying to hurt you.”

“I know as much as you do. There’s a high chance this has to do with what you’re involved in. What you and Sebastian have gotten yourselves caught up in. Are you ready for what that means?”

“I’ve dealt with things you can’t imagine,” Peyton bit out. “You should be more worried about them than me.” Because when he got his hands on them, they’d wish they’d stayed out of town for good.

Riley’s lips turned down. “There are other options out there for you, Peyton. Places that can help you.”

“I don’t need help.” He couldn’t sit in front of a stranger and bare his soul. Couldn’t tell someone he didn’t know or trust what was in his heart. Jericho and Hunter, they were his last chance. And Riley didn’t get to take that from him just because he thought he knew what was best.

Riley studied his face. Whatever he was looking for, he wouldn’t find. Peyton knew that because he was looking for the same thing. And he hadn’t found it yet.

“I wish that you would be more careful,” Riley said eventually. “That you would take your own safety as seriously as you take the safety of others.”

“I know.”

Riley sighed. “I didn’t get a good look at them before they took off. I gave Six all the information that I had, and they’ll take it from there.”

Peyton exhaled in relief, glad that Riley was allowing him to retreat even if only a step or two backward. “And if it has something to do with the man that they’re—we’re—hunting?”

“Then they’ll deal with it.”

“Just like that?”

“It’s what they do. Whatyoudo now. Find the problem and make it go away, by any means necessary.”

Peyton hated the way he said it. Like it was somethingdirty. Like he’d made a mistake. He hadn’t. “There had to be some reason why they would have gone for you. If it is connected.” Too much of a coincidence not to be. It was fucking ballsy going forRiley, in his home of all places.

“I visited Jericho while he was in jail. A delivery. It’s the only connection that we have and one that they’ll investigate and deal with.”

“Delivery?”

Riley pointed to his eyes.Oh. He would have needed contacts. Peyton doubted any of them had expected for Jericho to be arrested like that.

“And that’s it? You’re just gonna leave it with them and not do anything yourself?” Peyton asked. Total trust or something else? Someone had broken into Riley’s home and tried to kidnap him, and he was acting like it was just another day in the life.

“What is it you think I should do? I know when to delegate. The ball is in their court; if they need me to do something, they’ll let me know. It’s teamwork. I’m sure you know how that works.”

Peyton scowled. “What abo—” He cut off, twisting, at the knock on the door.

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