Page 40 of Cohesion

“Jericho is espionage. He slips through the cracks and hides in plain sight. It’s why he’s so good at guarding someone; he looks like he belongs there and not for the reasons he’sactuallythere. I bet he’s always appeared relaxed and like he’s just ‘hanging out’ when he’s been with you. Ken and I are better in the shadows, where no one can see us. We spend more time digging through the trash than guarding someone.”

Peyton hoped they didn’t mean that literally, because he wasn’t about to jump into someone’s bin.

“So he’s just a really good liar,” Sebastian drawled. Peyton cupped the side of his neck from behind, his thumb rubbing the skin at the top of his neck, hair tickling him.

Kendrick’s eyes narrowed. “Says the lawyer.”

“Touché.”

Peyton squeezed lightly. Sebastian tilted his head a fraction, cheek brushing against Peyton’s fingers.

“It means he’s got good instincts. He always has. I’m sure it has to do with growing up o—” Spencer stopped abruptly. Cleared his throat. Nudged Kendrick with his elbow. “Remember that time in Vegas?”

Kendrick grunted. “He stopped that before it even started. Had no idea anything was even wrong.”

“Probably why Justin and—” Spencer stopped again, red blotches appearing on his pale cheeks. “Never mind.”

Peyton could see why they didn’t do what Jericho did. Subtlety was not a strong point with either of them. “Why don’t you finishthat drink, loosen up, tell us more about that?” he asked. “Better yet, why don’t I add a little something? Your partner looks like he could relax a bit.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Spencer said weakly.

Kendrick muttered something under his breath that Peyton didn’t catch. Spencer pursed his lips and elbowed him again, this time a little harder. Kendrick glared but didn’t move to retaliate.

“What happened in Vegas, Spencer?” Sebastian asked. Spencer didn’t answer. “Alright. Were you there for business or pleasure?”

Spencer hesitated, then said, “Business.” He obviously thought it was an innocent enough question. Peyton already knew that Sebastian was leading them somewhere, like a spider luring a fly to its web.

“What business wouldyouhave in Las Vegas?” Sebastian asked, voice deceptively casual. Non-threatening. “I didn’t realise that your organisation branches out that far.”

“It’s less branching out than—”

“Than nothing. Time to stop this conversation right where it is,” Jericho said, appearing out of nowhere.

“I wasn’t finished,” Sebastian said flatly.

“I think you are.” Jericho plucked the drink from his hand, sniffed it, then took a sip. He gestured to Kendrick and Spencer. Spencer waved goodbye with a wink and then led Kendrick away.

“It’s curious to me how quickly you like to change the subject when we’re talking about you,” Sebastian said, leaning forward.

Peyton’s hand slipped away from him, and he straightened, one hand braced on the bar. Jericho’s eyes were a different shade than this morning. He’d put in a colour at some point after he’d left Sebastian’s house. Why?Where had he gone?

Jericho put the now-empty glass on the bar. “It’s late. We should go.”

“It’s not even eleven, you aren’t my mother, and I said Iwasn’t finished,” Sebastian hissed. “Why is it that you get to wade through our pasts, know everything about us, and you get a free pass? Why don’t you share with the class for once?”

Leigh tapped Peyton’s hip, and Peyton shifted out of the way so he could get to whatever he was looking for. “Everything alright?” he asked quietly, head turned up at Peyton as he bent down.

Peyton nodded sharply. Leigh glanced between them and moved over to the next customer, taking charge while Peyton dealt with his boyfriends’ issues. Whatever the fuck they were.

“I know that you’re pissed off at me,” Jericho said, “but you don’t want to do this here.” A clear warning. One that Sebastian didn’t listen to.

“Sure, I do.” Sebastian gestured at where Kendrick and Spencer were pushing through the glass doors to go outside. “They know about it. Why don’t you tell us? Or is that not what we’re doing here? You just want a warm bed and a fuck, is that it?”

Jericho’s lips flattened. “None of it is important. None of it matters. Therefore, it isn’t worth talking about.”

“You don’t get to decide that,” Sebastian replied with hostility. “That isn’t how relationships work. You’re a great fuck, but if that’s all we wanted, we could have found plenty of men with far fewer complications than you.”

Peyton opened his mouth to add his own two cents to the argument, then thought better of it. Something was bothering Sebastian, and sometimes it was better to let people get it out. Peyton was a sniper. He might be a hothead, but he could be patient if it was important enough. Targets always flushed themselves out eventually, all but doing his job for him.

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