Page 66 of Cohesion

He frowned as he scanned the room. Not something he had to worry about since— “Where is Jericho?”

“Prior engagement.”

“Didn’t bother to say goodbye?”

“Communication isn’t his strong point.”

“Pot, meet kettle.” Sebastian didn’t go back to his desk, instead choosing to perch himself on his coffee table. Riley reached forward and snagged the coffee right from his hand as he passed. He debated on whether to attempt wrangling it back, but Riley was tenacious. It was better for him to drink it than have it on the floor with no one able to enjoy it. The asshole.

“You already knew that I was aware of your association with them,” Sebastian said as he settled, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Once I knew that you were involved with Jericho—we’ll come back to that—I figured as much. And since you didn’t seem shocked earlier, I’d say I was correct.”

“Why can’t you work things out like a normal person?” Riley jumped to conclusions that were almost always correct, even when the information he was using was vagueat best. It made him an interesting cop and sometimes an annoying-as-fuck friend.

“The same reason you don’t, I suppose.”

Turnabout wasnotfair play. “When were you going to tell me that you worked with them?”

“When were you going to tell me that you were sleeping with Jericho Rowlands?”

“I didn’t know you had anything to do with him the first time we fucked,” Sebastian said bluntly. “Do you want a list of everyone I’ve ever slept with?” Too many, after he’d tried so hard to forget Quinn Hughes. A futile effort that had left a bad taste in his mouth. “Were you with them before we met?”

“Yes.”

“Were you the reason Hunter approached me?”

Riley sighed. “Yes.”

Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut, massaging his temples again. Whatever magic Jericho had worked before, it was quickly disappearing.

He didn’t know how to feel about any of this. There was an underlying thread of betrayal beneath their friendship. Some part of him knew he’d clung to Riley after he’d broken it off with Quinn because it was the only piece of Quinn he had left. The other part held Riley close to him, a brother alongside Eli, and Jay, only one of whom he was blood related to. “Why?”

“Because you were looking for something, and I was trying to help you find it.”

Sebastian dropped his head into his hands. He’d beenlookingfor a way to drown his broken heart. “I don’t know what that means.”

“You were lost after Quinn, both of you were, and I couldn’t help you with that. You were floundering, questioning decisions that I know were solid. Your sense of justice was dragging somewhere on the ground, and there was too much potential for the good you could do to let that stay where it was. You weren’t wrong to hide the truth from Eli. You weren’t wrong when you fought like a beast to keep Rohan from the clutches of prison. Every time your gut instinct has told you something is wrong, and carved you a path, it’s never been wrong. The situation with Quinn made you question that. Hunter helped you find purpose again.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that many words at once before.”

“Don’t expect it again any time soon.”

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. “When are you going to stop trying to protect everyone?”

Riley took a sip ofSebastian’scoffee and didn’t answer.

Sebastian stood and slapped his hands against his knees. “Is that all you wanted?” he asked. He was ripped raw enoughfrom everything right now, and he couldn’t handle navigating anything else. “I’m fine. You seem fine. I have work to do.”

“How is Quinn?”

Sebastian tensed, stopping in his tracks halfway across the room. “You see him at work.”

“Don’t deflect.”

“He’s perfect,” Sebastian said. “He’s always been perfect.”

“Don’t do that, not again. If you have any hope of surviving together this time, you can’t just dive in and repeat the same mistakes. My brother is involved in this now, and if you think for one second that I’ll just stand by and let you destroy him alongside yourselves, think again.”

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