Page 87 of Cohesion

“Alright, fucking stop,” Kendrick burst out. “Seriously, if you don’t fucking cut that out, I’m going to shove a shark somewhere unpleasant, and Jericho is gonna find it lodged up there the next time he wants a piece of your ass.”

Spencer cackled, almost losing his grip on his laptop, already balancing precariously on his crossed legs. Kendrick shot him a dirty look.

“It’s catchy,” Henry offered politely.

“You want to have something shoved upyourass?” Kendrick growled.

Henry blinked. “Um. No?”

Spencer mimed zipping his lips, and Henry swallowed, then gave a sharp nod, clamming up. Fast learner.

Sebastian sent off the next email and then checked the time. “Alright, time to go. Caleb should be here any second to—” As if on cue, Caleb burst through the door, almost running straight into Henry, who put one hand on Caleb’s chest, the other sitting dangerously over the weapon on his hip.

“Need to frisk me?” Caleb asked, smirking.

Henry took a hasty step back, almost tripping. “Sorry–I–I was just… Sorry.”

How did this kid work forRiley?

Caleb slung an arm around Henry’s shoulders and grinned. “Forgiven. So, ready to go? I am hungry as fuck.”

“We’re going to a prison,” Kendrick deadpanned. “You likeprisonfood?”

“Do they feed you when you’re a visitor?” Spencer asked. “I’ve never been fed there before.”

Caleb waved a hand in their direction dismissively. “Fuck no. But there’s a place on the way that has donuts to die for.”

“Why would you want to die from a donut?” Kendrick asked. He stood and smoothed his slacks, brushing imaginary lint from them. There wasn’t a single wrinkle in his suit, despite the facthe’d been sitting for hours. Unlike Spencer, who looked like he’d been run over by a truck, twice. His jeans had multiple holes in them, and Sebastian would have bet they hadn’t come like that. The T-shirt he wore had the Kellogg’s Coco Pops monkey on it. Hiding in plain sight as a bodyguard. Sebastian wouldn’t be surprised if he was some random that they’d picked up off the street who had never used a gun in his life. Hunter didn’t seem the jokester type, but Sebastian’s whole life had become one giant fucking joke lately.

Once they were all in the hall, and Sebastian’s office was locked securely behind him, Caleb paused, a pained grimace on his face. “Shit, I forgot my wallet. I’ll meet you at the car?”

“Sure.”

“Shotgun for front seat!” he called as he half jogged down the hall.

“Motherfucker,” Kendrick muttered, startling an older man standing nearby. Spencer took hold of Kendrick’s suit jacket and pulled him backward as the elevator door closest to them opened.

The old man looked positively outraged, features twisting as he scowled at Kendrick. Kendrick’s face didn’t change, staring passively at him as if daring him to say something.

They didn’t make a move to get into the elevator as the older man shuffled in, still giving them the stink eye. Two other people appeared out of nowhere and stepped in with him. Sebastian wasn’t getting on there.

Spencer was forced to grab Henry’s jacket as well when he went to step inside.

“Wha–?”

“Have a nice day,” Spencer called out to the man as the elevator door closed.

“I can make dropping it look like an accident,” Kendrick said darkly.

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can never come back here again.”

“But you work here?” Henry said, confused. “Will you work from a different office? Why didn’t we get on? Aren’t we going down?”

Sebastian wasn’t answering that.He’s a detective,he kept reminding himself. Had to be good at his job, or Riley wouldn’t have taken him on. Unless he’d gotten pressure from his dad further up the chain of command, he supposed. Sebastian made a mental note to ask him. Simon had never used his relationship with Riley like that before, but there was always a first time for everything.

The ride was tense as they went down. He should have grabbed a coffee before they left. The place they were going had great donuts but only subpar coffee. No place could be perfect.

“I can sit in the middle,” Henry offered tentatively. “If there’s a problem with—”

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