Page 105 of Cohesion

“I’m heading to the hospital to see Moira and Ken,” Six said. “Send me a text if you find anything, need anything, or think of a dirty joke I might want to hear.” He left Bianca on the table and slapped Jericho on the shoulder as he left.

Then he and Quinn were alone.

Quinn had moved back to his spot: hunched completely over the bench, both hands holding tight to his mug. He wouldn’t look at Jericho, instead choosing to stare intently at his coffee. No, not coffee. Smelled like some kind of herbal tea. A better choice for this time of night.

“Gave up on the coffee?” Jericho asked. He shrugged off his suit jacket and threw it over the back of the couch. A pile of blankets was already draped over it, and a few pillows balanced on the cushions. They were all getting power naps wherever they could, whenever they could spare it. It was a temporary fix, and their tanks were running low, the cracks beginning to show in all of them.

Quinn took a moment to answer, and when he did, his voice was free of any emotion whatsoever. “I’ve had enough coffee. Seb was—is—the only one who—” He cut off and closed his eyes, lips thinning, head dragging further down.

Jericho’s dress shoes clickedloudly on the tiling in the dark, quiet room as he closed the distance between them. He carefully pried the mug from Quinn and slid it out of the way. “Riley have anything to say before he left?”

“No.”

Jericho pressed his chest to Quinn’s back, hands moving up and down Quinn’s arms soothingly. “Things strained between you two?” He’d heard about the incident at Sebastian’s office and just how close the entire situation had come to imploding.

“No. I’m not the same person that I used to be. Their friendship was important enough to keep, and I respect that. We hold different pieces of Sebastian.”

Jericho unbuttoned Quinn’s shirt, popping out each button slowly. “But?”

“There is no but. Not this time.”

Jericho slid Quinn’s shirt from his shoulders and kissed the exposed skin gently, moving his lips across the tense muscles. “Talk to me.”

“I am talking to you.”

He was making words; he wasn’t here. Not really.

“Hope isn’t lost, Quinn. Don’t give in to it.”

Quinn let out a ragged breath that Jericho felt to his core, his stomach muscles shuddering. “He’s not like you. Or Peyton. Or even Will. He can’t handle this. Whatever they’re doing—whatever they’re—” He cut himself off, shoulders dropping further.

“He’s stubborn.” Jericho pressed a kiss to the edge of Quinn’s shoulder. “He’s resourceful.” A kiss to the curve of his neck. “Too smart for his own good.” A kiss behind his ear. “And so much stronger than any of us could ever give him credit for. He knows we’re coming for him, and that we won’t ever stop. He’ll wait for us.”

Quinn leaned back, turning his head to the side, meeting Jericho’s gaze. “You’re always so sure of everything.”

He’d heard that before. “I understand regret intimately. I also know that it does nothing but rot from the inside. All we can do is the best we can in the moment, and then keep going.”

“How do you keep going?”

Jericho cupped Quinn’s check, stroking lightly with his thumb. “You don’t give up. You lean on the ones that are with you, who are there to help.” He smoothed his thumb over Quinn’s bottom lip. “You aren’t alone; don’t hide from us.”

When Quinn kissed him, there was a desperate tinge to it, a silent plea that Jericho could do nothing but answer. This strong, resilient man was in so much pain he was drowning in it, and if Jericho could do even one small thing to ease it, he would do it, no matter what it was or what it took from him.

He did his best to soothe the unsteady strokes of Quinn’s tongue and gentle the rough kisses. Quinn rocked back against him and put a hand on his hip, stilling him. “It’s alright,” Jericho whispered hoarsely, his heart breaking at how completely Quinn was falling apart. “I’ve got you, Quinn, I promise.” He still had no idea what he was doing with any of them, but he couldn’t fool himself anymore into thinking that he wasn’t gone for them. Would give his life for any of them. Give them hisheart, which was so much harder to hand out than a declaration of the offer to fall on his own sword. Sacrifice was easy. Making himself vulnerable, giving away pieces of his very soul? That was so much harder, and he would give it all to them.Hadalready given it to all of them.

“I want you to fuck me,” Quinn said, so quietly that Jericho almost didn’t hear it.

Jericho faltered. What? “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said hesitantly. It had never been explicitly stated, but Jericho was aware of Quinn’s sexual preferences. He didn’t bottom. Not with Sebastian. Not with any of them. Jericho respected that and didn’t need anything from Quinn but what he was willing to give.

“I can’t breathe, Jericho. I can’t think. I can’t sleep. Ineedhim here, back with me. I made so many mistakes with him, and how can I make up for that and give him everything that he deserves if he’s taken from me?”

Jericho cradled Quinn to his chest, hand spread over the back of his head. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to Quinn’s hair, breathing in his strong scent, hints of sandalwood and musk lingering.

“For just a moment, I want to forget. Please.”

The single word almost broke Jericho.Please. How could he not give Quinn what he needed when he asked so beautifully? The next kiss to Quinn’s head was firmer, and he gently nudged him so that he faced forward properly. He glided his hands down Quinn’s arms and twined their fingers together for a heartbeat before he spread them on the bench.

“Stay here,” he breathed against Quinn’s hair. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

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