Page 128 of Cohesion

Quinn had mentioned she was a nurse. This must have been the hospital she worked at. That could work in their favour.

Toby paused as he went to turn. “Wait, wait. Devlin.Thisis your brother?”

“You talk to your colleagues about me?” Sebastian asked, scandalised.

“Only the cute ones, when I’m trying to get you to go on a date,” Charlotte replied.

Jericho scowled. What the fuck? No one was setting Sebastian up right in fucking front of him. “There will benodate,” he said firmly, adding just the right level of warning to his tone.

“If your men don’t treat you right and take you on dates, I know a cute guy wholovesdates,” Toby said, winking at Sebastian. He ducked out of reach with a laugh as Jericho lunged for him, and he was gone in an instant.

“What were you going to do?” Peyton asked, his eyes also laughing at Jericho. None of this was funny.

“I hadn’t decided yet.” Throwing him out the window had been a distinct possibility. Five floors might not even kill him if he were lucky. Jericho would make sure he wasn’t.

Charlotte turned to them as though she hadn’t noticed they were even there. She might not have. Her focus had been on Sebastian the second she’d come through the door. Jericho could appreciate the single-mindedness, especially when it came to the health and safety of someone he loved. “And who are…” She trailed off as she locked onto Quinn. Her eyes softened. “Quinn.”

“Charlotte,” Quinn responded.

She glanced down. “You’re bleeding.” She advanced on him, and by the look on his face, Jericho bet he would have backed up if he hadn’t already been pressed against the wall. “Where are you hurt?”

Quinn took one of her hands in his, halting her attempt to unbutton his shirt. “It’s not mine,” he said gently.

She stared down at their joined hands and then tugged hers away with a scowl. “Seb’s?”

“No.”

She narrowed her eyes and then pointed at him in the same manner she had Sebastian. “If I find out you’re lying to me...” The threat was implied and low-key terrifying. Even Jericho was a little scared.

“Scout’s honour.”

“I might believe that if I thought you’d ever been a Boy Scout, Quinn Lewis Hughes.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “I was.”

“For two days before you got bored and left,” she retorted. “That hardly counts as a proper argument.”

“You know too many of my secrets, Charlie.”

The next second, Quinn had an armful of Sebastian’s sister. “Thank you for getting him back,” she whispered.

“Always.”

She pulled away and then looked at Will, Peyton, and Jericho. “And I guess these are the otherthreeboyfriends that Sebastian has been hoarding in secret?”

“I hope there’s a feedback questionnaire around here,” Sebastian said under his breath.

“I’ll get you one later,” Charlotte replied primly.

Will lifted his hand with a smile. “Will.”

“Peyton.”

Was it his turn to offer his name? “Jericho,” he said gruffly. He’d barely gotten the word out when suddenly, she was inhisarms. She had her pick of the room, and she picked him? Flawed logic in there somewhere. He awkwardly patted her back. Would it be rude if he jiggled in an attempt to dislodge her? This was uncomfortable.

“Thank you.”

“All in a day’s work,” was all he could think to say.

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