Page 7 of Cohesion

Sebastian checked his watch. Ten to seven now. No wonder Caleb was blowing up his phone. “I should have been at work twenty minutes ago.Someone”—he sent a pointed look at Jericho, who only smirked in response—“fucked with my alarm, so I got up late.”

“You start work at six-thirty?” Will whistled. “Damn, law is brutal. I don’t start that early unless we have somewhere specific to be. Like a raid or paintball.”

“Not… officially.” Paintball? At six-thirty in the morning? Would doing it before coffee make it better or worse? He’d be grumpier and more ruthless, maybe? Worth trying one day. Though putting a paintball gun in Monica and Caleb’s hands would be nothing short of a catastrophic decision. He wouldn’t survive the encounter.

“What he means to say is that he’s a workaholic,” Quinn said. “And he’s upset that he’ll only be on time to work today instead of early.” He brushed his knuckles down Sebastian’s cheek, making him weak in the knees. “Some things don’t change.”

“For both of us,” Sebastian murmured. Quinn was different, but he was still the same man that Sebastian had fallen head over heels for all those years ago.

Will tugged Sebastian between his legs, turning him. The next kiss was a quick peck, and then he started buttoning Sebastian’s shirt for him. “Probably want to finish getting dressed, then.”

“Thank you,” Sebastian said with a small smile.

Will flicked his nipple with a thumb. Sebastian took that as a “you’re welcome.” It could have been an invite for sex too. Sebastian wouldn’t say no. Though he might need to take a raincheck.

“Who’s going with Seb?” Will tilted his head thoughtfully. “Aren’t you his bodyguard?” he asked Jericho. He tucked Sebastian’s shirt into his slacks and did them up before sliding the belt into its loops and latching it.

Sebastian gave him another kiss as thanks.

“Not today. I have some things I need to get sorted, and I need to take Peyton into HQ,” Jericho said. “His escorts should be here any minute now.”

“Excuse me?” Sebastian squawked. “No fucking way.” HetoleratedJericho following him everywhere because he at least liked the man. Having him here in his home was less about protection and more about… whatever it was that they were doing here. For Sebastian, anyway.

He didn’t needanyone watching his every move.He was going to his car, driving straight to his office, goingtohis office, and then staying there all day until he made the trip back to his car, and then home. What could possibly happen to him during that time? He wouldn’t even be walking on the street, not like when he and Will had been fired at. And his favourite coffee shop in the building was still being renovated and fixed from when it had been shot up, so he wouldn’t be going there, either.

The carpark for his building was underground and secure. No one who didn’t work there could get inside. He wasn’t a complete moron, and he didn’t—contrary to popular belief—actually have a death wish. As long as he stayed on his floor, he would be fine.

“Non-negotiable,” Jericho said, shaking his head. “You have to have someone with you at all times. They’re professionals, and there’s two of them. It’ll be like having me, twice.”

“That wasn’t an ‘I want you, not them’ argument!” Sebastian sputtered. “I thought we were done with this bullshit when we locked Sweeney up!” How long were they going to do this ridiculous cat-and-mouse game?

“He wasn’t doing it on his own. He was taking orders, remember?”

Sebastian shoved his phone into his pocket, drained the rest of his coffee, and slammed the mug on the counter. “I’m going to work. Alone.” He snatched up his vest and jacket and stalked off to the front door. He hesitated when he realised that he’d left his tie there. Whatever. He had spares at work.

All the people responsible for everything that had gone down were either dead or locked up. He had nothing to worry about.

“Sebastian,” Quinn called, following him. “Please. Be reasonable.”

Sebastian grabbed his keys from the blob hanger that his nephew Tristan had made for him years ago in kindergarten and whirled around. “You think I’m beingunreasonable?” It was hissafety; didn’t he get a say in it? “None of you even know if this new guy—what the fuck was his name?”

“Arthur Mulhall,” Jericho supplied, coming up behind Quinn.

Right, that was it. “You don’t know that he’s here in Sydney. It’s been almost a week since Quinn was attacked, and there’s beennothing. He could have fled the country and is making a new life for himself in Venezuela right this second for all we know. I won’t walk around on eggshells, wondering if todayis the day for worst-case scenario, when nothing might everhappen. How long is this going to go on?”

“Venezuela?” Jericho asked. “That’s where you went?”

Sebastian dropped his hand, shoving it in his pocket. They were completely missing the point. “I want proof. That he’s here, that we have something to worry about.”

“Nothing that’s happened up to this point makes you think that we have something to worry about?” Jericho asked. “What hasto happen for you to take it seriously? What are you waiting for?”

“Iamtaking it seriously. Errol and Dane are dead. The man who attacked Quinn is in jail. The guy he worked for who just got out of jail has disappeared, and I’m not convinced this would be his first stop.”

“And why not?”

“Because there’s nothing here for him!” Sebastian burst out in frustration. “What’s left?There’s no one here. He’s just one person, and he doesn’t have anything here.”

“He doesn’t have anything, period,” Quinn said quietly. “And that makes him dangerous. More than any other person we’ve encountered on this case. When someone’s back is to the wall is when they’re at their worst.”

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