Page 108 of Reactant

Six glanced behind them when Jericho dropped to his knees beside Quinn and handed him a tea-towel. “We good?”

“He’s not going anywhere.” Unfortunately. Jericho wanted to send him to Hell.

“Breathing?”

“For now.” Jericho would make good on his promise if he dared to move. It would give him great pleasure to do it.

He cupped Quinn’s clean cheek, stroking it with his thumb as he searched his face. Rage tugged at him at the damage above his temple, on the upper curve of his forehead.

Quinn’s half-lidded eyes flitted to him. “Jericho.”

“Hey,” Jericho said, trying to smile through the anger that was like a red haze across his mind. Quinn was a good cop, a good person. More than that, he wasJericho’s, and no one had any right to put their hands on him. “Did he hurt you anywhere else?”

“Just—head.”

Jericho looked to Six in question.

“He’s got a definite concussion. The cut doesn’t need stitches, but it needs to be cleaned and bandaged. I don’t want to clean it with anything in here that isn’t sterilised.”

Nothing in the room would be clean enough if that was Six’s criteria. “Don’t you want to stop the bleeding?” Jericho asked, frowning. Half Quinn’s face was covered with it, and while it wasn’t pouring out enough to be of immediate concern, it hadn’t stopped yet.

“Movement is good. Less chance of infection setting in with fresh blood flow. Gloria said she called for an ambulance, and I asked her to direct them in here once they arrive.” Six twisted up onto one knee, leaning over Quinn. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Jericho swept his gaze over the rest of Quinn, wanting to see for himself that he didn’t have any unknown injuries. The blood that had dripped on his suit was deceiving, and since there were no cuts or damage elsewhere, it had to have come from his face. He took Quinn’s hand, not liking how little pressure he exerted when he squeezed Jericho.

“Eight,” Quinn said slowly.

Six twisted his arm, showing Jericho the four he was holding up.

Fuck.

Six glanced at their twined hands but didn’t say anything. “Can you tell me your name?” he asked, gently turning Quinn back to face him. “Try not to move your head, all right?”

“Quinn.”

“Your full name, sweetheart,” Jericho said. He pointedly ignored Six’s sharp look.

Quinn’s mouth moved for a few tense beats before sound came out. “Quinn Lewis Hughes.”

“Lewis?” Six asked. He wiped the blood from Quinn's face with the tea towel Jericho had given him, avoiding the cut entirely. “Family name?”

“My dad.”

“And what day is it?” Six asked.

Quinn blinked. “Friday. September.”

Quinn’s partner, Grady, and the paramedics arrived together, squeezing into the room with Gloria coming in behind them. In a matter of seconds, the kitchen was uncomfortably crowded. As much as Jericho hated to, and how much everything in him screamed to keep his hands on Quinn and reassure himself that he was all right, he stood and stepped back to give the paramedics room to work. Six spoke to them in a low, urgent voice. Considering he was a qualified doctor and someone that Jericho trusted his own life with, he knew that Quinn was in good hands. The best hands. Better hands than his. His healing skills, while better than average, were rudimentary compared to the medical professionals.

Grady’s face was tight as he approached Jericho. “Give me two good reasons why I shouldn’t arrest you.”

“Only two?” Jericho quipped. If he hadn’t arrested Jericho when he’d killed someone right in front of him, this wasn’t going to do it.

Jericho didn’t think it possible, but Grady’s scowl somehow deepened until his whole face was just one giant scowl.

Grady pulled a set of cuffs from the inside of his jacket. “If you had anything to do with this, I promise you that I will make your life a living hell. A slow, torturous hell.”

Jericho let him have that, only because he was firmly in Quinn’s corner. He appreciated loyalty, and the kind these two showed each other was admirable. And Quinn having someone like that watching his back could only be a good thing. “I’m not the one you want to arrest.”

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