Sloane almost spit out his coffee. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and stared at Dex.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, apparently they’ve been seeing each other for some time.” Dex took a sip of his bucket-sized cappuccino. So good.
“Wow, they’re good.” Sloane tipped his head in approval. “We could have taken lessons from them.”
“Yeah, we were pretty shit at hiding the fact we were totally boning each other,” Dex teased.
“Aw, you’re so romantic.”
Sloane kissed him, and Dex all but melted against him. He tasted of his two favorite things, Sloane and coffee. When he pulled back, he looked puzzled.
“I’m surprised your dad didn’t say anything. Sparks, I’m not surprised, despite all the shit she gave us about our relationship.”
Dex told Sloane how Sparks had told Tony not to, using the excuse that Dex had a lot on his plate but was really worried he wouldn’t approve, and she’d been right about Cael. His little brother might be all grown up with a mind of his own, and there were times when he and Dex argued, but for the most part, if Dex went along with something, Cael often followed. An old habit from when they were kids.
“I wonder if that’s why she was so open to changing the no-fraternizing rule,” Dex mused. “Guess we’ll never know. Have you heard from Ash?”
“Yeah. THIRDS HQ is business as usual, but the higher-ups are shitting themselves. The Department of Therian Defense is coming under fire, and TIN’s taken control of everything until the investigation is over. The Human Branch of Defense will be under scrutiny now too. If what Moros says is true, and there are more of them, they’ll be lying low for a while. Too much heat, and TIN’s operatives are everywhere. I have to give them credit. When they clean up, they really clean up.”
“Hm.”
Dex nodded and took another sip of his coffee. Sloane eyed him.
“What?”
“Sparks gave us something.” He reached into his pocket and handed the wallets to Sloane, who opened one first, then the other before laughing.
“You’re shitting me.” When Sloane realized he wasn’t kidding, he sobered up quickly. “You’re not shitting me. She wants us to work for TIN?”
Dex shrugged. “She said we could do things our way, provided we get results and our covers don’t get blown. No one can know what I am or who we work for.”
“Wait, you’re actually considering this?”
Sloane tossed the wallets on the table, and Dex returned them to his pocket.
“I can’t believe this.” He met Dex’s gaze. “You want to leave the THIRDS?”
“No, I mean…. No. We wouldn’t be leaving. There would be changes, but….”
“Dex? Talk to me, babe. What’s on your mind?”
“I keep thinking about my parents, about everything they did, everything they risked for the greater good. A better world for Therians and Humans. It seems like every month there’s some new maniac trying to make it rain blood, bringing chaos to innocent people, to our friends and family. What if instead of dealing with the puppets, we try to bring down the puppet masters, the ones skulking in the shadows? We could make a real difference.”
“We are making a difference.”
“I know we are, but think about the bigger picture, Sloane. Think about all those assholes like Moros. We know they exist, they’re out there, and who the hell knows when they’ll come down on us, when they’ll strike and take someone we love from us. Do you really want to sit back and just wait for them to come to us? Not only could we keep our city safe, but our country, our world.”
Sloane let out a low whistle. “The world? Just two of us?”
“As part of a bigger organization. Think of the resources TIN must have. The freedom not to be entangled in all that red tape. You hate red tape.”
“But it’s necessary, Dex. Without rules, without law, we have chaos.”
“I know that, but let’s face it. It’s flawed. The law is black and white, but the world and the people in it run a vast spectrum of colors. What about Special Ops? The CIA? You’re telling me they’re sitting behind their desks waiting for a stamp that tells them it’s okay to take down that guy who plans to kill hundreds of people in one swoop? Or that billionaire douchebag who hands out payoffs and fudges results so he can make millions off an experimental drug that could kill thousands, because hey, what’s thousands versus billions of people and dollars?”
“What about everything they’ve put us through? The secrets? The lies? You want us to just look the other way?”
“That all happened with us being on the outside looking in, but surely that would change once we’re on the inside. Look at the training we’ve received, and that’s just from Sparks. Imagine what we could learn, what we’d be capable of as operatives. I’m not saying we should trust them. Not right off the bat. But think about everything we could accomplish.” He took Sloane’s hand in his. “Together. Me and you.”
“You feel strongly about this, don’t you?”
Dex let out a heavy sigh. “I’m just saying, think about the possibilities, with us doing things our way. Whatever you decide”—Dex smiled at him and squeezed Sloane’s hand—“I’ll back you up. I don’t go anywhere without you.”
Sloane nodded. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What about our family, our friends, our team?”
Dex shrugged. “Maybe it’s time Ash took on a bigger role in the team.”
Sloane brought Dex’s fingers to his lips for a kiss. “I don’t know if I can take this step.”
Dex’s heart sank, but he understood. He couldn’t ask this of Sloane. This was something he felt strongly about, something he wanted, and it wasn’t just him anymore. It was them. This would change everything. Their lives. They’d be sent all over the world, doing God only knew what.
“Unless you take it with me as my husband.”
Dex’s hand stopped in midair. Very slowly, he lowered it to the table. “I’m sorry. For a moment there, I thought you said husband.”
Sloane’s amber eyes glowed as he smiled. He got up, moved his chair, and reached into his pocket. “This isn’t where I planned to do this, but I don’t think I can wait anymore.”
The café buzzed with chatter and gasps as Sloane got down on one knee. Dex’s eyes widened, his heart about to beat out of him. He couldn’t breathe. Oh my God, he couldn’t breathe.
“Dexter Justice Daley, will you do me the honor of starting a new adventure with me as my husband?”
Sloane opened the small black box, and Dex gasped.
“Is that…?”
“Your dad’s wedding ring. Tony was keeping it safe for you. When I told him I wanted to marry you, he brought it over for me. So… will you marry me?”
Dex nodded, tears in his eyes as Sloane slipped the ring onto his finger, the whole place erupting into applause. Sloane stood, and Dex threw himself into his embrace. Dex had never been happier. He squeezed Sloane’s neck so tight, Sloane groaned.
“Sorry,” Dex said with a sniff through his tears. “Forgot about the whole strength thing.”
“We’ll work on it,” Sloane said with a smile. They sat down, several people walking by to congratulate them. Dex played with the ring on his finger, still unable to believe it. It was a simple band made of titanium with a tiny, barely there heart etched on it. Dex couldn’t stop staring at it.
“I had no idea he had this,” Dex said, brushing a finger over the smooth surface. Sloane covered his hand with his larger one.
“May it bring us as much love and happiness as it brought your parents. I love you, Dex. We’ll talk to Sparks. If we’re going to do this, there are conditions, and I want certain assurances put into place. I also want to be married first.”
Dex’s head shot up. “Are you sure? This isn’t all moving too quickly for you?”
“Dex.” Sloane pulled his chair closer to Dex. “When you died, I didn’t know what I was going to do with myse
lf. I kept thinking about all the things we wouldn’t get to do, and the first thought I had was about marrying you. Tony and Cael are your family, our family, but I want to be your husband. I want to be the one who takes care of you and be the one who gets to decide what to do if something happens to you. Someday, I want to start a family with you.” Sloane cupped Dex’s face and looked into his eyes. There was nothing but adoration and certainty behind those pools of amber. “With everything that’s happened over the last two years, hell, over the last few months, I don’t want to waste any more time.”
Dex couldn’t stop the stupid tears from falling. Man, he’d cried more in the last few weeks than he had most of his life. Something in the water. Had to be.
“Okay,” Dex said with a nod and a smile stretching from ear to ear. “Let’s do it.”
As Sloane pulled him into his embrace and kissed him, Dex couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be than right here in Sloane’s arms. If they became TIN, they’d likely be sent all over the world, but with Sloane at his side, he would always be home.
Epilogue
IT WAS time.
Dex turned his face up to the sky, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the sun’s warm rays against his skin. It was such a beautiful day. In the distance birds chirped, the sounds of the city so far away. It was peaceful, and for the first time in a long time, peace was what he felt. His senses were sharp, his body thrumming with new sensations, but he was okay with it. For now at least. With a smile, he opened his eyes. He sat on the stone bench surrounded by lush greens, beautiful flowers, and a quiet breeze. Tears pooled in his eyes, but it was different this time.
“Hey. I know it’s been a while,” Dex said softly. The flowers he brought were vibrant with color. They were displayed proudly in front of gleaming white marble. “So much has happened.” He stood, took a couple of steps forward, then crouched down. Placing his fingers to his lips, he kissed them before placing them on his mother’s headstone.
“God, I miss you.” He blinked back the tears, his smile never faltering. Not wanting his dad to feel left out, he did the same to his dad’s headstone. “Of course I miss you too, you troublemaker.”
A tear rolled down his cheek, and he wiped it away. “I just wanted to let you guys know I’m not mad anymore. I know why you did what you did. Why you risked everything. I’m proud of you, and I hope that wherever you are, you’re proud of me too.” He looked down at his hands, and his heart swelled at the sight of the silver band on his finger. “Guess what?” He showed them his hand. “Look familiar?” He chuckled and shook his head. “I know, right? Someone’s finally going to make an honest man out of your boy.”
It had taken a hell of a lot for Dex to be where he was. He’d never really believed in fate. He believed everyone was responsible for forging their own path. Whether changing his course would have altered the path he was on or ultimately led him back to where he was supposed to be was something he would never know. What he did know was who he was now, at this point in time. His parents had given their lives in a war against the likes of Shultzon and Moros. Humans and Therians whose prejudice, greed, and desire for power was so unhinged they’d let the world and its people burn to attain it. Not while Dex had breath in his body.
Dex stood, his expression softening. “I promise I’ll visit more often.” A breeze ruffled his hair, and the sound of muffled footsteps made his heart swell. He smiled up at Sloane when he stopped beside Dex. Sloane didn’t say a word. He just smiled warmly at Dex, little creases forming at the corners of his amber eyes. How was it possible to love one man this much? Dex laced their fingers together before turning back to his mom’s grave, his heart filled with pride and adoration.
“I found him, Mom. I found him.”
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