Ash let out a bark of laughter. "Holy shit. Are you fucking kidding me? You think because you've got a little Therian blood in you that you can kick my ass? I'm going to so fucking enjoy this."
With a heavy sigh, Sloane stepped out of the way. Ash took a fighting stance and gave Dex a nod. "Let's go, Justice. Time to put your money where that big mouth of yours is."
Dex inhaled deeply and let it out slow. If this was the only way to get through to Ash, then so be it. He would even make the first move. Dex charged Ash, ducking when Ash threw a right hook, and dropping to the mat with a roll before Ash's left jab could catch him in the kidney. Ash was on him the moment he sprang to his feet, grabbing him around the waist and hauling him off his feet. Dex twisted his body and struck out, catching Ash behind the head, forcing Ash to drop him. He landed crouched on his feet, and delivered a blow to the back of Ash's knee, but Ash didn't go down. Lifting his leg and twisting his body, Ash side-kicked Dex and sent him onto his back on the mat. Swiftly, Dex rolled as Ash landed on the spot he'd just been, knee and elbow against the mat. Fuck.
Dex stared at him. "It's like that, huh?"
Ash smirked at him. "Yeah, fucker. It's like that."
"I'm not taking him away from you," Dex said, getting to his feet.
"Is this a fight or a fucking therapy session?" Ash came at him with a series of jabs and elbows, all of which Dex blocked, while moving his feet to keep from getting knocked over. The more he blocked Ash's punches, the more pissed Ash got.
"You think because you have a little training that you're going to handle what TIN throws at you?" Ash spun and snap-punched Dex on the side of his head. Luckily Dex had managed to throw his arm up, absorbing the brunt of Ash's blow. It still hurt like a motherfucker and left Dex unbalanced long enough for Ash to turn and deliver a left hook to his ribs.
The wind rushed out of Dex's lungs, and he coughed, doubling over. An elbow to his back had him hitting the floor on his stomach.
"Dex!" Sloane stepped forward only to have Dex put a hand up.
"It's okay," Dex wheezed. He pushed himself to his hands and knees and got kicked in the stomach. Fuck. Maybe he hadn't completely thought this through.
Ash stalked him, his pupils dilated and his fangs elongated. "You've been a pain in the ass from day one. You're a fucking jinx. No one, and I mean no one in this department, in the whole of the fucking THIRDS attracts trouble the way you do. You've been fucking kidnapped more times than I can fucking count. You have no professionalism, act like a fucking child, and think we're your personal playthings."
"That's not true," Dex said with a groan, pushing himself to his feet only to get a boot slammed onto his back, propelling him down against the mat. The part about him attracting trouble hit a little close to home, but Dex wasn't going to let it get to him. Dex never went out searching for trouble, or at least he didn't think so. He just did what he felt he had to. What was he supposed to do, just stand back and do nothing? Let someone else take care of it? Leave his family's safety to chance, rely on strangers to come through for him and those he cared about?
"Ash, stop!" Cael made to move forward, and Ash threw a hand out.
"Stay out of this, Cael. Your brother has a lot to fucking answer for."
Dex sucked in a sharp breath and tried to calm himself. He could feel his muscles contracting. His canines were out, his claws itching to extend. Ash needed to get it out of his system, and Dex would give him what he wanted, for his and Sloane's sake.
"You think you can just show up and take over? That you can tell us to jump and we'll say how high, because you're Dexter Fucking J. Daley? Fuck you, Dex! We were fine before you showed up with your fucking gummy bears and shit eighties music."
Dex laughed. "Come on, Ash. No one's going to think any less of you if you admit that you love me and you're afraid to lose me."
That did it.
Ash let out a fierce growl. He grabbed Dex by his shirt and hauled him to his feet before delivering a series of left and right hooks followed by jabs. Dex did his best to block them, but a couple of hits landed where intended. The only reason Dex wasn't out was due to his mutation. He wouldn't have stood a chance otherwise. Ash wasn't holding back. Dex hooked his right arm around Ash's when he threw another punch, pulled at the back of Ash's knee with his foot, and used his knee to sharply strike Ash's thigh muscle, giving him a dead leg. Ash growled as he fell onto his good leg, but he held on to Dex.
"It won't change anything," Dex promised. "We'll still be a family."
"Fuck you!" Ash pushed himself onto his good leg.
"I swear on my life, Ash, I'll protect him with everything I have."
"Shut the fuck up!" Ash delivered a blow Dex hadn't expected--a backhanded slap across the face. Ash stood stunned, his wide eyes on Dex and his now split lip. "I...." Ash swallowed hard and tried to back up, forgetting his dead leg. He fell on his ass and didn't move. Dex was stunned by the unshed tears in Ash's eyes. "I'm sorry," Ash said, wiping his eyes before any tears could fall. Ash's jaw was set, and he didn't look at Cael when Cael kneeled down beside him.
"It's okay," Dex murmured. "We've done a lot worse to each other." He was going to be sore for some time.
Ash shook his head. "That was different. I was my father."
"Oh, Ash, no." Cael took hold of Ash's face, gently turning his head so he could look at him. "Don't compare yourself to him. It was an accident."
"Don't make excuses for me, Cael." Ash pushed himself to his feet, refusing help from Cael. He faced Dex, and Dex could feel the remorse rolling off him in waves. "I knew what I was doing. I was pissed, and I took it out on you. And I'm not talking about fighting you."
"I know," Dex replied gently.
"Why did you let me do it?"
Dex winced as he stepped up to Ash. He held on to his side. "Because I meant what I said. We're family. And nothing's going to change that."
Ash frowned and averted his gaze. Dex could see he was trying his best to remain stoic. Without a word, Dex brought him in for a hug. Ash grunted, but he wrapped an arm around Dex. He lowered his head, his voice quiet when he spoke.
"I can't lose him."
"You won't. Look after them for me." Dex knew he didn't have to specify who. For all of Ash's faults, he'd take good care of Cael and Tony.
With a sniff, Ash pulled back, giving Dex a shove away from him. Dex laughed. He stood back as Sloane stepped up to Ash, waiting for whatever Ash needed to say. Ash pulled Cael close and leaned into him. Cael's soft smile was a relief. The last thing Dex wanted to do was cause his little brother any trouble.
Ash met Sloane's gaze. "Just tell me why, and I'll let it go."
"So another asshole like Moros doesn't come along and shoot someone I love in the chest. And there will be another Moros. Even without him threatening us like he did, there's always someone else. You know that as much as I do."
"What about the team? Who's going to lead us?"
Sloane's gaze never wavered. Slowly it dawned on Ash, and his eyes widened. He shook his head.
"No."
"Come on, Ash. No one else can lead Destructive Delta."
"I'm not a leader."
Dex stepped forward. "You're wrong."
Ash threw his arm up in frustration. "Fine. I don't want to be a leader. Sloane's our leader."
"It couldn't stay that way forever," Sloane said gently.
Ash shrugged. "Yes, it could. You tell Sparks to go fuck herself, and everything goes back to normal."
Sloane let out a humorless laugh. "Normal? Ash, my fiance is half Therian because of me."
"Wait, fiance? You two are getting married?" Letty's voice startled Dex.
Fuck, he'd been so wrapped up in Ash and Sloane, he'd forgotten about the rest of the team. Way to go, asshole. Some friend he was. Dex faced Letty, Rosa, Calvin, and Hobbs. The four of them looked confused and hurt. "Yeah, um, Sloane asked me to marry him, and I said yes."
Silence descended all around them, and Dex
wondered what he should say. It wasn't like he'd tried to keep it from them. He didn't try to keep any of this from them, but, Jesus, it was so much to take in.
Calvin was the first to blow, his face turning red. "What the fuck is wrong with you two? Do either of you give a shit about the rest of us? I thought we were in this together. When were you two planning on telling us all this? Anything else you want to tell us, or were you just planning on blurting it out during your next posturing session?"
Damn it. This wasn't how Dex wanted it to go at all. "We weren't keeping anything from you. We were trying to find the right moment to tell all of you, but it's not like it's been easy. It all happened kind of suddenly. Jesus, Cal. It's not like I was planning on dying and then waking up half Therian. The first chance we got to even talk was at the hospital where my dad is recovering from a bullet to the chest, remember? That's where we decided on TIN, and that's where Sloane proposed. It's been, like, a day. So, you know, I'm trying."
"No."
The word was whispered so low Dex almost missed it. Anyone who had didn't miss Hobbs shaking his head and walking off.
"Hobbs, wait." Dex looked to Sloane, who motioned for him to go after Hobbs. Dex ran, following him into a large empty locker room. He closed the door behind them. Inside, Hobbs paced, flexing his fingers, his cheeks flushed.
"Why would you leave?"
"It's not like that," Dex replied gently. He stayed where he was, letting Hobbs dictate how he wanted this to go.
"Is it me? Did I do something wrong?"
Dex's heart broke, but he remained where he stood. "No, buddy. You did nothing wrong. This is something I thought a lot about, and you need to believe me when I say it wasn't an easy decision to make. Destructive Delta is my family. I love you guys."
"Then why are you breaking up our family!" Hobbs fumed, pacing angrily before appearing to deflate. He dropped down onto one of the benches, and Dex approached, careful not to make any sudden movements or add to Hobbs's anxiety. He hoped he could help Hobbs understand this was not his fault, as that was clearly the reasoning Hobbs had turned to first.
"I know it seems that way, but us not seeing each other as much as we do now doesn't stop us from being a family. Nothing will change between us, buddy, I promise."
"Don't," Hobbs snapped. "Don't make promises you can't keep. I've seen what TIN is like. They don't give a shit about us."
"And is that what you think of me? Of Sloane? That after everything we've been through together that we'll stop giving a shit about you?"
Hobbs shook his head.
"No. Nothing will change what we mean to each other. Nothing. This isn't about me and my ego wanting to play James Bond, traipsing around the world in a fancy suit with fancy gadgets."
Hobbs arched an eyebrow at him.
Dex couldn't help his chuckle. "Okay, a tiny part of me thinks James Bond, but that's not why I'm doing this."
"Yeah, you said. You want to make a difference. But you're making a difference now."
"That's true. I am. But there are things that I'll be able to do with TIN that I could never hope to do at the THIRDS. Resources I'll be able to tap into. Information. Technology." He paused, wondering how much he should say. He didn't want to get Hobbs's hopes up if he couldn't deliver. Didn't mean he wasn't going to try. Fuck it. Hobbs deserved to know the whole truth. "Then there's the best labs and medication the world has yet to offer."
Hobbs stilled. He swallowed hard and met Dex's gaze. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "Tell me."
"It's TIN, right? Somewhere someone has gotta know something or some way to help your brother, maybe even your dad."
Hobbs went pensive before he looked up at Dex, his big green eyes filled with hope. "Do you really think you could find a cure?"
"I don't know, but I can damn well try. What's the point of having access to one of the most powerful Therian organizations in the world if I can't use it to help the people I care about? TIN has an agenda for recruiting me, so I've made sure I have one too."
"If there was a cure, wouldn't we know about it?"
"Come on, pal. We both know how this world works. It's heartbreaking and infuriating and fucked-up. They don't make money on cures. They make money on long-term treatments. Your family lost their home when your dad ended up in that wheelchair, because he couldn't work and wasn't able to pay the hospital bills. Rafe and Seb barely had a childhood, forced to work before they were legal working age, just to put food on the table and pay your dad's medical bills. Did those bastards give a shit? No. How many more families lost their homes? How many are indebted up to their eyeballs? If I can do something about it, you bet your ass I'm going to. Every mission that brings me in front of one of these corrupt, greedy motherfuckers is a mission I'm going to take pleasure in, because they're going to feel it where it hurts."
Hobbs blinked at him. "Wow."
"Sorry. You know those kinds of assholes get my blood boiling, but that's what I'm talking about. So many of these bastards think they're untouchable. They're not. Yes, there's a lot to TIN that we hate, and I have no doubt they do a lot of fucked-up shit, but they also do a lot of good. Sloane and I want to be part of that good."
"And when you're asked to cross the line?"
"Then we'll have to ask ourselves what we're crossing the line for. Would you cross the line for Cal? For Seb? Your mom? What would have to be at stake for you to cross that line? I won't lie, the morality of it all scares the shit out of me. None of us know what we're capable of until we're pushed to the edge. All we can do is trust that when the time comes, we do what's right."
They were quiet for several heartbeats before Hobbs spoke up. "Can I still text you while you're at work?"
"I'll be disappointed if you don't. I mean, it can't all be dodging bullets and saving the world. Besides, we'll still be around HQ." He bumped Hobbs's shoulder playfully. "I mean, how else am I going to meet my monthly quota for annoying the hell out of Ash?"
Hobbs laughed, and Dex stood. He turned to face him and held out his arms. "Bring it here, big guy."
"We're next to the bathroom." Hobbs scrunched up his nose but walked into Dex's arms regardless.
"There's never a wrong time for a hug." Dex gave Hobbs a squeeze.
"I'm going to disagree, but okay."
"Mm, that's nice."
"You're making it weird."
"Just go with it."
"I'm going to leave now."
"Okay." Dex chuckled as Hobbs walked off. He sat down with a wince. Man, his ribs were sore. His everything was sore, actually. The door opened and Sloane peeked in.
"You alive in here?"
"Still kicking," Dex teased, receiving a smile.
Sloane took a seat beside him, and Dex leaned into him, his head resting on Sloane's shoulder.
"Crazy week, huh?"
Sloane laughed softly as he wrapped an arm around him and placed a kiss to the top of his head. "You could say that. How did it go with Hobbs?"
"I told him about what I wanted to do for Rafe and their dad."
"Dex, I don't know if you should get his hopes up like that."
Dex straightened with a groan. He met Sloane's gaze. "I didn't lie to him. I'm going to use every resource available to us, for as long as it takes, until I find something."
"And if you don't find anything?"
"Then at least I tried. Even if I can't find a cure, maybe I can find something that will help slow it down or relieve some of the symptoms. Hell, anything is better than nothing."
Sloane placed his fingers under Dex's chin and lifted his face for a kiss. "My white knight."
Dex hummed, melting into the kiss. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he sniffed. He knew that scent all too well.
"What do you want?"
"I have to commend you. They took it better than expected." Sparks leaned against a set of lockers dressed in her black cat suit, her arms crossed over her chest. "We need to discuss what happens next."
"We have until after the wedding," Dex reminded her.
"I meant with Destructive Delta."
Dex stood, and Sloane followed his lead. "What do you mean?"
With a quirk of her lips, she left the room, and Dex let out a groan. "A part of me can't wait to get sworn in just so I can pull that secretive clandestine crap on her. See how she likes it." Dex perked up. Oh, he just found a new Ash.
"Your smile is scaring me," Sloane said as he opened the door for them.
"Just thinking about my new TIN Ash."
Sloane looked puzzled. "What?"
Dex nodded toward Sparks who was over by Destructive Delta. "I'm going to drive her up the fucking wall." And he was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Chapter 7
"I THINK it's time we put all our cards on the table."
Wouldn't that be something.
Sloane sat at the table inside the bay's meeting room. The largest bays were used for elite training, as well as visiting dignitaries and the media. It held high-end technology, along with pristine state-of-the-art locker rooms, equipment rooms, and a conference room. It was a sweet setup.
Sparks stood at the front of the room beneath the large screen.
"For months, Destructive Delta has been part of the TIN Associate Training Program. You've all wondered why. The answer is quite obvious."
Ash laughed. "You want us to be TIN associates? Why in the hell would we do that?"
"Because it keeps the team together," Calvin offered, his narrowed eyes on Sparks. "She knew she'd be making the offer to Dex and Sloane. You were preparing us for the day they accepted."
Sparks nodded. "TIN operatives are required to have their own assets and contacts when brought on board. From that point forward, they're responsible for forging future trusted relationships, but initially, they're to be sworn in with a team of skilled associates already in place. Who better to aid Dex and Sloane than their family?"
Rosa didn't look convinced. "But TIN is Therian intelligence. You couldn't have known what would happen to Dex."
"I've been watching Dex and Sloane for a long time. Had Dex not ended up half Therian, I would have taken him on as a Human asset, along with the rest of the team. The outcome would have been similar."
Letty crossed her arms over her chest, her glare aimed at Sparks. "You want us to leave Destructive Delta?"