Calvin cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go even the odds. Poor Hudson’s out-felined.” He got to his feet and jogged over to the guys to play, and Dex turned his attention to Dom.

  “Seb told you?”

  Dom nodded. “Yeah. He thought he was protecting me by not telling me, but you know how the doc is the voice of reason. He said I’d want to know, and he was right. I’d rather be prepared and know what I’m getting into than be blindsided. Seb’s ‘promotion’ to THIRDS Recruitment Officer and my promotion to team leader of Theta Destructive goes out while you guys are on your honeymoon. It’s going to be one hell of a shock for the team.”

  Dex cringed. “How do you think they’re going to take it?”

  “No fucking clue.” Dom sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He stared off at Seb bounding across the grass with Hudson, Sloane, Hobbs, and Calvin on his tail. “Not gonna lie. Kinda shitting myself over it. The dynamic was finally perfect. He’s one hell of a team leader. Firm but fair. They love him.”

  “He’s a great guy.”

  Dom nodded, a frown on his face. “Yeah. We worked well together, complemented each other. He bitches and grumbles, and I fuss and mother everyone.” He laughed, as if recalling some memory. “Drives the team fucking nuts, but they love it.”

  Dex put his hand on Dom’s shoulder. “You’re going to do great, Dom. Do you think he would have left his team to someone he didn’t trust?”

  Dom blinked at him. “What do you mean? Sparks was the one who approached me.”

  “Because she asked Seb who he thought would be the best fit to lead your team, and he didn’t hesitate. He said it had to be you or he couldn’t step away. He refused to leave your team in anyone else’s hands.”

  Dom’s eyes got glassy, and he wrinkled his nose. “Asshole. Always looking after everyone.” Then he met Dex’s gaze, his eyes hard. “You better fucking watch my boy’s back out there, Daley.”

  Dex held his hand out to Dom. “You have my word.” It was already agreed that if Dex and Sloane were going to work alongside any other operatives, it would be Seb and Hudson.

  “The only one who seems to be taking all of this really well is Nina.”

  “Hudson told her?”

  Dom nodded. “Well, yeah. They’re best friends. Also Hudson couldn’t keep her in the dark now that Rafe knows.”

  “Shit. Rafe knows?”

  Dom arched an eyebrow at him. “Like you’d keep this shit from your brother.”

  Dom had a point. And it wasn’t like Hobbs didn’t know. It made sense for the brothers to all be on the same page. Wait. “Does Rafe know about Hobbs being a TIN Associate?”

  Dom nodded. “He wasn’t happy about it. You know how protective big brothers are.” He winked at Dex, who chuckled.

  “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

  “Yeah, all right. I think I need to sit somewhere else so I don’t get hit with the bolt of lightning that’s about to fry your ass.”

  Dex laughed. He really liked Dom and was glad to have him as a part of their ever-growing family. Dom was larger than life, for a Human. He had muscles upon muscles, but he was also smart, sharp, and despite his gruff demeanor and the fact he cursed almost as much as Ash, he was a genuinely good guy. Very sweet and always looking out for those he cared about. Very much a heart-on-his sleeve kind of guy.

  “Anyway, Hudson’s happy for Nina because she’s been at the THIRDS longer than he has, so in his opinion, it’s about damn time she got promoted to chief medical examiner. She’s worried for Hudson, but she’s excited. I think she’s also really hopeful that you guys can find a way to help Rafe and Thomas.”

  Dex nodded. He was determined to find something—anything—to help the two Hobbs men. “If there’s anything out there that will help, we’re going to find it.”

  “I hope so. Rafe’s not going to be able to hide his condition from his parents much longer, and that’s just going to shatter Thomas. I think that’s really what’s driving Seb with this whole TIN thing. He resented the way it happened, but now he’s had time to think about it, and whatever he’s heard or seen has him on board.”

  A thought occurred to Dex. “What’s Hudson’s new title?”

  Dom cast him a sideways glance, amusement in his eyes. “The doc hates it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s typical government posturing bullshit, and long as fuck, so it needs to be abbreviated, but you know no one’s going to know what the fuck it means.”

  “Oh my God, you have to tell me.” There was nothing more entertaining than listening to Hudson rant, no matter what he was ranting about, and nothing irked him more than pretentious, unnecessary titles and government posturing courtesy of the bigwigs in Washington. Dex couldn’t wait to poke Hudson. “Tell meeee,” Dex pleaded.

  “THIRDS International Chief Forensics Consulting Officer.”

  Dex fell over laughing.

  “You should have seen his face when he read the official letter,” Dom said, unable to hold back his laughter.

  “Wait,” Dex said gasping for breath. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. His expression goes all blank, which scares the shit out of you because you’re like ‘fuck, he’s broken,’ then he narrows his eyes before he goes all deadpan and says in a very calm, collected British voice whatever string of swear words come to mind, and then he loses his shit.”

  “Yes!” Dom laughed harder. “The doc is fucking hysterical, and he doesn’t even realize it. I swear, the shit that comes out of his mouth sometimes…” Dom shook his head and wiped a tear from his eye. “Not even Seb expects half the stuff that comes out of that man’s mouth. It’s priceless.”

  “They’re adorable,” Dex said, sitting up and looking out across the lawn and laughing at the Therian leapfrog going on. Seb, Hobbs, and Sloane were doing their Felid thing, lying in the grass for a lazy cat rest, but because they were a few feet apart, Hudson and Calvin were hopping over them like they were kitty hurdles. They jumped over Sloane, then Hobbs, then Seb, ran circles around them, Hudson’s tail wagging before they did it again, jumping over one and then the next. Seb chuffed, and Hudson’s ears perked up. He trotted up to Seb and pushed his nose against Seb’s before dropping onto the grass in front of Seb. He rolled onto his back, paws up, and Seb threw a paw over him as Hudson licked at Seb’s muzzle. When he was done, Seb began to groom him. Man, Dex loved those dorks. Calvin seemed to like the idea, and he dropped onto the grass before playfully annoying his boyfriend by tugging on one ear, then the other, poking until Hobbs pounced on him, making him laugh.

  “While you’re on your honeymoon, Seb will be getting an operation.”

  Dex stared at Dom. What the hell? “What are you talking about?”

  “TIN. They’re bringing in some of the best surgeons in the world. They’re going to repair his knee and perform some new unheard-of procedure that’ll stop whatever’s causing the tissue damage. Hudson explained it to me. Sounds like something out of a science fiction movie.”

  “You’re worried.” If Dom was worried, Dex could just imagine how worried Hudson was.

  “Yeah, but I tend to do that,” Dom replied, laughing softly.

  “He’ll be okay.” Dex turned to the group headed their way. “There’s Rosa and Letty.” He waved at the girls as they came toward Dex and Dom with Ash, Cael, and West in their Therian forms. Cael dashed over to Dex, chirping happily. He flopped all over Dex, making him laugh. “Yeah, yeah. I’m happy to see you too.” He gave Cael a good scratch before looking up at a preening Ash.

  Dex gave Ash a nod in greeting. “Mufasa.”

  Ash sneered at him. Lion Therians were experts at that, and Ash was the king of sneering. West came over, chirping at Dex and bumping his head against Dex’s chest.

  “Hey, nerd.” He ruffled West’s fur and scratched him behind the ear. “Hobbs wanted me to tell you guys that if you keep leaving your tech shit all over his BearCat, he’s going to recycle it.”

  The two cheetahs sat up tall, necks stretched, and started chirping their little furry faces off.

  “Hey, don’t look at me. You got a problem, you take it up with the big guy. Remember when I accidentally dropped that piece of chocolate on the bench and it melted? He put a glitter bomb in my locker. I went out on a call looking like a Human disco ball. Do not mess with the dude’s truck.”

  The two looked at each other, then at Hobbs, who happened to stand up on his hind legs to put his paws on Calvin’s shoulders. He was huge. The two bounced over to Ash, a symphony of chirps thrown at him. Ash flattened his ears back, and Dex felt sorry for the guy.

  “Hey, Ash.”

  Ash perked up, his tail moving subtly.

  “Did you hear Sloane calling you? I could’ve sworn he called you.”

  Ash bobbed his head before darting off toward Sloane as if someone had set fire to his tail. Cael and West took off after him, but West stopped halfway and turned back. He dashed over to Dom and chirped at him before circling him, rubbing his head all over Dom, then taking off again.

  Rosa and Letty went to play Frisbee with the boys, and Dex arched an eyebrow at Dom.

  “Don’t,” Dom muttered.

  Dex held up his hands.

  The Frisbee came Dom’s way, as did West. Dom shot to his feet and snatched the Frisbee out of the air before West could. Dom laughed.

  “Oh shit, gotta be quicker than that, rock star.”

  Dom teased West with the Frisbee, and West jumped up on his hind legs, his front paws on Dom’s chest as he chirped at him. Dom laughed as he moved the Frisbee from one hand to the other, keeping it away from West. Changing tactics, West ran circles around Dom before slipping through his legs and tripping him. Dom landed on the grass with a laugh, West rubbing his head under Dom’s neck and face.

  If Dom wasn’t careful, he was going to get his heart broken, and Dex would hate for that to happen.

  Dex’s phone buzzed a reminder, and he cursed under his breath. He better move his ass, or he was going to be late. One last tux fitting. He might or might not have eaten one too many cake samples. Dex got to his feet and whistled. Sloane jumped to his paws and craned his neck, tail twitching before he spotted Dex, and then he bounded over. With a big smile, Dex crouched down in front of him.

  “I gotta go meet Tony at the tux place. Meet you back here for lunch after, okay?”

  Sloane rubbed his head on Dex’s face, and Dex hugged him.

  “I love you too. I’ll text you when I’m done.”

  Sloane sat on his haunches as Dex stood. He looked up at Dex with big amber eyes.

  “Don’t look at me with that face. You know you’re not allowed to see me in my tux before the wedding.”

  Sloane huffed, and Dex chuckled. He scratched him behind the ear before calling out to Rosa. She jogged over and gave him a hug.

  “I’m gonna leave Sloane’s kit with you. I have to run off for a final tux fitting. Shouldn’t be too long.”

  “Ooh!” She clapped her hands excitedly. “I can’t wait to see you in your tux. You’re going to look so gorgeous.”

  “Aw, thanks. Keep your eye on this one. He’s dying to see the tux, even though he knows he’s not supposed to.”

  “I’m on it,” Rosa said. “Say hi to the sarge for us.”

  “Will do.” Dex hugged her and waved goodbye before he called a cab.

  On the drive over, Dex was actually nervous, which was silly, considering this was the third time he was trying on the made-to-order double-breasted tuxedo. Lou had helped him pick a style that was elegant yet modern.

  When he stepped through the door, Martina was there to greet him with open arms. “My darling!” She hugged him close, giving each cheek a kiss. “How are you feeling so close to your big day?”

  “Nervous. It comes and goes,” Dex said with a smile, following her through the shop, past wooden shelves filled with colorful fabric, displays with shirts, and rows upon rows of ties in all colors and patterns. At the back of the shop were several doors—the middle he knew led to the larger of the private fitting rooms. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The Tiffany lamps provided the room with a warm glow, and he liked the light gray wallpaper made to look like connecting sewing patterns of different suit cuts. There was tufted leather seating and a sleek coffee table with fashion magazines, racks of shirts and trousers, and even a silver liquor cart.

  Martina walked to the cart and proceeded to mix him a spritz, complete with an orange slice. She brought it to him with a knowing smile.

  “I think you need this.”

  He knew better than to argue. “Thanks.” He took the drink and walked over to the large couch.

  “Lou says you’ve eaten too much cake.”

  “He exaggerates,” Dex assured her before taking a sip of his cocktail. Ooh, tasty.

  Martina hummed and gave him a pointed look. “Lou does not exaggerate,” she said, wagging a perfectly manicured fingernail at him. She motioned over to a black garment bag hanging from a hook on the wall.

  “Finish your drink, and try on your tuxedo. I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”

  Dex smiled brightly at her. “Thank you, Martina. You’re the best.”

  She shook her head in amusement before letting herself out. As he sipped his cocktail and tried to get his pulse to come down a bit, he looked around the room. Sloane had been in this very room trying on his tuxedo. The thought sent the butterflies in his stomach fluttering, and he couldn’t help his dopey grin.

  Finishing off his cocktail, he got up and returned the empty glass to the liquor cart. He took one of the moist towelettes and cleaned his hands thoroughly, then dried them on the pristine fluffy white hand towel before walking over to the garment bag. Soft instrumental music filled the room, and he stood there, motionless. This was what he would be wearing when he married the love of his life. With a shaky hand, he took hold of the zipper and slowly pulled it down, revealing the flawless black fabric.

  Letting out a breath and locating his backbone, he removed the suit from the garment bag and hung it back up. He toed off his sneakers, then started undressing, laying his clothes over the bench to his left. Why the hell was he shaking? Was it because this was his last fitting? Because the next time he wore this it would be his wedding day? He kept waiting to wake up. This had to be a dream, right? He got dressed in a sort of daze, shirt first, then trousers, then tie. He sat down and put on the trendy designer shoes he’d blanked out on the name of, then stood to put on his tux jacket. Once everything was in place, he took a deep breath.

  “Sorry I’m late, son. I got held up at work.”

  “No problem.” Dex turned around, and Tony did a double take. He slowly closed the door behind him, his eyes growing glassy. Don’t get emotional. Nope. No. His dad looked him over, his lips pressed together before he lifted his gaze to Dex’s, a big smile spreading across his face.

  “You’re getting married.”

  Dex laughed, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Yep. That’s what the penguin suit’s for.”

  Tony crossed the distance between them and threw his arms around Dex, bringing him in for a fierce hug. Dex shut his eyes tight against his tears, but it was a losing battle. He laid his head on his dad’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around his back.

  “I’m so proud of you, son,” Tony murmured, one hand on Dex’s back, the other on his head. “And even though they can’t be there with you on your big day, I know they’re looking down at you, proud as hell too.”

  That did it.

  The dam broke, and Dex cried on his father’s shoulder. He cried for the parents who’d never get to see him walk down the aisle. For the man he loved, and everything Sloane had suffered to get to this moment. He cried because he was so goddamn lucky to have found a family who loved him just as much as his parents had.

  “It’s okay, kiddo. You get it all out,” Tony said quietly, rubbing soothing circles across Dex’s back.

  By the time Dex was done, his nose was stuffed and his face was hot. He pulled away and thanked Tony for the tissue box, laughing when Tony grabbed a wad for himself.

  “God, how am I supposed to make it to the altar without blubbering like a baby?”

  Tony shook his head. “If you’re a mess, I’m gonna be a mess, and I’m the one marrying you two, remember?”

  Dex nodded, a lump in his throat. There had been no question who he wanted to officiate his marriage. He’d be walking down the aisle with Sloane, and his dad would be marrying them, with all their friends and family there to celebrate their love. It would be the first day of the rest of their lives together as husbands.

  Once his eyes had stopped leaking and he could breathe through his nose again, he asked his dad to grab Martina. Her eyes sparkled when she saw him. They always did. Everyone Lou had set him and Sloane up to work with had been amazing, all eager to help and make their big day unforgettable. Dex couldn’t have imagined trying to put everything together without someone as fierce and skilled as Lou. The man was a wedding planning guru. Sloane had almost passed out when he saw the calendar spreadsheet Lou had created for them. It came printed on sleek paper, broken down by months, weeks, days, and hours. It contained lists of contacts broken down by type of services, and everything was synched to their online calendars so no appointment was missed, and they received reminders.

  “Oh, you look so handsome!” Martina gushed. “Sloane won’t know what to do with himself when he sees you.”

  Dex felt his cheeks flush, and he smiled. “Thank you so much, Martina, for all your help.”

  She waved a hand in dismissal. “Nonsense. I love what I do. I love to make you happy.”

  They made idle chitchat for a little while longer before it was time for Dex to take off his suit. Martina kissed both their cheeks and left them so Dex could get undressed. Once he was done, he again thanked Martina and left with his dad. It was such a beautiful day.