That was a few more hours that Tony would be safe. They needed to make the most of that time. Dex looked up at Sparks. “Have you learned anything about this Chairman asshole?”

  “From the small amount of intel I’ve managed to gather, I believe he’s the one in charge, which would mean everything orchestrated by the US branch of the Makhai has happened because of this Chairman. If we find him, we can cause the Makhai some serious damage.”

  “Any luck figuring out who he is?” Sloane asked.

  Sparks shook her head. “Nothing. It’s very possible the Chairman is one of the founding members of the Makhai. No one knows who he is or what he does outside his role as ‘the Chairman.’ What I do know is we’re getting close. That’s why they’re hitting us hard. As calm as the Chairman seems, I’m thinking he’s starting to get desperate. With Moros gone, along with several of their associates, and Wolf not only working with us but against the Makhai, I think the Chairman is getting worried.”

  “Good. He better be fucking worried.” Dex studied Sparks. She looked like she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure. “What? You want to say something.”

  Sparks let out a heavy sigh and took a seat behind her desk. “This is bigger than we imagined and possibly connected to the events of 2005.”

  Dex’s brows drew together. “What happened in 2005?”

  “My team and I were on our way to seize a Therian we believed played a major role in the Makhai. Someone in our organization warned them we were coming. They were waiting for us. I was almost killed. One of our top operatives wasn’t so lucky. It was also the day Fang became Wolf.”

  “You’re talking about when Wolf’s partner, Tucker, was killed?”

  “Yes. We need to find the Chairman and get him to divulge who his contacts at TIN are. Until then, I’m afraid we have to be careful with our intel.”

  “Any word from Austen?” Ash asked.

  Sparks looked at her watch. “He should be calling in three, two…”

  Sloane’s new cell phone rang, and he picked up. “Hello? Hold on, I’m going to put you on speaker. Yes, area’s secure.” Sloane tapped the phone, and Austen’s voice came over the line.

  “I found the van.”

  “What? Where?” Dex asked, ready to head out.

  “Sorry, Dex. Place has been wiped clean. I swept the place myself from top to bottom. They cleaned it good.”

  “Fuck,” Dex spat out. He was getting sick and tired of this.

  “Hold your horses, Daley. I said we were down, not out. The place was cleaned professionally not too long ago. The smell was strong and really familiar. I remember another location we checked out having the same smell. It was one of the locations given to us by Moros’s associates. While I was combing the place, I found a small droplet of cleaning solution someone had left behind. A reliable contact of mine is analyzing it as we speak. He’ll be able to get us the formula and a breakdown of all the ingredients because my guess is this compound can’t be bought at your local supermarket.”

  “Which means we should be able to trace and cross-reference it,” Dex said, trying not to get too excited. “Nice job, Austen. How long until we have that information?”

  “It’s going to take two to three hours at least. I’ll be sure to call you.”

  Damn it. “Thanks, Austen. I appreciate it.” Austen hung up, and Dex turned to Sloane. “We need to look into abandoned places around the city. Anything that’s seen unusual activity.”

  Before Sloane could reply, Sparks spoke up. “All available units were sent out and are questioning anyone who might have seen anything unusual, but there are dozens upon dozens of abandoned locations in this city, not to mention a vast amount of camera footage to analyze. It’s going to take time. I’ve also put out a call to THIRDS HQ in Princeton, New Jersey and in Philadelphia. They’ve sent out several units as well. It’s very possible they’ve moved Maddock out of the city but are still keeping him close. For now, I need you all to get some food in you and discuss the next course of action.”

  Dex was ready to protest, but Sparks put up her hand to stop him.

  “It’s getting late. None of you ate properly after your shifts at the park. I’m surprised you’re still standing. Dex, you haven’t eaten at all. None of you will be any good to Maddock if you’re not at your best. Shower, eat, and when you’re done, you’re each scheduled for a brief session with Dr. Winters.”

  The room filled with groans.

  “Are you kidding me?” Dex shook his head in disbelief. “We don’t have time for that.”

  “What do we need to see the doc for?” Ash grumbled.

  Sparks’s brows shot up. “Do you want me to make you a list?”

  Ash glowered at her, and Sparks’s expression softened.

  “I’m sorry, that was insensitive and uncalled for. It’s been… a challenge for all of us. Maddock’s abduction is officially a THIRDS case. As you all know, anyone connected to Sergeant Maddock can volunteer to see Dr. Winters. However, in the case of Destructive Delta, it’s protocol and not an option. He’s your sergeant, and in Dex and Cael’s case, a parent. Dr. Winters has to sign each of you off after your sessions or the team will be pulled from the case. As it was, I had to fight to keep you lead on this. If it weren’t for the respect everyone has for Sergeant Maddock and their desire to see him found alive, they would never have allowed Destructive Delta to work this case. It’s not my call.”

  “And if I don’t get cleared,” Dex said, leaning his hands on her desk to meet her gaze. “You think I’m going to just step aside and let someone take lead on this?”

  Sparks let out a heavy sigh. “We all know better than that, Dex. Please, just see Dr. Winters. It’s not as if he isn’t familiar with you or the rest of the team, and he knows how important this time is for you, which is why he’s made an exception and is keeping the sessions short. Give him a chance. Emotions are running high right now. Maybe he can help with that.”

  Damn it. He didn’t have time for this. Instead of being out there in the streets, he had to be sitting on a couch, sharing his feelings with a shrink. As soon as he thought that, he felt like shit. It wasn’t Dr. Winters’s fault. The guy was just doing his job. Dex liked the doc, he really did. The guy was always there with a smile and word of encouragement. Dex probably spent as much time in Dr. Winters’s office as he had in the principal’s office when he was a kid. Hmm… interesting.

  “Fine.” Dex took the room off privacy mode and stormed out, the others following behind. They headed for the locker room, everyone lost in their own thoughts. They agreed to meet in the canteen after a quick shower. He stood under the showerhead, hoping the hot water would ease some of the tension in his muscles, but that didn’t help. When he was done, he brushed his teeth to get rid of the nasty taste in his mouth, changed into a clean uniform, and walked with Sloane to the elevator. Forty-eight hours until their rehearsal dinner. The wedding was in less than ninety-six.

  “I’m not hungry,” Dex grumbled, tapping his fingers against his thighs. He was jittery as hell, like he was going to crawl out of his skin if he didn’t do something, but there was nothing he could do. The elevator was empty, so Sloane stepped in front of him.

  “Hey, look at me.”

  Dex did. He looked up into Sloane’s amber eyes filled with pain and sorrow. Dex didn’t want to see pain there. They’d been so happy just a few short days ago. He wanted that back. He wanted his father and his fucking life back.

  “Talk to me.”

  Dex shook his head. “I have all this anger and energy inside me that’s just building and building, and I don’t know what the hell to do with it, Sloane. And now I have to sit around for hours, talking instead of doing, and I feel like I’m going to go out of my fucking head.” The elevator doors opened, and Dex swept past Sloane. He knew Sloane wanted to help, but talking wasn’t going to help him, and now he had to sit and talk for who knew how fucking long. He couldn’t lose his shit with Winters. He had to prove he was in control, that he could do this, that it wasn’t all crashing down on top of him.

  “You sit,” Sloane said softly. “I’ll get you something to eat.”

  “Thanks,” Dex replied, summoning a smile. He took a seat at the table, and he could tell everyone was trying not to look at him. They were his friends, his family. They knew him well by now. They all talked quietly among themselves. Cael was quiet across from him, and even Ash looked worried. Sloane put a tray in front of Dex. There was a Therian-sized burger, a chocolate milkshake, and a blue frosted cupcake. Dex frowned at the cupcake. “Maybe I should call Lou and call the whole thing off.”

  The piercing blow to Sloane’s heart was unexpected, as the words that had come out of Dex’s mouth had been. Sloane swallowed hard. He turned to Dex and took hold of his hand.

  “You know that I’ll support you on whatever you decide, but if you make this decision, it can’t be because you’re giving up. That I won’t allow.”

  Dex’s jaw muscles worked, but he didn’t tear his gaze away from the damn cupcake. Sloane had hoped to cheer him up a little, but instead he’d made things worse.

  “Dex?” Sloane took hold of his chin and turned his head to meet his gaze. The grief and heartache in his big blue eyes was like a punch to the gut, but he wasn’t going to let Dex give up. Wasn’t even going to let Dex so much as think about giving up. “Now you listen here. We have been to hell and back together. We’ve faced all kinds of ugly out there and come back with scars, some of which can’t be seen, but we have always had one another’s back, and that sure as hell is not going to change now. Your dad is one of the strongest men I know, and so are you. We’re going to find him, and he’s going to make that damned speech in four days and be nervous and grumpy and curse and rant about fucking index cards.” Dex laughed, and Sloane kissed his cheek. “I know it seems like none of us can catch a break, but this will end soon, baby, I promise. We’ll get through this.”

  Dex nodded, a wobbly smile on his face. He turned and peeled the film off his cupcake before tearing it in two and giving Sloane half.

  “Thank you.” Sloane took it with a smile.

  They ate, and Sloane was grateful for the team distracting Dex and Cael by bringing up all the hilarious shit Tony loved to rant about. Nobody did ranting like Tony. It was epic. Especially since Tony didn’t consider himself funny. The man had no idea how hilarious he was. He genuinely hated colored index cards, though not as much as zucchini noodles. Good grief, the man could go on for hours about vegetable noodles.

  Once they were done eating, they headed for the elevator. “The second we hear from Austen, we move out. In the meantime, Ash, I want you to get a list from Sparks of all the teams that are out scouting locations. Rosa, Letty, Cael, I want you to contact each of their team leaders and find out where they’ve been and who they’ve talked to. Have them send the info to your phones rather than Themis.”

  Calvin pulled his phone out of his pocket and sighed. “Just got a text from Dr. Winters. Looks like I’m up first.”

  Sloane nodded as he held the elevator doors open for his team. “Soon as you finish, you take over for whoever’s up next. Same goes for everyone else. By the time we get intel from Austen, I want to have a list of places that have been cleared, a list of where everyone’s heading next, and a list of places no one’s been to yet. We’re covering a lot of ground here.”

  On the ride up to Unit Alpha, Dex had become restless again. He was tapping his fingers against his legs, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, and couldn’t seem to spend longer than a few seconds in one spot. This wasn’t good for any of them. As they headed into Unit Alpha, Sloane took hold of Dex’s arm.

  “We’ll catch up with you guys. Call me if you find something.”

  Everyone headed off, and Sloane walked Dex through the bullpen, past the conference rooms, and around the corner toward the corridor leading to the sleeper bays.

  “Sloane? What are you doing? I hope you’re not about to suggest I take a nap.”

  “And lose my spots?” Sloane shook his head. “No sleeping.” He opened the door to one of the empty bays and nudged Dex inside. He closed the door behind them and locked it.

  “Sloane, I know you’re worried, but this isn’t—”

  Sloane brought Dex up against the door, his knee shoved between Dex’s legs and his mouth all over Dex.

  “I want you to fuck me,” Sloane growled, sucking Dex’s earlobe into his mouth. “I think we could both use the release.”

  A shiver went through Dex, and he nodded, his lips on Sloane’s. The heat coming off his sexy partner was driving Sloane crazy, along with his heady scent, the taste of his lips, and the feel of his breath against Sloane’s skin. Sloane allowed Dex to take the lead and walked backward toward the bed until the back of his legs hit the mattress, and then he sat. He reached down and took hold of Dex’s boot, lifting it up so he could undo the laces, his eyes never leaving Dex’s.

  Molten amber spread into the blue, and Sloane hurried, pulling off Dex’s boots, then his own. Dex quickly undressed, while Sloane did the same. There was no time to waste. They were frantic to get their hands on each other, and when Dex was naked in front of him, Sloane pulled him close so he could keep his hands on all that delicious skin. He gazed up reverently at Dex, astounded by the wonder that was this amazing man.

  “I love you so much,” Dex said softly, caressing Sloane’s jaw.

  “I love you too.” Sloane waited for Dex to say whatever was clearly on his mind. Dex motioned between them.

  “This here, us, is home. Wherever we are, no matter what’s going on, we do our best to leave the world out there, and in here it’s just you, me, and our love for each other. I know it won’t always be possible, but you’re my sanctuary, Sloane, and I need that. I need to have my home to come back to after whatever it is we face out there, and I need to know I’ll be the same for you.”

  Sloane took hold of Dex’s hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss before placing it over his heart. “I promise.”

  Dex’s smile was glorious, and Sloane pulled Dex onto his lap, needing to kiss him, to feel their bodies pressed together. This time, their kiss was slow and sweet, filled with promises and trust. There was no one he had more faith in than the man right here in his arms. For the rest of his life, Dex would be who he turned to first, who he confided in, and who he asked for help when he needed it. Dex would shelter him, protect his heart, and love him.

  Sloane pulled away, and Dex got up so Sloane could move back on the bed. Dex crawled over him, their lips once again locked in a passionate kiss, their tongues tangling and savoring. It was slow, like they had all the time in the world even though they only had a few minutes. Dex laced his fingers with Sloane’s and moved his arms above his head. He spread Sloane’s legs, and Sloane brought his knees up. Dex left him long enough to grab the packet of lube from his tac pants before returning to him and kissing him.

  Even with this being about them needing release, it didn’t diminish their love for each other. Sometimes they made love. It was sweet and sexy and amazing. Sometimes they were both horny and needed to get their hands on their mate, and sometimes they just needed a good hard fuck. Dex trailed scorching kisses down Sloane’s chin to his neck and down his chest. He scraped his nails across Sloane’s skin, running his fingers down every curve of muscle and every dip. Sloane wanted to close his eyes, to lose himself in the sensations Dex was bringing him, but instead he watched Dex, memorizing the way his blond hair fell over his brow, the flush on Dex’s skin, the plumpness of his sweet lips, and the heat Dex left behind with every kiss he placed against Sloane’s skin. Dex wasn’t just going to fuck him, he was worshipping him, pouring his heart and soul into every kiss.

  The tear of the lube packet was followed by cool liquid against Sloane’s hole as Dex pushed one finger in. Sloane hissed at the intrusion, wriggling underneath Dex as Dex continued to drive him wild with his mouth. Sloane’s cock was hard, jutted up against his stomach, and he groaned when Dex licked at the pearl of precome at Sloane’s rosy tip. He sucked the head of Sloane’s cock into his mouth, and Sloane bucked underneath him. A second finger joined the first, and Sloane couldn’t help but release a low moan. He slipped his fingers back into Dex’s hair, stroking softly as Dex’s hot mouth moved on Sloane, swallowing Sloane down to the root before moving back up.

  “Dex,” Sloane pleaded, tugging at Dex’s hair. Dex took the hint, moving up to kiss Sloane, his fingers still working Sloane’s entrance, stretching him. Sloane grabbed a pillow from beside his head and lifted his hips to slip it underneath him. He wrapped his legs around Dex’s waist, and Dex replaced his fingers with his cock. Sloane groaned into Dex’s mouth as the initial burn gave way, and pleasure rippled through Sloane’s body as Dex began to move inside him. Sloane wrapped his arms around Dex to keep him from moving away. Sloane loved having Dex’s weight on him, loved feeling the strength of the man in his arms. He ran his hands down the delicious curve of Dex’s spine to cup Dex’s ass, digging his fingers into his plump cheeks.

  Not long ago, he would have held himself back, not just physically but emotionally. Now he left himself completely exposed. His heart was right there between them, vulnerable, open for Dex to do with as he pleased. He’d bared his soul to Dex, put what little faith he’d had at the time in Dex. It was terrifying how easily Dex could shatter him.

  “I’m yours, always,” Sloane whispered, nuzzling Dex’s temple before placing a kiss behind Dex’s ear. He inhaled deep, allowing Dex’s scent to envelop him. There was nothing like the scent of his mate. Dex’s muscles pulled and strained as he moved.