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I looked at him. "Is that why you enjoy the job so much?"
He shrugged. "Sometimes, different is good."
"Different from Liander, you mean?"
He gave me a keen glance. "I love Liander, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, I just need more. My work gives me that, Riley."
"He's not complaining about the men you do within your job. He's complaining about the ones outside work."
Rhoan sniffed. "Yeah, well - "
"Don't give me that 'yeah, well' bullshit. Liander's a good man, and he doesn't deserve the crap you hand out. At the very least, you should talk to him."
"I can't."
"Why the hell not?" My phone rang. I looked down and saw it was Jin. I ignored it and looked back at my brother, waiting for a reply.
He scrubbed a hand across his jaw as he looked in the rearview mirror. "Because I don't want to lose him."
I blinked. Of all the excuses I'd been imagining, that certainly wasn't one of them. "What?"
"If I confront the issue, he may decide to walk away. I don't want to risk that, Riley. I really don't."
I reached across and touched his knee. "Liander loves you, and he's not going to walk away unless you push him to it. And that's precisely what's happening now - he's very frustrated by your refusal to talk about the situation."
He looked at me. "Frustrated enough to walk away?"
"Yes."
"Fuck."
"Yes."
"I can't do monogamous. I don't want to do monogamous."
"There's always compromises in any relationship, Rhoan. Maybe this is one you and Liander have to come to." And I honestly didn't think Liander would mind Rhoan having other partners in a work situation. As long as he was committed outside of it. "If you care for him as much as you say, bro, it might pay to give a little."
He grimaced. "I don't know - "
"Talk to him. At least do that."
"Okay."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"I'll nag you endlessly if you don't."
He laughed. "You do anyway." The phone rang again and he glanced down. "And for God's sake, answer that, before the poor man has a coronary."
"Him having a coronary could solve some problems."
"Not if he's a demon who can just go get another body." Rhoan glanced in the rearview mirror again. "Answer the damn phone."
I pressed the receiver and said, "Hello," even as I flipped down the sunshade and slid aside the cover of the vanity mirror. Rhoan kept looking at something behind us, but for the moment, I couldn't see what.
"I'm sorry," Jin said, voice warm and contrite. "I acted like an ass last night."
