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“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Six replied. He shared a look with Hunter. “Our methods aren’t always law abiding, and you hindering us only makes our jobs harder. We won’t toe the line to make you feel better. Our end goal is all that matters.”
And what was the end goal, Peyton wondered? To feed the monsters that he recognised in them? The same one he held inside himself. Or were they truly the good guys, trying to do something to wipe the slate clean of the horrors of the world?
“I don’t care,” Quinn bit out. “I’m well aware of the tactics you use.” His eyes turned to liquid steel.
Peyton rested his hand on the back of Quinn’s neck, shifting so that he was bracketing him in with Will on the other side.
“Off the books,” Quinn continued. “I want to work with you, not the police department. Whatever’s going on, it threatens people that I care about, and I won’t sit on the sidelines and take only the scraps that Grady and I can find. This is bigger than that, and you either agree to work with me, or I’ll be following you like a bad smell.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Everywhere.”
Six snort-laughed, the corner of his mouth lifting. “I like you.”
“Careful,” Jericho warned.
Peyton bit his tongue to stop his first response from leaving his mouth. If Jericho cared so much, why was he standing on the other side of the fucking room?
“All right,” Hunter said. “Welcome aboard, Quinn Hughes.”
“Temporarily,” Quinn said quickly. “I’m not interested in your clandestine bullshit.”
“Perhaps not you…” Hunter trailed off, his eyes locking with Peyton’s. He had eerie green eyes, completely different from the vibrant blue that Jericho was currently sporting, and Peyton wondered if they were contacts as well. Did they all mask who they really were from the world? Who were they and what they did? Where had they come from?
Peyton wanted to know all of it. Hunter was right. Peyton wanted to say yes to the job offer for a myriad of reasons. If it meant keeping his men safe, he would do a lot more than chain himself to a group of people who might be able to give him answers about himself.
“That’s Peyton’s choice,” Quinn said firmly. Peyton didn’t look away when he turned his face up to him. Peyton had made his choice, and they both knew it. “And not for you, or anyone else, to influence,” he finished, not looking away from Peyton.
Peyton’s breath stuttered, and he smiled gratefully. He appreciated the trust that Quinn was giving him, allowing him to decide on his own instead of treating him like he wasn’t equal, like he wasn’t mature enough to stand beside him.
“Of course,” Hunter said, inclining his head.
The door burst open without preamble, and a nurse bustled in. He came to an abrupt halt at the sight of them all. “Quite the crowd in here,” he said. “If I’d known there was a party, I could have brought my special hat. It’s rainbow coloured and has a pom-pom at the end that lights up like a Christmas tree.” He paused. “A floppy Christmas tree.”
“You can go get it,” Six said. “We’ll wait.”
“Will there be cake?” Will asked curiously. “There should always be cake.”
“The cake is a lie,” Six said sadly.
Peyton blinked. “What?”
“You know, ’cause it was supposed to be there, but then it—never mind.”
“Never played Portal?” Jericho asked, smirking as he shuffled on his feet, one hand sliding into his pocket.
“What the hell is Portal?” Sebastian asked.
“I heard about the cake,” Will said, “so I haven’t played it because no cake is a tragedy that I’m not willing to be a part of.”
“Well, I don’t have cake,” the nurse said apologetically. “But I do have your friend’s discharge papers all ready to go, so that’s close?”
Will furrowed his brows, and Peyton hid his smile behind his free hand. He didn’t think his lover would think that was close at all. Food was in a league all its own.
“Is there anything else we need to know?” Jericho asked, moving to their side of the room. Peyton couldn’t help but snag Jericho’s belt and tug him into his sphere the second he was close enough. Jericho glanced at him, a hint of surprise in his gaze. He didn’t make a move to get away from Peyton’s hold. Good. Because Peyton wasn’t letting go.
The nurse glanced from the hold, to where Sebastian was hovering behind Peyton, to Peyton’s hold on Quinn, and Will snuggled up to Quinn’s side. He faltered, confused, looking down at his papers and then up again. “Uh, so, ideally, we would prefer to observe him here. Being at home, someone needs to be with him for the next twenty-four hours at least. Keep an eye on any worsening symptoms; if he exhibits slurring in his speech, his headache gets worse, he loses consciousness, repeated vomiting, etcetera. You can find all the things to watch for in this handy little pamphlet.” He waved it at them like a fan. “He won’t like it, but he’ll need to be woken a few times during the night to ensure he’s waking properly. If he doesn’t—”
“Bring him to a hospital immediately?” Sebastian said.
“Exactly. It’s always best to be extra cautious with these kinds of injuries. If he gets worse at any point, take him straight to your nearest medical facility.”
