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He would never forget that moment of pure panic he’d felt when the call had come in that shots had been fired at Sebastian’s residence. He’d already been on his way there after signing out of his shift and had no idea why the anonymous call had been directed to him. He didn’t care. He merely thanked every deity that existed that somehow it had been put through to him, and he’d known to use his sirens to get there that bit faster.
Not that it could have ever prepared him. The sight of Peyton’s bleeding face would haunt him for a long time.
Sebastian coaxed his mouth open, their breath mingling. Quinn let him take the lead, holding tight enough that he couldn’t disappear, that he couldn’t fade into nothing but the memory he’d been for so long. Quinn pressed harder with a whimper. He couldn’t let this go again, couldn’t lose it. Not Sebastian, nor Will or Peyton. There was something special here, and he couldn’t fuck it up this time. It wasn’t an option.
Sebastian ran a hand down his arm and tangled their fingers together, squeezing gently and sending a shiver through Quinn. When he pulled away and tugged Quinn towards the stairs, Quinn went like a puppet on a string. Wherever Sebastian went, Quinn would follow.
Will was sitting on the tiled kitchen floor, feeding treats to Persephone, one after the other on autopilot like a dispenser. Her tail wagged like Christmas had come early. Quinn didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was feeding her too much. She might get a stomach-ache from it, but it wouldn’t do any lasting damage. The treats weren’t high in animal fat and were considered healthy and perfect for training.
Will smiled up at him, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It was noticeably different from his usual brightness. “How is he?” he asked.
“Still sleeping,” Quinn replied. “With any luck, he’ll stay that way through the night without any issues.”
Will relaxed imperceptibly. “That’s good.” But he was still feeding Persephone the treats as though all he needed to do was empty the bag and everything would be okay.
Quinn sank down next to Will and took some treats. He lifted Will’s hand and kissed the back of it. Persephone licked their hands, and Quinn fed her. She nudged her face against his, and he scratched behind her soft, floppy ear. She was a kind old soul with a heart of pure gold. No matter what kind of person her last owner had been, he’d treated her like a queen, and it was hard to think badly of him in that respect.
He and Will sat in silence for a long moment as they fed Persephone, who was definitely going to be regretting her eagerness in a few hours.
A hand touched his shoulder. Sebastian held out a mug for him, and Quinn took it, cradling it with both hands.
Sebastian handed one to Will before joining them on the floor with his own. Persephone tried to sniff it, but he gently pushed her head away, giving her a look that she took zero notice of. She licked the side of the mug in defiance before resuming her stretched-out position. She knew the optimum angle to be close enough to get treats from whoever wanted to worship her: keeping her options open. Quinn could admire that kind of forward thinking.
“What happened tonight?” Quinn asked into the silence. He fed one more treat to Persephone and made a show of closing the mostly empty bag. She was unimpressed. “I want the version with the footnotes, Sebastian. No more secrets.” Secrets had destroyed them once already. Sebastian seemed to be holding so many of them, even now, and this time, Quinn wanted to be let in. Wanted to be trusted,neededit even if he didn’t deserve it.
Sebastian hesitated, cradling his mug and staring at it with dark, intent eyes. He sighed, a bare whisper of sound. “I don’t even know where to start. I don’t—I can’t…” He stumbled over his words, his face twisted in a pained grimace. He wouldn’t look up, and guilt carved its way into Quinn’s stomach.
Sebastian had been through so much already today. Asking him to rehash it was unfair. Quinn took Sebastian’s hand and rubbed his thumb against the back of it. “Not tonight,” he said. But soon. When Sebastian was ready. He needed answers. For his peace of mind, and because he needed to know if there was something he could have done to prevent it. If there was something he could do to stop anything else from happening. He doubted it was over that easily.
Sebastian murmured a quiet thank you. The relief in his gaze was so prominent that Quinn knew he’d made the right decision. He didn’t want to push, not like this.
“I met Peyton at Aubrey’s bar,” Will said, breaking the tension. “Did you know that?”
“No,” Quinn said. He put his mug down on the floor and rested a hand on Will’s knee, massaging it. “Tell us?”
Persephone stuck her nose in Quinn’s mug. Her resulting snort was disapproving when the fact it was empty registered. Sebastian chuckled and patted her head with soft strokes. She huffed and rested her head on his thigh, closing her eyes and silently demanding more.
“I was helping Aubrey out ’cause it was a busy night, and he was down two of his regular staff. The flu, I think? Anyway, Peyton came in wearing his uniform.” Will grinned, and this time his eyes sparkled as he took them down memory lane with him. “He was even wearing his dog tags. I think I was gone for him the second I saw him. He had a duffel bag with him that he dropped at his feet when he sat at the bar. I learned later it was because he’d gotten back from a deployment like an hour earlier. His plan for the night was to get blind drunk.”
“Did he?” Sebastian asked, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Will huffed out a laugh. “Yeah. With interest.” He took a sip of his drink and absently patted Persephone’s back. “I was taking out some trash when he tried to leave for the night. He’d forgotten how to use his feet and thought it was the funniest shit.” The grin turned into a soft smile. “He’s a fun drunk. He doesn’t drink much, but when he does it’s… a whole different side to him.”
“I bet,” Sebastian said.
Will laughed, and Persephone opened one eye, her ears perking up at the joyous sound. “So, he’d decided he was going to walk to the nearest hotel and get a room; he didn’t want to go home. Didn’t even realise he’d left his bag inside along with his wallet, keys, and phone. I went back and got them and took him back to my place to sleep it off. And he… just never left. The rest is history.” He tilted his head at Quinn, his brown eyes sharp. “You already knew him then, right?”
Quinn stared down at the floor, wishing it could take him back in time and give him a crystal ball. The things he would have done differently if he’d just known how much things would go sideways. “Yes. I met him at Riley’s twenty-fourth birthday dinner.”
He looked at Sebastian and Will, remembering the sounds they made together. The way they looked, tangled with Peyton.
Maybe he wouldn’t choose to change anything, not if it risked what he was building now.
“He wanted you,” Will said. “He’s always wanted you.”
Quinn couldn’t deny it. The attraction between them had been impossible to ignore from the moment they’d met. At nineteen, Peyton had taken away Quinn’s breath with quiet words and stolen glances. “The feeling was mutual. Until it wasn’t.”
“It’s always been mutual,” Will said, frowning. “I never understood why you didn’t do something about it then?”
