“I’m listening.”
“How about if you get up, I do all the work, and when this is all over, I’ll bring you breakfast in bed.”
There was a pause.
“Death Star pancakes?”
Sloane held back a smile, relieved to have his Dex back. “You got it.”
“You sure make it tough for a guy to be lazy,” Dex grumbled, pushing up onto his elbows. He gave Sloane’s lips a quick kiss. “But I like you anyway.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Dex climbed off the bed, and Sloane rolled onto his side, propping himself on his elbow as he admired Dex’s lean muscular frame while he stretched.
“And you make me pancakes.”
“There is that,” Sloane replied, amused. He got up and smacked Dex’s ass before darting over to the small sink and the towel rack.
“You really think I’m going to let you get away with that?” Dex grabbed the washcloth away from Sloane, then wrapped his arms around Sloane’s waist before Sloane could turn the water on. Dex backed Sloane up against the door, pinning Sloane’s wrists against the door.
“I sure hope not,” Sloane teased, nipping at Dex’s chin. As they kissed, Sloane made a promise to himself. He’d never allow Dex to lose what made him so special—his heart. Sloane would protect it with everything he had. Always.
“HELLO, DEX. Please, make yourself comfortable,” Dr. Winters said as he closed his office door.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Dex took a seat on the comfortable floral-print couch, pulling one of the soft blue pillows onto his lap. There was a plush blanket in the same color beside it, and he absently ran his hand over it. The office was designed to create a sense of calm with its soothing tones and soft lighting. A lovely smell floated up from the aromatherapy diffuser. The space was elegantly decorated but cozy, with potted plants around the room and a window that let in the sun during the day. From what Dex could gather, everyone except him, Cael, and Sloane had been in to see Dr. Winters. The rest of the team had been signed off and cleared.
Winters took a seat in the wingback chair across from Dex and crossed one leg over the other. He tapped the screen of the tablet on the coffee table beside him. “I’m going to start our session.” He turned to Dex with a sympathetic smile, his amber eyes filled with concern. “I know this is the last place you want to be right now, but you understand how important your well-being is to the THIRDS, and to me.”
“I know. You’re just doing your job.”
Winters frowned at him. “I hope you don’t believe you or any of the agents I see are just a file to me, Dex.”
“I’m sorry. No, I know that.” Dr. Winters had helped Dex work through a lot of emotional upheaval during his time at the THIRDS. From his acclimating to the team when he first joined, all the way through his supposed “ambush.” Everything Dex and Winters talked about was confidential, but Dex never disclosed any information regarding TIN. The last thing he wanted to do was place the good doctor in danger for just listening to him. “You’ve done a lot for me,
for Sloane, and the rest of the team, and I appreciate it, I really do. It’s just frustrating. This isn’t where I should be spending my time. We’re working against the clock. Every minute I’m not out there looking for my father, chasing down leads, is a minute closer I get to never seeing him again.”
Winters nodded. He was roughly around Tony’s age. A tall Wolf Therian with a kind face and gentle eyes. He was soft-spoken, always calm and ready with a smile. A lot of agents hated seeing him, mostly because they didn’t like having their emotions prodded. Dex didn’t mind. He understood Winters’s role, and he genuinely believed the guy wanted to help. This was just bad timing.
“Dex, you’re an incredibly resilient man,” Winters said, leaning forward. “I know I shouldn’t get personal, but I have never met anyone with a heart as strong as yours. Everything you’ve been through, everything you’ve suffered, and you always find a way to pick yourself back up and keep fighting. You might be a little worse for wear, but you dust yourself off and you jump back into the fray. I admire that about you.”
“Thank you.”
“How are you holding up under all the pressure? You’ve had a lot on your plate recently with months of wedding preparations. Thank you for the invite, by the way.”
Dex smiled. “I meant what I said. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and Sloane. You were there to help me work through some things when Sloane got hurt in the car explosion, when my brother was taken and Tony was shot.” He shook his head as he thought of all the other times he’d been in here. “Do I get like a special badge or something for most office visits?”
Winters chuckled. “You know you’re always welcome to come talk to me. No flying bullets or apocalyptic events needed.”
Dex nodded, grateful for the support. He squeezed the pillow to his chest and let out a heavy sigh. “It feels like I’m getting slammed from every angle, and I’m trying to focus on one thing at a time, but it’s hard. I mean, I’m supposed to be getting married in a few days, and I keep thinking maybe I should call Lou and have him cancel the whole thing, and I said as much to Sloane, and man, he’s just so amazing. He always knows exactly what to say or do to pull me back from that ledge. But even then, I can’t stop thinking about how what if instead of me enjoying the happiest day of my life, I’m arranging a funeral? I don’t know if I can come back from that. How am I supposed to come back from losing another father?”
Dex ran a hand over his face in frustration. “And then I get pissed, because really? One time wasn’t enough? Am I so fucking cursed that the universe keeps trying to take people I love away from me? I lost my parents, I almost lost Sloane, my brother was kidnapped by Hogan, Tony was shot, and God knows how that could have turned out, and now he’s out there somewhere in the hands of killers who are just biding their time.” Dex swallowed hard and blinked back his tears. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can,” Winters assured him. He sounded so confident. Like if Dex just agreed with him, it would be so. “You’re strong, Dex. What’s more, you have a brother who looks up to you, depends on you. What would happen to Cael without you? What if the worst comes to pass, and he no longer has his father? What will he do if he doesn’t have you to turn to?”
“No. I know. You’re right. I’m just… tired. To be honest with you, Doc, right now, I’m exhausted. My head is a mess, but my heart is, like, ‘don’t you fucking dare.’”
“Then it’s clear you need to listen to your heart.”