Smoke and Mirrors Part 29

"That all happened with us being on the outside looking in, but surely that would change once we're on the inside. Look at the training we've received, and that's just from Sparks. Imagine what we could learn, what we'd be capable of as operatives. I'm not saying we should trust them. Not right off the bat. But think about everything we could accomplish." He took Sloane's hand in his. "Together. Me and you."

"You feel strongly about this, don't you?"

Dex let out a heavy sigh. "I'm just saying, think about the possibilities, with us doing things our way. Whatever you decide"-Dex smiled at him and squeezed Sloane's hand-"I'll back you up. I don't go anywhere without you."

Sloane nodded. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "What about our family, our friends, our team?"

Dex shrugged. "Maybe it's time Ash took on a bigger role in the team."

Sloane brought Dex's fingers to his lips for a kiss. "I don't know if I can take this step."

Dex's heart sank, but he understood. He couldn't ask this of Sloane. This was something he felt strongly about, something he wanted, and it wasn't just him anymore. It was them. This would change everything. Their lives. They'd be sent all over the world, doing G.o.d only knew what.

"Unless you take it with me as my husband."

Dex's hand stopped in midair. Very slowly, he lowered it to the table. "I'm sorry. For a moment there, I thought you said husband."

Sloane's amber eyes glowed as he smiled. He got up, moved his chair, and reached into his pocket. "This isn't where I planned to do this, but I don't think I can wait anymore."

The cafe buzzed with chatter and gasps as Sloane got down on one knee. Dex's eyes widened, his heart about to beat out of him. He couldn't breathe. Oh my G.o.d, he couldn't breathe.

"Dexter Justice Daley, will you do me the honor of starting a new adventure with me as my husband?"

Sloane opened the small black box, and Dex gasped.

"Is that...?"

"Your dad's wedding ring. Tony was keeping it safe for you. When I told him I wanted to marry you, he brought it over for me. So... will you marry me?"

Dex nodded, tears in his eyes as Sloane slipped the ring onto his finger, the whole place erupting into applause. Sloane stood, and Dex threw himself into his embrace. Dex had never been happier. He squeezed Sloane's neck so tight, Sloane groaned.

"Sorry," Dex said with a sniff through his tears. "Forgot about the whole strength thing."

"We'll work on it," Sloane said with a smile. They sat down, several people walking by to congratulate them. Dex played with the ring on his finger, still unable to believe it. It was a simple band made of t.i.tanium with a tiny, barely there heart etched on it. Dex couldn't stop staring at it.

"I had no idea he had this," Dex said, brus.h.i.+ng a finger over the smooth surface. Sloane covered his hand with his larger one.

"May it bring us as much love and happiness as it brought your parents. I love you, Dex. We'll talk to Sparks. If we're going to do this, there are conditions, and I want certain a.s.surances put into place. I also want to be married first."

Dex's head shot up. "Are you sure? This isn't all moving too quickly for you?"

"Dex." Sloane pulled his chair closer to Dex. "When you died, I didn't know what I was going to do with myself. I kept thinking about all the things we wouldn't get to do, and the first thought I had was about marrying you. Tony and Cael are your family, our family, but I want to be your husband. I want to be the one who takes care of you and be the one who gets to decide what to do if something happens to you. Someday, I want to start a family with you." Sloane cupped Dex's face and looked into his eyes. There was nothing but adoration and certainty behind those pools of amber. "With everything that's happened over the last two years, h.e.l.l, over the last few months, I don't want to waste any more time."

Dex couldn't stop the stupid tears from falling. Man, he'd cried more in the last few weeks than he had most of his life. Something in the water. Had to be.

"Okay," Dex said with a nod and a smile stretching from ear to ear. "Let's do it."

As Sloane pulled him into his embrace and kissed him, Dex couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be than right here in Sloane's arms. If they became TIN, they'd likely be sent all over the world, but with Sloane at his side, he would always be home.

Epilogue.

IT WAS time.

Dex turned his face up to the sky, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the sun's warm rays against his skin. It was such a beautiful day. In the distance birds chirped, the sounds of the city so far away. It was peaceful, and for the first time in a long time, peace was what he felt. His senses were sharp, his body thrumming with new sensations, but he was okay with it. For now at least. With a smile, he opened his eyes. He sat on the stone bench surrounded by lush greens, beautiful flowers, and a quiet breeze. Tears pooled in his eyes, but it was different this time.

"Hey. I know it's been a while," Dex said softly. The flowers he brought were vibrant with color. They were displayed proudly in front of gleaming white marble. "So much has happened." He stood, took a couple of steps forward, then crouched down. Placing his fingers to his lips, he kissed them before placing them on his mother's headstone.

"G.o.d, I miss you." He blinked back the tears, his smile never faltering. Not wanting his dad to feel left out, he did the same to his dad's headstone. "Of course I miss you too, you troublemaker."

A tear rolled down his cheek, and he wiped it away. "I just wanted to let you guys know I'm not mad anymore. I know why you did what you did. Why you risked everything. I'm proud of you, and I hope that wherever you are, you're proud of me too." He looked down at his hands, and his heart swelled at the sight of the silver band on his finger. "Guess what?" He showed them his hand. "Look familiar?" He chuckled and shook his head. "I know, right? Someone's finally going to make an honest man out of your boy."

It had taken a h.e.l.l of a lot for Dex to be where he was. He'd never really believed in fate. He believed everyone was responsible for forging their own path. Whether changing his course would have altered the path he was on or ultimately led him back to where he was supposed to be was something he would never know. What he did know was who he was now, at this point in time. His parents had given their lives in a war against the likes of Shultzon and Moros. Humans and Therians whose prejudice, greed, and desire for power was so unhinged they'd let the world and its people burn to attain it. Not while Dex had breath in his body.

Dex stood, his expression softening. "I promise I'll visit more often." A breeze ruffled his hair, and the sound of m.u.f.fled footsteps made his heart swell. He smiled up at Sloane when he stopped beside Dex. Sloane didn't say a word. He just smiled warmly at Dex, little creases forming at the corners of his amber eyes. How was it possible to love one man this much? Dex laced their fingers together before turning back to his mom's grave, his heart filled with pride and adoration.

"I found him, Mom. I found him."

More from Charlie Cochet.

Sequel to h.e.l.l & High Water.

THIRDS: Book Two.

When a series of bombs go off in a Therian youth center, injuring members of THIRDS Team Destructive Delta and causing a rift between agents Dexter J. Daley and Sloane Brodie, peace seems unattainable. Especially when a new and frightening group, the Order of Adrasteia, appears to always be a step ahead. With panic and intolerance spreading and streets becoming littered with the Order's propaganda, hostility between Humans and Therians grows daily. Dex and Sloane, along with the rest of the team, are determined to take down the Order and restore peace, not to mention settle a personal score. But the deeper the team investigates the bombings, the more they believe there's a more sinister motive than a desire to shed blood and spread chaos.

Discovering the frightful truth behind the Order's intent forces Sloane to confront secrets from a past he thought he'd left behind for good, a past that could not only destroy him and his career, but also the reputation of the organization that made him all he is today. Now more than ever, Dex and Sloane need each other, and, along with trust, the strength of their bond will mean the difference between justice and all-out war.

Sequel to Blood & Thunder.

THIRDS: Book Three.

New York City's streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly emerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice.

Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It's up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn't so random. There's more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partners.h.i.+p is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relations.h.i.+p.

Sequel to Rack & Ruin THIRDS: Book Four After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he's done. But Dex's plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition's crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn't taking any chances. Dex's team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost.

With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies-however well-intentioned-begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who's pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it's up to Sloane to show him what's at stake, and finally put a name to what's in his heart.

Sequel to Rise & Fall THIRDS: Book Five As the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta's Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash's skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash's secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what's in his heart.

Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he's ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn't the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.

Sequel to Against the Grain.

THIRDS: Book Six.

Calvin Summers and Ethan Hobbs have been best friends since childhood, but somewhere along the line, their friends.h.i.+p evolved into something more. With the Therian Youth Center bombing, Calvin realizes just how short life can be and no longer keeps his feelings for his best friend a secret. Unfortunately, change is difficult for Ethan; most days he does well to deal with his selective mutism and social anxiety. Calvin's confession adds a new struggle for Ethan, one he fears might cost him the friends.h.i.+p that's been his whole world for as long as he can remember.

As partners and Defense Agents at the THIRDS, being on Destructive Delta is tough at the best of times, but between call-outs and life-threatening situations, Calvin and Ethan not only face traversing the challenges of their job, but also working toward a future as more than friends.

Readers love the THIRDS series by Charlie Cochet.

h.e.l.l & High Water.

"This book was a fantastic surprise!"

-Prism Book Alliance.

Blood & Thunder.

"This has become my favorite series in the genre in just two short books!"

-MM Good Book Reviews Rack & Ruin "This book kept me hooked from the first word to the very last word, AGAIN!! These books just keep getting better and better."

-Love Bytes.

Rise & Fall.

"Charlie Cochet has continued to impress me with this amazing paranormal romance infused with incredible side characters, dialogue and edge-of-your-seat action"

-The Blogger Girls Against the Grain "This series is one of my favorites. It's got extremely likable characters, laugh out loud moments, great story lines and enough s.e.xy times to keep you happy."

-On Top Down Under Reviews Catch a Tiger by the Tail.

"This was my favorite book in what has been a spectacular series so far."

-Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews.

CHARLIE COCHET is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succ.u.mb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her pa.s.sion. From adventurous agents and s.e.xy s.h.i.+fters to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there's bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in-and plenty of romance, too!.

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website: www.charliecochet.com.

By Charlie Cochet.

Between the Devil and the Pacific Blue.

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts Healing Hunter's Heart.

A Rose by Any Other Name THE AUSPICIOUS TROUBLES OF LOVE.

The Auspicious Troubles of Chance The Impetuous Afflictions of Jonathan Wolfe.

NORTH POLE CITY TALES.

Mending Noel.

The Heart of Frost Vixen's Valor Loving Blitz.

THIRDS..

h.e.l.l & High Water Blood & Thunder Rack & Ruin.

Rise & Fall.

Against the Grain Catch a Tiger by the Tail.

Smoke & Mirrors.

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