Fucking Tag, never squandering an opportunity to be a douchebag.
"Tris," Cade said softly, pulling at Tristan's sleeve to stop him. "He's right, we're not sure she's there, but there's a good chance given how close the warehouse is to where Natalie was taken and the fact that the driver brought the other girl here. Don't let that prick get in your head. He lives to cause drama."
Nodding, Tristan pressed his lips together, and Cade cursed silently at how uncertain he looked as they took the final steps toward Annabeth and Tag. Cade always thought the two made an odd pair, with their matching icy blonde hair and blue eyes, but the man towered over the woman by a foot and a half, making them look like mismatched twins.
"The blond asshole is Tag," Cade tossed out, watching as Tristan's eyes widened, probably recognizing the name from Cade's stories.
"Uh, nice to meet you," Tristan said, sounding like he wasn’t sure he meant it.
Looking over his shoulder at the other van, Cade was about to ask about the rest of their team when he turned back and realized both Annabeth and Tag were staring at the conspicuous marks on Tristan's neck.
"I guess the safe house wasn't too safe, huh?" Annabeth quipped, making the redhead's cheeks pinken. Her words teased instead of judged, and Tristan didn't seem offended, so Cade wasn't either, but then Tag lazily pushed off the van and stood right in front of Tristan, close enough to reach out and touch him.
Too close.
Tag's face took on a smarmy expression Cade knew well; it meant whatever came out of Tag's mouth next would be offensive.
"Well, well, well," the blond snarked. "What do we have here?" He made a show of inspecting the bruises, but Tristan tilted up his chin, refusing to hide them. Cade's protective instincts swelled for a moment, but he talked himself down. He'd already been agitated when he got out of the car and was being stupid. Tristan was in no real danger.
"Looks like you and the King are getting along exceedingly well," Tag said, making the simple statement sound lecherous.
"Yeah, we are," Tristan answered, sounding casual, even though Cade could tell from his body language that he was uneasy.
"The King moves quick, I see," Tag drawled.
"And?" Tristan asked innocently.
"Nothing really. I'm actually pretty impressed. The work is quite... thorough, isn't it?" When Tag reached out a hand as if to touch Tristan's neck, the redhead blanched and leaned away.
The idea of Tag laying hands on Tristan in any way whatsoever provoked a visceral reaction in Cade's gut, and his restraint snapped. He wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want anyone at all touching Tristan, or if he just didn't want this fucking dickhead to do it.
Cade took a step closer, not quite between them, and faced Tag. "Leave him alone,"he warned, knowing he sounded too defensive.
"What? I didn't do anything," Tag replied with feigned innocence.
Cade's hackles rose like they always did around this insufferable jackass, andhe inserted himself fully between Tag and Tristan, ready to act as a shield or maybe smash his colleague's face if the mood struck.
"Don't touch him," he warned ominously.If this bastard so much as grazed Tristan's shoulder, he feared he would lose it.
"What's the matter, King? Afraid I'm going to steal your new chew toy?"
"Shut the fuck up, Taggart, and step back," Cade hissed, clutching at the last threads of restraint, fists clenching at his side.
Tristan placed a steady hand on Cade's arm. "Cade, let it go. It's fine."
As Cade continued to scowl at Tag, the douchebag had the gall to laugh. "Jesus, this is rich. You're already whipped."
"Shut the fuck up," Cade growled, nearly surrendering to the impulse to thrash this man here and now, like he'd wanted to for years.
But Annabeth ran interference as she often did. "Boys, for fuck's sake,can we put off the dick-measuring contest until after the extraction? Jesus, I should have picked a job with less testosterone."
The two men stood eye to eye and glared at each other for a few beats, but Annabeth chastised them again, her voice like a stern mother. "Guys, knock it off. We've got a job to do."
Both reluctantly stood down and backed away. Cade's heart pumped furiously at the near altercation, and as he settled, he regretted how he'd been so easily provoked. Fucking Tag, always pressing his buttons for fun.
"What the fuck is going on?" Taylor asked as he and the other van's occupants made their way to the group.
"Nothing," both Cade and Tag answered at once.
