Page 112 of Thicker than Water

Could you rift me to you?

“The Courtyard was only ten minutes away. We could’ve rifted to you. We could’vewalkedto you.”

Roma’s expression flickers. “JJ‍?—‍”

“You sent them our location.” The words sound hollow in JJ’s ears. “We let you out of our sight fortwo minutes,and‍—and you sent Cass’s address to the Sanctum. Didn’t you?”

Roma steps forward, a steely glint in her eyes. “It’s going to be better this way, okay? We’ll have Chin, and we’ll undo whatever he did to you, and‍?—‍”

JJ stumbles away, his eyes darting down to the phone in his hand. Hastily, he swipes out of Roma’s contact, hits the button to call Cass‍?—

Roma moves in a blur of motion that JJ’s eyes are too slow to track. Pain splits through his fingers as his phone clatters to the blacktop ten feet away, and JJ snatches his hand to his chest with a gasp, eyes watering from the bite of hard metal against his knuckles.

The blunt end of an ax. Roma readjusts her grip on her favorite weapon and drops into her fight stance. “JJ,” she says, her voice deathly quiet, “please don’t make me do this.”

Adrenaline roars through JJ’s veins. As easily as breathing, he lifts his hand and snatches an escrima stick out of thin air. “I’m not making you do anything, Gutierrez.”

Roma’s jaw tightens. For the barest hint of a second, JJ thinks that maybe she’s reconsidering, that maybe she’s realizing JJ has a point, that maybe she’ll let him leave without a fight‍?—

And then she bursts forward, her ax whipping towards JJ’s midsection, and JJ’s battle-honed instincts snap into overdrive to take down his newest enemy.

It’s not about the mission. Really, it’s not.

It’s about everything the stupid missionrepresents.

Cass paces restlessly across his living room, trying to corral his whirlwind thoughts into some semblance of cohesion. Right now, though, they’re flying all over the place, spiraling from anger to concern to heartbreak and straight back to anger.

He still can’t believe JJ left so easily. Still can’t believe he dropped everything the second Roma showed up, still can’t believe he walked out on everything Cass and JJ shared this morning.

Still can’t believe he abandoned all their plans for the afternoon. Cass scoffs to himself. Clearly, building and solidifying their fragile new relationship wasn’t nearly as important to JJ as blindly following Roma straight back into danger, and‍?—

The thought stops him in his tracks. Belatedly, a tendril of guilt snakes into his stomach.

Cuddling with his boyfriend versus rescuing one of his best friends. Well, when Cass puts it like that, it sounds kind of… petty.

Maybe that’s how JJ saw the situation. Maybe that was part of the problem.

Maybe that was why he left.

But it’s notaboutthe cuddling. Sighing, Cass collapses onto his couch, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. It’s not about JJ choosing his friends over Cass, because if their roles were reversed‍—if Ez and Obie were in danger‍—then Cass would’ve made the exact same decision. Romantic relationships are precious and important, but they don’t replace other relationships.

Don’t replace friendships.

He would never want to make JJ choose between Cass and his friends. He just‍?—

He just wants JJ to realize that he doesn’t have to volunteer for every battle anymore. Just wants JJ to realize that his life has meaning and purpose andvaluebeyond dying for the people he loves. Just wants JJ to take care of himself, to see his own worth, to be his own person.

He just wants JJ to leave the shadow of the Sanctum behind him. That’s all.

Cass scrubs a hand down his face, letting out a slow breath.

Maybe he did overreact a bit. As long as all goes well, this is just going to be a conversation between JJ, Roma, and Bryant. If Cass is lucky, JJ might even bring home some churros for him.

As long as the Sanctum doesn’t tail Bryant. And as long as Bryant herself is telling the truth. And as long as‍?—

Cass’s stomach churns. He pushes himself to his feet and starts pacing again.

Too many unknowns. Too many ways JJ is willingly putting himself in harm’s way.

---