It wasn’t a question, but I nodded all the same. His head fell forward, and his hair hid his eyes away from me.

“Tex...”

“Don’t you mean officer Caster?” He shook his head and lifted it once more. “You shouldn’t be here.” His eyes seemed to water as his teeth dug into his bottom lip.

I moved toward him and pulled it free. He was slow to react, raising his hand to knock mine away but this time I stayed unmoving. “I’m here.”

“You shouldn’t be. We’re enemies.”

When it came to public opinion or even Benito’s opinion, yes, we were. What did it say about me that I still wanted him? “Do you want me?”

Tex’s mouth opened, but he clamped it shut and shook his head. My chest felt as if a blade had pierced through me.

“I shouldn’t, but you make my fucking head hurt.”

Doesn’t he know he does the same to me? I pulled him toward me and draped his arm over my shoulder.

“You’re filthy.”

“Yeah, well, now I’m getting you dirty.” Tex leaned heavily against me as we moved out of the bathroom. I kept him upright to my car a block away. The walk seemed to have sobered him up slightly as he looked around once I had him seated in the car.

“Where are you taking me?”

I closed the door and rounded the car. Slipping behind the wheel, I still didn’t have an answer for him.

“Penelope has food?”

Tex nodded, his head bobbing before he grabbed it with both hands and groaned. “Bought those automatic feeders after my first overnight shift.”

I nodded and pulled off, merging into traffic. Even at nearly five in the morning, New York was bumper to bumper. I caught Tex shivering in the passenger seat and turned the heat on as we rode in silence.

Before I knew it, we were pulling up to my apartment. Tex had dozed off on the drive, and I was reluctant to wake him. Lines creased the corner of his eyes as he groaned in his sleep.

I parked in my reserved spot and turned the car off. We sat there for another minute before I woke him.

“Tex.”

He jumped, his eyes bugging out as he looked around. He slowly settled down once our eyes met.

“Come on.”

Tex didn’t argue as I helped him to my floor and into my place. He took a step toward the stairs, and I grabbed him before he could walk any further.

“What?”

“Clothes off,” I demanded.

Tex sighed as he yanked his shirt off and shoved his pants and boxer down his legs.

“Socks as well,” I said, pointing to them.

“Fuck, you’re so anal.” He crashed against the wall as he attempted to balance on one leg. He finally pulled them off and tossed them onto the pile.

“Do you need help showering?”