Page 31 of Brokered Betrayals
“The superhero duo no one ever would’ve predicted,” Royce replied.
Sawyer chuckled. “Yet, it’s the team everyone probably needs.”
There was a brief knock at the door before Barron opened it and entered the room. “Congratulations, guys.” His gaze shifted to the corner of the room, and his face lit up with joy when he spotted his wife and new granddaughter. “You are going to share her, right?” Barron asked as he crossed the room to the sink.
“Maybe.” But Evangeline stood up slowly once he washed his hands and gestured for Barron to take the chair. Then she carefully transferred the sleeping baby to his arms.
“The grandpa gig never gets old,” Barron said. “Hello, beautiful angel.”
Evangeline sat on the footstool, and the two of them fussed over the newest member of the family. Sawyer and Royce watched them for a few minutes before they turned their attention back to one another.
“We’re not without resources,” Sawyer whispered. “Our chief is married to the sheriff. We’d never tap into that connection without there being a valid reason, and they know it.”
“True.” Royce opened the internet browser on his phone and started typing in the search bar. He hit Enter and sucked in a breath at the results he found.
Sawyer’s stomach knotted painfully at the sound, but he leaned closer to see what caused the reaction. There was a headline about an early morning hit-and-run involving a jogger in Chatham County. Beneath that, in smaller print, it read:Prominent attorney left dead in the road.Was this accidental or intentional? “Click the link,” Sawyer said.
Royce’s thumb shook as he tapped his phone to open the article. The text was brief, as the reporter claimed that law enforcement hadn’t revealed many details. She led with the time and location of the accident before she got to the person’s identity. “Ned Owens. Isn’t he a founding partner at Ivy’s firm?”
“Yes,” Sawyer said, remembering the encounter between Ivy and Ned the previous…night? Had that just occurred yesterday? “He’d wanted to talk to Ivy about something but hadn’t wanted to keep us waiting.”
“I wonder if the source of his concern is the same reason he’s dead,” Royce said, then shook his head. “That’s a big leap. This is real life, not a movie or TV show. His death is likely the result of a tragic accident.”
“Maybe,” Sawyer said. “But Ned Owens looked deeply troubled last night.”
“You only observed him for a few minutes,” Royce countered.
“It was long enough to know something had really shaken him. And with the police presence at the office…” Sawyer tapped his chest where his heart lay beating inside. “Something bad was going on, and now we’re caught in the middle of it.”
“I like my conclusion much better,” Royce said, but Sawyer could tell his opinion was wavering. When Royce whispered, “Shit,” Sawyer knew his husband had also pitched a tent in the conspiracy theory camp. “Now what?”
“We reach out to every resource in our arsenal,” Sawyer replied, then began listing them off. “Mendoza, Abe, and Charlie. Hell, even Commissioner Rigby would go out of her way to help us.”
Nodding, Royce said, “And don’t forget Felix. That guy always knows what’s going on.”
Someone knocked twice on the door, and Kitty poked her head inside. “I’m sorry to bother you, but there’s an Ivy Reeves here to see you guys. She’s claiming to be your family attorney.”
“Thank goodness,” Royce said.
Relief washed over Sawyer and infused him with a burst of energy. “She is our attorney. We’ve been trying to get in touch with her all day. Please send her back.”
Kitty glanced to the corner of the room where the grandparents were canoodling with Darla. The nurse grimaced when she met Sawyer’s gaze again. “I wish I could make an exception to our visitor rules, but we don’t allow more than four people in the room. Other than the baby, that is.”
“It’s no problem,” Evangeline said. “Dad and I will duck out and make dinner arrangements for you guys while you talk to Ivy. How does the Hummingbird Café sound?”
Sawyer’s stomach growled its approval. “Perfect.”
Evangeline stood up and eased Darla from Barron’s arms. She crossed the room and carefully placed her in the bassinet. “I’ll be back in a bit, sweetheart. Don’t grow up too fast while I’m gone.”
Barron smiled down at his granddaughter before placing his hand on Evangeline’s lower back and guiding her from the room. “Text me later and let me know what you want to eat,” he said.
“I know what they like,” Evangeline replied. “Text us when we can come back and snuggle Darla.”
When Kitty left to get Ivy, Sawyer stood up and paced the length of the room. “It’s going to be okay. Whatever Owens was involved with or knew about won’t affect us.”
Royce crossed his arms over his chest and studied him. Exhaustion and stress tugged the corners of his mouth down into a slight frown. Sawyer missed his wicked grin and the way it lit up his eyes and dared Sawyer to kiss him. “Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”
Sawyer stopped in front of Royce and notched his chin higher. “I was talking to our daughter. She’s nervous.”