Page 65 of Brokered Betrayals
Stomping his foot, Royce said, “And it’s been the longest twenty minutes of my life.”
“Fine. Let me help you push it into the living room. I don’t want you to reinjure your hamstring. There are things I want to do with you.” He looked at his watch. “And Darla should sleep for at least another half hour. We can pack a lot of pleasure in that amount of time.”
Royce stepped closer until the only thing separating them was Dolly. “Does it involve me ringing your bell, getting out my schlong, and delivering a package?”
“Mm-hmm,” Sawyer said. He moved in closer to kiss Royce, but Dolly beat him to it. “But you’ll have to wipe your mouth first.”
Sawyer took Dolly back to the sofa and waited while Royce retrieved their two-wheeled cart from the garage. He moved the box to the living room and whipped out a box cutter.
“Be careful.”
Royce sighed and shook his head. “I won’t ruin my gift.” He made shallow cuts across the top to reveal a slab of Styrofoam. “Baby, you shouldn’t have.”
“You won’t be laughing when you see what’s tucked inside there,” Sawyer boasted.
“It’s that good, huh?”
“Oh yeah.”
Royce lifted off the top slab of Styrofoam, and a sheet of paper fell to the floor. “Probably the packing list.”
“Don’t look at it,” Sawyer said. “It will spoil the surprise.” He reached down for the paper when his phone rang. Charlie’s name appeared on the screen, and he grabbed the phone instead. His pulse kicked up a notch every time his friend called with an update, but he’d stopped thinking “this is it” weeks ago to preserve his sanity. “Hey, Charlie.”
“Is Royce close by? I’m about to hold a press conference and don’t have much time to talk.”
“Yeah, he’s here.” Sawyer’s heartbeat kicked into a full gallop as he tapped the speakerphone icon.
Royce’s head snapped up, and hopeful eyes locked on Sawyer. “Hi, Charlie. What’s up?”
“We got them! Peyton and Shania Price and Landen Jordan are in police custody in New Mexico. US Marshals are en route to pick them up and bring them back to Georgia. I’m about to announce the arrests in a press conference, but I wanted you to hear the news from me first.”
“Thank you so much,” Sawyer said. “This means the world to us.”
“We owe you one,” Royce added.
“No, you don’t. But I’d like to get together soon so I can meet your little girl.”
“Let us know when you’re free,” Sawyer told him. “We’re always home.”
Charlie chuckled. “Will do.” Muffled voices came from his end of the conversation. “Gotta run, guys. I’ll be in touch soon.” He clicked off before either of them could say goodbye.
“Do you want to see if the local news carries the press conference?” Royce asked.
“Nope,” Sawyer said. “I’m content just knowing they’ve been arrested.”
“It won’t help our situation, but I feel relieved they won’t escape justice.” Royce reached for his hand and kissed the back of it. “And we’re going to have a completely different day in court, with a much better outcome than those psychopaths. I believe that with my whole heart.”
“Me too.” Sawyer nodded toward the box. “Now, unpack your surprise. I’m dying to see what you think.”
Royce reached inside the box and pulled out a pink plastic drill. A broad smile spread across his face. “Battery operated?”
“Yes, but I have to buy those separately. It has little fake drill bits somewhere in the box.”
Royce squeezed the trigger and made the whirring noises himself. Dolly yipped from the couch and wagged her tail. “This isn’t for you. It says Darla’s name right on the side.” He tapped the white lettering before letting the dog sniff it. Dolly wasn’t impressed and lowered her head between her paws in a pout. “What else do we have in here?”
“Unpack it and see.”
Royce pulled out a wrench, a tiny hammer, and several little tools. Then he started pulling out bigger wooden pieces that he’d have to assemble. There was a pegboard to hang her little tools and the work apron with her name embroidered on it. There was the workbench that Royce would attach her vise and saw to, and the storage area beneath it to store the wooden toolbox. He took his time unwrapping each piece, his expression getting sappierwith every reveal. “You know she can’t play with this for a long time.”