Page 43 of Devil's Hour
Holly reached inside the box and picked one up. “They’re suitable for my stomach.” She bit down harder than necessary and savagely tore off the crown of the bread dick. She chewed with wicked delight in her eyes while Royce and Sawyer squirmed uncomfortably. “Best dick I’ve had in ages,” she said with her mouth full.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to talk with a dick in your mouth?” Royce asked. “I might be the most inexperienced one at sucking cock in this group, but even I know it’s not proper blow job etiquette.”
“And easy with the teeth,” Sawyer said, shuddering. They both laughed, and Holly flipped them off with one hand while continuing to eat her bread dick with the other.
Royce turned to Sawyer. “What kind of sauce did you get to dunk the dicks in?”
“Pizza sauce and garlic butter.”
“I call dibs on the garlic butter,” Royce said, grabbing two dicks from the box and the container of garlic butter. Then he turned the pizza box around to open it. “Meat lovers. How appropriate for the three of us.” Their laughter grew more raucous. Apparently, the bread dicks had reduced them to middle schoolers.
Sawyer retrieved paper plates and napkins from Royce’s kitchen and passed them around.
“What is happening here? Royce Locke is going to use a paper plate instead of just eating the slice over the open pizza box?” Holly teased. “I honestly thought it would take longer for Sawyer to domesticate you,” Holly said before biting into a slice of pizza.
“Domesticate me?” Royce asked in disbelief.
“Only took me a few weeks, which was much shorter than with Bones,” Sawyer told Holly, who nearly choked on her pizza. “He wanted to hiss and bite me for nearly two months.”
Royce narrowed his eyes. “Smartass.” Royce would hiss and bite Sawyer plenty as soon as they were alone.
They dug into their dinner and nearly demolished the extra-large pizza and bread dicks. Holly didn’t leave so much as a piece of shredded red cabbage in the bottom of her container. Then Royce dodged Holly’s domesticity barbs while Sawyer went to retrieve his laptop.
“Maybe we’re just chasing our tails here,” Holly suggested when Sawyer returned. “Sawyer, none of your CIs turned up any new information, right?”
“Nope.”
“I know you’re hoping I’ll find answers at the club, but everyone is private and tight-lipped there. I expected the ladies to be catty and trash one another behind their backs, but I was wrong. It’s probably the reason no one has been able to prove the rumors about Savage McGraw. The only thing any of the women have said about Crystal is she hasn’t been the same since her boyfriend died,” Holly said gently. “You can see the sadness in her eyes. She’s just going through the motions. I’ll never condone what Marcus did to Candi, but Crystal did care deeply for him.”
“Internal Affairs has to know something we don’t,” Royce said. “They don’t waste their time and energy on bullshit. If we could find out where they’re looking or how they were tipped off…”
“Or you could let it go,” Holly suggested. “Marcus is gone. Let him rest in peace.”
“Candi needs the money, Holls. I don’t believe IA has created a bogus case to save the department from paying out benefits, so I need to get some answers. I hope like hell I can clear his name, but getting the truth will at least be closure so we can heal.”So I can heal, Royce thought.
Sensing the hurt rising inside him, Sawyer leaned in and kissed Royce. “If we can find out which judge signed the warrant, I could—”
“Hell no. You’re not using your connections on this. I won’t have your reputation tarnished because of me.” Then again, Sawyer risked that just by dating him.
“If Marcus wasn’t dirty, then what could he have been into? What motivated him to start going to The Alley Cat?”
“A strained marriage?” Holly asked. “Three kids and two parents who work full-time and often on different shifts. People have strayed for less.”
Holly had an excellent point. Marcus had confided in him that his marriage to Candi was in trouble. Royce knew Marcus hadn’t wanted more than two kids, and they fought hard about the third pregnancy. The week before Marcus committed suicide, he had told Royce he was determined to do right by Candi. What the hell had changed? If Royce could trace Marcus’s activities during his final eight days, he was sure he’d find the answer to what had really been going on with him. IA had confiscated Marcus and Candi’s computers, so they wouldn’t be able to do a history search.
Sawyer cupped his face, stroked his thumb along Royce’s jawline. “We’ll figure it out. Maybe not tonight, but we will find answers. I’m relentless, and you’re fearless, remember?” Royce nodded, and Sawyer leaned in, giving him a languid, lazy kiss. Lost in Sawyer’s words and touch, Royce hadn’t heard the front door open.
“I knew you’d turned into a faggot too.”
Royce jumped away from Sawyer, realizing too late his reaction could be mistaken for guilt or shame. “Benton,” he said with a growl. “What are you doing here?”
“Came to check on my big bro. You didn’t answer my calls or texts, and I was worried.”
“There’s my cue to leave,” Holly said, rising to her feet and grabbing her purse. “Thanks for dinner, guys. I’ll call you later.” She sauntered past Benton without looking in his direction. Benton, on the other hand, turned to watch her walk out of the house.
“Damn, that girl gets hotter and hotter.” He spun around and faced Royce with a leering smile on his face. “Is she single? If Jace isn’t going to tap that, then maybe I should.”
“Stay away from her if you know what’s good for you.”