Page 48 of Devil's Hour
“We haven’t had a chance to talk yet. Her house looks like a bomb went off inside it, and she looks like a zombie. I’m going to be here pretty late, babe. I’ll probably go home afterward so I don’t wake you.”
“It’s funny you think I sleep when you’re not around,” Sawyer said. “I want you here, and it doesn’t matter what time. Use the key I gave you. It’s to the door off the laundry room, by the way. I forgot to tell you that. I wouldn’t want you standing on the porch at oh-fuck hundred thinking I changed the locks on you.”
Royce chuckled. “Oh-fuck hundred. I like that.”
“Feel free to borrow it. Is there anything I can do to help right now?”
He had planned to decline help but remembered how ill Candi looked. “I need a food recommendation.” Sawyer listened as Royce described his concerns over Candi’s appearance. “I’m not stupid enough to think one meal is going to fix it, but maybe it will remind her how much she used to like food. The boys have been eating plenty because you should see the mess those little rug rats made. I put them to work cleaning up their mess while Candi takes a relaxing bubble bath. They desperately need structure in this house, so I’m going to help Candi sort through things after I figure out dinner. She’s trying so hard to do things on her own, but I think she’s finally willing to concede that accepting help isn’t a bad thing.” Sawyer’s warm chuckle interrupted his chain of thought. “What?”
“There’s so much more to you than meets the eye, Royce Locke. You’re like an onion. I keep peeling back the layers only to find more—each one more delicious than the one before it.”
“You thought I was shallow?” Royce teased.
“Not in the least. I knew from the start you were very private and kept things close to the vest.”
Royce couldn’t deny it. “I’m opening up to you now.”
“You sure are, and I like what I see. You have such a wild card, badass reputation, so to hear you talk about people needing structure is a little surprising.”
“Traits I learned as a Marine.”
“Wait? What? You were in the Marine Corps?” Sawyer asked.
“It was my ticket out of Savannah. I was restless and needed discipline, and I found it in spades there. Plus, I followed in my big brother’s footsteps. I wasn’t in the Corps long though. I fell during a training exercise after surviving boot camp. I injured my back, and they discovered I have scoliosis during routine X-rays. They’d decided it was severe enough that it could impede my ability to serve, even though it hadn’t presented problems up to that point. I guess the condition was either overlooked or ignored during my exams when I enlisted in 2004. Of course, it was wartime and they were more likely to make exceptions. Anyway, they decided the nearly sixty pounds of protective gear and equipment would beat down my body.” He’d been devastated and had floundered when he’d returned home.
“With a medical discharge, I was still eligible for some benefits and went to college. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and Holly smacked me upside the head and told me to be a cop if I needed to protect and serve. I almost didn’t apply to the police academy, thinking their standards would be as strict but decided I had nothing to lose. The worst they could say was no.”
He’d been proactive and sought medical opinions from two different specialists to find out what kind of problems his spine would cause him down the road, and neither felt his condition would exclude him from a career in law enforcement. He left their offices with written opinions, rolled the dice, and applied for the academy. “They said yes, and here we are.”
“Wow. Tonight has been one hell of a revelation.” Sawyer cleared his throat. “Um, do you still have the dress uniform?”
Royce chuckled, knowing where Sawyer’s mind was heading. “Maybe, but perhaps we have this conversation later when I don’t have two little boys staring at me through the sliding glass door.” Royce made kissy faces at them, and the boys both started giggling and gagging. “I told them I have a boyfriend, but I don’t think Candi would appreciate the anatomy lesson that your dirty talk would likely provoke.”
Sawyer laughed. “I’ll let you go, but let me take care of dinner. It sounds like you have your hands full, and I want to do something nice for them.” Royce realized it was time, past time probably, to introduce his two worlds. “Give me Candi’s address and let me know about any food allergies or dislikes. I know kids can be picky.”
“Not these kids. Candi has done an amazing job making sure their diet consists of more than hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.”
“All right. Text me the address, and I’ll hook you up.”
“Thank you,” Royce said, his voice sounding raw and rough.
“It’s my pleasure. I meant what I said. I want you here regardless of the hour. I miss you when you’re gone.”
Royce swallowed hard. “Yeah, I miss you too.” Sleeping beside Sawyer didn’t keep the nightmares at bay, but it was sure nice to reach for him afterward. “I’ll be there.”
After they hung up, Royce went back inside. By then, the boys had moved on to picking up their toys and putting them away, so he rinsed the dirty dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. The boys were too quiet, so he decided to check on their progress. They were walking around the room, picking dirty clothes up together. Daniel picked up a pair of shorts off the floor and added to the pile Marc carried in his arms.
“Missed a sock,” Marc said, tipping his head to guide his brother.
Daniel responded by kicking it under the sofa. “There.” The kid was a pistol, and Candi was going to have her hands full with him when he became a teenager.
Royce cleared his throat. Daniel flinched and turned around, smiling boldly at him. Royce raised a brow, and Daniel dropped to the floor to get the sock out from beneath the sofa. Royce just shook his head when they walked by on their way to the laundry room. Royce’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened the message from Sawyer.
I ordered your dinner. It should be there in thirty-five minutes.
Thank you so much,Royce sent back.
Marc and Daniel returned to the living room.