Page 7 of Devil's Hour
Sawyer briefly met his gaze and Royce saw confusion in his brown eyes. “For?”
“Running this investigation.”
Sawyer shook his head. “Rigby doesn’t make bad decisions. You’re the man for the job…among many others.”
Royce wasn’t an insecure man who lacked confidence or wasted energy doubting his value to the force, but this investigation was different. If he made the wrong move, it could blow up in his face and the chief’s by proxy. The hard truth was Rigby had seen something in him early in his career that others hadn’t and letting her down wasn’t an option.
“Damn, you’re especially horny this morning,” Royce said, focusing on Sawyer’s innuendo to change the topic. “Ah, now I know why you arrived to work later than me. You got all worked up over one of your audiobooks and needed a minute to get yourself under control.”
Sawyer’s face turned a telling shade of red. Royce had only been teasing him but realized he’d hit the nail on the head. “It wasn’t that. Not quite,” Sawyer added, giving his head a slight shake. “The truth is even more embarrassing.”
“All the more reason why I want to hear it.”
“If this gets around, I’ll never live it down,” Sawyer said, sounding so miserable Royce wanted to hug him.
“You know damn well your secret is safe with me.”
Sawyer snorted. “You’re the somebody who will tease me mercilessly.”
“Come on. You can trust me.”
“Only if you promise to laugh and get it out of your system now. Once we arrive atSavannah Morning Newsheadquarters, you’re going to let this go and never bring it up again.”
Royce didn’t bother to hide his grin. “I can’t promise that, GB.” Sawyer hated anyone calling him Golden Boy, even Royce who no longer meant it as an insult. Shortening it to GB was something they could both live with. “You’ll feel better after getting it off your chest.” That’s what he’d heard in his mandated therapy sessions anyway.
“Damn you, Royce,” Sawyer groused, but Royce knew he was about to confess. “I got so caught up listening to a car chase scene I ran a stop sign and got pulled over.”
Royce blinked a few times, then laughter burst from him as he pictured the look on Sawyer’s face when the officer approached his car. “I don’t believe it,” he said in between gasps.
“Believe it,” Sawyer groused. “You can stop laughing now. It isn’tthatfunny.” Sawyer’s grouchiness only made Royce laugh harder.
“Stomach hurts,” Royce managed to wheeze out while winding down and wiping the tears from his eyes. He looked over at Sawyer again, and his dark scowl triggered another round of laughter. “Did you get a ticket, or did you show your badge?”
A smile curved on Sawyer’s gorgeous face as he turned on to Chatham Parkway. “I didn’t need to show my badge.” He sounded smug, which wasn’t like him at all.
“Well, you are kind of famous,” Royce agreed.
Sawyer turned into theSavannah Morning Newsparking lot and found a spot near the main entrance. “Nah, I gave him a blow job.”
Royce choked on his next breath.
After putting the Charger in park, Sawyer looked at him, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “That shut you up.”
Turning to look out his side window, Royce groused, “Evil bastard.”
“Hey, look at me,” Sawyer said. When he had Royce’s full attention, he said, “I was just joking. You don’t actually think I’d fuck around behind your back?”
Royce reached over and cupped Sawyer’s face, running his thumb over Sawyer’s bottom lip before releasing him. “Not my GB. I’m only pissed because you reminded me how good it felt sliding my dick in and out of your mouth this morning.” Sawyer’s eyes darkened, and his nostrils flared, making Royce smile. “Asshole.”
Sawyer killed the engine and released his seat belt. “But I’m your asshole,” he said right before he got out of the car.
Yes, he was,Royce thought when he exited the car and followed Sawyer inside the newspaper building.
They had to wait for the editor-in-chief to finish a phone call, so they walked around the spacious lobby looking at some of the antique printing equipment on display as well as the framed front pages spanning from 1850 when the paper was calledDaily Morning Newsto modern day. The headlines chosen showcased the changing landscape of Savannah, both physically and politically, over the centuries, with focus on the city’s ability to be both eccentric and traditional at the same time. Sawyer softly groaned when he saw the front page featuring his cold case arrest. Royce knew he was proud of solving the case but wished it had come with less fanfare. He’d said the attention should’ve been placed on the victim and her family, not him.
Royce turned when he heard high heels clicking rapidly on the polished floors. He’d never seen a photo of the editor-in-chief, but with a name like Minerva Driscoll, he had expected someone more…matronly. He expected Betty White and got Marilyn Monroe—bold red lips, curvy figure, and all. It took himself an extra second to shake off his surprise and address her. “Miss Driscoll?” Royce was glad his surprise wasn’t evident in his voice.
Her nod was as brisk as her stride. All business and no bullshit. She and Sawyer would get a long great. “Mrs. Driscoll, but please call me Minerva. What can I do for you?”