Page 20 of Pretty Poison

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Elaine.”

“Did you know Rocky was married?” Cal asked his wife.

“No, butImind my own business, dear. Come on in and eat while the food is still hot.” She popped back inside the house and shut the door.

“Well, I best get going. It’s meatloaf night.”

Asher chuckled. “It was nice meeting you, Cal.”

“Same to you,” the older man said over his shoulder as he shuffled toward his house.

Asher grinned from ear to ear as he made his way up the deck steps. Someone needed to knock him down a peg.

“Will you tell me what you’re doing in Savannah now?”

“I told you I would as soon as I got Spencer settled.”

He’d said “time will tell,” which sounded way more ominous than this paraphrased version. Instead of pointing it out, Rocky said, “That was three weeks ago.”

Asher tilted his head. “You’re going to tell me how to do my job now? Do you know how much work goes into establishing new identities for one person, let alone an entire family?”

“No.”

“It’s extensive and exhausting when things go according to plan, so imagine the ensuing chaos after three knuckleheads crash my investigation.”

“You called us meddlesome idiots,” Rocky reminded him. Asher replied with a shrug and an easy smile that did nothing to ease Rocky’s nerves. “I’m not disputing that your job is complicated, but I have a tough time believing you couldn’t find a spare moment to call or text me.”

“And allow you to throw up roadblocks?”Or run away.Asher hadn’t said the words out loud, but Rocky could see the accusation in his husband’s gaze. Asher shook his head, and the incrimination disappeared. “A stealth approach works best.”

Rocky’s eyes fell to the monstrous bag at Asher’s feet. “You can’t stay here.”

“It’d just be for a few days.”

Rocky shook his head. “Absolutely not.” The house was too small and only had one bathroom. He didn’t want to hear Asher in the shower or smell his bodywash lingering in the air. He didn’t want to imagine water sluicing down his husband’s incredible body.Yet here you are doing just that.

“I don’t see why there’d be a problem. You’ve done a great job of erasing me from your life.”

“I have not,” Rocky scoffed.

Asher quirked a raven brow. “Really? You’ve either told people we were divorced or pretended I didn’t exist. I’m not sure which hurts the most.”

Asher’s verbal arrow would’ve struck center mass if not for the shields Rocky had worked hard to erect against such attacks. “I’m going to ask you one more time.”

“What comes after thrice?” Asher asked.

Rocky took a calming breath. He’d passed the road sign welcoming him to exhaustion several miles ago and was coasting on fumes. “Why are you here, Asher?”

His husband matched Rocky’s deep breath with one of his own. Great. They’d huff and puff and blow the house down without Rocky being any closer to understanding what the hell was going on.

“You’re not going to like it,” Asher finally said.

“That goes without saying.”

“I’d requested a transfer to Savannah soon after you left me. The logical step in my mind had been to follow and fight for you—us.”

Rocky leaned against the deck railing for support, gripping the wood so hard the edges cut into his skin like his husband’s words shredded his soul. Of course Asher hadn’t given up easily.

“There were no openings at the time,” Asher continued. “We grew further apart each day, and you seemed to be blossoming in a life that didn’t include me. Then came the divorce papers.”