S awyer smiled as he watched the poolside shenanigans through his kitchen window. This time next year, their baby would celebrate his or her first Memorial Day weekend. He still felt like they were meant to be dads to the sweetest little girl to ever live. A warm hand settled at the small of his back, and he nearly dropped the tomato he’d just washed. Sawyer would know that touch anywhere and turned to look at his husband, who wore a matching grin.
“I’m worried our mouths are going to stick in this current position,” Sawyer said. They hadn’t stopped grinning all over themselves since leaving the clinic with Kelsey the previous day. “Your future cadets won’t be able to take you seriously.”
Royce arched a brow. “And the suspects you interrogate will?”
Conceding the point with a slight nod, Sawyer said, “What are we going to do about it?”
Royce took the tomato from his hand and gently set it on the counter. He cupped Sawyer’s face and moved in until their lips nearly touched. “I have an idea.” He waggled his brows for emphasis.
Sawyer’s blood migrated south as memories of their passionate lovemaking replayed in his mind. Their interlude at the clinic had taken the edge off so that they could act like respectable humans. They’d treated Kelsey to lunch at the Hummingbird Café after the procedure, and then she took them to a mega store that sold anything and everything a parent could want for a new baby. It was overwhelming to say the least, and Sawyer had expected Royce’s eyes to glass over like they did every time they went into a store that didn’t sell tools or equipment. It turned out that Sawyer had underestimated his husband, but only because there were tons of high-tech gadgetry available for babies and their parents. Royce had wanted to start a registry there and then, and the only way Sawyer could get him out of the store was to whisper some of the wicked things he wanted to do to Royce’s body when they got home. They’d barely kept their hands off each other since.
Royce’s next words proved he was still trying to make up for lost time. “I just need everyone to go home so I can have you to myself.”
They had plans with family over the holiday weekend, but they’d set aside Saturday night for hosting a pool party for their closest friends, who were also their SPD colleagues. Kelsey was the only one from their core squad who had prior commitments she couldn’t shake.
Sawyer suppressed a shiver and the urge to drag his husband to their bedroom. “They just got here,” he protested. “And shouldn’t you be getting the grill ready?”
“I did,” Royce replied. “I came in to get the meat and caught you daydreaming.”
“Was not.”
“Were too. You’ve stood in the same place for at least two minutes with the tomato suspended in the air. Bet you were thinking about how different our party will look next year.”
“Yeah,” Sawyer admitted dreamily. “I know it’s not smart to get our hopes up so high, but I can’t help myself.”
“I can’t either,” Royce admitted. “I did what I promised not to do today.”
Sawyer laughed because he knew what Royce was about to divulge. “I texted Kels too,” he confessed. “The doctor made me nervous with all the talk about cramping and spotting.”
“But she’s doing good. No issues so far.” Royce pressed a kiss to his neck. “Do you feel different?”
Sawyer smiled again. “Yeah. I feel…giddy. Is that the right word?”
Nodding, Royce said, “Yeah, I don’t know how else to describe it. Do I look different?”
Sawyer narrowed his eyes and studied the handsome face he adored so much. “Yeah. You look like you’re at ease with your place in the world. Serenity is very attractive on you.”
Royce chuckled. “No one would ever describe me as serene. I might be more laid-back than you are, but I have a restless energy that never seems to fade. It feels more like a contented hum right now though. And I like it.” He kissed Sawyer gently before pulling back to study him. “And you’re glowing like you just spent a day at the spa with your mom and sister.”
“Do you think anyone suspects what’s going on?”
“I doubt it with this crew,” Royce said. “We didn’t tell anyone about our plans, and most people will have too much going on in their lives to notice. If they guess, it won’t be the end of the world.”
“True. But I want to exist in this happy little bubble with you for as long as I can.”
They kissed again, lingering until childish giggles dragged Sawyer’s attention away from his husband. Jackson Blue stood just inside the open patio door, holding a girl and boy in each of his massive arms. The detective’s linebacker size hid a teddy bear’s heart, and no one delivered a quicker smile or joke than Blue. His current grin showed off a lot of teeth, and his dark eyes sparkled with humor. He wore swimming trunks and a pair of flip-flops, showing off gleaming dark skin and a mountain of muscle. Blue and his husband had adopted the twins a year ago, and they’d taken to parenting like ducks to water. DeMarcus wore a pair of trunks that matched Blue’s, and Zoya wore a pink bathing suit that matched the beads in her braids. Both kids wore inflatable floaties on the arms they’d wrapped around Blue’s neck.
Zeke closed the sliding glass door behind them and shook his head when he clocked his husband’s mischievous expression. He was shorter and leaner than Blue, but his firefighter’s build was impressive as hell. He placed his hand between Blue’s shoulder blades and gave him a little nudge. “We have two toddlers we’re trying to potty train, Blue.” He patted his husband’s back. “You can harass your friends later.”
The big man nodded his bald head. “And I will.”
“Pee pee,” Zoya announced.
“Pee pee,” DeMarcus mimicked.
“You know the way to the bathroom,” Royce said. They’d hosted countless poker nights and gatherings over the years, and their friends were as familiar with their home as Sawyer and Royce were, and that’s the way they wanted it. “I’m going to get the burgers and brats going on the grill.” He picked the tomato up off the counter and placed it back in Sawyer’s hand. “Try not to slice off a finger while daydreaming.”
Sawyer wanted to scoff but couldn’t with his history. He’d lost track of the number of times he’d embarrassed himself by getting too absorbed in audiobooks and podcasts while performing tasks. It was due more to luck than skill that he’d never hurt himself or others. “Got it. No daydreaming with sharp objects in my hand.”
Royce kissed him once more before retrieving the seasoned meats from the refrigerator and going outside. Sawyer set the tomato on the cutting board and returned to the sink to wash the rest of the vegetables he’d need for his topping bar. He had a reputation for being bougie about food, and he would not disappoint. Sawyer made the mango chutney, tomato jam, and the spicy remoulade a few days ago. All he needed to do was cut and arrange the vegetables. He’d worked his way through the tomatoes and lettuce by the time Blue, Zeke, and the kids passed back through.
“How’d it go?” Sawyer asked.
“We made it.” Zeke looked at his husband. “But it was close.”
Zoya spotted the strawberries on the fruit plate. “Berry!”
“You can have them with dinner, baby girl,” Blue said.
“My little princess can have one now,” Sawyer told him. “Do you want a berry too, Dee?” The little boy nodded excitedly and clapped. “We never say no to fruit in this house,” Sawyer said as he picked the two best berries off the plate for them. Zoya blew him a kiss on their way out the door, and he settled back on his tasks.
Holly came through a few minutes later with a sleeping Harper. His chubby pink cheeks and pale blond hair made him look like a cherub. “I’m just going to put him in his pack-n-play. Want me to wash up and help?”
“Sure.” Conversation would help prevent his mind from wandering too far.
Holly joined him a few minutes later, and he assigned her the avocados. “Slices or chunks?” she asked.
“Slices.” Sawyer pulled out a second cutting board from the drawer, then handed her a knife, a spoon, and a lemon to squeeze over the fruit to keep it from browning.
“Did you get to enjoy any of the conference presentations between your own speaking engagements?” Holly asked.
“I did,” Sawyer replied and listed some of the favorite lectures he attended. “Alec Bishop was there.”
Holly set her knife down and looked at him with wide eyes. “Alec Bishop, son of serial killer Andrew Bishop?”
Sawyer chuckled at her expression. “That’s the one, and lots of people had that same reaction. They’d kept his involvement a secret until they revealed some surprise panelists and keynote speakers during the kickoff event.” Sawyer smiled and shook his head at the memory. “People fanned themselves and swayed like they might faint.”
“I bet,” Holly said. “Dude, he’s the Taylor Swift of the true-crime world right now. It’s not every day a serial killer is discovered, and it’s even rarer when their child is the one to bring them down. Dude is living his badass era. Did you attend his event? Oh, did you meet him? What was he like? Did he give new details about discovering his dad’s crimes or how he decided to go to the police?” Holly didn’t fan herself, and she didn’t sway on her feet, but she was fangirling so hard that Sawyer wasn’t sure where to start.
“Alec was swamped from the moment they announced his name. He took part in several panels, he hosted a meet and greet for the VIP attendees, and he sat for a long book signing.” Sawyer cocked a smile. “I bought a book and got it signed for you.”
“Shut up!” Holly swatted at his arm. “No, you didn’t.”
“I did.”
“Thank you so much,” Holly said. “I can’t wait to read it.”
“I downloaded the audiobook and listened to it on the way home. There’s a lot of information in there about their family dynamics that didn’t come out during the trial. And since Alec narrated it himself, I felt like I was sitting across from him and having a conversation over coffee.” Sawyer’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “And maybe that’s because I had a private conversation with him over coffee this week, so I know what it’s like.”
Holly looked out the window to where Royce stood at the grill. “Does he know?”
Sawyer laughed. “Of course. He didn’t enjoy hearing about it, and he disliked the topic of conversation even less.”
“Can you share it with me?” Holly formed prayer hands and made big eyes at him.
He shook his head at her antics. “I wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise,” Sawyer said. “Alec asked to speak to me after I gave my presentation on solving cold cases. He told me that his family had lived in Savannah years ago.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, he wants to know if we have unsolved crimes from those years that match his father’s MO.”
Holly’s mouth fell open in surprise, but she snapped it shut. “Seriously?”
“Mm-hmm. Alec doesn’t think we’ve learned the names of all his father’s victims, and he doesn’t think his dad waited until he was forty years old before he killed for the first time.”
“And Andrew can’t talk because he died in prison,” Holly said.
“Alec introduced me to a woman named Marina Woods, who is going to produce an investigative podcast for him. He has a lot of funding and resources and name recognition. This could be a huge deal.”
“His father was a long-haul truck driver,” Holly said. “He had access to limitless victims in every state except for Alaska and Hawaii.”
“Andrew lived in Alaska for a few years after he divorced Alec’s mom,” Sawyer told her. “He wanted to try his hand at ice road trucking.”
“Wow.”
“So there’s no telling the true number of victims, and Alec said he won’t rest until he finds as many of them as he can.”
Holly placed both hands on her chest. “Bless his heart.”
“Uh-oh,” Jace said. “This doesn’t sound good for you, Ro.”
“Me?” Royce asked. “They’re talking about your unfortunate ass.”
Sawyer and Holly turned and found the brothers watching them suspiciously from the open doorway.
“I came back for the cheese.” Royce walked into the kitchen with Jace following.
Sawyer pointed to the open sliding glass door, and Holly rolled her eyes in commiseration. “Heathens,” she whispered.
“I’m not sure what I just interrupted,” Royce said. “Whose foolish heart are you blessing?” He hooked his thumb in his brother’s direction just as Jace nodded his head at Royce.
“I didn’t use the sarcastic heart blessing,” Holly replied. “Sawyer was just telling me about Alec Bishop’s mission to uncover as many of his dad’s victims as possible.”
The Locke brothers groaned in unison and exchanged disgruntled grimaces.
“I’m really sick of hearing about that guy,” Jace grumbled.
“At least Holly didn’t spend the week with him in Denver,” Royce countered.
Sawyer rolled his eyes heavenward for help. “I didn’t spend the week with him . We were at the same conference and talked a few times.”
“One of the conversations was during a private breakfast,” Royce told his brother.
“Dude.” Jace cast a disappointed look at Sawyer.
“It was in an empty ballroom, not a hotel room, and we weren’t alone,” Sawyer argued. “His publicist, an agent, and the producer for an upcoming project were also there. We talked about solving cold cases and the possibility that his father could’ve killed women in Savannah during the mid-nineties.”
“Whoa,” Jace said. “Seriously?”
Sawyer nodded. “They lived in a rural area in Chatham County but spent a lot of time in Savannah, though I’m not sure how strong Alec’s memories are because he was only five at the time.”
“So, what’s going to happen next?” Holly asked.
“He’s probably moving to Savannah for a while to ‘investigate’ alongside our spouses.” Royce’s use of air quotes was a nice touch. Sawyer studied his husband closely. Royce hadn’t sounded upset when he’d told him about the meeting. Had Sawyer been wrong, or did he just want to wind everyone up? Royce gave him a subtle wink, and Sawyer got his answer.
“Over my dead body,” Jace growled.
“Interfere in my career and I just might make that a reality,” Holly warned him. “I have loved you since before I even knew what the emotion was, Jace. I don’t have the hots for Alec Bishop, but I respect him for turning in his dad and getting justice for the victims’ families. The guy didn’t just send Andrew to prison. He upended his entire world to do the right thing, which turned his life into a media frenzy.”
“One that has paid him handsomely,” Jace said. “I bet he’s making a fortune off the book he wrote.”
“I don’t want him or his potential fortune.” Holly’s mouth curved into a devious smile. “And besides, I’m pretty sure Sawyer is more his type than I am.”
And just like that, the glee in Royce’s sexy gray eyes dimmed. Jace burst into laughter and teased his brother mercilessly while Sawyer scowled at Holly. “You little minx. I might just use your signed book to start a fire in the pit tonight.”
She threw up her hands. “I’m just getting even with Ro for stirring up trouble.” Holly turned to Sawyer. “Is Alec really coming here?”
“We’re going to look through our cold case database and note any murders that might match Andrew’s MO during the times they were in Savannah. I’m going to call Chief Mendoza and Abe this week and see what they think. There’s so much media attention on everything Alec does, and we won’t want to bring that kind of pressure to our doorsteps unless we’re certain we’re going on more than wild speculation.”
“What about bringing Jonah in to assist?” Holly said.
Stella, the supercomputer Jonah built for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, would analyze the cold cases much quicker than they could. “I mentioned that to Alec, and he doesn’t have hesitations about working with the GBI, but Jonah’s side hustle is a concern,” Sawyer said.
The idea to start the Sinister in Savannah podcast occurred during a poker game at Sawyer and Royce’s house. Jonah, Felix, and Rocky couldn’t be more different individually, but together, the steadfast GBI agent, dogged reporter, and the wily private investigator formed a tenacious trio. They’d investigated and solved cases that righted decades-old injustices and garnered international attention. Their podcast continued to top the charts years later, and Alec didn’t want to tread on their territory. Sawyer suspected he worried more about the trio sweeping in to do their own investigation, and his assurances to the contrary would hold very little sway with Alec since they were virtual strangers.
“He doesn’t want to share the limelight,” Jace said.
“Maybe,” Royce replied. “But the investigation and future podcast are really personal to Alec. I can’t fault him for being protective of his intellectual property and wanting to control the narrative.”
Sawyer glanced out the window and saw the trio of trouble lounging by the pool with their spouses. A potential connection between Andrew Bishop and Savannah would make them salivate, but they’d never act in a dishonorable way. But he’d honor Alec’s wishes and not divulge any parts of their conversation with the podcasters. “This conversation stays between us, right?”
“Like I’d blow an opportunity to get in on this action,” Holly said.
Royce gave him the “You have to ask?” look, which drew a wink from Sawyer.
Jace formed a triangle with his fingers and held it above his head. “Cone of silence.” He lowered his arms and cocked his head to the side. “Unless I catch that man moving in on my wife. Then all bets are off.”
Royce laughed, and Holly rolled her eyes.
“Better get the cheese and get back to the grill before you burn the burgers,” Sawyer said.
Royce tsked and shook his head. “Ye of little faith. I’ve got Diego covering the grill for me.” But he pecked a kiss on Sawyer’s cheek and retrieved the plate of cheese.
“Why not just leave the cheese platter next to the veggies?” Holly asked. “That way, people can choose their own.”
Royce looked at his childhood friend in disbelief. “It’s like you’ve never eaten here before, Holl. Your method won’t produce perfectly melted cheese. I’ll ask who’s eating a burger and what kind of cheese they want so they get a customized experience.” Royce pointed in Sawyer’s direction. “It’s his fancy-ass-foodie influence.”
“Guilty as charged.” Sawyer would take the blame for this all day, every day. When he’d met Royce, his idea of quality cheese came in a spray can. Sawyer had yet to fully break him of that bad habit, but Royce reached for bougie cheese more often these days. With any luck, the spray imitation cheese would be a thing of the past long before their baby was old enough to enjoy solid foods. Sawyer had to bite back a smile when he thought of the dustups they’d have over nutrition in the years to come.
Once Jace and Royce left, Holly turned to him with a gorgeous smile on her face. “Are we the luckiest people on Earth or what?”
“Yes, we are.”
Through the window, he heard Royce calling out to their guests to get their burger orders, which meant it was almost showtime. He and Holly finished putting the toppings platter together before arranging the food, condiments, plates, and cutlery. Their kitchen island made a perfect buffet, and Sawyer stood back with pride once they finished. Holly snagged a piece of pineapple before following Sawyer outside. Those who’d been in the water were toweling off or dripping onto those who’d been lounging poolside.
“Parents with small children get to go first,” Royce said.
Jude nudged Felix and said, “That’s us.”
Royce snorted rudely. “Men with childish husbands don’t count.”
“Damn it,” Jude said. “Maybe we should expand our family with children instead of adding to your flock of peacocks.”
“First, we only have one peacock,” Felix said. “We have two females, and they’re called peahens. We have a muster of peafowl.”
“Thanks for the lesson, David Attenborough,” Royce said. “You still don’t get to eat first.”
“And,” Felix said, holding up a hand, “I don’t seek the peafowl; they find me.”
“Penelope didn’t just show up at our house one day after hearing Pete’s and Pearl’s squawking,” Jude countered. “You’ll never convince me that’s true no matter how many times you tell the story.”
Felix shook his head. “They don’t squawk, and I am telling you that Penelope was just there one day after work.”
“When I happened to be out of town,” Jude teased.
Sawyer leaned toward Royce. “Are they fighting?”
“Foreplay,” Royce replied with a wink. The couple was notorious for using witty banter as foreplay. “For fuck’s sake, you can get in line with the kids if it will shut you both up.”
Jude and Felix smugly fist-bumped one another and joined the line. Sawyer and Royce waited until everyone else cycled through before making their plates. They’d set up folding tables and chairs in long rows on the patio so everyone could gather in one place. Conversation and compliments flowed freely as the large group enjoyed the perfect weather and one another’s company. The pool party turned into yard games while they waited for their food to digest so they could return to the water. Sawyer was content to cradle a sleeping Harper against his chest and watch everyone else while Royce turned the carefree games into feisty tournaments.
Felix’s phone rang just as Royce launched a cornhole bag at the board. His throw arced right, and the bag landed beside the board instead of on it or through it. Royce cried foul and demanded a do-over as Felix frowned down at his phone.
“No way,” Jude told Royce.
“Oh, let the crybaby have it,” Felix said as he stepped away to answer his phone.
“I don’t need your charity to win,” Royce called out.
“Great,” Jude said. “It’s my turn, then.”
The trash talking grew more robust, but something about Felix’s posture during the conversation grabbed Sawyer’s attention. He stiffened and looked around the party to locate his podcast partners. Rocky and Jonah started moving toward Felix before he’d even disconnected the call, and the trio moved off to the side to have a private chat once he did.
“What do you think that’s about?” Holly asked from the chair beside Sawyer.
“Nothing good,” he replied. The words were barely out of his mouth when Royce’s phone rang. “Told you.”
When the Explorer’s academic year ended, Chief Mendoza put Royce wherever he needed him most, which usually involved high-profile cases. Felix split his attention between his partners and Royce, whose tense posture said his party had ended. Royce searched the gathering as he spoke until his gaze landed on Diego, who was too busy playing badminton to realize his party was about to end too.
“I’ll take back my little man so you can go see what’s up,” Holly said.
Sawyer carefully transferred the sleeping baby back to his mother before standing up. Royce disconnected his call and looked at him with so much regret in his eyes. It was part of their jobs, and they both knew it. Sawyer darted a glance in Felix’s direction and noted that all three podcasters were watching Royce. He tilted his head in their direction and said, “Might want to check with Felix before you take off. I think he got a similar call to yours.”
“I figured as much.” Royce rested his hand on Sawyer’s hip and leaned closer. “Did you see the medical journal on the coffee table at the fertility clinic yesterday?”
“I saw it but paid little attention to it. Did you?”
Royce nodded. “The cover featured a renowned doctor in the fertility field named Jean Claude Matisse. The caption under the photo referred to him as a trailblazer in the field.”
“Okay. And…” Sawyer prodded.
“He was just found dead in his swimming pool,” Royce replied.
Sawyer furrowed his brow in confusion. “A suspicious death?” It was the only logical reason the chief had called Royce, who worked homicides before becoming the Explorer Academy’s director.
“Too soon to tell,” Royce replied. “It’s an unattended death, and the man has a lot of clout, so Commissioner Rigby has requested my participation, and Mendoza let me choose my partner from the major crimes squad.” He sighed heavily and forced his shoulders to relax. “Let’s go find out what Felix knows before I ruin Diego’s night.”