Page 12 of The Sinner's Son

Sawyer’s laughter broke the anxiety gripping his chest. “God, I love you.” Movement in his periphery caught his attention, and he turned to see Cory and his cohorts enter the community room. Instead of joining the conversation, they hovered around the perimeter of the group.

“What the hell is that about?” Royce asked, gesturing to the newcomers with his half-eaten slider.

Sawyer tried not to wince but failed. “The Alec Bishop Fan Club.”

Royce set his sandwich on the plate. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

Glancing at Alec again, Sawyer said, “That makes two of us.”

“What’s he even doing here?” Royce asked. “How’d he even know about this event?”

“This whole thing is my fault.”

“Yeah,” Royce said. “It kinda is. You just had to make nice with him in Denver. Still doesn’t explain what he’s doing here tonight though.”

“I’d mentioned the open house as the reason I couldn’t meet him tonight. And then I told him I had too much going on to meet with him before Monday morning.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you see how well that worked out for me,” Sawyer said. “There’s tenacious, and then there’s this guy.” Sawyer was already in over his head, and the joint project had barely gotten underway.

Royce emitted a low growl. “I don’t want him interfering with our lives. I don’t want him showing up places he doesn’t belong.” Royce’s growing frustration was palpable, and Sawyer wished they were alone so he could assure him with more than words.

“I don’t want those things either. I’ll try being more assertive with Alec.” He’d handled dangerous criminals easier than this wannabe investigative podcaster.

“Guys like him don’t respond to authority and assertiveness,” Royce said. “You draw a line, and he will cross it. You draw boundaries, and he will crash them. Start thinking outside the box before this guy tramples your career.” Royce leaned into his space. “You’re a Locke now, so start thinking like one.”

Sawyer smiled despite the tense situation. “I am, and I will.”

He had so much more to say, but it would need to wait because one of the male cadets broke free from the pack and strode toward them. The kid was on the shorter side, slender, and moved as if the weight of the world rested on his narrow shoulders. He had black hair, fair skin, and light blue eyes. The cadet stopped abruptly a few feet away from them, as if he’d just registered their presence. He darted an uncertain glance between them, so Sawyer waved him over and maneuvered Royce out of the way.

“This is Cayden Sutton,” Royce said. “Cay, this is my husband, Sawyer.”

“It’s good to meet you,” Cayden said with a short nod.

“It’s good to meet you too.”

Cayden grabbed a paper plate and glanced over his shoulder at the group surrounding Alec. “Why’s everyone got a boner for that guy? He’s a douche.”

Royce’s brow furrowed in disapproval, but his eyes radiated pride that his cadet saw through Alec’s veneer. Sawyer had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Though I can’t fault your assessment of Mr. Bishop, I must insist you use more appropriate language inside the facilities or while wearing your cadet uniform.”

Cayden’s cheeks turned pink, and he lowered his head. “Sorry about that.”

Sawyer leaned toward him and lowered his voice. “But you’re not wrong, my dude.”

“Says the man responsible for Alec being here,” Royce said. “You should’ve said no.”

Sawyer choked down a frustrated growl and bit hard into a naked carrot stick.

“No ranch?” Cayden asked, sounding more upset by the missing condiment than by Alec crashing their open house.

“He likes kale too,” Royce said in mock horror. “And not just blitzed and blended with fruits and yogurts. He eats it raw in salads and stuff.”

Cayden looked pityingly at Sawyer and added another slider onto his plate. “Dude.”

Sawyer shrugged and picked up a celery stick. “I like what I like.”

“Celery is for decorating a plate of chicken wings,” the cadet declared.