Page 21 of The Sinner's Son

“Because I’m a smooth operator, kid.”

“Gross,” Jason grumbled as he removed his seat belt and reached for the door.

Royce chuckled as he exited the vehicle a moment later. He followed Jason to his car and pulled him into a hard hug. “Everyone should have a friend like you. The world would certainly be a better place.”

“Thank you.”

Royce stayed put in the driveway until Jason’s taillights disappeared down the street. The house was dark and quiet when he went inside. Sawyer had likely gone to bed soon after he’d left with Jason. Flickering light spilled into the hallway from their bedroom, along with a familiar whirring sound. Royce shook his head and smiled when he walked into theirroom to find Sawyer, Bones, and Dolly sprawled across the bed while James and Dirt Reynolds worked their magic on a filthy rug on the television. Royce let the video play while he took a shower and repositioned his husband and fur children to reclaim a small strip of the bed. On the screen, James emptied the final bucket of water he’d vacuumed from the rug. It looked as clear as drinking water.

“Well, James, at least one of us had a happy ending tonight,” Royce mumbled before turning the television off.

No matter how fast Sawyer ran on the treadmill, he couldn’t escape the tension pressing against his chest. The quicker his feet moved, the tighter his lungs felt. Instead of easing up, Sawyer doubled down. Exercise was his second-favorite stress reliever and usually very effective when his first choice, fucking his husband, wasn’t an option. Since he’d left Royce sound asleep in their bed, Sawyer would have to rely on cardio to combat his growing anxiety over working with Alec. The dread had started on Sunday morning and would’ve ruined his favorite day of the week if not for Royce’s over-the-top efforts to relax him. His husband’s magic hands had nearly chased every bad thought from his head until Jason had interrupted them.

Once Sawyer was left to his own devices, his overactive brain had kicked into high gear, imagining every worst-case scenario involving Alec’s time in Savannah. At one point, he’d envisioned losing his husband, his pets, and his career. It was the worst country song ever recorded, and the residual melancholy had forced Sawyer to take drastic measures to find relief. He hadn’t fallen into the arms of another man, but another man’s machine had charmed Sawyer into a state of calm.

Watching Dirt Reynolds tackle the world’s filthiest rugs had relaxed him enough to fall asleep, but Sawyer’s discontent invaded his dreams. He’d woken two hours before his alarm was due to go off and then glared at the clock and his slumbering husband as if they were the villains in his story. Bringing Alec on board was ultimately Sawyer’s responsibility, and he’d suffer any and all consequences of an unhappy precinct and spouse. Mendoza had made the former crystal clear when he’d pulled Sawyer aside after the open house on Wednesday night. Royce had taken pity on him and hadn’t mentioned Alec’s name again, but Sawyer knew their truce wouldn’t last…unless he took control of the situation as he’d promised to do. That thought had propelled him out of bed and into their home gym, but the peace he’d expected to find there still eluded him.

When black dots danced across his vision, Sawyer knew he needed to take a different approach. He slowed the treadmill to a brisk walk and went through his cooldown routine, raising his arms over his head to expand his rib cage for deeper breaths. He needed to get his head on right and stop giving Alec so much power. Sawyer held all the cards, and he got to play them as he saw fit. He slowed the treadmill again and adjusted his gait accordingly. Alec couldn’t ruin his career and cause chaos in his personal life unless Sawyer let him. And so, he wouldn’t.

That simple decision loosened the knot of tension gripping his chest. He cycled through some cleansing breaths and felt restored by the time he turned the treadmill off. A quick glance at the time revealed he had another hour before Royce would wake up, so Sawyer moved to the yoga mat to work the residual tension from his limbs. He closed his eyes and went inward, connecting mind and body as he flowed through his morning salutations.

In this heightened state, Sawyer was attuned to the even cadence of his heart, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, andthe stillness of his mind. So he was just as aware when those components of his well-being shifted, such as flared nostrils on his next inhalation, a quickening pulse, and the intense yearning that crashed his peace. The trifecta of sensations could only mean one thing.

“Your ass must be illegal in several states.”

Sawyer transitioned from the downward dog into a table pose and met Royce’s hungry gaze in the mirror. His husband stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but his underwear and a cocky grin. “No, but many states would like to ban what you do to it.”

He added a little wiggle that drew Royce’s immediate attention and a responding growl, yet he stayed put instead of pouncing on the invitation. Sawyer scanned the body he knew better than his own and noted the signs of stress he found in Royce’s ramrod posture, the defensive way he crossed his arms over his chest, and his pinched-mouth expression. He recalled the reason Jason had come over the previous night and stood up.

“How’d it go with Cayden and his mom?”

Royce opened and shut his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. Mincing words wasn’t his style, so things must’ve been as dire as Jason predicted.

Crossing the room, Sawyer cupped Royce’s face and pressed a quick kiss against his tense lips. “We’ll do whatever we can to help him.”

Royce closed his eyes and swayed forward, crashing into Sawyer’s embrace. “Cay is in such a bind,” he said, then described the condition of the house and Nina’s rapidly failing health. “And I have an awful feeling about Dane.”

“Your opinion matters at the precinct, so use your influence for good,” Sawyer said.

“Finding someone who will take Dane’s disappearance seriously is my top priority,” Royce replied. “Tara and I have everything ready for the first day of classes tomorrow, but I’llcall her in a bit and let her know what’s happening. I need to head back over to Cayden’s house this morning. I promised to fix the dishwasher today, and I want to assess his overall living situation to see what else needs immediate attention.” Royce rested his forehead against Sawyer’s shoulder. “I’d hoped to be at the station today in case you needed a safe place to hide from Alec Bishop.”

Sawyer groaned. “If you say his name two more times, he’ll probably appear like Bloody Mary.”

Royce lifted his head and nuzzled his nose against Sawyer’s neck. “I really love it when you’re sweaty.”

“No, you enjoy making me sweaty.”

Hot lips kissed a trail upward, not stopping until they reached Sawyer’s mouth. Royce tasted like fresh mint and wicked fun. But all too soon, he pulled back and stared into Sawyer’s eyes. “I caught you having another threesome with James and Dirt Vader last night.”

Sawyer chuckled. “Guilty. It was the only way I could shut off my brain to sleep.” He stroked a hand over Royce’s bare chest. “Since you weren’t home to tuck me in.”

Tumultuous gray eyes softened in sympathy. “I hate how that Al—”

Sawyer silenced him with a hard kiss. “Please don’t summon him and ruin the last two hours of peace I’ll have for the duration of his stay in Savannah.”

“I hate howhewinds you up.”

“Me too, but I’m in charge here.” When Royce waggled his brows, Sawyer cocked his head to the side. “Well, nothere. We’re equal partners in our relationship. I meant at work and the case we’ll be working on for the podcast. I won’t dance around him and play nice to keep the peace. He’ll do as I say, or the deal is off.”