Page 16 of The Sinner’s Son (Sawyer and Royce: Felonies and Fatherhood #2)
Nina crossed the room to her son and leaned down to kiss his forehead. “What a gift you are.” She straightened back up and faced Royce. “God blessed me with two incredible sons, and I know damn well Dane did not run away. My boys have never backed down from tough times.”
“They’re like their mother,” Royce said.
She clutched her robe’s lapel in a tight fist. “And that’s why I’m going to stay alive until I know what happened to my son.” She looked down at the drink selection. “Do you mind if I have the orange juice?”
“Of course not.” He lifted the drink carrier and bag of food. “Let’s head to the kitchen table to eat and talk.”
Cayden swayed slightly when he stood up. Nina grabbed his forearm and guided him back down to the couch.
“Not you,” she said. “You’re going to stay here and finish your breakfast, and then you’re going to get some sleep. I need you to be clear-eyed and strong for the coming fight.”
“I’m fine, Mom.” Cayden’s protest was as weak as his limbs.
Nina arched a dark brow, and her son surrendered. “Fine. But I’m only taking a short nap.”
Royce figured Cayden would be down for the count if he could shut his brain off after he closed his eyes. “I’ve got this, Cay. You can trust me and rest easy.”
“Maybe it’s not you I’m worried about,” he said, shooting his mom a dark look.
She rolled her eyes and waved him off. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Fine,” Cayden replied. “Can I have another sandwich and a hash brown?”
Royce extended the bag to him. “Help yourself. I’m going to put all the leftovers in the refrigerator so you can tuck into them after you crash.”
Cayden squinted at Royce like a gunslinger at high noon. “I’m just going to close my eyes for a few minutes. Thirty at most.”
“Okay. The food will be there when you wake up.”
Nina chuckled but quickly covered it with a cough.
Cayden bounced his steely gaze between his mother and Royce. “I’m not sure I like this new crime-fighting duo.”
“Only one of us will do the crime fighting.” Royce looked at Nina for backup. When none came, he said, “Under no circumstances will you take this matter into your own hands.”
“I make no promises,” Nina replied. “I am a desperate woman who is running out of time, so you better wow me.”
“Understood.”
They left Cayden in the living room and went to the kitchen.
Either the open windows and breeze had completely pushed the overwhelming chemical smell from the house, or he’d just gotten used to it.
Royce set the bag of food down, and Nina sorted through it until she found a container with biscuits and sausage gravy.
She removed the lid on the gravy, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply.
Royce looked in the bag but couldn’t find plastic cutlery, so he retrieved a fork from the silverware drawer.
“You really got acquainted with the kitchen last night,” Nina said as she split the biscuits in half.
“I can’t believe I slept through it.” She emptied the gravy on top of the buttery biscuits and sighed happily.
“I have very few regrets in my life.” She picked up the fork and pointed at her breakfast. “Except that I didn’t eat this as often as I wanted to, always choosing a healthier option.
” Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “And I’m still dying way too young.
I should’ve just eaten the damn biscuits and gravy. ”
Royce wondered if he could use that same argument with Sawyer and immediately nixed the idea.
Sawyer’s first husband had died from cancer in his thirties, so that remark would be absolutely cruel.
And Royce knew more people died from heart disease than cancer without his husband throwing out irrefutable facts.
But were there things he put off for a rainy day because it never seemed to be a good time?
Were there simple pleasures he denied himself that he’d regret later?
Did he tell Sawyer he loved him enough? Royce slammed the brakes on his rambling thoughts because this conversation wasn’t about him.
He could revisit all these things at a more appropriate time.
“You’ve gone awfully quiet,” Nina said, her forkful of food frozen in front of her. “Have I upset you with my talk about dying?”
“No. I just got caught up in introspection that feels selfish at the moment.” Royce took a sip of soda and added, “I find your honesty refreshing.” He tilted his head to the side. “And maybe a little intimidating.”
She gave him a wolfish smile before forking the biscuits and gravy into her mouth. She did a little shoulder shimmy as she chewed and immediately went in for a second bite. “Tell me your plans.” She pointed at his half-eaten sandwich. “And finish your food. You’re going to need your strength too.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They ate in silence for several minutes while Royce contemplated how best to broach certain subjects.
If he was going to help Dane, he couldn’t pretend he didn’t know about the escort work.
Nina had already proven that she preferred blunt and honest communication over dancing around someone’s feelings, even her own.
Cayden had said Dane didn’t like to be around his mom after spending time with clients, but Royce didn’t know if it was because he felt guilty or if he didn’t want her to know.
“There are delicate things we need to discuss,” Royce began.
Nina held up her hand to stop him. “Let me spare you the awkwardness.” She kept a steady gaze on Royce’s face as she continued.
“I know about Dane’s work as an escort. I was honest with the second police officer I spoke with, and I think that was a major reason I couldn’t get him to take my claims seriously.
” Her voice had taken on a sharp edge, so she paused to take a deep breath.
“Look, I don’t think any mother would choose escort work for her kid, but Dane did what he thought was necessary to help put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads.
” Her lips trembled. “Not being in a better financial position to weather my illness is one of my other regrets. I could wallow in woulda coulda shoulda, but it will only waste precious time I don’t have.
Dane was on the dean’s list at his college and working toward a finance degree when I got sick.
He dropped out of school to get a full-time job at a local bank, and we were getting by until I lost my job.
Dane took on additional part-time work, but it still didn’t pay well enough to make up for my lost income.
Cayden offered to get a job too, but his options were limited since he doesn’t have a driver’s license.
I don’t know who introduced the escort work to Dane.
Maybe no one did. He’s always been a resourceful person. ”
Nina took a sip of her juice, then closed her eyes and cycled through a few breaths.
When she fixed her icy blue gaze on Royce again, he only saw determination to find her son.
“He made more in his first weekend as an escort than he earned at his other two jobs in a month. And he worked way fewer hours, so he was around to help out more.” Nina settled a hand over her heart.
“I didn’t like Dane’s decision. In fact, I hated it.
I wanted to cry and rage at the world, but I held that back and talked to him about being safe.
” Her breathing grew choppy, and Royce wondered if they should take a break.
She must’ve read his concern in his expression because she said, “I can’t afford to slow down or stop. ”
“Okay. But take another sip of juice.”
She complied, taking a long pull from the straw.
“Thank you. That just hits right.” Nina set the cup down and took a deep breath.
“Dane assured me he would be safe. When I pressed for details, he said that he had three rules that he always followed. He went to great lengths to protect his real identity. Dane made sure his friend knew when and where he was meeting his clients. And he never had unprotected sex. That’s as much as he would say on the matter. ”
“It sounds like Dane had a buddy system worked out.” It was more important than ever for Royce to speak to this friend.
“Dane never mentioned anyone by name,” Nina said.
“I know he stayed with them after meeting with his clients.” She lowered her head, and her dark hair swooped forward to shield her face from Royce’s view.
“I think he was too ashamed to come home, but I convinced myself he liked to keep that part of his life separate.” Her shoulders shook, and sniffles came from behind the curtain of hair.
“But maybe Dane resented me for getting sick, and he actually ran off.”
“No way,” Royce said.
Nina lifted her head and met his gaze. Her eyes were red, and tears streaked down her face. “You can’t know that.”
“But I do. Even if he was upset with you, and I don’t believe that for a second, Dane wouldn’t have abandoned Cayden. No way.”
“The alternative is just as unacceptable because it means he’s probably dead.” Nina buried her head in her hands and cried.
Royce rubbed gentle circles on her shoulder. “I’m going to get answers for you.”
She lifted her head, and watery blue eyes sharpened with doubt. “How? Earlier, I asked what you were going to do if you couldn’t get anyone at the precinct to take you seriously, but I didn’t get an answer.”
“I’ll investigate his disappearance myself.”
“Are you any good?”
“I am,” Royce replied honestly. “And I have connections to people outside my precinct who have incredible skills.”
“Such as?”