Page 22 of Digging Deeper

“Thanks. It’s definitely easier to get around and do things now.”

“Like what?” Aiden asks.

“For one, I can go into the bathroom by myself and brush my teeth and stuff. It feels good.”

“Ah, that’s why it doesn’t stink in here anymore,” Jameson says.

“Foxy, shut up.” Holds swats his boyfriend’s arm. “It didn’t smell in here before.”

“If you say so,” Jameson says before taking a big bite out of his taco.

“Speaking of things smelling funny—”

“Like Holden’s fish taco?” Gavin cuts me off, causing Jameson to spew food from his mouth.

Aiden and Gavin snicker, but before Holds can let loose the rant building on his face, I say, “Yeah, besides lil bro’s obnoxious smelling food.” The glare he levels me with immediately disappears when I say, “Jovany came to see me yesterday.”

Jameson’s mouth snaps shut before he can take another bite, and he sets the taco down on the wrapper in front of him. “Seriously?”

Holds reaches over and places his hand on top of his boyfriend’s. “What did he want?”

“He said he was just stopping in to check on me.”

“That’s… out of character,” Jameson says.

“You’re telling me. He didn’t even have Cappi with him. He was by himself,” I say.

“Okay, that’s completely odd,” he says.

Aiden holds up one finger while he finishes chewing, takes a quick drink, then says, “Not really. They haven’t been hanging around the station together as much lately. In fact, I saw Jovany duck into the men’s room to dodge Cappi the other day.”

“What do you think’s going on with him?” Holden asks, turning to his boyfriend.

Jameson doesn’t answer, but shoves the rest of his food into the middle of the table. An uncomfortable silence settles in the room until Aiden says, “I actually talked to him a couple times this week. Last night when I saw him, he mentioned to me that he stopped by.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Jameson says, glancing over at his new partner.

“You probably would’ve seen him, too, if you didn’t run out of the station like your ass was on fire last night. What did you text him to get him moving so fast, Holds?”

Holds’s face flames red instantly.

“Oh god, I don’t want to know,” I say, trying not to gag at the thought of what my brother is sending to my best friend.Gross!

Aiden chuckles, then his expression becomes serious as he turns back to me. “He said he came to see you and it sounded as if you didn’t plan on returning to work.”

Wanting to have a plan before having this conversation, I say, “Obviously not anytime soon.” I point down at my legs.

Aiden fires back, “Then why did you text me the other day and ask me if I could be anything besides a cop, what would I be?”

Gavin tilts his head, raising one eyebrow.

“Curiosity?” I say. Too bad it sounds more like a question, even to my own ears.

On the one hand, I’m glad Aiden brings it up because it distracts Jameson from the anxiety he gets wondering what’s going on with his brother. On the other hand, now all four of them are eyeing me. Aiden merely seems interested. I’m not sure what Gavin’s thinking, which is rare. His face is usually extremely expressive. Jameson’s ready to open a can of whoop-ass on me, but it’s Hold’s face that upsets me. “What’s going on, Drix?”

“Nothing.” I slump back into my seat. “I get bored sitting here, and then I get curious.”

“Uh-huh. Then why did Jovany say that to Aiden?” Jameson demands.

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