Bryn shrugged. “Those decisions are way above my pay grade.”
“You’d have to get in touch with Warden,” Gunnar said, “but I don’t like your chances.”
“No, me either.” Bell frowned. “I’ll pull together a priority list of cases you could help with anyway. Has to be worth a shot.”
“Are you done with us for now?”
“Sure,” Bell said, pushing his chair back to stand. He shook Gunnar’s hand then gave Bryn a suspicious look.
“It’s okay, the gloves are on for a reason.” Bryn shook his hand too.
“I hope it’s not the last we see of you both. It shouldn’t be long before Templeton appears in court. He’ll be forced to plead guilty to the murder you saw, Bryn. Hopefully his arrogance will have him pleading the same for the rest. It’ll be life regardless. Even the most liberal judges don’t go easy on child killers.”
Bryn nodded. “I hope he spends a long time in a very unpleasant place.” He headed for the door, hoping Gunnar was following. He wanted out of the building and some distance between him and Templeton, even if the man was safely locked away. “Are we really going to go for a ride?”
“Sure are. I don’t know about you, but I need some clean sea air in my lungs.”
Zipping himself into black leather was a way of hiding. With his helmet on no one could see Bryn’s expression. There were things in his head he could never unsee and he had to find a way of dealing with it.One case and I’m already a mess. This job is going to kill me.He straddled the bike behind Gunnar then wrapped his arms around Gunnar’s waist. His solid torso was an anchor.
“Just hold on. You don’t have to do anything else,” Gunnar said through the helmet intercom. “I’m going to head for Yirrell Beach in Winthrop. It’s not too far for your first trip.”
Gunnar didn’t say anything else and Bryn switched off. He focused on the power and speed of the bike, the throb of the engine and swaying with Gunnar’s body as he took bends. He was sad when the short trip ended. There was a parking lot right next to the beach and it wasn’t too busy. Gunnar locked their leathers in the panniers.
“How was that?” Gunnar asked.
“Not far enough,” Bryn said. “But it feels great to be away from Warden and out of the city.”
“Another time we’ll go farther. When we have a day off.”
“So why here?”
“I like watching the ‘planes coming in and out of the airport,” Gunnar said. “Also, there’s a place on MainStreet that does the best lobster rolls in the area.” He patted his stomach.
“Are you ever not hungry?” Bryn wasn’t sure he could face eating anything just yet.
“Nope. Wolf metabolism needs fuel.” Gunnar stretched. “You want to walk a ways?” A buzzing sounded from his pocket and he pulled out his cell. “Warden. Took him longer than I thought it would. Hey, boss.”
Bryn waited for the inevitable explosion. Gunnar held the phone away from his ear. “Yes, boss, we are at the beach. No, I haven’t lost him. No, he’s nowhere near a boat or seagoing vessel of any kind.”What the fuck?he mouthed at Bryn. “It’s called aftercare, sir. No, not that kind of aftercare, and why would you know about that anyway? No, none of my business. I’ll have him back by ten. Yes, boss, they do have the best lobster rolls.” Gunnar ended the call then stared at the cell as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard.
Bryn scuffed his boot on the asphalt. “Tell me I didn’t just learn that my boss is into kink.”
“I’m not gonna start lying to you now, Bryn, but fuck…sometimes there are things I don’t want to be visualizing.”
“Tell me about it.” Bryn met Gunnar’s eyes and they both dissolved into laughter. “Gives me an alternative to what I saw earlier. They always say imagine your audience naked, but this tops that by a mile.”
“Tops it…?” Gunnar guffawed.
“Oh my God, juvenile much? I thought I was the immature half of this partnership.” Bryn felt the most relaxed he’d been all day.
“Come on. We’ll walk down the beach and find a bench. Then you can talk about your feelings and shit.”
“Fuck off.”
Gunnar chuckled. “And the brat is back. You’re gonna be fine.”
Chapter Four
The following morning, Bryn dragged himself into the kitchen after a poor night’s sleep.I need sugar in the worst way.It was only when he opened the cupboard that he remembered the cereal situation. “I am not eating that shredded cardboard.”
