However, Magnus didn’t speak the words aloud. Not to Trey before or after they’d gone to the small mom-and-pop bookstore only to learn that, yes, the owners knew Ava well but hadn’t seen her in a few months.
“Tell me about Ava,” Trey prompted when they were heading back to Camp K-9.
“What do you wanna know?”
“Anything. You said she was best friends with your sister. What did they do when they were kids?”
Magnus couldn’t help but smile at the memories of his sister. “What didn’t they do is probably the better question,” he said with a chuckle. “Tabby was always into gymnastics, doing flips and cartwheels all over the house, the yard. My folks eventually bought her a trampoline, so she moved the show there.”
God, he remembered his bright and cheerful sister, how she used to do cartwheels in the kitchen to greet him in the morning. She always had a smile on her face. And when Ava was there, her sunny disposition ramped up tenfold.
“They were quite the pair. If they could be outside, that was where they were.”
“Was Ava into gymnastics?”
“Yeah, but I think it had more to do with Tabby being into it. Ava was good but not quite as graceful. Turn here,” Magnus instructed. “It’s the back way into the camp.”
Trey followed his instructions onto the dirt road that ran around the outside of his property, winding around until they reached the house.
“Why do I feel like I should be doing something?” Magnus asked, staring at the metal building that housed the Camp K-9 office and kennels. “How do you do this? How do you function?”
“It’s not easy,” Trey mumbled in response, then sounded surprised when he added, “I’d rather be doing anything else.”
“I thought you liked it.”
Trey’s gaze slid over to him briefly. “You want the truth?”
Magnus nodded.
“I fucking hate it. I hate immersing myself in everyone else’s pain while trying to find their loved one. It’s killing me slowly.”
Magnus was pretty sure that was the most honest thing Trey had ever said to him in all the time they’d known one another.
“I can imagine it’s not easy. Hell, we sat down to dinner for fifteen minutes, and I felt like I’d abandoned Ava completely.”
“Try sleeping at night when there’s an active case,” Trey said on a rough breath. “But I can assure you, Brantley’s on it. JJ’s doing her thing, too. We’ll find her.”
Because he was at a complete loss as to what to do or where to look, Magnus nodded his head.
“I’m gonna check in with Gia.” He glanced over at Trey. “Want a tour?”
Trey was staring at the building, and Magnus wished he could read the man’s mind. He could tell there was something he wanted to say, but knowing Trey—what little he truly did know about him—he would keep it bottled up.
“I’d love one,” Trey finally said, glancing over as he shut off the truck.
And then there they were, staring at one another, the center console the only thing between them.
Whenever they were together, Magnus usually conceded control to Trey, allowing him to lead. Or at least he gave him the illusion that was what he was doing. He knew Trey needed that for whatever reason. But here and now…
Magnus lifted his hand, reached for Trey. When the man didn’t immediately shift out of his grasp, he slid his hand behind his neck, pulled Trey closer as he leaned in. He didn’t kiss him immediately. He certainly wanted to, but something told him to tread lightly. Even after all the time they’d spent together, this man was skittish, though Magnus wasn’t sure why that was.
Leaning in a little closer, Magnus brushed his lips against Trey’s.
“I can’t stop thinkin’ about you,” Trey whispered.
Magnus was surprised by the words but certainly not disappointed.
“I shouldn’t be,” Trey added.
