Page 44 of Bent, Not Broken

The words on my computer swam as I blinked at them. Sneaking out of Slater’s house this morning had been an adventure. Evan’s house. I smirked to myself. He liked to hear me say his name, apparently, so I would be saying way more of it. If I had my way, I’d be fucking screaming his name. Evan. Evan. Evan—harder.

I’d dived out his bedroom window wrapped up in his sheet like a toga. He’d already sent me a pissed-off text that I’d better return the bedding, so I’d ordered a nicer set and paid for same-day delivery to his house. I was waiting for the angry text about that next. Being angry was sort of his thing, and fucked if I didn’t think it was hot. I glanced at my phone on my desk, but it remained stubbornly dark.

“How did last night go?”

Startled, I glanced up at West, and was about to launch into the sappy, sordid tale about a drunken Conrad ruining my perfectly good plans to get laid, even though my rescue mission was for naught, when River opened his office door and glared out at me. He’d been doing too much of that lately. He stood in the crack between the door and the jamb and hovered, a vengeful wisp of suit and ire.

“Yes?” I tried out a charming smile and then downgraded it to a conciliatory one when his frostiness didn’t melt.

“Let’s chat.” His request left no room for argument. Bounding to my feet, I nodded at West, squared my shoulders, and strode to my doom. River opened the door farther and I slid by him. He stomped back around the desk to his chair, and I sank into my own seat as he sat in his.

“You were, oh, what… about two hours late this morning?” He didn’t smile, and my stomach wobbled. My playful boss had been replaced by some mean jerk who cared about being on time. What was going on?

“That’s…” I glanced at my watch, and frowned when I realized the hands weren’t moving. I shook it around. “…likely correct.”

River snapped his fingers at me until he had my attention again. He was outright scowling now, which was bad, so I tried to pay attention to him. The door at my back was making an itchy spot between my shoulder blades. All I wanted to do was leave, but that was stupid, because I loved my job, and besides, Evan was still working too.

River cleared his throat and I snapped my attention back to him. When had I shifted to look at the door?

“You got no work done today. None. I asked you for three different things this morning.” He waved his empty hands around. “It’s almost four. Where are they?”

“You did?”

“I did. This isn’t like you. At all. Usually when I ask you to do something, you kill yourself to get it to me well before necessary. You’re working at the speed of the rest of us mortals now, which is mostly fine, but what the hell?” He knocked on his desk once, and I shivered with the sound.

Shrugging, my mind quickly drifted back to scraping my belly as I slid out of Evan’s bedroom window this morning when I heard Conrad’s voice, along with Evan’s, coming from what I assumed was the kitchen. I’d wanted to get myself and my car out of the way before Conrad went outside, spotted my car, and started the whole shitstorm for Evan all over again. The quiet voices made me think maybe Conrad had been too drunk to remember last night, and I’d wanted to keep his memory murky.

“Madden!”

“Nothing,” I said quickly as I jumped.

“Bullshit. You just did it again. It’s because you’re still fucking around with that cop, isn’t it?” River shoved his glasses up his nose and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk, staring me down. I shifted in place.

“No. Did West tell you that? Why?”

He rolled his eyes and it was somehow more endearing than asinine. “Because if you don’t get that building code and zoning shit figured out for the Kings, I’m going to take you off everything worth doing until your head is in the game.” His gaze didn’t waver. Hell, I’d finally reached the point where I couldn’t charm my way out of this. My stomach sank. Had I ever screwed up this badly at work?

“Okay,” I said quietly.

His stern expression softened minutely, but I still counted it as a win. “Good talk. Go. Fucking get something done before close of business.”

I scooted my chair forward, and River slid his back as I gripped the edge of the desk.

“River,” I said, leaning toward him.

“I don’t want to know about it.” He shook his head once.

“He’s so goddamned good in bed.”

“Come on, Madden. No. He’s a cop. Cop dick is the worst dick.” He glared at me as if hurt that I would imply Evan was worth the way I was acting.

“He’s the best fuck I’ve ever had. The best. Hands down.”

River glanced around like he was afraid his office might be bugged, and then conceded and leaned toward me. “Even better than that ride you took on King?”

“Yep.”

“Damn it.” River groaned and rested his head back against his chair, closing his eyes. “Just do your job. I don’t want to know that you have a personal life based on your office performance. Okay?”