Page 8 of Agony

“For breakfast?”

“Yup,” Fisher said.

That sounded good to him and he knew Fisher could get a burger without the bun. He’d never seen Fisher consume anything processed other than maybe lunch meat and cheese once in a great while. Even when they did order pizza, Fisher picked off the toppings, but that was a rarity. He’d asked once and received the brief response that Fisher was a recovering carb addict who’d gone carnivore. Hell, the guy didn’t even eat vegetables.

He glanced over and found Fisher watching him suspiciously.

“What?”

“You didn’t argue.”

He smiled and shot the slender man a wink. “I promised.”

“So you did.” Fisher rubbed his palms down his jean-clad thighs.

“Tell me about our next case,” he said, drawing Fisher’s mind from its discord.

“Craig Bridger. He’s wanted on three counts each of kidnapping, rape, and murder of three high school girls.”

“And he happens to be in our neck of the woods,” Justice said, turning right a few blocks down. He drove into the burger place parking lot and stopped in the back of the drive-thru lane with the long ass line of cars.

“Lucky us,” Fisher huffed and Justice’s heartbeat picked up when Fisher tossed him a rare smile.

Fuck. He was a goner.

The Best Western Inn sat just off of Interstate 10 and Fisher had picked it because it wasn’t far from Joshua Tree National Park. He’d always wanted to see that place.

He’d picked a room with two queen beds on the top floor that had a view of the San Jacinto Mountain range. They never stayed in separate rooms and that was because it would waste money he didn’t have.

He was broke.

That may sound odd with the type of job he did, but there was a reason for it. One, they got paid after the job was done. But the bigger reason was that Solomon Mercy, his former boss and handler, had taken seventy percent of what he’d earned.

And his decision to go back and work for the guy after being away for six years hadn’t been one of his best decisions. The only light at the end of that very dark tunnel had been reconnecting with his two best friends, Echo and Rogue—that right there had been worth the price.

So now he penny-pinched and he saved, and it was only a matter of time before he could move out of his crappy apartment. To where, he hadn’t a clue but with the number of jobs he and Justice were taking, his savings would be bursting in no time. And then, he’d have choices.

Justice dropped his duffle bag on the floor by the bed that was closest to the door and Fisher gladly took the mattress by the window.

Flopping onto his back on the bed, Justice stretched with a groan. “Long damn drive.”

“We still have daylight. We should drive into the city and scope out Bridger’s location,” he said.

“Let’s go look for food first,” Justice grumbled, giving him a hopeful look that sent warmth through his chest.

“Bottomless pit.”

“I’m a man of simple needs,” Justice said and rolled to his feet.

The man proceeded to pull a few shirts and pants from his bag and hang them in the small closet.

“Simple my ass,” he snorted and did the same.

They jockeyed for hangers and Fisher ended up hanging one of his button-down shirts over Justice’s button-down, sharing the hanger. Shoving socks and briefs into the top drawer, he was just about to shut it when Justice dumped his own socks and briefs on top of his.

“There are five drawers,” he pointed out.

“So?”

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