Page 24 of Homesick, Lovesick
Benny went into the cooler and pulled out a can of Ronan's favorite iced coffee.Well, as canned iced coffees went."Here, looks like you could use it."
"I could use straight caffeine in an IV drip.Thanks."He popped the tab and drank a third of it straight down."That's fantastic."
Grinning, pleased, Benny pulled out a fruity green tea thing for Match and handed it over."Food's ready.Unorthodox breakfast, but I figured you wouldn't care."
"I do not care remotely.It smells awesome."Also fighting the way he had, and all the magic Match had used, had burned serious calories.Burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, and so much more all sounded goddamn perfect, even if it was way too early in the morning."Thanks for doing so much, Benny."
Benny scoffed."Like I don't love feeding people, and I look after my team anyway."He kissed Traci as she came up to him, then filled a plate for her and playfully swatted her ass as she went to sit down.
By the time Ronan had finished round two and was going for three, the cops were coming back over to them."We're all finished here.Gonna transport those two back to headquarters for booking.You're free to go.We'll call if we have further questions."Lynley ripped a sheet of paper from his little notebook."Here's the case number, our names, should appear in the system after about seventy-two hours."
When they'd gone, Ronan sighed and went back to his food."Still wish I knew why they did it."
"Desperation," Traci said."Penny has been digging.Apparently that bitch with the really ugly, ostentatious ring—"
"Carmen."Benny cast her an amused look.
"I kept calling her Diamond in my head until I knew her name," Ronan said."It really was an ugly ring.Like, people like what they like, I guess, but I'm judging her anyway."
Traci snickered."Anyway, there's apparently talk of her territory being absorbed into Minerva's.The three Guards watching over it, headed by Carmen, haven't been doing a great job, and Minerva's Guard needs more help.That they had to call in outside help for something as important as wards makes that painfully clear.Carmen also has a lot of complaints lodged against her, and her job security wasn't looking great if the merger went through."
"So…they thought drugging and spelling me would accomplish…what exactly?"
Benny finished eating the last bite of his burger, then said, "As you already surmised, that was to get you out of the way and also make Lynwood look like a better paladin by far.Because of course that's the only reason Match loves you."Benny rolled his eyes."People are so dumb.Anyway, get rid of you, convince Match to join them… Lynwood gets Match, gets all that comes from being the main squeeze of one of the best witches in the country, including forming his own Guard, and he promised Carmen and Marvin they'd be on the team."
"That is so beyond stupid, I don't know where to start," Match said flatly."I have told everyone a thousand times that I have no desire to leave Harper Valley.It's myhome.It's where all my family is, going back to the town's foundation.My grandfather gave his life to give me magic, and these assholes think I'd just lightly skip off for popularity and money?I don't do this job for the money.Obviously," he added sourly, because yeah, he'd made next to nothing for way too fucking long."Nevermind what leaving would do to the town, as I tore down the wards because anyone who replaced me would have to rebuild them, and that puts everyone at risk for a long fucking time.Fuck, I can't wait to be home again, everything hurts.I can't believe they thought I'd just drop all of my family, my entire life, for speaking gigs and being popular.I'm awitch."
Benny smirked."Yeah, they should have offered you a gingerbread cottage in the woods and a really fancy herb garden.That might have gotten them somewhere."
"I will put you in a stew, Benny," Match retorted."You're meaty enough to make a good one."
Benny slapped his stomach with both hands."USDA Prime."
"Prime dumbass," Traci said, smacking his ass."Sit down and finish eating so we can pack up and go home."
"Yes, mistress," Benny replied cheerfully.
Traci grinned at Ronan."Speaking ofprime, that ring is top tier.Congrats on your engagement, sorry the excitement is dampened by all this bullshit."
"Nothing could dampen my happiness that Match said yes," Ronan replied."Nobody and nothing will take that high from me."
"Dork," Match said, looking the happiest Ronan had ever seen him."Oh!Speaking of things that please me, I can't believe I forgot.Lynwood!"
Ronan wrinkled his nose."What about him?"
"He drugged the golem and the troll.That's why he was able to kill the troll all by himself.Buthe used the same poison on the golem, which wouldn't work the same because they're so different.Instead of leaving it confused and weak, it sent the poor thing in the opposite direction.That's why he didn't help you.He's a shitty ass paladin who was in over his head and pissing himself."He sneered."Difference between nepotism and properly training your successor, I guess.So determined he was the greatest ever, but he can only kill a troll when it's drugged while my fiancé singlehandedly took down a berserked, aggroed golem.Suck onthat.I wish he was here so I could say that to his face."
"You're a fucking dork," Ronan replied, but he was absolutely grinning through the whole rest of the meal.
Once all the food was gone, which never took them long, Ronan helped pack everything up and get it loaded.Mostly because if he held still for too long he'd fall asleep standing.
After that, it was only the driving left.He guzzled another coffee, took a quick bathroom break, and then climbed on.Match settled behind him, Benny took off to lead the way, and finally they were leaving.
If Ronan had his way, they'd never see this shitty place ever again.
In the end, everything was kind of humdrum.The fallout usually was.Lynwood, Marvin, and Carmen went to prison.Minerva and the others were cleared of involvement, she got the expanded territory, and last he'd heard she was seeking out people to fill all the empty Guard slots as there were plenty of people tied to Carmen that she simply did not trust.
What would become of the fancy wards, he didn't know and didn't care.
