Page 13 of Fool Me Twice
“Are the cases you have urgent?” Hart asked.
She huffed, nose pointed up in the air as she pulled up the information on her tablet. “They’re both very close to the borders of another team’s territory. I’ll reach out to their handler and see if they can take over.”
“You’re not our handler,” Ash said, and Hart appreciated how she ignored him completely.
“Thank you,” Hart said. “That would be lovely.”
“That’s me,” she said, sugary-sweet as she flipped her hair. “Lovely.”
“Sure it is,” Ash said with a huff, then wilted under her sharp glare as she walked out.
Hart followed Fix toward the exit just as Ash kicked Black’s desk chair, knocking him over.
“I’m not asleep!” Black jumped up, looking bewildered as he realized he was alone in the room with Ash. “Where is everyone?”
“Kidnapped by aliens.” Ash popped a sucker into his mouth.
“You’re such a dick,” Black threw back, and then their voices faded as Hart gripped Fix’s shoulders and pushed him down the hallway.
“They can sort it out themselves. I left them pamphlets and stickers,” he said as they walked out of the building and toward Fix’s pickup truck.
It was dark blue and polished to perfection, reflecting whatever sunshine had managed to break through the clogged-up air in Slatehollow. Fix kept it in pristine condition at all times (there had been many a shirtless washing session) seemingly magically repelling the constant flurry of dust and smoke in the air.
Hart sank into the passenger seat, putting his seat belt on and fussing with organizing the glove box, waiting until Fix was out of the parking lot and focused on the road to start the conversation that had been lingering in his mind.
“So, how have you been?” Hart finished placing the air fresheners in a pleasing rotation.
“Didn’t we cover this?” Fix asked with a smile. “Not like you to forget.”
“Humor me,” Hart said, twisting his body to face him.
Fix threw him a side-eye before shrugging, large shoulders barely having enough room despite the large cab. “I finished the umbrella case finally. So other than that, I can’t complain.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” Hart sighed. “You know, when you take care of yourself, you’re a better person for others.”
He ignored the hypocrisy of those words, pushing the feeling down where he kept everything else locked up tightly. Smoothing over the edges to make sure they were pristine and unnoticeable.
“Thank you, Hart,” Fix said. “I don’t know why you’re telling me that though.”
“Because you look like you haven’t slept in days. I know you don’t like me prying, and I’m not doing it to agitate or annoy you. I’m just worried.”
“There’s no need to be worried, Hart. I promise I’m perfectly okay.”
“But?”
Fix hummed, taking a sharp left turn before sighing.
“Wren’s case has been going on for a really long time, and his occasional visits to the house just make it more obvious how tired he is,” Fix said finally, and Hart nodded. “I’m worried it’s all too much for him.”
“You talk to him every day though. You know he’s safe.”
“I know. But he forgets to eat and doesn’t sleep right and lets people walk all over him if it means saving the animals.”
Another problem to solve.
“Do we know if Midas is anywhere near him?”
“I don’t know.” Fix frowned. “Taylor said he took a case in the middle of the night, but not where it is.”