Part 15 (1/2)

Jesus, we were all morbid.

The cops followed us to the hospital, and made a note of our concerns before following up with the man and his heart-eating bugs.

”Do you think it was because they were playing some sort of kink games in their s.e.xcapades?” I grinned devilishly at my partner.

Winter snorted. ”I really don't want to know. Now let's get our a.s.ses back to the station. We get off in five.”

Miraculously, we made it back to the station and our vehicles without being called back.

Which was freaking awesome since I had plans with a certain man and his son.

Johnny was a bundle of energy if I'd ever seen one. The boy was just nuts. He barely ever slowed down, and when he finally did, it was because he was sleeping.

The boy slept in the weirdest of places too. It's like the need for sleep caught him during a weak moment, slowing him down long enough for him to realize his exhaustion, which, inevitably, left him sleeping the weirdest of places.

Which was why when I found the young boy sleeping on the trampoline in Sebastian's backyard, I wasn't surprised. Someone, most likely Sebastian, covered him up with a beach towel, and zipped up the safety nets so he didn't roll off in his sleep.

I found my man down at the dock with a Cane fis.h.i.+ng pole at his feet, and a beer in his hand.

”How are they biting tonight?” I asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind, giving his neck a kiss.

His free hand came up and wrapped around my bicep. ”Pretty good, actually. The mosquitoes, too. Spray some bug spray on real quick.” He said, pointing at the can of spray on the dock beside him.

I was like a honing beacon to all mosquitoes. I'd be outside for all of seven seconds before I sported no less than twenty bites. Which was why I'd doused myself in the car before I'd even gotten out.

”Already ahead of you.” I said, circling his chair and sitting down on his lap.

His arms lifted as I sat gingerly on his lap, and then leaned back, letting my head fall to his shoulder.

His face turned, and he ran his bearded face along my hair before kissing my temple.

”How was work?” He asked conversationally.

”f.u.c.king awesome.” I quipped.

”Anymore fires?” He asked, tensing slightly.

He'd shared with me that he thought those fires weren't quite what they seemed to be, and that he thought that it may be a serial arsonist.

”No. Just a guy that zip tied his b.a.l.l.s and d.i.c.k.” I confirmed.

Sebastian snorted, but it didn't really surprise him. He was a firefighter, he'd seen just as much, if not more, than I had.

”Jesus. People these days. I got a bite. Bring him in for me.” Sebastian said, tapping my thigh urgently.

I leaned forward, and d.a.m.n near did a header into the lake. I would have, too, if it weren't for Sebastian grabbing my blue jean's waistband before I could go over.

Then whatever was on the pole started pulling extremely hard, and I had to hold on with both hands. ”Oh, my G.o.d. Take this thing from me before whatever it is pulls me down below the water and kills me.” I shrieked.

Sebastian chuckled before standing, grabbing the pole, and then setting it off to the side.

I relinquished the pole readily, and looped my arms around the beam at the end of the pier, watching in fascination as Sebastian's muscled arms tightened as the force of the fish on his pole snapped the cane pole in half.

His quick reflexes reared their head, and Sebastian grabbed a hold on the line with his bare hand, and turned it, wrapping the line around his fist, and efficiently reeling the fish in at the same time.

It didn't take long until he had the fish up and out of the water with the help of the net that was hanging on the beam beside my head.

He scooped the ugly monster up and grinned triumphantly.

”What the f.u.c.k is that?” I gasped when I got my first good look at the ugly thing.

”This,” he said as he held it up for my examination, ”is an alligator gar.”

”Those things are in the lake I swim in?” I gulped.

”Oh, yeah.” He said, cutting the line so it wouldn't bite his hand off at the wrist.

It fell back into the water with a large splash, and swam away into the murky depths of the water.

”How big was that thing?” I asked eyes wide.

”Three feet or so. You about ready to hit the BBQ joint I told you about?” He asked as he collapsed the rest of the cane pole and leaned it up against a tree at the end of the dock.

”Yep. Who are we meeting?” I asked as I walked with Sebastian up the sloped yard.

”Kettle and his date. We'd planned to go just the two of us last week, but the girl he wants told him the only way she'd meet him for dinner was if it was a group setting at a quiet place, and it just deteriorated from there when I had to bring y'all.” Sebastian replied grimly.

I burst out laughing, waking the sleeping Johnny with the echoes.

His little head popped up from the mat of the trampoline, and started back at his mile a minute antics.

We both watched as he started jumping, using the blanket that had been covering him as a cape, shouting to the world that he was Superman.

”Are you trying to say that bringing your girlfriend and kid with you deteriorated things?” I asked as I smiled up at him.

His mouth was set in a teasing grin as he looked down at her. ”Yeah, it started out as beer and barbeque. Now it's going to be my kid going all Joker from Batman in the place and me chasing after him...not having a beer.”

I snorted. ”That's just the price you pay when you have children. I always tell my brother that, too. What exactly did you boys think would happen when you had s.e.x? There's always that possibility, that's the risk you take.”

”If I could f.u.c.k you every day, I wouldn't complain about any kids. As long as you were there to help. This single parent thing is no joke. Even with all the help I get from the club and Lindsey's mother. And now you. I never realized it would be this hard. When he was a baby he was much easier. Now I have to watch him constantly. Or he'll...oomph.”

The breath hissed out of Sebastian's lungs as Johnny tried to launch himself out of the trampoline without any thought to the fact that he wasn't actually Superman, and he couldn't fly. Sebastian had to dive forward to catch the boy before he did a belly flop on the hard, unforgiving ground.

”Jesus.” He growled, tossing Superman over his shoulder and stalking back to the house.

I followed, laughing at him as he stomped up the porch steps, into the kitchen, and set Jonny down on his feet.

”Go take a p.i.s.s, boy.” Sebastian ordered.