“Ok. Tell me,” Grant said but he wasn’t listening as he pecked at Royce’s lips and twisted his hands in the lapels of his coat.
“I have to tell you this before we go any further,” Royce stated as he captured Grant’s hands and found his eyes. “It’s important,” he added heavily and Grant frowned as he leaned back.
“We’ve spent the last five hours talking. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I needed to wait until we were alone,” Royce said and Grant’s face fell as he stepped back.
“Here we go. You’re a serial killer, aren't you? You’re going to murder me,” he said flatly and Royce shook his head quickly.
“No! It’s nothing like that,” he said as he waved dismissively and Grant relaxed. Royce winced apologetically as he approached. “My name is Agent Royce Bradshaw and I’m with the CIA,” he stated and Grant’s brows pulled together and he blinked back at him for a moment before his eyes narrowed.
“Is this a role-playing thing?” He asked then bit into his lip as he became confused. “I’m not sure who that would make me. Am I a spy too?” His hand pushed through his hair and scrubbed and Royce groaned as he slouched.
“No, I’m the spy and your neighbors are Chinese spies. You’re the gorgeous single dad who lives next door,” he said and gestured at Grant.
“Weird. We’re not really involving the neighbors or having sex with them, right?” He clarified. “I can work with the spy thing but I don’t think I’ll ever be into group sex, and the Lees are pretty conservative people,” Grant babbled adorably. Royce shook his head as he reached into his coat.
“My name is Agent Royce Bradshaw and I’m with the CIA. Your neighbors are Chinese spies and I needed to get you alone so I could ask for your help,” he explained as he pulled out his wallet to show Grant his badge.
“What?” Grant demanded as he snatched it out of Royce’s hand and leaned into the light so he could read the credentials. “You’re being serious,” he realized then pushed Royce’s wallet at him. “You’ve been trying to get me alone to talk to me about the Lees…” It was hollow and died away as Grant’s gaze stretched to the house next door.
“I’m sorry. I needed us to meet in public, as part of my cover…”
“Ha! I knew you would never be interested in someone like me!” Grant laughed as he pointed at Royce. “I knew there was no way!” He exclaimed and Royce’s stomach tightened at the bitterness in his tone.
“Why wouldn’t I be interested in someone like you?”
“Come on! Have you ever been inside a Target?” Grant asked as he flailed incredulously at Royce. Royce’s head cocked as he considered.
“I have had sex with a few of my targets but you aren’t my target,” he argued and Grant’s hand slapped over his eyes.
“Holy fucking nope!” He whimpered. “I meant the store! Have you ever shopped in a Target or a normal grocery store? I’m just a normal guy who gets excited about grilling on the weekends and Buy-One-Get-One-Free sales on toilet paper. You fuck people and kill them!” He said and Royce held up a finger.
“That’s only happened a few times. Most of the men I’ve fucked are still alive,” he reassured him and Grant gave him a hard look.
“Awesome. It’s going to be a hard pass for me, though. Thanks for dinner and the ride home,” he said briskly as he reached for the door.
“Wait!” Royce cried and Grant stopped. “I need your help. Your country and your government need your help,” he said soberly as his eyes pleaded with Grant.
“No, thank you,” he replied then tilted his head toward the door suggestively. Royce’s lips pursed and he squinted as he struggled to understand.
“I don’t think you get it, Grant,” he started and Grant crossed his arms over his chest and raised his brows at Royce. Royce cleared his throat as he tugged at his sleeves and smoothed his lapels then smiled brightly. “I’m here because your neighbors are Chinese spies. I need your help because we don’t know what their mission is. Your country and your government requests your cooperation,” he added gently. If Royce couldn’t dazzle someone into helping him, the ‘Your country and your government requests your cooperation’ line always worked. Grant snorted and shook his head.
“No, thank you,” he repeated then pointed at the door. Royce’s jaw fell and he spluttered for a moment.
“But your country and your government,” he reminded him and Grant shrugged.
“What about it?” He asked and Royce reeled back as if he’d been slapped. He wasn’t naive or blindly patriotic but no one had ever refused to help or asked why they should.
“Ummm… It’s your duty as a citizen, I believe,” he countered and received an even harder snort.
“You should go, if that’s all you’ve got. You can’t legally compel me to assist you and I’m not interested,” Grant stated firmly. Royce thought he was even sexier as Grant’s backbone and legal instincts reared. Even though they were making his job much more difficult.
“You’re not interested? Your neighbors are agents of a foreign intelligence service and we don’t know what their intentions are. They could be a risk to your country and your government,” Royce explained very slowly. Grant nodded along as he listened then held up a finger, mocking Royce.
“Or, my country and my government could be attempting to violate my neighbors’ rights through exploitation of a post 9/11 law that allows for overzealous surveillance and infringement of basic privacies,” he stated quickly then cut Royce off when he tried to interrupt him. “The same country and government that is this close to overturning the right for us to be married if we decide we want to spend the rest of our lives together. The same country and government that might not protect our child and possibly deport it if we adopted it from Canada because we aren’t straight. The same country and government that might kick our trans friends out of the military and steal their retirements from them,” Grant said then leaned toward Royce. “Excuse me if I’m not jumping at the opportunity to help a regime that doesn’t respect my right to exist,” he stated slowly and Royce bowed his head. Regime. The country and government line was definitely a bad approach.
“I’m sorry,” he started as he held up his hands. “Believe me, I understand. I’ve been severely disillusioned lately, myself. But I’ve still got a job to do, to protect our country, so it’s still here for the next regime. This is about Audrey’s safety too,” he reminded Grant and his eyes flared as he pointed at Royce.
“Do not!” He warned loudly and Royce’s brows jumped. More than a backbone, Grant suddenly had teeth and a temper. “She is exactly why you have to leave. I’m not putting my daughter in the middle of this!” He yelled and Royce shushed him and gestured for him to keep it down.
“No harm will come to you or Audrey,” he vowed. “In fact, you could look at it like having a live-in bodyguard and the Secret Service under your roof,” he offered and a hysterical laugh burst from Grant.