Passing the livelier area of downtown where many business people ate lunch, or got a jumpstart on happy hour, Tech turned down a one-way street and parked his SUV in a lot behind the buildings.
Inside, they were seated quickly. The restaurant was expensive, and of course it was inside the Westin hotel, just off their gorgeous lobby. Green was particular about where they ate. He was practically a chef himself, so he was good at coming up with places to eat that were good but didn’t break their pockets. Steele chose for them to sit at the outside tables overlooking the bustling lobby, while a server followed them to tell them about the specials.
The first thing Free did was ask for a water and two orders of the pork belly pintxo. He loved this restaurant and it was nice to splurge every now and then. The guys ordered their lunch entrees and drinks, Green and Ruxs doing what they always did. They bought two meals and shared, because they could never decide. While they ate and laughed about any and everything, Free wondered if he should order a meal for Hart and leave it in his refrigerator for him this evening.
He liked the way that idea made him feel.
“Look, I still think we should be doing recon, then,” Steele grumbled.
“Why can’t you?” Free asked.
“Because God won’t let us in the field after what happened to Hart last night. He wants to make sure he’s good and ready to provide backup again so soon. That kind of thing can really mess with your head ya’ know,” Green rationalized.
Yeah Free did know. He’d seen the tortured expression in Hart’s eyes many times last night.
“It’s all good, if you ask me. I don’t mind taking a few days off to lounge around the office.” Tech pushed his finished plate of grilled trout to the side and pulled out his cell phone.
Free shot him a message, not wanting the other guys in on this conversation.
Free: I think I want to go all the way tonight with Ivan
Tech peeked over at him and laughed, nudging him with his knee under the table.
Tech: “All the way”… you sound like a virgin.
Free: I feel like one.
Tech: Nervous?
Free sent a scared face emoji with sweat dripping down its brow.
Tech nudged him again, trying to hide his smile. Free reached over and straightened Tech’s silk blue bowtie
Tech: Don’t be FreeBaby. It’s like riding a bike.
Free
Free tucked his phone away and went to finish the last of his lunch. Ruxs, Green and Steele were used to ignoring them when he and Tech went into their private friend zone, and were currently in a heated debate about their department’s fantasy football league.
Free was getting ready to flag the waitress when Tech clutched his knee under the table. He knew what that reaction was. Fear. He turned to look at his friend, his dark eyes gleamed behind his black-framed glasses.
“What is it?” Free whispered. It was too late. Steele was on them. His intense gray eyes zeroed in on his boyfriend, his partner.
“Shawn?” Steele rumbled, catching the attention of Ruxs and Green.
“Three o’clock. Sitting in the lounge area.”
None of the men moved, except for Green, who discreetly signaled for the check. Ruxs pushed his plate away and drank more water. Tech’s head was down as he typed rapidly on his phone. Free’s heart pounded. Something was wrong.
“It’s Monroe Cornelia. Head of the goddamn Cornelia gang. Yeah, we just arrested his two sons and brother the other week.” Steele gritted out. He put his phone away and glanced toward Green. “I can’t get a decent pic from this angle.”
“I can’t either. A pillar is blocking the other two men.” Tech put his own phone away.
“How many is he with?” Ruxs’ mouth barely moved.
“He’s got some bodyguards with him. He’s sitting with two suits. Business men. Maybe bankers,” Steele answered.
“Or judges,” Free mumbled. “One of those guys is federal court judge, D. Rubens from the fourth circuit.”
“Holy shit. We gotta get the fuck outta here,” Green said sternly. “We can’t do anything with a civilian with us.”
Free recognized the judge immediately, since he’d seen him on the news a couple of months ago, sitting on a high-profile drug case when he’d acquitted the dealer of all charges at his appeal. Is he in Cornelia’s pocket? Is that how he keeps getting tipped off on his warrants? Free hated when people in authority abused their power and got into bed with evil. There was so much a judge could do for his community yet instead, Judge Rubens decided to tear his down—for money, no doubt. If a federal judge was meeting with a notorious crime boss in a darkened nook in a posh hotel—where no cops would come on their salary—it wasn’t for anything legal. Free gritted his teeth to keep from screaming. He wondered how many judges had let those bastards from the Glasgow family walk on their charges in London? So they could get out and torture more families.