Green was still chuckling at him. “Fuck you, man,” Ruxs growled.
“Aww. Now don’t go getting all sensitive.” Green went to rub his shoulder again but with lightning speed Ruxs gripped his wrist before he could touch him and squeezed it hard. Startled at the quick move, Green gritted his teeth, his other arm shooting up and catching a hold of the back of Ruxs neck, squeezing and pulling him towards him.
“Let go.” Green snarled in his face. Ruxs could smell the recent cup of coffee Green’d had on his breath, their faces were so close. Ruxs bared his own teeth and tightened his hold, but not as much as he could. His fingers dug hard into Green’s wrist, and Ruxs felt the pressure on his neck intensify to a dull ache. Green wasn’t trying to hurt him, either. Green pulled him in until their foreheads touched. His voice took on a tone that he rarely used. Finality. “Let go.”
Ruxs very slowly released the harsh grip on Green’s wrist. He felt like shit for doing that. Green had no idea what he was warring with inside. After a couple seconds the extreme pressure on his neck subsided, but Green didn’t let him pull back as he carefully rubbed the hot skin he’d been gripping.
“Why won’t you talk to me?” Green whispered. He used his other hand to remove Ruxs’ dark glasses. He wanted to stop him but he let him do it. “You haven’t even looked at me today.”
Green’s mouth was right there. Just a hair’s width away. So full and soft looking. His eyes were cast down as he traced the Cupid’s bow shape with his eyes. He could feel Green’s breath elevate along with his own. He needed to tell him. Tell what had been driving him in-fucking-sane. Tell him that he might be a little bit attracted to him. He wasn’t sure, but maybe. What if he did tell him and it fucked everything up? Their friendship, partnership, job, everything. But he couldn’t go on like this forever. He’d thought the feelings would subside after a while, but they hadn’t, they’d actually intensified.
“Just say it.” Green’s voice was so soft.
Ruxs looked into Green’s smoky eyes and opened his mouth to speak. But just as he was about to utter his first word, that asshole JJ came around the corner. Fucking damnit! Ruxs straightened in his seat and he saw Green flash him a frustrated look. Ruxs pointed. “There he is.”
Green spun around and watched as JJ made his way down the narrow street. The second he spotted their truck a look of panic set in his face and Ruxs was hoping he didn’t have to chase him. JJ lifted his head higher and kept walking towards them.
Green got out first and Ruxs clicked the safety off on his Glock and tucked it in the front waistband of his jeans. He stepped out just as JJ got to the truck.
“I see you got my message, Green,” JJ said roughly. His lip was curled up in a sneer as he watched Ruxs walk slowly towards them. “Cool out, Ruxsberg. I messaged you, remember.”
“Yeah. We got it,” Green answered, leaning casually against the hood.
“You know I could get killed for this shit, and it wouldn’t be pretty. Doubt you guys would even recognize my body if Chainz knew I was meeting with 5.O.” JJ looked back and forth down the alley, looked like he was convincing himself of something. His long dreads were pulled up in a black knit hat, showing all of his smooth dark skin. He was young and built, but not as muscled as them. Probably could be a nice young man, if he didn’t get mixed up in the bad crowd.
Ruxs and Green waited JJ out. The guy had never given them a hard time. Anytime they arrested him, he came easily enough. But this was different. He had information they needed. They didn’t want to press too hard. That made informants jumpy. “Does God know what’s going down? Is that why he sent y’all out?”
Everyone on the streets – or every drug dealer in Atlanta – knew God and Day. Knew what their task force was about, and knew how proficient they were. They’d taken down huge names, and not just in Atlanta. They’d worked on countless cases with the feds. None of the dealers underestimated what God and his task force could do. If you popped up on their radar, then you were as good as busted. JJ knew this as well, so Ruxs knew to play it up.
“Yeah. He knows, and he ain’t happy.” Ruxs stood tall, always using his build as an intimidation tactic.
JJ hissed a “fuck” before squeezing the back of his neck.
“Talk to us JJ. What’s going on?” Green spoke up.
“Fuck man. How do I know God’s not going to come after me?” JJ frowned.