“Me either,” Ruxs said sternly, pulling Curtis into a headlock. “Now get your ass up there and apologize to my boyfriend.”
Curtis chuckled. “I knew you guys were boyfriends.”
“No you didn’t.”
“You guys have been boyfriends for years,” Curtis said, laughing on his way up the stairs. “You just hadn’t admitted it until now.”
Ruxs pulled off his bulletproof vest and tossed it in the pile with the others. He was so ready to get home. The bust was a huge success; there were no casualties on either side. Not even any gunfire. They’d taken out the snipers on the roof first with rubber bullets, their team swooping in fast and quietly to restrain them. Then they’d breached the warehouse, moving in through every exit, blocking them in just as the deal was completed. It would’ve been suicidal for Chainz or his crew to try to run or even draw their weapons. God was the best at planning raids and seizures. He always went for the strategy that minimized threat and kept his team out of danger as much as possible.
Ruxs did have the good luck to bust a French bastard in his jaw with the butt of his shotgun when he got loose from the SWAT member who was restraining him and reached for his secondary weapon. That was fun. Green would’ve loved to have seen that. His mind went back to Green and Curtis for the hundredth time today. He was only able to get in a brief phone call before they’d left the precinct and sent him a quick text when it was over. He knew he’d be worrying.
Syn was standing at the front of the conference going over the final details for their report while God and Day were in the captain’s office.
“Okay. Just twenty more minutes guys and then you can get out of here,” Syn said loudly.
Ruxs looked at his watch. It was almost midnight. He pulled out his cell and sent another text.
I love you
He vaguely listened to his sergeant has he waited for his phone to vibrate with a return text. A second later his screen illuminated.
I love you back. Come home.
Ruxs smiled and typed back. Hour tops.
He put his phone back in the side pocket of his black cargo pants and finished signing off on his own paperwork. Syn dismissed all them with a final, “I expect everyone to be at the graveside no later than eight tomorrow. Also please, all of you try to be available to come to the funeral repast tomorrow afternoon at God and Day’s house. We want to support Curtis as much as possible.”
“He’s not having a wake or church service?” Charles, one of their demolitions experts asked.
“No,” Vickie answered for Syn. “In her will she asked for a small graveside service and a repast so Curtis could be with his friends. Since she had no other family and her body was withered and worn by the end, she didn’t want a viewing. So we’re honoring her wishes.”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. A few more of the guys stopped to ask him how Green and Curtis were doing, offering more help if needed. Ruxs graciously thanked them, inching out the door at the same time so he could get home. He needed to be with the man he loved. Needed to reassure Green he was indeed okay and unharmed.
The parking lot was almost empty except for the graveyard shift. Right before Ruxs got to Green’s truck, which he’d driven today, Ro jogged up to him. “Hey Ruxs, I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier.”
“Hey, what’s up Ro?”
“Um. I don’t know if you wanted to know or not and since I didn’t want to bother Green.” Ro stumbled looking uneasy.
“It’s cool, Ronowski. Spit it out.”
“Um. Jacob posted bond yesterday. I had him tailed for a little while. First he went to your mom’s house. He used a key. It looked like he only grabbed some clothes, according to the officer. Then he, um.” Ro paused.
“He what?”
“He went to visit your mom. He stayed the whole half an hour she’s allowed.”
Ruxs ran his hand through his short hair. The last thing he wanted was Jacob trying to talk his mom out of doing her sentence in rehab, but he wasn’t able to see her. Green already had the restraining order in place. “Shit.”
“Don’t worry about it, bro. Your mom will be transported to her facility in a couple days and Jacob’s on borrowed time, dude. He made bail, but I’m sure he’ll have to serve some time, if only for violating his probation. It’s all good. I just wanted to let you know.”
“Thanks Ro.”
“No problem.”
Ruxs floored it out of the parking lot, needing Green more than ever right now. Had his mom and Jacob really been in love? It made Ruxs’ stomach turn just thinking about it.