“Don’t be mad, Lib. I was chatting with him, and told him we were hanging out here,” Mitch confesses right away. Hetch doesn’t say anything, just calmly takes a menu from the waitress and starts looking it over.
“So you thought you would invite yourself.” I point my gaze to Hetch. I’m not angry at Mitch for texting him. I think it’s great he’s been spending time with him and connecting with him. I just wish he didn’t come around while I was working.
I find it too hard to concentrate, and I need to stay focused.
“We were in the neighborhood.”
Another lie.
Another few snorts.
“So what did you guys order?” He changes the subject, moving his attention back to the menu, and forcing me to let it go.
Seriously, I don’t know if I want to kiss him or smack him.
Maybe both.
“Cheeseburger and fries. They have great burgers here, right, Lib?” Mitch looks over at me, gauging my opinion.
“They’re pretty good.” I nod, backing him up.
“Okay, you sold me.” Hetch drops the menu back to the table as the radio attached to his belt comes to life.
“All units in the vicinity of Westchester and Vine, Code Three. Shots fired.”
Hetch and the boys stand in record speed before the dispatcher finishes his words.
“Rain check, Mitch?” Hetch asks, dropping a fifty-dollar bill down on the table.
“Yeah, for sure.” Mitch beams up at him, more excited than I’ve ever seen him before.
“Okay, lunch is on me. See you later.” He offers me a wink and a grin, and as fast as he entered the place, he’s gone. Mitch smiles and waves, watching them with me through the glass window as they climb into their SUV.
“Liberty?” Mitch asks, still turned at the waist, watching them pull out and speed off down the street.
“Yeah?”
“I think I know what I wanna do when I finish school.” He turns back and faces me.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I wanna be a cop,” he tells me proudly, and I can tell he’s serious from his posture.
“I think you would make an amazing police officer,” I tell him as our cheeseburgers arrive.
“You think so?” He pauses. “Even with Dad and Dom?” He doesn’t have to finish the question, but I know what he’s asking.
Even if my father is a murderer and serving twenty-five years. And even if my brother is a street thug who’s heading down the same road.
“I do, Mitch. You should never let anyone’s actions define what you want out of life. Okay? You can be anything you set your mind to. Regardless of where you come from or who you are related to.” He responds with a nod and I know he’s listening. Know he’s thinking.
And it’s all I can ask for.
These boys need to think about their future. Think about doing better for themselves so when they leave they have the tools and the resources to keep off the streets.
We spend the rest of lunch talking about what sort of things Hetch and the men of SWAT deal with on a daily basis and by the time lunch is over, and our table has been cleared, Mitch is adamant he has decided his career path.
Okay, so maybe I don’t need to smack Hetch for dropping by unexpectedly.
I’ll just kiss him later.
Way later.
Twenty-One
Hetch
Liberty: I was going to smack you for showing up like that today, but judging by the change in Mitch’s attitude since you left, I think I’m going to have to kiss you.
I read the text over again and quickly respond.
Me: Sweetheart, I’d like to see you smack me.
Liberty: I so could smack you. I just don’t want to. :P
“You gonna put your phone down so we can finish this workout, or you gonna keep being a *?” Sterling flicks his towel at me, causing me to drop my cell on the ground.
“Fuck you, asshole.” I bend down and reach for it, then place it into the pocket of my gym shorts.
He’s right, though. It’s been a long day and as much as I would prefer to sit around sexting Liberty, the quicker we get through this workout, the quicker I can head home and sex her.
While the tactical unit is required to participate in group PT three times a week, a typical week for the boys in our unit includes those three PT sessions, but also an extra two group sessions in the gym. This afternoon happens to be group training.
“Ahh, leave him alone, Sterling. He’s in love,” Fox taunts from across the gym, starting up a round of catcalls and collective awws.
Assholes.
They’ve been on my back all afternoon, ever since I walked into Betty’s Diner like a fucking puppy.
When I received the text from Mitch letting me know they were out for lunch, I couldn’t drive fast enough to catch up with them. The boys and I had finished weapons training out at the firing range, and we were heading back to the station when I told the boys we were stopping for lunch in town.
They didn’t catch on to why I needed to backtrack three blocks to Betty’s Diner until we walked in and they found Liberty sitting all fucking innocent and sexy in the back booth.
“Fuck you all.” I ignore their taunts and move back to the bench press.