“Yeah. And I was right. The guy had Wolf pinned to the wall and—”
“Whoa, what? Wolf? Pinned to the wall? That doesn’t sound like a situation he’d get himself into.”
“Exactly.” Relieved Win understood, he rushed to finish the story. “I stepped in, pretending to be upset that they were fucking around in a public space, and Wolf seemed to regroup and told the guy off, but he didn’t seem his usual self.”
“How so?”
Spencer raked his hands through his hair. “You know him. He’s cool and calm. The man oozes confidence and arrogance. It’s his nature. The Wolf I saw that night was…I don’t want to say scared, but he certainly wasn’t himself.”
“Hmm. I’d say he was having something going on in his personal life—”
“But he doesn’t have one,” Spencer interrupted. “Maybe it’s work, and I’m just sounding an alarm for nothing, but if he does show up today, keep an eye out and see if you notice anything?”
Win nodded. “You’re a good friend. And don’t push me off with that bullshit about you’d do it for any of the guys. That’s a given. The point is, no one else has said anything or was watching out for him. So you can say whatever you want, but the two of you have a connection. Maybe it’s time you sat down and thought about it.”
Elliot approached with Forrest and Claudia in tow. “You two look so serious.” His gaze shifted to Spencer. “What’re you talking about?”
Spencer held his breath, hoping his trust in Win wasn’t misplaced.
“Oh, you know Spencer. He was trying to get me to fix him up with one of my cop buddies, but he’s SOL.” He gripped Spencer’s shoulder, giving him a squeeze of understanding, and Spencer felt faint with relief.
“What can I say?” He spread his hands wide and grinned. “I like a man with a big weapon.”
Loud groans rose around him, and he picked up his drink, content in the knowledge that he’d done his duty as a friend and could now relax and enjoy the day with his friends.
Win’s phone rang.
“It’s Gutierrez.” He and Forrest exchanged tense looks as he answered. “Rogers. What do you have for us?” He left for the opposite side of the deck.
“What’s that all about?” Spencer whispered loudly to Elliot. “Is something happening?”
Elliot shot a worried look at Win, now huddled with Forrest, who was furiously taking notes. “All I know is that they’ve been working nonstop on this case. I’m scared for them. It sounds dangerous.”
Claudia squeezed Elliot’s shoulder. “They won’t take any chances. Win and Forrest and the others in their team are the best.”
Elliot had a whole new family now, and Spencer wondered how long it would be before Elliot slipped further into their world and out of his. Angry with himself, he finished his drink and waved at Chess and André, who’d finished their game of ring toss.
“To the victor go the spoils.” André kissed Chess and gave him a pat on the ass. “Get me a drink, love.”
Chess shot him a dark look. “You cheated. Don’t think I didn’t see you leaning over.”
“And I’m sure you didn’t mind. It gave you a chance to stare at his ass.” Spencer put a hand over his mouth. “Oops. Sorry, Claudia.”
She laughed. “Don’t mind me. I’m enjoying being surrounded by gorgeous men. I might sneak a peek myself.”
“I knew I liked you.” Spencer blew her a kiss, and Win and Forrest joined them with wide smiles on their faces. “Good news?”
“The best,” Forrest said. “We got an arrest—four of them, to be exact. There’s going to be a news conference on New York One soon, so we can talk about it now. A bar in Brooklyn we’ve been surveilling was a front for drugs and prostitution, possibly sex trafficking young women.”
“That’s great, honey. I’m glad you stopped those horrible people.” Claudia gave Forrest a hug. “What about the girls? I feel bad for them. They’re powerless.”
“They’re being held. Once we determine their ages, we can figure out where they belong.” Forrest and Win’s phones vibrated. “Gutierrez is sending us pictures of the perps.”
Spencer peered over Win’s shoulder, and his heart almost stopped.
“What’s his name?” Spencer pointed to a man in a black T-shirt and jeans on Win’s phone. A distinctive tattoo of a heart split in two with a cross rising from it covered the entire right side of his neck, and other random tattoos ran up and down his arms. A white ponytail curled over his shoulder. His hands were cuffed behind him, and a beefy detective had him by the arm.
“This guy?” Win pointed.
