“SO, WHAT DO you do when you’re not . . . SWAT teaming?”
I glanced up at the young woman standing at our table. Her bright-red lips puckered out in an attempt to look sexy while she leaned over and put her tits on display. All I really wanted to do was tell her she had lipstick on her front tooth. Focusing back on my sandwich, I ignored her. It was a dick-move, but damn it all to hell, I just wanted to eat.
Phil, another SWAT team member, answered her. “We train, ma’am.”
The waitress laughed. “Ma’am? Holy shit, how old do I look?”
None of us answered. Hell, we knew better than to touch that shit with a ten-foot pole. If I was to guess though, I’d say she couldn’t have been more than twenty.
“What kind of training?” she asked.
Cole kicked me under the table. She wasn’t going to go away until I talked to her. With a sigh, I put my sliced brisket sandwich down and wiped my hands on my napkin.
I cleared my throat, flashed her my signature smile, and replied, “Ma’am, if we told you, we’d have to kill you.”
Her smile faltered a little before it grew wider. She got what she wanted, me talking to her. “How about drinks later, handsome?”
Damn. That was fast.
Usually it took the new waitresses at least a week before they were throwing themselves at one of us.
With a fake chuckle, I replied, “I don’t think my wife would like that very much.”
With a pout, she shrugged. “Well, you can’t blame a girl for trying.”
Spinning on her heels, she headed to another table.
“I hate new waitresses,” Phil mumbled.
“I hate that they always want Nic. What the fuck is wrong with the rest of us?” Cole asked. “I’d have taken her up on the drinks.”
“Yeah, if you want your ass thrown in jail. She looks sixteen,” Phil stated with a deep rumbled laugh.
“It’s the Greek in him. It’s like a magnet for women. I have yet to see one it hasn’t worked on,” our sergeant, Oliver, said.
“I almost laugh every time you say my wife,” Cole said.
Rolling my eyes, I went back to eating. Was it too much to ask for us to eat in peace? We’d been coming to this restaurant for over six years now. Once the newness of seeing all of us walk in wore off, the waitresses usually treated us like every other customer. But when there was a new one and she saw us walk through that door in tight T-shirts, muscles on display, and the word SWAT splayed across said shirt, something happened. It was like their hormones were turned up into overdrive.
“Yeah well, it keeps the ones I’m not interested in at bay.”
Phil laughed. “And you’re not worried the ones you’ve fucked aren’t going to say you’re a lying bastard?”
It was true. At times I did worry about my little lie. Over the years I had screwed one or two . . . or maybe six . . . of the waitress at Roy’s Place. None of them bothered to even ask if I was married. Each was a fast fuck. In the alley behind the restaurant, in my truck, outside the bar before we even made it in, the backseat of their car, Roy’s office, and my favorite, fucking Scarlett in the bathroom while the rest of the guys sat out there and ate. Bastards still had no clue about that one.
I smiled. Something to be said about public sex.
With a shrug, I responded. “They got what they wanted. Besides, they never stay long enough to care.”
Cole looked over to the long counter. “Scarlett’s still here.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as Scarlett, Roy’s daughter, poured a cup of coffee for a customer. Her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail and one of her signature Dierks Bently T-shirts on. She winked and said something to the old man before turning around and grabbing a few plates.
I turned back to Cole. “Scarlett’s different. She’s part owner, you asshole.”
“And the occasional hook-up.”
Shrugging, I replied, “What’s wrong with that?”
Holding up his hands he laughed. “Nothing at all, my friend. Nothing at all. We’ve all had the go-to fuck buddy at one point.”
I wasn’t sure why, but Cole’s comment bothered me more than it should have. Was that all I was ever going to have in my life? A fuck buddy?
My phone buzzed on my side. Pulling it out, I frowned as I read the text.
Mom: Don’t forget dinner tonight.
I quickly typed out my response.
Me: Can’t make it tonight. Training session.
Mom: Don’t lie to me Nicholaus. I will find out.
Laughing, I turned to Oliver. “If my mother sends you a text, we’re training tonight.”
He nodded, like what I had said was nothing new. It wasn’t. Ever since Thad and Thano had settled down, my mother was even more eager to set me up with a good Greek girl. I was almost positive the last girl she tried to set me up with was a distant cousin.
“Hiding again, huh?” Oliver asked.
“Yep,” I replied as I typed another text.
Me: I’ve gotta run, Mama. Love you.
Mom: Love you. If you finish up, stop by. Maria’s daughter is in town.
I lifted my brows. Hmm. That might be fun. Cassie was beautiful with her long, dark hair and brown eyes that begged for more. The last time she was in town we had one night of hot sex. The girl knew how to work her tongue, that’s for sure.
Oliver’s pager went off. Without a word, everyone jumped up and headed out as he called and got the information.
“We’ve got a high-risk narcotics warrant. Let’s head back.”
My heart pumped harder. I fucking loved my job. It was dangerous and required fast thinking, planning, and balls of steel to be on SWAT. My career choice had also kept me single. I’d yet to meet a woman who could handle the fact that I was a cop. Let alone, a SWAT member. Not that I was looking. Far from it. I liked my single lifestyle. No one to answer to and plenty of women to go around. At least that was the mantra I repeated to myself all the time.
Once we made it back to the station, we went over the plans down to every last detail. Every single thing was planned. Where our entry points were, where the pull teams would go, and what the backup plan would be.
Five hours later we were ripping the iron gate off and breaking the door in on a house that was suspected of selling heroine out of it.
“Police! On the floor!” I shouted as we rushed in. Three guys immediately dropped to the floor and one dumb fuck took off running for the back of the house to try to get out.
Idiot.
I’d have him in less than thirty seconds.
Thud.
“Don’t even think about it. Give me your hands.”
Fighting me every step of the way, the suspect shouted out, “I didn’t do nothing!”
I restrained his hands and pulled him off the ground. Heading into the main living room with the dirtbag I had caught, Liam walked around the corner. “The rest of the house is clear.”
I called in, “Three in custody. All clear for narcotics to come in.”
My heart was still racing as we headed back to our vehicle. Another successful bust. This would never get old. The thrill of my job was all I needed.
The drive back to the station was filled with Oliver going over the operation. What went right, what could have gone wrong, and what we could have done better.
“Beer?” Cole asked as we stripped out of our gear and threw it into the back of our police cars.
“Sounds good.”
“Drivas!” Oliver called out. “Your mother texted. Told her you were on a warrant issue.”
With a roll of my eyes, I sighed and slammed my trunk. Turning to Cole, I said, “I’m going to need something stronger than a beer.”
His face lit up. That meant we were heading out on the town and would most likely both end up getting lucky tonight.
“Hell yes! I was hoping you’d say that.”
With a smile, I shouted, “Later guys!”
Oliver, Phil, and Liam each lifted a hand. They were all heading home to their wives or girlfriends. Not me though. The last thing I needed was a woman tying me down. I was perfectly happy being alone.
At least that was what I kept telling myself.