Order (Tattoos and Ties Duet #2)(11)

He could sense the turmoil in his lover. Alec hated that for him. Key was such a good man.

“Hey you,” Janice said, coming to the table. Alec lifted his gaze to her as his iced tea and large platter of nachos were placed on the table.

“Great place,” he said, lifting the tea, taking a sip, giving a thumbs-up to the waiter. The pineapple puree was an incredible touch, one he needed to remember. Janice took her seat and placed a red file folder on the table between them, making Alec cock his head as he drank from the straw to see his name scrawled out in a pretty penmanship across the tab.

“What can I get you?” the waiter asked Janice.

“I’ll have a glass of pinot grigio.”

Oh, okay. So they were having a drinking lunch. An idea Alec absolutely agreed with and seconded that decision to the waiter. “Make that two.”

His phone vibrated again in his hand, and he looked down to see another message from Key. “club biz tonight and tomorrow. See u Saturday.”

No! Alec’s heart sank, and the day took an unfortunate turn. He forgot everything around him as he typed back quickly. “Come over when you’re done.” He felt selfish for asking Key to drive all that way to spend five or six hours sleeping with him only to turn around and fight the rush hour traffic back the following morning. His thumb paused over the send button. He shouldn’t send this message and put that pressure on Key.

“I think we lost him,” Janice said. Alec looked up to see Janice and the waiter staring at him.

“What did I miss?” he asked, turning back to the phone in his hands. How should he reply?

“Are you ready to order?” Janice asked, laughingly.

“Enchiladas, the chicken enchiladas,” he said, glancing at the top of the menu to make sure he got the name of the dish correct before his eyes went back to the phone in his hand. He erased his words and decided to go more generic, not to put undue pressure on Key. “If it’s not too late, and you feel like driving, come home.” Alec liked the use of the term home for Key. It felt natural and right, and what he wanted his lover to think when he thought of Alec, so he kept it there and continued. “Be safe in whatever you’re doing. Now, I’m very glad I did a drive-by. At least I got to see you.” Alec pushed send and started to put the phone in his back pocket when he looked up to see Janice staring at him with a big giant grin. “What?”

“Who is he?” she asked, knowingly.

Alec didn’t even try to hide his infatuation. He was smitten, head over heels in love, and if he could shout it from the rooftops, he would. Instead, he went with a more sedate, “No one you know,” while reaching for a gooey cheese-covered chip to put on his plate, pushing the full platter toward Janice.

“But it’s serious?” she asked, reaching for the plate.

“Oh yeah.” Alec grinned, leaving it right there as he scooped the fallen toppings with his cheese-laden chip, putting it in his mouth. Oh man, he wasn’t disappointed. With his mouth full and a second bite prepared, he nodded toward the folder she’d brought. “What’s that?”

Her face went from excited to solemn in an instant as she opened the folder. “I know you won in court today, but I kept digging around on Donald Cummings. He’s got so much that just didn’t add up or connect.”

Alec lifted his eyes to hers as she grew silent for a moment then shook her head.

“I know I’m not making sense. I found something that’s a bit alarming, and the best I can tell, no one knows. I’m unsure what I should do with the information. I’m genuinely torn.”

“Okay,” Alec said, watching Janice turn several sheets of paper in the folder until she pulled out one page and slid it across the table to him. Alec quickly added a third bite of cheesy goodness to his mouth then reached for his napkin, wiping his hands before he took the sheet.

“I’m sending all this with you. It’s got everything the criminal side will need when they prosecute this guy. I was as thorough as I could be and decided I’ll stick with the case if they allow me to.”

Alec scanned down the page, looking for anything obvious before starting from the top as the waiter placed a wine glass in front of him. This looked like a poorly scanned handwritten police report from one of the several times Camille Doreen Cummings, Donald’s wife and Rosa Daly’s daughter, had called the police on her abusive husband. The penmanship made it hard to read, but Alec’s eyes narrowed when he came to a line stating Donald had been spending significant time with the Disciples of Havoc motorcycle club. Per the officer, Camille said he’d become a prospect for the gang.

To quote Key… Motherfucker.

Alec lifted his concerned gaze to Janice. “Who knows this?”

“As far as I can tell, me, you, the arresting police officer, and Keely’s mother who’s still on the run. This was never connected to any official police report against Cummings. I stumbled on it only by accident, but it makes lots of sense. Cummings behaves like a gang member,” she explained, crossing her arms at the edge of the table. Alec’s mind raced over the possibilities. “I’m torn, Alec. My first thought was this guy’s dangerous to his child.”

Alec nodded. That was an understatement. He continued reading, making sure he didn’t miss anything more in the report.

“If I make this known, I can see Twiford offering Cummings a plea deal or worse for information on the club.”