“I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”
“Wait, what? You’re here?”
“Yep,” Brody chuckled. “Forty-eight hours off shift. Decided I needed to throw caution to the wind and howl at the moon. Since you’re here too, I’m taking you with me.”
Now Antonio was convinced something was bugging his big brother. Brody wanting to go out on the town and get wild and rowdy? Nope. No way. He was Captain America, never stepping a foot over the line of right and wrong. Rarely drank more than a beer, and those were few and far between. Might be a good idea to meet up, see if he could help with whatever troubled his big brother.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Hanging up, he loosened the tie around his neck and tossed it onto the bed, next to the jacket he abandoned the minute he’d hit the room. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from his suitcase, he quickly changed, splashed water on his face, and brushed his teeth. When a loud knock sounded, he slid his wallet in his pocket and opened the door.
“Brody. Good to see you.” He wrapped his arms around his brother, doing the masculine hug and pound on the back greeting all guys did. Stepping back, he studied the man before him. Brody looked pretty much the same as the last time he’d seen him a couple of months earlier. Tall and muscular, his sandy-brown hair was a little longer than it had been. Though he smiled, there was a haunted look in his brilliant blue eyes belying his jovial attitude.
Last time Antonio had been in Shiloh Springs for a quick visit, he’d ended up helping Rafe and an ex-Navy SEAL, Dylan Roberts, protect a woman from a potential stalker kidnapper, who wanted to take her baby out of the country. Maybe Brody was a little thinner, but otherwise there wasn’t any outward appearance something bothered his brother. Except his haunted eyes.
“Ready to go?” Brody glanced around Antonio’s room, his eyes landing on the files. He bumped his shoulder against Antonio’s in a playful manner, before heading toward the bed. “Already bringing work home with you, I see.”
Antonio reached past him and grabbed the files, stuffed them into his suitcase and locked it. Pretty dumb, leaving them lying around a hotel room in plain sight. He really needed to get his head in the game, or he’d make mistakes. And mistakes got people killed.
“I don’t want to think about work tonight. Plenty of time for that later. Where are we headed?”
“Someplace with lots of music, lots of lovely ladies, and an abundance of booze.”
“In Austin? Shouldn’t be hard to find.” Antonio grinned. Austin’s unofficial motto was Keep Austin Weird. The entire city was eclectic and having a good time and partying kept the whole place thriving. “You want to grab some food first?”
Brody shrugged. “I could eat.”
“Is our food truck stand still here? I could use a couple of those tacos we had the last time we came to Austin.”
“Sounds good. I’ve got my car, I’ll drive.”
The food truck courtyard bustled with activity, bodies milling around. Boisterous laughter filled the air, along with live music from the band on the far side of the courtyard. The bases of the trees interspersed throughout the gathering place were rimmed with Christmas lights, while additional strands crisscrossed overhead, between the lampposts surrounding the courtyard, like a canopy of stars overhead. Maneuvering through the throng of bodies took skill and determination, but Antonio eventually made it to the taco truck he’d targeted. His mouth watered at the smell of the freshly-cooked beef and spices emanating through the open window of the festively painted food truck, where a pretty Hispanic girl passed out plastic baskets overflowing with Tex-Mex goodness.
“Hey, bro, what do you want? My treat.” Antonio stood behind a customer, next in line to place his order. Brody scanned the hand-lettered sign beside the truck’s open window, the available items and prices listed. While there weren’t a lot of items listed, this truck was a personal favorite of Antonio’s, and he’d tried pretty much everything they offered, and knew the menu by heart.
“Grab me a couple of the brisket tacos and a chicken one. Extra guacamole.”
Antonio moved forward, placing their order to the smiling girl, who relayed it to the two burly men cooking on the flattops. With a quick efficiency belying their sizes, the men worked with tag-team efficiency and skill. Within minutes, he had two red plastic baskets, overflowing with tasty Tex-Mex food. The intoxicating smell had his taste buds salivating and his stomach growling. He hadn’t taken time for a lunch break with the whole hostage situation that afternoon, and his empty belly let him know it was past time to fill up with something hearty and delicious.
Brody snagged them a couple of beers and a table with two empty seats, far enough away from the musicians they’d be able to talk without yelling. Dropping onto the folding chair, he handed Brody his food and picked up a brisket taco, taking a huge bite. The spices hit first, with the smoky beef and cool pico de gallo. He almost moaned when the taste of tomato, onion, and cilantro exploded on his taste buds. Before he knew it, he’d demolished the first taco in three bites.
“Geez, man, didn’t you eat today?”
Antonio shook his head, picking up the chicken taco next. “Had to deal with a crisis, worked straight through the afternoon. Other than coffee, this is the first thing I’ve eaten today.”
“That’s rough. So, what’re your thoughts about working in Austin?”
Antonio grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth before answering. “It’s different. Than Dallas, I mean. I get the feeling while they’re just as busy, there’s a quieter vibe. Know what I mean? Although this afternoon had everybody scrambling, hitting the streets en masse. Hostage situation downtown. You’ll probably hear about it on the news, if you haven’t already.”
Brody nodded. “Caught a bit about it on the radio, driving here. Sounded serious.”
“It’s
