“Appreciate you, Theodore,” Gabriel said.
“This restaurant is special,” Halston said. “Thank you so much for dinner, both of you.”
With a smile, Teddy said, “Yeah, this is a special place. I love it here.”
“Teddy, stay with Barbi while I talk to Angelo about surveilling Donskoy,” Gabriel said.
Halston pushed off his lap. Gabriel stood, dropped a light kiss on her lips.
“Why don’t I drive Barbi around front?” Teddy suggested.
Gabriel tossed him the key fob to his truck, winked goodbye to Halston, and left. He made his way into the dining room, packed with customers. A few regulars recognized him from when he was GM, so he paused to say hello.
Angelo sat alone in the owner’s booth. Gabriel slid in. “Teddy said you had company.”
“A woman stopped by for a drink,” Angelo said.
“Did you get her number?”
“No. She said she was from outa town.”
Gabriel gave him Pavel Donskoy’s Arlington address before they pushed out of the booth.
“Thanks for dinner,” Angelo said. “You always pay. You know, I got money.”
“I know,” Gabriel said with a smile. “I pay you well.”
“Where are you headed?”
“I’m taking Barbi to a museum.”
“For real? I’ve known you my whole life, you don’t do museums.” He smiled. “Look at you doing more nice things for her.”
The men made their way through the packed restaurant, the conversations coming together in a symphony of voices. Outside, Teddy had parked at the curb, twenty feet from the entrance, Halston beside him in the passenger seat.
Angelo stopped on the sidewalk. “I’ll start at Donskoy’s, see if he’s there. You want me to do anything else?”
“I need to know if he lives alone.”
A masked person ran toward them from the parking lot. When he got within twenty feet, he raised his arm.
“Gun!” Gabriel shouted as he yanked his weapon from its holster.
Angelo shoved Gabriel to the ground.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Angelo staggered back before dropping. Gabriel took aim, but a car drove past, cutting him off from the shooter.
Teddy bolted from the truck, but the person had vanished into the parking lot. “I’m going after him!”
“No!” Gabriel rushed to Angelo and pulled him into his arms. “Jesus, Angelo, don’t you fucking leave me.”
Gasping for breath, Angelo peered up at him. “Where am I… hit?”
Gabriel saw the blood spreading from his chest. “You’re gonna be good. Stay with me. Breathe with me.” Gabriel applied pressure as Teddy and Halston raced over.
“Ambulance?” Halston asked.
