Chapter Ten
Aiden eased the car to a stop at the curb in front of a large, two-story bungalow. The red shutters were freshly painted and the grass just cut. It was the picture of everything he didn’t have.
Madison hadn’t talked much since leaving the storage unit, which he was grateful for. Why had he told her about Andrea? It was a stupid moment of peering into life’s rearview mirror. All because he’d watched Madison relive the entire experience of losing her family. She had an expressive face, and in that moment, he hadn’t been able to shut off his own memories from hosing him down.
“I can go in if you want to wait out here.” Madison popped her seat belt.
“Of course I’m coming with you.”
“You can trust me, you know? I will give the stuff to you when I find it.”
He stared at her. Did he trust her? Despite her lack of self-preservation skills, he did. She wasn’t like Dustin. There wasn’t anything dishonest about her.
“Okay, come in if you want. Just a warning, Sindercella’s grandmother is kind of a trip.” She slid out of the car and stepped onto the sidewalk.
He got out of the car and walked around to meet her. “Sindercella?”
“I don’t know her real name.” Madison shrugged.
“Is that common?”
“For derby girls? Yeah. Once you pick your name your real one hardly matters.”
He shook his head as she rang the doorbell. His pocket began to vibrate, the one with his burner phone reserved especially for Dustin.
Shit.
“I need to take this. Back in a minute, okay?”
He backtracked to the car, answering the phone and watching as Madison stepped into the bungalow.
“What?” he said.
“Do you have it?” Dustin asked.
“Not yet.”
Dustin blew out a breath, the sound rattling through the phone.
“What am I paying you for?” Dustin spat.
Inwardly, Aiden groaned. Dustin was going to play it this way? Someone had to be leaning on him hard, probably Evers. What was on that drive?
“You’re paying me to do what I do best. Getting the job done quietly and with no mess. If you’d like to send your goon squad over to do it instead, be my guest. I’m wasting time with this bitch making nice. You could have told me she has a police escort everywhere.” Aiden glanced over his shoulder, half expecting to see Madison trying to listen in, but she wasn’t there. He felt a tiny pang of guilt for how he was talking about her, but in the long run his tactics might save her life.
“They let you close to her?”
“Yeah, but I don’t like this. You screwed with me.”
“You’re resourceful. I need this drive soon. You don’t understand, no one knows I don’t have it.” Dustin pitched his voice low.
Was that so? It made sense why Dustin was pulling in someone who had no connection to his organization.
“Think you’re going to get it?” Dustin asked.
“Hell yes I’ll get it. That’s what you’re paying me for, remember?”
“Fine. Yes. But I need it. Sooner than what we talked about.”
Aiden grimaced. “How soon?”
“Sunday soon.”
“I’ll get the job done.”
“Good. Good. Later.”
Aiden shoved the burner back into his pocket and glanced at the house once more. Today had not gone according to plan from the beginning, but instead of being irritated at skipping out on a whole day at the shop, he didn’t mind having spent it with Madison.
She made him laugh and her easy chatter about her life gave some semblance of normalcy to what they were doing. Despite what they were doing, being with her made him feel—normal. Like a guy with his girl. It wouldn’t last. He wasn’t about to kid himself, but it just drove home how far from normal his life had become. The stuff with Dustin, that was his new normal.
It was for the best his family was out of his life, but Madison’s? That was something that could be fixed.
He punched in Emery’s number and hit dial.
“What’s up?” Emery drawled.
“Hey, I want you to find out where Madison’s mother and sisters are now. Surface-level stuff, address, occupation, any red flags or notable events.”
There was a moment of silence before Emery responded. “Do we think they’re involved?”
Aiden could already hear Emery tapping away at his computer.
“No, this isn’t related. It’s for Madison. When this is all over she’s going to need someone in her life.” Someone who wasn’t him.
“I’m on it. Anything else?”
“Nah, I did just have a little run-in with two Eleventh drivers, but I have a feeling that’s the way things are going to be for a while.”
“I’ll let Julian know.”
“No, leave him out of this. Tell Tori and Roni, maybe, but not Julian.”
“Whatever you say. Mamma Haughton’s information is incoming. Hey, we finally got Ross’s financials today and there’s some stuff we need to talk about.”
“Like?”
“Like the fact that the guy is broke. Unless he’s got some hidden accounts somewhere, Dustin Ross has almost no money.”
“How’s he making deals?”
“Could be he’s keeping all the cash on hand, but that’s dangerous.” Cash could be stolen, which was why banks and offshore accounts were necessity.
“Find out how he’s paying for stuff.”
Aiden hung up and glanced at the text about Madison’s mother. He tried to never think too much about Emery’s role in what they did. It was more than tech support. He had to anticipate their needs, listen for chatter, and be proactive. Which meant Emery spent a lot of time digging around in their lives and what was going on in Miami. What that man knew could destroy them all if he wanted to. But he was circumspect. He’d found Madison’s family in a matter of seconds, and the only people who’d know he did it would be Emery and Aiden.
It was growing late in the afternoon, and a glance at the weather report showed storms heading their way.
He wasn’t positive Dustin hadn’t set someone else after Madison, too. There was always the danger that she’d go back to her slip and be ambushed.
There was no denying he wanted to keep Madison close. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. Which was exactly why he needed to cut down how much time they spent together. He was man enough to admit she had some crazy attraction for him, and he wasn’t sure he’d stop the next time with just kissing her.
Aiden made up his mind. He’d deposit her back onto her bike, follow her to the slip after changing cars once more, and send one of the twins out to be her security detail. Probably Tori so he’d have Emery’s eyes on the girls as well. He wasn’t sure what was going on with their tech or Tori, but Emery seemed to pay close attention to the mechanic. Once Madison was settled, he could pay Dustin a visit and get a little more information. If he was lucky, he could still get in a full night’s rest.
He strode up the walk and knocked on the door.
An elderly Asian woman whisked it open. She wore a bright purple velour tracksuit and her glasses were studded with rhinestones.
“Come in, come in. Are you single?”
He stepped over the threshold and paused, glancing from the grandma to Madison, sitting on a sofa with several boxes stacked around her.
“Sobo! You’ll scare men off asking them that. Don’t! Do you ever want me to get married?” A young woman stomped out of the kitchen at the back of the house, waving a spatula at the elderly woman. He assumed this was Sindercella. She had the indeterminable ageless grace of Asian women, but he’d still peg her for midtwenties. The pigtails and thigh-high rainbow socks didn’t help.
“You won’t get married if you don’t ask,” her grandmother retorted.
“You’re killing me, Sobo.” Sindercella rolled her eyes and threw her arms up in the air, but she couldn’t smother her grin fast enough.
“Come sit down.” The grandma gave his ass a firm squeeze. “Helena, this one is ripe. You should keep him.”
Aiden tensed, but put one foot in front of the other. Madison’s eyes bulged and she slapped her hand over her mouth. He quickly took a seat next to her before Sobo got both her hands on him.
“Not one word,” he growled at Madison, and grabbed the topmost box.
* * *
Madison studied Aiden’s profile in the waning light as he navigated the car back to the main drag. Despite Sobo’s eccentric personality, he’d warmed to her over the course of digging through boxes and a light dinner.
“Okay, so what’s their deal?” he asked after a few moments of silence. He seemed more relaxed than she’d ever seen him.
“Sindercella and Sobo?”
“Yeah. What’s sobo mean?”
“‘Grandma’ in Japanese. Sindercella came out to her family last year. She’s bisexual. They kicked her out. Sobo, who insists everyone call her Sobo by the way, said it was stupid, that they moved to America for a new way of life, so Sindercella’s lived with her since. I get the idea Sobo doesn’t see the rest of the family much as a sign of disapproval, and there’s a lot of tension over it. But they’re happy together. I think Sobo likes looking after Sindercella because she’s so independent. They’re pretty similar. I think Sobo always wanted to go to college and now that Sindercella’s putting herself through classes, she’s happy as a clam. I stayed with them off and on a couple of times. It’s a trip.”
“Grandmothers.” He shook his head and she knew he had to be thinking about his own grandmother. What was she like? Did she have Aiden’s eyes?
“Do you see yours often?” she asked, knowing it might not be a topic he’d allow.
Aiden was quiet for a moment and his smile slowly faded. He wasn’t going to answer her.
She rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes. The car was a smooth ride, but the way the engine vibrated tickled her skin, almost as if it sought to keep a connection with her.
“I see her the last Sunday of every month. I drive up to a cabin in the middle of nowhere and we have lunch, then spend the afternoon fishing and cook whatever we catch for dinner.”
“Fishing, huh? I didn’t peg you for the type.” She smiled, cherishing the gift he’d given her.
“Really? What type am I?”
“The bad-boy, car type. I’m not sure I can picture you with a fishing pole. Hell, I’ve never been fishing.”
“Don’t knock it. It’s a relaxing experience, but I’m not sure you’d be much good with that mouth.”
“Hey, I like my fucking mouth.” Okay, so she had some issues with the way she talked, what else was new?
He glanced at her and in the dim light it wasn’t hard to mistake the heat in his gaze. Was her language all he thought about when it came to her mouth? She hadn’t performed oral on a man since . . . well, she couldn’t quite remember, but for Aiden? She could be a quick student.
Last night had taken her by surprise. What would she do if he kissed her again and they weren’t interrupted by a car chase? He’d admitted his attraction wasn’t fabricated, that it wasn’t part of a ploy to ease her into acquiescence. But was that his plan? To seduce her, tell her it wasn’t fake, and still have her fall for him?
She discarded the idea immediately. He’d been truthful with her from the beginning. There was no reason to not take him at his word.
So what would she do?
Her pulse jumped and her body thrummed with lust. Her nipples tightened, chafing at the silky fabric of her bra. The car’s vibrations, once pleasant, now seemed to be especially designed to heighten her sensitivity. She clenched her thighs together, and still felt the car’s movement in her clit.
She’d fuck him. She knew, given the opportunity, she’d do it. The trick would be to keep her heart to herself. She had no idea how she’d manage that.
Madison was a serial monogamist. It was what kept her from cheating on Dustin. It was what had made her fall fast and hard in high school for her sweetheart and stick with him, and it wasn’t any different now.
Aiden wasn’t a bad guy, but neither was he nice. He was something in the middle, dangerous, with a heroic streak, and damn it if she didn’t want to fall victim to his temptations. He’d show her what a real man could do to a woman. It wouldn’t be a fast coupling, and he’d leave marks below the skin.
The car turned into the parking lot of Magic City Casino and Flagler Dog Track. There were more cars now, and the track lights lit up the night sky. The twinkling marquee glittered against the mist, like a diamond blanket, hiding the shabby exterior.
He pulled around the front and slowly rolled by the light pole she’d left her bike next to.
It wasn’t there.
Dread sliced through the aroused fog.
“Where’s my bike?” She sat up, peering through the cars.
Aiden sighed and pulled out his cell phone. He flipped through the pages of apps and brought up something that looked like a mapping program. He set it into a cradle mounted on the dash.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a tracking device I put on your bike.”
“You what?” She gaped at him, not knowing what to think. Was this her heroic bad boy?
“Look, if you got into trouble, if I couldn’t find you, or if you were really working with Dustin, I needed a way of finding out.”
“I left Dustin. How many times can I tell you that?”
“I know, I know. I put the tracker on there before we hashed the hell out of that.” He eased back onto the street, following the red path. He smacked the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. “What if one of his idiots chased you somewhere? What if you needed help and just got a connecting call to me before it was cut off? I did what I thought was best for your protection.”
She held her tongue, anger and panic at the loss of her bike warring for her attention. So much for trust. He couldn’t have asked her? A simple, reasonable explanation would have won her over.
How was she going to get to work and school if the bike was gone? Who was behind this?
She peered at the phone screen while he took a left turn. A red dot blinked to the left of the yellow circle that was the car.
“Fuck.”
Aiden turned into a dark, deserted parking lot. His headlights reflected off the green, glittery paint of part of the body. A wheel was propped up against the side of the boarded-up building.
Madison’s breath froze in her lungs.
Her bike.
It wasn’t a fast bike, or really impressive, but it had been hers. The means to a better life, an education, freedom, that bike carried her hopes and dreams.
She pushed her door open, ignoring Aiden’s stern “Wait.”
She tromped through a puddle, one hand clapped over her mouth and water splashing her ankles. In a way, the bike was her future. It wasn’t like she had a neighbor she could hitch a ride with, and she’d need every last penny to pay for the summer semester.
The custom paint job was chipped and now had black spray paint marring the surface. The bike itself was in several pieces.
There was no fixing this.
“Madison,” Aiden growled, and grasped her by her shoulders, the heat of his body warming her back. There was a gun in his hand aimed at the shadows.
She hugged her arms around herself. Desperation and loss threatened to drown her. She glanced around them, looking for the threat, but one didn’t materialize.
“Go back to the car.” He gently turned her and pushed her back to the Chevelle.
“Is someone out there?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“I don’t know.”
“Who did this?” She wheeled around, but he caught her once more by her shoulders. The gun pressed into her shoulder, an ever present reminder that they were still in danger.
“I don’t know.” He tightened his grip on her. “Madison, stop. I’ll figure out who did this, but it would not be a good idea to call the police and tell them we found the bike. What we need to do is have you report it as missing. Let the cops find it. Insurance will take care of the rest.”
She cringed. Sure, the bike was insured, but it wasn’t worth much. Not enough to get her another set of wheels. She needed to call her boss, let them know she was out indefinitely until she could get a new ride. Maybe summer school was out of the question until she rebounded from this, but then that would put her plans behind schedule, and she couldn’t double up on classes in the fall. She might have to take an absence from derby.
Aiden steered her to the car and helped her into her seat. He went back to the pieces of her bike, tucking the gun into his waistband. The seat torn up and the body dented and busted. He knelt next to it and tugged a bandanna that had hung from his back pocket. He pulled something out from under what had been the fender and wrapped it in the cloth.
The tracking device. Right. He wouldn’t want someone finding that.
He strode back to the car, his features blank and unreadable as ever.
Aiden said he cared about what happened to her. Did he really?
The headlights reflected off her helmet lodged in some bushes. An eleven was painted on it.
Aiden stepped into the beam of light, blocking the eleven from view. Could she trust him to fix this, too? She wanted to believe in him.