Drive (21 page)

“Was Kathy able to get anywhere with the DEA?”

CJ shook his head. “They dug their heels in. Said they couldn't get involved.”

“Damn it.” The DEA always asked for favors, but were stingy on paying back their debt. The Eleventh should be a slam-dunk hit for them. Aiden put his hands on his hips. “What about the drive? We have it. Emery's going over it now. In fact, let's see what he says.”

Aiden dialed Emery and flipped the phone to speaker.

“I'm working,” Emery said.

“Tell me something good,” Aiden said.

“Good depends on what you wanted to hear.”

“I'd like to know that the drive is full of doctored financial records and details of criminal dealings.” It was too much to hope that one job would put both Dustin Ross and Michael Evers away for good.

“No luck then. You want to know what your girl was sitting on?”

“You're going to tell me.”

“Bitcoins. Six million dollars in bitcoins.”

“Bitcoins. Like the digital currency?”

“Yeah. A lot of the more forward-thinking criminals are starting to do some deals in bitcoins. There's no way to track them and no central bank regulating them, so it's an anonymous currency. Makes sense why Dustin's hurting for it. He bounced some checks yesterday. Guy's desperate for money. From what I can tell, it's his fault. Trying to live the life a little too big.”

“So we've got ourselves a bag of money. How do we use it?” Aiden glanced around at the faces surrounding him. All of them were thinking, spinning the situation around to see it from a different side. If he wanted to give Madison the future she deserved, he had to figure out how to leverage the drive to help her. Except he had no idea how to do that yet.

“What do you want to buy?”

“That's not what I wanted to hear. Shit.”

“I figured. We still giving this to Dustin?”

“Yeah, if nothing else then to just get him to pipe the fuck down for a minute. Who do you think he's trying to pay off ? Who's he owe money to?”

“Right now, Evers and some Colombians. He had a wire denied earlier this week. What do you want to bet it's for the drugs coming in tonight on those cars?”

“Damn. This is making too much sense.” In the end, it all came down to money. Dustin wanted more of it, and when he got it, he spent it. Now, he was in deep with the wrong people, namely Evers and the Colombians. Both had a habit of terminating people.

“I'm going to mirror this drive so we give him one that looks like it has his bitcoin wallet and all the currency on it, but when he goes to use it, the coins will be rejected.”

“And I could believably tell him I have no idea what the problem is.”

“Exactly. He'd have to know where to look to identify them as real.”

“Dustin's not that kind of smart. He's a smooth talker, but he's not all that bright. Probably why Evers likes him.”

“I looked up that company flying product into Everglades Air. This is the first time they've used this airport. I'm working on getting the records, but I think this is how he's transporting the drugs into the country. I looked up the last couple of shipments. I think he's packing the cars with drugs, flying them over, and getting them taken out of the cars before they go through customs.”

“That's a pretty smart theory. And what do you want to bet it's not coincidence those cars are getting here today and Dustin needs those coins?” Aiden's other phone beeped. He glanced at the screen and grit his teeth. “Mirror that drive. Fast. I've got Dustin calling me.”

“On it.”

Aiden switched calls, inhaling a deep breath. Not a soul moved. He'd like nothing more than to reach through the phone and punch the asshole.

“Dustin, I was just about to call you.”

“I need the fucking drive now, DeHart.”

Putting Dustin away would be one of the highlights of the year, for sure.

“Well, I have it.”

“What? How did you—? That fucking bitch lied to me.”

“Easy. She wasn't actually lying. She didn't know she had it.”

“Where was it?”

“She had a storage unit up in Deerfield.”

“What? How did I not know about that?”

“Not my problem.”

Dustin paused before speaking again. This time, suspicion laced his voice. “How did you get it?”

“I picked her up, played it smooth, she took me back to her place and I found the key in a drawer, so I took it. You use a sledgehammer too often when all you need is a light touch.”

“Where are you? I'll come get it.”

“Not so fast. I can't do that here. There's also the matter of payment.”

“I have cash for you. I need to know that you've kept this between us.”

“As far as anyone knows, I picked up a girl at a bar. Your ass is covered.” The idea of reducing Madison to a nameless, faceless piece of ass made him want to retch, but Dustin couldn't know the truth.

“Good. Good.”

“I've got some errands to run for the garage. I'll meet you at Hallandale Beach in two hours.”

“An hour.”

“Hour and a half.”

“Fuck. Hurry it up, DeHart.”

Aiden hung up and blew out a breath.

“Here's what I'm thinking.” Aiden turned to face Julian and CJ. They were the two he had to convince. “We give the drive to Dustin. Have Emery stick a tracker in it. Evers has that shipment coming into Everglades Air tonight. That gives us time to put together the evidence to hand over to the FBI.”

“Let the Hoovers do the pickup?” Julian's brows drew down into a line.

“You can go. This could be over.” Aiden would be in bed with Madison. She'd still be in danger so long as Evers was alive, but he could figure out something. Maybe it was time for a new start. Sell the garage to Julian or the twins, pack his shit up, and hit the road with his girl.

CJ's frown deepened. “Let me make some calls. Don't plan on anything.” He headed toward the back lot and his car.

“Let's get some work done, but be ready to move.” Aiden strode toward the office. He needed to see Madison, to touch her. They had a lot to work through, but maybe, if everything worked out, they'd have time to do it.

He headed into the offices, following the low voices until he found the three women. Madison glanced up, catching sight of him immediately. He crooked his finger at her and she nodded. Lily was already looking better. Her color was coming back and she smiled at something Kathy said.

“What's going on?” Madison stepped out of the office, sliding her hands into her pockets.

“I want you to hang around here today.”

“I can't.”

“Madison, Dustin just tried to kidnap you—”

“If I don't go to work today, you don't know what will happen tonight. Besides, if I don't show up Lily's parents will go to her place looking for me, even if I call in, and we do not want them finding her like this.” She spoke quieter now. “I'm going to work. There's security. I'll be safe there.”

“I don't like it.” He pulled out his phone and texted John. His pickup truck would blend in better on the roads around Everglades Air than any of their cars.

She studied him for a moment. “You guys have a plan.”

“I might.”

“Then you need to know the latest updates on that shipment. I'm it. Let me help. I don't know what's going on here, but I get the idea this is something you've done before. Please, let me help.”

He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her farther away from the office. “John follows you all the way to the gates. When you leave, you don't leave alone.”

“I've still got to get a ride to work. I won't be alone.”

“I got you something. Come here.” He pulled her toward an exterior door and pushed it open.

“Is it long and hard?”

She startled a laugh out of him.

“No, you've already had that. I got you something else. Come here.”

He took her hand and led her around to the spot where he'd parked her Honda Rebel that first fateful night when she went looking for trouble. In its place sat a gray Honda CBR650F.

“Wow.” Madison stared at the sport bike, her jaw slightly unhinged.

“It's got a lot more speed and maneuverability than the Rebel. Just watch out for cops, they'll think you're out hot-rodding.”

“I can't accept this.”

“Consider it on loan then.”

“How did you get this so fast?”

“I know a guy.”

She glanced over her shoulder, gaze narrowing once more.

Aiden held up his hands. “It's all good, I swear. This guy only works on bikes and every now and then he has something he's looking to sell. Lots of guys buy these things, their wives get pissed or they can't make the payments and if he thinks he can flip it, he'll do them a solid and take it off their hands. I was just lucky enough to hit him up when he had something suitable.”

“I'll use it today, but I hope you got a receipt,” she said.

He stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He wouldn't tell her he planned on keeping her. Yet. He had to be sure his plan would work.

“Use it for however long you need to.” He kissed her cheek. “Text me when you get to work?”

“I will. What about—the shipment?”

“I'm working on it.”

“What's wrong with the cars?” Her voice was small, no doubt hurting once more by yet another deception. Dustin had kept her right where he wanted her. He hadn't lied when he'd told Aiden that much.

“It's best if you don't know.”

There was the distance. It wasn't a physical one, but in that moment he felt her pull away from him. That wasn't about to happen. When this was over, when she was safe, he'd tell her everything. If she could accept his secrets, she could accept the truth of what his life had been like for the last couple of years.

John's pickup eased around the corner. He had a cap on with large sunglasses to obscure his face. Aiden was willing to bet he'd even changed the plates out.

“I'd better get to work,” she said.

“Madison.”

Aiden didn't let her go. He grasped her face in his hands and kissed her. She jolted at the first press of their lips, but in a matter of seconds her mouth softened and her hands came up to rest on his chest. He groaned. She kissed him back, throwing herself into it just like she did everything.

God, he was going to miss her, but in a few hours, he would never have to part with her again.

He lifted his head, staring down at her, and swiped his thumb over her cheek.

“Get to work before I lock you up.” He let go of her face and patted her bottom as she pivoted.

“You could try.” Her smile, it did things to him deep down.

She put the new helmet on and got on the bike. She started the engine and sat there for a moment, studying the console.

He wanted to rip her off that bike, kiss her until she panted, and maybe make use of a large backseat—but there was no time for that right now. Later, they'd have all the time in the world.

Madison glanced back, her face obscured by the tinted shield. She waved then pushed off, easing through the parking lot before turning onto the street.

He leaned against the side of the garage, staring at the last point he'd seen her. The last thing he wanted to do was let her go, but the work she was doing with them was going to stop a criminal. He loved her a little bit more for it.

Chapter Twenty-One

Aiden leaned against the hood of the loaner Shelby Mustang at the main parking area for Hallandale Beach. He knew this was a bit of a drive for Dustin, who preferred to be closer to central Miami and the high-rolling party people. But that was the point. Dustin was desperate if he was going to go after Madison himself. That meant this deal needed to go down in a very public place, with lots of witnesses around.

“Aiden, what's your twenty?” CJ said in his ear.

“I am sipping a chocolate shake about twenty feet south of the Ocean Drive entrance. There's a palm tree on my left.”

“I see you. Any sign of Dustin?”

“Nah, but I'm early. Any word from the Hoovers?”

They had an opportunity to wrap this up tight. Between the information Emery was putting together and the impending shipment, they could nail Evers's ass to the wall.

“Yeah. You aren't going to like it. They say it's not enough. Do our thing. If we get more on them, they'll back us up.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No. I just got off the horn with Emery. Looks like the operation is split up Colombian-style. Evers is the warehouse. Ross is the sales hub. The shipment's coming in through someone else, which is why we've never been able to sic the DEA on them. We got a couple of aliases for a guy who is a partner or shareholder in a couple import-export companies. They've been using another airport on the other side of Miami, but it's undergoing expansion. The only other airport with the right runway length is—”

“Everglades Air.” Aiden sipped his shake when all he wanted to do was punch something. This was a load of bullshit. Now they had to prove the connection? Their crew was agile, inventive, and very talented, but the scope and size of what CJ was proposing was daunting.

Right then, Aiden hated the FBI. He was angry enough he might walk—except there was Madison. He had to make something stick to Evers for her sake. This wasn't about revenge anymore. It hadn't been for a long time. It was about justice. Doing the right thing, but sometimes that sucked.

A sleek, black BMW rolled into the Hallandale Beach entrance and paused. The windows were tinted so dark Aiden couldn't make out the figure of anyone inside. Which meant it was Dustin.

He waited while the car idled a moment.

The car turned toward him and slid into an empty spot almost next to the entrance. It wouldn't be a fast getaway, if that's what Dustin wanted. Then again, he probably had a goon driving him that didn't know any better.

“Dustin's here. Got him?”

“In my sights,” CJ replied. “John?”

“I've got him, too.”

They didn't actually think Dustin would be stupid enough to try to kill Aiden here, but the truth was, it was not in Dustin's best interests to allow Aiden to continue breathing. Between the Eleventh deal and now handling the bitcoin drive, which Dustin clearly wanted to keep quiet from his boss, Aiden was a liability to the prick.

The driver's door opened and Dustin got out, large, dark sunglasses perched on his nose.

“Is he wearing women's sunglasses?” CJ asked.

Aiden grunted. If they weren't, someone needed to tell the fancy designers Dustin was buying from to lay off. That look wasn't good for any man.

Dustin strode swiftly toward Aiden, none of the cool composure of a man who'd done a hundred or more drug deals in public.

“Wow.” Aiden uncrossed his arms and held his hands up.

Dustin slowed his pace. He must really be shaken if he wasn't even trying to be covert.

“What happened to you, man?” Aiden slanted his gaze toward Dustin. He turned and leaned against the Mustang next to Aiden.

“Nothing.”

“You're looking pretty red. Accident at the tanners?”

“Shut it, DeHart.”

Aiden shrugged and tossed the shake into a nearby garbage can.

“Where is it?” Dustin stared straight ahead, as if the street were the most fascinating thing.

“It's here. Got my money?”

“I've got one better than that—”

“Before you finish that sentence, you should know one of my army buddies is up on a balcony across the street. Now, he's a mean motherfucker and got a couple of medals for being able to pick guys off.”

Dustin stared at him now, mouth slightly ajar.

Aiden smiled, but he didn't feel it. “After this, we're done. I don't care about your secrets. I don't want to know who you've done wrong. Let's forget we ever knew each other, okay? I don't want any trouble.” It was a line. All of it. Dustin would agree, and in a day or so, he'd try to kill Aiden. Except, Dustin didn't know they were about to put him in a world of hurt tonight.

“You sneaky son of a bitch.”

“Takes one to know one, Ross. My money?”

Dustin flashed an envelope in his jacket pocket. Aiden's stomach rolled at the thought of touching it, but it was part of the ruse. If he didn't act like he wanted it, Dustin would be suspicious.

“My drive?”

Aiden sniffed the air, tilting his head sideways. “Is that—pepper spray?”

He couldn't smell a thing, but he was sure enjoying the way Dustin was fuming right now.

“Fuck you.”

“Man, that shit's nasty. I'll give you a tip. Soap or anything else is really only going to activate it. Try scrubbing it with plain water and see if it helps. You must have pissed someone off.” Aiden shook his head and bit the inside of his mouth.

“Really?” Dustin turned to face him a little. “I tried soap earlier and it did burn a bit.”

Damn, had the man never heard of Google?

“Yeah, it's the soap.”

“Huh. Good to know.”

“It's in a plastic bag in that trash can.” Aiden thumbed at the receptacle he'd just thrown his shake into.

“Really?”

Aiden shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Shit.”

Dustin sighed and crossed to the garbage can. He glanced over the edge and wrinkled his nose.

“Did you really have to do that?” CJ asked through the headset.

Aiden merely chuckled.

Dustin reached over the edge and snagged the plastic bag. He pulled it out, holding it at arm's length despite nothing being on the plastic, and carried it to his car.

This was the moment of truth.

Any crook worth his salt tested the merchandise first. Emery had worked hard to make this new drive look exactly like the old one, down to stripping the casing and putting it on the new one. The question was, would Dustin know what to look for to verify the bitcoins?

The currency was still so new, Aiden didn't think Dustin would know what he was doing.

Dustin set a laptop on the hood of his car and plugged the drive in.

“Think it'll work?” CJ asked.

Aiden wanted to reach through the headset and smack the FBI agent. Like he could answer a question at a time like this.

Dustin poked at the keyboard with his index fingers and leaned close to the screen. The minutes dragged on until Aiden started shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“DeHart.” Dustin put an envelope in the same plastic bag he'd had the drive in. He turned toward a second trash can and tossed it in, a stupid grin on his face. “It's been a pleasure.”

Aiden didn't smile or wave, he just watched Dustin Ross pack up his equipment and climb in his car. The idiot had to do a three-point turn to get out of the parking lot, something he clearly hadn't thought about when parking.

“Motherfucker,” Aiden muttered.

“We following him?” CJ asked.

“What's the point? We know where he's going. How's the tracker looking?”

“Transmitting bright and clear.”

Another upside to having switched out the drives was extra space in the case. Emery had whipped up a nice tracking bug to help them keep tabs on where Dustin took the drive.

“Okay, let's pack up and head out of here.”

Aiden fished the bag out of the garbage and shoved the envelope in his pocket. Whatever money they collected from these gigs went to charity. It was one of the sticking points the Hoovers hated, but Aiden didn't care. He didn't technically work for them.

A red car slammed on its brakes along Ocean Boulevard.

“Oh shit, we've got company.”

Aiden turned and strode back to the Mustang. He jumped in the driver's seat and started the car as the red racer turned in.

He'd taken the loaner Mustang to try to avoid Raibel, and now, he was stuck in a car that couldn't outrun the thug. Which meant he was going to need to talk his way out of this.

Raibel threw his car into park and got out, sauntering toward Aiden in that odd, swaggering manner only thugs had.

“Where the hell did he come from?” CJ said.

“I don't know. He's got a gun in his waistband.”

“Well, I've got him.”

“Don't shoot. I'm going to try to talk to him.” He couldn't be Julian. Killing people wasn't the answer.

Aiden got out of the car and leaned on the door and roof.

“What's going on, Canales?”

“I want answers.” Raibel stopped a few feet away, one hand on the gun under his shirt, the other on his hip.

“What's the question?”

“My cars. My product. You took them.”

Maybe there was a way to spin this. Raibel and the Eleventh would always have hard feelings toward Aiden. There was no changing that. But that didn't mean they couldn't have the same goals.

“I didn't take anything.” He held his hands up. “I might know something, but I didn't do anything.”

“You're lying,” Raibel yelled.

He lifted his shirt and Aiden dove into the Mustang, throwing himself sideways. A single gunshot fractured the picturesque afternoon.

Aiden shoved the gearshift into drive and stomped on the accelerator. He peered up over the hood just in time to see Raibel dive out of the way. He clipped the back of the red racer with his front fender, shoving through the narrow opening. The car skidded. He made a hard turn onto Ocean Boulevard.

“Aiden. Aiden!” CJ yelled.

“What?”

“You hit?”

“No.”

“He must have shot the car. Backup is on the way, we're going to have cops in a minute. Lose that car.” They couldn't fart around with the cops. CJ could sort it out later and shove it up the Hoovers' asses that they hadn't stepped in.

There wasn't time to make a nice, neat getaway. Even now, Raibel's car was peeling out of the parking lot. Aiden zipped through traffic, but the radiator gauge was slowly rising and the car just wasn't accelerating properly.

“Where's John?” Aiden asked.

“Heading to you.”

He pressed the accelerator to the floor, but the engine didn't roar to life.

“Shit,” he chanted.

Raibel wasn't slowing down.

The man was enraged.

Aiden turned onto a smaller street, shifting, asking the car for everything. He needed to split, leave the car, and make a run for it. The red car turned behind him, closing the gap fast. The light at the intersection flickered from yellow to red.

He stomped on the brake just as Raibel bumped him. The momentum sent the back of the car spinning, crashing into the cars parked along the street. The airbag deployed, slamming into his chest harder than the bump. He felt the car tip and his stomach flipped a second before the car tilted at ninety degrees and crashed over on the roof. Aiden hit the top of the car, arms around his head, and rolled to his side.

His vision hazed in and out, sounds were distant and it was hard to grasp his thoughts.

Move.

He needed to move.

“Aiden? Aiden! Talk to me, man, what happened?” That was CJ. What had happened?

Aiden glanced around.

“The car's upside down.” He dug in his pocket for the knife he never went without. A flick of the wrist and he slashed the airbag to pieces.

Glass crunched outside of the car.

“I'm around the corner, hold on.” CJ sounded frantic.

Aiden rose shakily to all fours inside the ruined Mustang and peered out of the broken windows. A pair of feet were pointed toward him.

He shook his head, but his thoughts were muddy. How hard had he hit the ground?

Raibel crouched next to the car, gun in hand. He lifted the gun, but never saw the man leap out of a truck in the intersection. John sprinted toward them and at the last second pulled back and kicked Raibel with his cowboy boots. Raibel went to the pavement hard. John grabbed the gun and kicked the window. The cracked glass broke further.

Aiden squeezed out, glass scraping his skin, the heated asphalt burning his hands.

“Come on, come on.” John grabbed him under the arm and hauled him up. He had to practically drag Aiden to the waiting pickup truck and threw him in before jumping in the driver's seat.

“I've got him, CJ, but damn man, we need a cleanup. Bad.”

* * *

“Damn it.” Aiden winced as Kathy stitched up a deep gash in his shoulder. He was going to be sore. Hell, his neck already hurt just to turn his head.

“Emery's here.” CJ tapped his knuckles on the door.

“Get everyone,” Julian said from behind the desk. “Close the garage.”

One by one, the rest of the crew filed in, their faces grim. Emery and Tori were the last to enter. Emery didn't come to Classic Rides often. Though he was part of their crew, his value to them was in large part his ability to remain unconnected. Today, though, they needed all hands on deck.