Page 63 of It's Going to Be a Chrome Christmas
“Bad luck,” was the curt reply. “I heard the other two bodies hit the water. Bullets were flying and I got hit while underwater.”
“How’d you get free of the cinderblocks?”
“I’m a Marine.” The arrogance bleeding out of that statement spoke volumes, hinting that Lee honestly thought that was a good enough explanation.
Tears were running down Trixie’s face. “How could you? How could you do this to me? After Marco, after AJ? How could you think I would be okay with this? You didn’t even tell me you were a cop!”
“I did this for AJ, for Marco, for you!” Lee interjected. “I did this to get some goddamn peace. They deserved justice!”
“Massey killed Marco and drove his wife and son back into WITSEC,” Cayden said suspiciously. “What did he do to AJ?”
“You honestly think Massey just let Marco’s brother be after learning he was in prison? You of all people know the number of attacks on AJ are more than the norm.” Lee wiped his hand through his long hair. “It needed to end. I needed to end it. I needed to put Massey away for the pain he’s caused, and not just to my family.”
“So you went rogue and decided to infiltrate his organization?” Cayden raised an eyebrow. “I’d think there would be easier ways. Is this why you quit the Marines?”
Trixie was the one who answered that question. “No, he retired before Marco went into WITSEC.”
“After Marco’s funeral, I called a friend in the department. We served together. He knew my reputation. He wouldn’t let me anywhere near Marco’s case, but he knew I wasn’t going to let it go. I joined the department shortly after. I mostly work narcotic cases, but all my spare time is devoted to taking down Massey. I pass along any information I gather to Holloway.” Lee added offhandedly, “He probably thinks I’m dead.”
Cayden studied the man for a long moment. He didn’t look remorseful for the two lives that had been lost at his expense. The fact that he was telling Trixie the truth about where he’d been and what he’d been up to was what held Cayden’s attention. Telling his sister was one thing, but why was he confiding in Cayden? Had Trixie told Lee his entire history as well as their relationship. No, Cayden concluded. He didn’t think Trixie had told her brother anything. She wouldn’t have offered up information without first getting her answers.
Which meant that Lee knew who Cayden was. Knew enough to believe he could trust him, despite the fact that Cayden was a biker, and sanctioned op or not, Lee was a cop.
I’m currently working on shutting down a local car ring who helps him transport his drugs.
Fuck. Puzzle pieces started connecting in his mind, and Cayden got a twisted feeling in his gut. It wasn’tjusta car ring, because that was only part of the MC’s operation. “You plan to go back.”
Lee’s eyes stayed on Trixie. She jumped up at Cayden’s words. “No, you can’t! They almost killed you! Why would you go back? It’s suicide! You can’t do this alone!”
Lee’s eyes moved to Cayden and that final puzzle piece fell into place. “Because he doesn’t plan on going back alone. It’s why he invited me in. It’s why he’s telling me everything. He wants me to go back with him.”
Trixie felt like she’d been sucker punched in the gut. Her ears rang at Cayden’s words. She whirled around towards him, but Cayden’s mismatched eyes were on Lee. He wasn’t even looking at her. Why wasn’t he looking at her? She needed him to look at her.
She stepped between the men, breaking their eye contact. She faced her brother, her back to Cayden. “No,” she told him fiercely. “He only has just over a week left on parole. He can’t go back to that life! That’s why I had him leave last night without telling him who you are. I wasn’t willing to risk his freedom, and I sure as hell aren’t going to let you risk it. That life…” She shook her head. “That’s not who he is anymore!”
She felt Cayden stand up behind her. He put a hand to the small of her back. “Trix,” he said softly. “It might have to be who I become again.” She started trembling, unable to make sense of what it was he was saying. Louder to Lee, he said, “Tell me everything and don’t leave a fucking thing out.”
No!Her mind shouted. How could he be considering this? They were supposed to be starting their life together soon. They were supposed to be moving into this house. They were supposed to be the annoying neighbor couple who couldn’t cook. How could he just push that life aside? Didn’t he want it too? Didn’t he love her? Or…was Lee’s offer so tempting it was worth leaving her? Did he want to go back to his old life so badly? Did he not love Cayden 2.0 as she did?
“You’ve been running these streets since you were sixteen. You know how he works, how he thinks. You can get closer to him than any undercover we could possibly try to get in there.”
Cayden sat back down on the couch. He pulled Trixie down too, cradling her into his side, but his attention was on her brother. “You knew who I was when you told me to step in here.”
What? Trixie’s eyes flew to Lee across the room. She recalled Lee calling Cayden a criminal last night. He also called Cayden ‘Russo’ when she didn’t think she’d ever said his last name to him.
Lee didn’t back down from the accusation. He was so different from how she remembered him when she’d been a child. He was…cold now, methodic. Where was his twisted sense of humor, his smile that could light up a room? When had he become so hard? Had it been when he’d been in the Marines or had it happened after, while he’d been chasing justice for Marco’s murder?
“I first learned your name when you were placed on the same cellblock as AJ. I knew you were a Black Python. I’ve been putting together a case against your President, Carver, who is a known associate of Massey. It crossed my mind that you might be there as a favor to either, especially when you weren’t guilty of the charges you were incarcerated for.”
Trixie gasped. How could he possibly know that?
Cayden didn’t confirm Lee’s statement in regard to his charges. “I wasn’t. I was just there to serve my time.”
“Yes, I realized that after a while. I had an associate keep a close eye on you though. When he told me you’d been moved into AJ’s cell, I feared the worst.” Lee shrugged. She wished he wouldn’t do that. His shoulder had to be hurting him. “But you never made a move against him. In fact, you protected him on more than one occasion.”
“We watched out for each other,” Cayden said evenly. “He also had my back.”
Oh God. What had they faced that they’d needed to watch out for the other or that Cayden had had to protect AJ? She was suddenly grateful she hadn’t tried to consume anything more than her coffee yet that morning.
