Page 64 of It's Going to Be a Chrome Christmas
“When you were released, I didn’t think to follow you. You were out of AJ’s life, so you didn’t matter anymore. I didn’t hear your name again until you were employed at Romero’s.” Trixie’s eyes narrowed. He spoke like he played a prominent role in her life and her business. “I kept an eye on you, but you seemed to be a model employee. Until I learned you were datingmi hermana.” Lee’s voice turned stern. “Then I needed to find out your intentions.”
Trixie looked up in time to see Cayden’s face darken as his nostrils flared. “You sent Bucky to Romero’s.”
“What?” she gasped out. “How? Why?”
Lee ignored her and nodded once to Cayden. “I needed to know if you were pulling anything, and I knew if you were going to let anyone in on your score, it would be your old protégé.”
“But I didn’t because I wasn’t.”
“True,” Lee allowed. “I was expecting you to contact him afterwards, even after you called the cops. Figured the cops were just a ruse, but you never reached out.”
“Bucky said Treads told him where I was working. I’ve only met Treads once, and you aren’t him.”
“You’re right, I’m not. But who do you think told Treads that the infamous Cayden Russo was out and was working at an exotic dealership?”
“You asshole,” Cayden snapped. “You cost me a weekend with Trixie! I was put under house arrest for that stunt!”
“Do you think I care about your little weekend sex-capade being canceled?” Lee shook his head. “It was worth it to know your intentions with the business as well as with her.”
“Cayden’s right,” Trixie fumed out. “Youarean asshole. How dare you play with any part of my life, business or personal, after you walked out of it two years ago?”
Lee did turn towards her then. His dark eyes were cold, unyielding. “I walked out of it to protect you. Didn’t mean I stopped paying attention.”
The fact that he could say those words so robotically was just adding salt to her wounds.
“He’s been watching both you and AJ,” Cayden said to her. “In his mind, he’s protecting you by keeping his distance. If he’s working off the books to take down a man like Massey, I can understand his reasons.” When she went to argue with him, Cayden cut her off. “I said I understand, not support.” Trixie closed her mouth. Okay, that made her feel marginally better. Cayden squeezed her hand before he turned back to Lee. “Why do you need me?”
“I don’t need your help with Massey?—”
“I figured that,” Cayden interrupted. “You want my help taking down Carver.”
Lee nodded once. Trixie’s head spun with the sudden whiplash. Carver? She thought all of this was about Massey and Marco’s murder. How had they gotten to Carver? She’d lost track who was connected to whom.
“I’ve established a good rapport with Massey’s people. When Carver’s case landed in my pile, I thought it would be a quick close because of the intel I had gathered on Massey.”
Cayden snorted. “Carver might help Massey out with transport, but he’s no fool. There’s a reason his record is clean.”
“And now Massey’s people think I’m a rat.”
“They’d be right,” Cayden added.
Lee’s eyes narrowed just slightly. “Right now, they don’t know I’m alive. If I go back, they’ll likely kill me on the spot just to be sure. But the infamous Cayden Russo?” Something like excitement sparked in his eyes. Trixie wanted to slap it out of them. “You could walk right up to Carver and shake the man’s hand. Whether he recognizes the debt or not, Carverdoesowe you.”
“And closing your case on Carver shuts down a major car theft and drug distribution ring, and gets you closer to getting Massey.”
Lee nodded. “I’m running out of time, too. Understand Carver is your priority, but Massey is my goal. A couple of months ago, Massey had a shipment coming in. The crate was one of thousands on the freighter. It got back to Massey that the cops were planning on seizing it as soon as the boat made it to port. Rather than risk that, Massey had the crate dumped off the boat in the middle of the Atlantic.”
Cayden flinched. “And the merchandise?”
“‘An acceptable loss,’ Massey called it. The other crates made it through customs. The cops were only suspicious of the one.”
Something passed between Lee and Cayden. Trixie didn’t like being kept out of the loop. “What was in the crate?” When neither man answered, Trixie repeated the question with more conviction.
“I don’t know for sure, but I have my suspicions,” Lee finally answered. “One of Massey’s most profitable merchandise is…people.”
Trixie’s stomach rolled. “Oh God.” And they’d dumped the crate into the ocean? With people still inside it?
“Carver uses Massey’s connections to get cars in and out of the country, while Massey uses Carver’s cars to distribute his product. It’s a win-win for both.” Trixie had a feeling Cayden was changing the subject, likely not wanting her to dwell on the lostcrate and its contents. “I’ve never met the man personally, but taking down Carver will certainly cripple Massey, at least for a time.”
