Page 77 of It's Going to Be a Chrome Christmas
Cayden shrugged, not wanting to seem too eager. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Explains your lack of armor.”
“All I know is, I’m not going back. Might just need a place to lay low until the heat dies down.”
Carver waited a moment, and then nodded. “I’m sure I can come up with some place safe for you. Who’s your friend?”
“You don’t recognize him?” Cayden raised an eyebrow.
Carver’s eyes narrowed at the challenge. “Should I?”
“He’s one of Massey’s,” Cayden answered instead. “I met him in the joint.”
Lee had already established his role as one of Massey’s men during his off the books crusade to take down the man who had murdered his brother. That was why Cayden had no issue introducing him as such to Tex or Carver. Once Cayden was back in, Lee would be taking more of a backseat role in the case. But Lee’s scary presence would give Cayden’s story a little extra incentive in Carver’s eyes. Why wouldn’t Carver want to impress Massey, even if it was an action that was removed and only witnessed by one of his men?
“I have some jobs coming up that are right up your alley.”
“Well you always did say to dive in feet first or not at all. Look, can you give me a few days to get settled? Cops know Iused to run with you. They might be keeping an eye on you. I just came here to tell you to watch your back and ask if you had a place for me to crash for a bit.”
“I appreciate your concern for my back.” Carver crossed his arms over his chest, not caring in the least that he was smearing the blood on himself more. “We’ve missed your flair around here, Boost. It hasn’t been the same. I have a score coming up I will need you for.”
Cayden made sure to hesitate long enough to feign surprise that the offer had come so soon after his return. He nodded stiffly, as if he actually had a choice. “Fine. Send Bucky to me with the details.”
“I’ll get a safehouse set up for you and leave the keys at the usual drop. If you run into trouble with the cops?—”
“I know who to ask,” Cayden finished for him. “You’ve always had my back, Carver. That’s not something I easily forget.”
Carver studied him for a long moment. “I owe you and I repay my debts, Boost. This makes us even, but don’t think this is anything more than a debt being repaid.”
Cayden’s back stiffening was a true reaction. “Of course. Why would it be anything else?”
“Just making sure we still understand each other. You’ve been gone for some time.” Turning slightly, Carver looked down to see the man he’d been beating up trying to army crawl away from Carver’s feet. Swiftly and without hesitation, Carver kicked the man in the guts, sending him flying on to his back feet away. Carver turned his attention back to Cayden without missing a beat. “And thank you for my gift of the Spyder.”
Cayden raised an eyebrow. “It wasn’t a gift. I giftwrap my presents to you, you know that.”
“I do, and I’ve truly missed those.” Carver gave him a pretentious look. “But you took my protection while inside, yet you didn’t have the courtesy to come see me once you werereleased to thank me?” He tutted like Cayden was a small child he was scolding. “Might take a few more gifts like the Spyder to get back on my good side. The safehouse makes us even for Bucky, but you still owe me for my protection.”
Cayden felt his fists tighten at his sides. Fuck, he’d wanted to give that money to Trixie. “What do you want?”
Carver reached into his cut, pulling out a printed photo. He handed it over to Cayden, who caught sight of the handwritten name and address on the back. “Get me this and Imightbe inclined to forgive your rudeness.”
Cayden snatched the picture without even looking at it. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “Thank you for the safehouse.”
“I’ll send Bucky over with the details for next week!”
Cayden waved behind him, too angry to pretend decent manners.
As soon as they were outside, Lee whispered to Cayden, “What was the point to all of that in there? You are supposed to get back in his good graces and work your way back up the ranks with Carver so he could take us to the drugs.”
“Carver is never going to just take us on a field trip to see where he stashes Massey’s product,” Cayden snapped at him, the picture crumpling in his hand. “What we need is someplace to lay low where Carver can’t readily find us.”
“Then why would we stay at a safehouseCarveris setting up for you? It’ll be the first place he’ll look for you.”
Cayden gave him a wayward glance. “Exactly. Which is why we aren’t staying there either, but it makes Carver think I’m grateful to him. The more grateful he thinks I am, the more jobs he’ll pass my way. The more jobs I take means the more I’m around him and the more I can overhear.”
Lee was silent for a moment. “Have you ever considered playing chess? I have a feeling you’d make a terrifying grandmaster.”
Cayden cracked him a smile. “Just make sure you’re watching our backs. I can think all these steps ahead as long as I know the endgame.”
