Drive (28 page)

Aiden glanced at Madison. She held on to the handhold above her head, her feet were braced on the floorboard, and she gripped the back of his seat.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Can we talk about me later?” He hit a bump and she winced.

He could let her out somewhere to hide or let Kathy or CJ pick her up. They had to know what was going on by now. Except he didn't want to entrust Madison to anyone else, and neither did he want her out of his sight.

“Do you want me to stop?” He glanced at her. “I can stop and let the others go.”

His sister was dead. Catching Evers might make him feel as though he'd done something to avenge her, but it wouldn't be enough. Nothing would ever be enough to bring her back.

“What? No. Go.” Madison stared at him like she didn't recognize him. Well, that was two of them.

God, he loved her so much.

He should probably tell her before they drove into enemy fire, but the words stuck in the back of his throat. Even if they arrested Evers, she'd still have to go into hiding. She would be a key witness and her life in jeopardy. Forever. No matter what happened today, she still had to be safe.

Aiden checked his rearview. A cherry-red car swerved lanes, followed closely by two other cars he recognized and a couple he didn't.

Raibel Canales.

“Shit.” Aiden shifted and flew through a light as it switched to red.

“Call Tori,” he said.

The line only rang once.

“What?” Tori had none of her sister's calm behind the wheel.

“I need to lose them. Think you guys can keep Raibel busy?”

“What do you think we're doing? Go already,” Tori snapped.

Aiden grinned and ended the call, swerving down a side street. He wove his way through smaller lanes, getting away from the road the others were taking. Shaking a tail was easy stuff, he just had to hope Raibel didn't tag his crew's cars like Aiden did.

“It's ringing,” Madison said.

Aiden glanced at the screen.

Raibel Canales. The guy was a parasite Aiden couldn't shake.

He jabbed his headset. “What?”

“Where are you? I'm gonna kill you, DeHart.” Raibel yelled into the line, any shred of humanity gone.

“Not today, Canales.”

Aiden ended the call. Evers first, then Canales, if the cops didn't get him first.

The minutes ticked by. They took the least direct route to the accountant's house. By the time they turned into the subdivision with its palm tree–lined street, Aiden's teeth were on edge.

A black sports car caught his eye.

Aiden leaned forward and waited for the next cross street.

Sure enough, Julian kept pace with them one street over.

It was just the two of them. They'd done a dozen missions or so just like that.

“When we get here, stay in the car, keep the doors locked. If anyone comes out, especially if they're armed, drive off. Go to Classic Rides. Understand?”

“You're going in there by yourself? You can't do that. What about the cops?” Madison's gaze weighed on him.

“Julian will be there. I have no idea how long it'll take the cops to get here.” Chances were, they wouldn't be allowed to run with the sirens, just the lights, and law-abiding cops wouldn't drive like he did.

“Against how many? Four? Five? I don't like this, Aiden.”

They weren't great odds, but there'd been worse.

The street was a dead end. The accountant's house was there, backed up to the water.

Aiden inhaled and shifted, pulling the parking brake and letting the car come to an abrupt halt. Julian was a beat behind him, and flew out of his car, gun up. Aiden's focus narrowed to the man frozen in the act of descending the stairs.

“Stop right there,” Aiden yelled.

Michael Evers stood poised with a briefcase under one arm, his laptop in hand and a set of keys dangling from his fingers.

“On the ground, now,” Julian bellowed.

Another figure filled the doorway. A thin man dressed in a tan suit and blue shirt held a six-shooter to the back of Evers's skull.

“Guns down.” The accountant. “I'm more interested in my likelihood of getting out of here than preserving his life. I will shoot.”

“Where're your guards?” Aiden asked.

Julian sidestepped to the left. The pristine yard was not the place anyone wanted to have a standoff with guns in hand, but here they were.

“I shot them,” Evers said calmly.

There was no way to back that statement up, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

“Guns down now, gentlemen. You want him alive more than I do.” The accountant was a shark.

“You'd do us a favor killing him,” Aiden said. Anything to draw the bean counter's attention to him. He might appear cool as a cucumber, but chances were, it was a bluff.

Tires squealed and the hair on the back of Aiden's neck rose. He dropped to a knee and quarter-turned, just enough to glimpse behind him. A red fucking car turned, following the same path Julian had. Raibel's arm extended out of his car.

A man screamed.

The accountant went down and Evers tumbled into the bushes.

Julian stood and fired at the red car. One blast and another scream. The red car zipped around the cul-de-sac and sped away. Aiden didn't hesitate. He bolted forward, snatching Evers and rolling the man onto his back, holding him at gunpoint. Julian joined him, going to a knee next to the wounded accountant.

He could end this right now. Right here. For Madison. For Andrea. For Julian. For himself.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Aiden?” That voice sliced through the red haze that pushed him to squeeze the trigger. How hard would it be? Not that damn hard. “If you have to do it, I understand.”

He needed to know Evers was gone. That he was out of all of their lives, but this wasn't his way.

Aiden knelt, pressing the muzzle of the gun against Evers's forehead. Evers didn't flinch, didn't show a drop of emotion. Aiden whispered for his ears alone, “If I were anything like you, you'd be a dead motherfucker, but I want to see you pay worse than I want you dead.”

The sound of several engines heading in their direction put him more on edge. Friends? Or enemies?

“Madison, get back in the car.”

Three cop cars and Smith's unmarked SUV screeched to a stop.

“You think the cops will make me pay?” Evers smirked. “You're an idiot. And I'm going to kill you.”

“Yeah, just try it.” Aiden shoved the gun in his waistband and glanced at Julian. The accountant was whimpering and whining. Clearly not dead. “Smith, come get your man.”

“I'm going to kill her last,” Evers whispered. “She'll know it was your fault.”

Aiden hauled back and punched Evers, just like he'd wanted to a thousand times. The jackass flopped on the grass, groaning.

One of the cops pushed him aside, hand on his gun.

“Leave him,” Smith barked. He planted a knee in Evers's back, spouting his Miranda rights, charging him with kidnapping. It was the most obvious charge to level at him first, since they had a living, breathing witness in Madison.

Aiden backed up and glanced inside the house. He could see two bodies lying in the living room, just like they'd been told. Madison came to his side and wrapped her arms around him.

“I thought I told you to get in the car,” he said.

“I don't follow orders well.” She squeezed him tight.

Together, they watched the cops load Evers into the back of a cruiser while the others administered first aid to the accountant. He'd live, but he wouldn't like it.

The whole moment was surreal.

The cops would take Evers into custody. From there, he'd be transferred to federal custody and if justice were served—spend the rest of his miserable life in prison.

It was over.

There was no joy, no sense of satisfaction. All it was, was another task scratched off the list. What he really wanted was to wrap his arms around the woman he loved and start a new day. But she was still in danger. More so now. As long as Evers breathed, he'd be a danger to her, to him, to everyone they loved.

Aiden wouldn't have another day with Madison.

* * *

Madison sat in the passenger seat of Julian's car. She wanted to ride with Aiden, but the cops gave him enough crap about the stolen car he was driving, they hadn't wanted her to chance riding in it.

Julian glanced at her. “You did good.”

“I didn't do anything.” Madison shrank against the door. He was Aiden's friend, but there was a coldness to Julian she didn't understand. “Where are we going?”

“The Shop.”

Their private garage where all sorts of secret things happened.

“What happens now?” Madison asked.

“Depends.”

“On . . . ?”

“On what the cops do. This is going to change everything.” Despite what Madison would have assumed was a good thing, Julian didn't appear thrilled by the outcome. “You better lie low for a while. Cops are probably going to link you to this.”

“W-what?” Madison stared at him. She should have figured, but for some reason it was still a shock.

“It's okay, we'll cover that sweet ass.” Julian glanced her way and flashed a quick smile.

Madison slumped in her seat. Dustin was dead. It was too surreal. She'd wanted to be free of him, she'd never expected this. The drive to the warehouse was a blur of sharp turns, revving engine, and burned rubber. Madison couldn't focus her thoughts beyond shock.

Was she dreaming?

Before she knew it, Julian pulled into the warehouse. People were clustered inside, just out of sight. The car barely stopped before her door opened and Aiden was there, kneeling next to her.

She stared at him, maybe really seeing him for the first time.

He'd wanted to kill Evers today. Not that she blamed him. There'd been a thirst for blood in his eye, and for a moment—he hadn't been her Aiden. But he'd come back. In the blink of an eye, he was there.

Aiden rested his hand on her knee, squeezing it gently. The others huddled together. There was no sign of the cars they'd stolen from her airport, but the whole crew was there.

“Hey,” Aiden said.

She leaned toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing easy for the first time in hours. His arms circled her, squeezing as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. Her chest shuddered and for a moment she thought she might cry.

She could have died today. They all could have died. And somehow, they were fine.

“Aiden—I'm so sorry,” Madison said.

He pulled back a little, frowning at her. “For what?”

“For today. Everything.”

“We survived. Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her out of the car. “We're gone, guys,” he said to his crew.

A few nodded, but most simply watched them leave.

Aiden led her out into the yard and unlocked a rather plain-looking sedan. He even held the door for her.

“Where are we going?” she asked, staring at the seat.

“Somewhere safe. You have to get out of Miami, right now. Please get in.”

She couldn't argue with that. Madison sank into the seat, not too comforted by Aiden's statement. He closed the door, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the engine without another word. Madison stared at him, but there was nothing, no sign of the man she'd grown to love. Just a solid wall between them as he drove out onto the street.

“Aiden—where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere safe.”

For some reason, she didn't trust him this time.

* * *

Aiden pulled onto the long, gravel lane that led to his grandmother's cabin. Though he made the trip only once a month, he knew every bit of the land like the back of his hand. Madison snoozed in her seat. Either she'd gotten the drift he wasn't answering questions or exhaustion had won over. He preferred the company of her sleeping form to the way she stared at him, as if she already knew he was about to betray her even further.

He turned into the drive of the cabin. The windows were all dark and nothing moved besides the wind in the trees. It would be nice to stay like this, quiet, peaceful, but he needed to roll out Madison's future, get her adjusted to the idea of never being Madison Haughton again.

Madison groaned in her sleep and sat up, blinking around them.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“My grandma's cabin.”

“What are we doing here?” She perked up at that, peering around with more interest.

He opened and closed his mouth, the words sticking in his throat.

“Aiden?” She turned toward him.

“We're going to meet some FBI officials here tomorrow morning. They're going to take you into protective custody. Witness protection. At least until Evers's trial, but it might be permanent.”

“What? Why?”

“It's too dangerous for you to be in Miami.”

“No.” She shook her head. “No way.”

“Madison, just—listen to me.”

She stared at him, but defiance was written all over her face.

“This is the only way,” he said.

“No it isn't. It's the only way you want to see things.” She popped her seat belt and pushed the door open.

Aiden ground his teeth together and climbed out of the car. Madison was halfway to the dock before he followed her. How could he send her away when he just wanted to keep her for himself? But he couldn't. She was a person. Not a car he could lock up in his barn. For her protection, he needed to stay away from her. There was something going on within the FBI, some reason why they'd been shut out like they had.

He approached her slowly, struggling for the right words to make her understand how much he needed her to go. To stay alive. To be happy somewhere else.

“You don't get it,” she said before he'd spoken. “I just got my feet under me. I can't start over again, not on my own.”

He had no argument for that. The FBI would set her up, but they weren't going to hold her hand through it.

“What about me?” he asked.

She turned toward him, her gaze slicing bone deep, but he didn't let it deter him.

“Just because Evers is behind bars doesn't mean it's over. There are still guys like Dustin out there who will be following his orders. Just 'cause your ex is dead, it doesn't mean some other lowlife won't crawl out to take his place. They'll be after me, you, all of us. The hardest part might be over, but we're not done yet. I can't focus on picking apart his organization if I don't know that you're safe. Madison, I need to know you're alive and breathing. I need you.” He reached for her, wrapping his hands around hers. “I need you to be safe. Because . . . because I'm in love with you.”

Madison's eyes widened.

That was not what he'd meant to say. . . .

“I'm not leaving.” She shook her head. “Evers is in jail. It's over. You can try, you can send me away. I'm just coming back. I love you, Aiden. You can't get rid of me.”

“You don't understand—”

“No, you don't get it.”

“Madison, listen to me.” He squeezed her hands. “Just because he's in jail doesn't mean you're safe. There's still people who will answer to him—”

“And you want to trust someone else to keep me safe?”

That was plain dirty.

Madison pulled her hands from his and looped her arms around his neck. He shouldn't let her twist him around like this, but he didn't want to send her away. He wanted to be near her, always.

“Aiden, you can't tell me you're in love with me and expect me to walk away,” she said.

It was what he wanted to hear. Of course he wanted her with him. He wanted to think beyond the job, about a life and a future. There wasn't a way to make that happen, was there?

“I can't put you at risk like that.”

“I'm not asking you to. Aiden, I'm willing to figure out a way to make this work, but only if you're going to fight to make it work too.”

He couldn't let her go. He knew he should, but now that it was time—he pulled her closer. It wouldn't be an easy future, Madison was choosing a life where the future was uncertain.

“You move in with me. The boat isn't safe. Work at Classic Rides. Kathy hates pretending to do administrative work. Finish school.” Those were his terms. If she wanted to be part of his life he had to be able to protect her.

“We can give the living together a trial,” she countered.

“I have to know you're safe.”

“I know.” She slid her hands around to cup his face. “You've pushed your family away so they'd be safe. I have a pretty good idea what the risks are. I'm saying—let's give this thing a try. I've done everything wrong. I want to do this right.”

“I'm a control freak, I get too many speeding tickets so my insurance is ridiculous, and I won't always be able to tell you where I've been.”

“As long as I know you're one of the good guys, I can trust you. I . . . I love you, too.”

Those words . . . He grinned as joy wrapped around them.

“I don't know how good I am.” His thoughts where she was concerned weren't good at all. The things he wanted to do to her might just be illegal.

“I don't know about that. You're pretty good at some things.” Her lips curled up into a sensual smile and his heart throbbed. He loved this woman, and he'd fight to keep her safe, to keep her in his life.

This was a pretty good week.