Drive

by Sidney Bristol

  “You can’t just order one?”

  “I could, but it wouldn’t be the real deal. See, a lot of people take these cars and refurbish them, make them plush, update the console a bit.” He shook his head. “Not the Chevelle. It’s a restoration.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning it’s the way it would be if it rolled off the assembly line. It’s in perfect condition. Or it was.”

  “How’d you get into doing old cars?”

  “My grandpa. He died a long time ago, but he taught me all about cars and because of him, I grew to appreciate the classics. They don’t make cars the way they used to. Those cars? They were made to last. It’s why you’ll see a car from the fifties still cruising down Ninety-Five. The things they’re rolling off the lines now?” He shook his head. “They have a shelf life and they do that intentionally. Keep people always getting a new car.”

  Aiden glanced at Madison, eating her fries and watching him.

  “You don’t care about cars. Why am I telling you this?” Truth was he could go on for hours.

  “It’s interesting, but yeah, I don’t really appreciate cars the way you do.”

  “Then why ask me?”

  “Because it’s not like I can ask where you grew up or what your family is like or why you have a scar on your leg. You can’t risk telling me the normal, personal things, but cars—they’re like an extension of you.” She shrugged and glanced down at the last bits of her dinner. “I just want to know more about you, and it’s the only safe thing I can think about.”

  The sad reality of it hit him full in the chest. He knew almost her entire life story, inside and out, and she could probably list just a few things about him. He wanted to tell her, to share his life with her, but she was right. It was safer for her if she didn’t know. And yet, he couldn’t stop himself. What was one little story?

  “We were in Sangin, this awful town in southern Afghanistan, on a mission. They grow a lot of opium there. Things weren’t going well. We were taking fire and trying to get to our extraction point. Julian and I were pinned down in this alley, so he breaks into this shop and we go out the other side. This woman—she had to be high as fuck—comes out of a back room. I freeze. She stabbed me here.” He lifted the towel and pointed at the thicker part of the scar, right up near his groin. “And she yanks it, down. I start bleeding everywhere and Julian knocks her out. I was bleeding badly. She cut my femoral artery and I would have probably lost it right there if it weren’t for Julian. He got a tourniquet around my leg, carried me out of there, took a bullet doing it, but we survived.”

  “Oh my God, that’s—that’s horrible.”

  “Yeah. Sometimes I think I should have just curled up and died, because Julian will never let me forget that day.” He rolled his eyes, but deep down, he was grateful. Despite all the fucked up shit they went through after that, and even now, at least he had a life worth living.

  “That’s not funny,” Madison said.

  “I’m joking. Come here.” He put their empty trays on the floor and pulled her into his arms. She settled against his chest, sighing.

  “I don’t want to joke about you dying.”

  “Morbid sense of humor. Comes with the job.” He stroked her hair, content to just hold her.

  The loft was quiet, peaceful. He couldn’t have asked for a better place to lie low for the night. He’d need for someone to swing by his place and her boat to ensure the Eleventh hadn’t decided to target their property beyond Madison’s bike. Speaking of her bike, Julian had sent him a couple listings for decent motorcycles that might suit her needs. Granted, he’d like to see her in an armored transport, but there were some battles he knew he’d lose.

  A soft snore interrupted his mental listing of the pros and cons of specific makes of bikes. He peered down at her, amused to find that she’d drifted off.

  What was he going to do with her?

  Madison deserved better than him. There was no doubt in his mind about that. But he wanted her. Could he figure out how to make it work? Was there a way to keep her safe until they wrapped up this thing with Evers and Dustin?

  He didn’t know. And there was no one he could talk to.

  Julian and Gabriel were jaded. The twins lived for the job. John would tell him no before he finished his question. Emery was the last person he’d go to for romantic advice, considering he was harboring a crush he thought Aiden hadn’t noticed. And CJ and Kathy, well, it was in their best interests to keep him focused on the job. Madison was a distraction. Except, he needed her. He needed this sense of normalcy, a reason to keep going that lived and breathed.

  What he needed to do was talk to Grandma. He didn’t usually call her, but maybe this time he’d make an exception to the rule.

  Aiden hooked his arm under her legs and stood, hoisting Madison up into his arms. She groaned and turned her face to his chest. He held his breath until she sighed and seemed to settle.

  He carried her once more to the bed and laid her down, pulling the comforter up under her chin. Tonight he needed space, to think. Could he really be falling for her?

  Madison shifted and stretched in her sleep. She moaned and her eyes fluttered open.

  “Mm, hey,” she mumbled.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

  She glanced around, brows drawn down, no doubt wondering how she came to be in bed. Her gaze returned to him and a slow smile spread across her face.

  “I’m cold. Keep me warm?” She scooted over and out came the towel, meaning under the sheets, she was naked. It was not a thought he needed to dwell on.

  He should say no, put some distance between them, except he dropped his towel and climbed in next to her. Madison fit so well in his arms, her curves nestled against him and a sense of home wrapped the moment up in such a sense of rightness, he couldn’t extract himself if he tried. This was exactly where he wanted to be.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Madison bobbed her knee while they drove through an older residential neighborhood. The houses were all spaced farther apart, trees lined the properties, creating a little bit of privacy. It was nice. She’d expected Aiden to live somewhere flashy, maybe in a loft like where they’d stayed last night. Instead, it was a bit more rural, with elbow room and trees between the houses, each with a bit of land, maybe an acre or two. Hell, she was pretty sure she’d seen goats down the street. He turned into the gravel drive of a large, white ranch-style house with blue shutters. The hedges needed trimming and it didn’t appear as though anyone minded the grass, but other than that it was in good condition.

  She’d woken up pleasantly enough, but at some point before they’d left the loft, the weight of her omission settled on her shoulders. In the beginning, she hadn’t mentioned that Michael Evers flew in and out of her airport because she hadn’t known if she could trust Aiden or not. She’d allowed herself to forget that detail because it was easier that way. Except Evers was flying something into the airport tonight that he didn’t want documented by customs.

  Aiden pulled the car around behind the house. He clicked a fob on his keys and the doors of a large, wooden barn slowly rolled open. He drove into what had once been a horse barn and parked the Chevelle in the back. The stalls had been opened up for three other cars. The Challenger she’d ridden in, and two other cars she couldn’t name.

  “Damn, it’s getting late,” Aiden muttered.

  Late was almost eight in the morning. They needed to find the drive. She needed to get to work. Somehow they needed to evade the Eleventh—or something. And hopefully Dustin would continue to stay out of her life. Amidst all of that, she had to figure out how to tell Aiden about Evers.

  “Let’s dig around for the drive really quick. I’d like to get that to my guy for analysis before I meet with Dustin.”

  “You’re meeting with him today?” Madison scrambled to get out of the car and circled around back to the trunk.

  Aiden already had it open and was sifting through the contents t
hat had spilled out of the boxes when his phone rang.

  “Yeah, something’s up with him. I just don’t know what.” Aiden glanced at his phone. “Give me a second.”

  Madison stared at him. What was the chance that the thing Evers was flying in had to do with the drive? It was unlikely, but—what if? Did she keep it to herself?

  Aiden stepped away, pressing his phone to his face. “Yeah? . . . Good first . . . Well that’s what you expected, now what’s the bad?”

  Her stomach churned. She was keeping things from Aiden and he’d proven time and time again he was just helping her. She had to tell him.

  “What? Are you serious? Why? Any reason at all?” Aiden paced the width of the barn, his frown deepening.

  She probably should have told him earlier. . . .

  “Damn it. That doesn’t make any sense. Fine. We’ll figure something out.” He listened to whatever the person on the other end of the line was saying for a few more moments before hanging up.

  “Something wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing you need to worry about,” he said.

  Madison bit her lip. She didn’t want to rock the boat, but damn it, she had to tell him.

  “Aiden?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I . . . uh, need to tell you something.”

  “What is it?” Aiden glanced up from the trunk, his brows drawn down.

  “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you this since yesterday. I just—don’t be upset, please?”

  He straightened, his face going completely blank. That couldn’t be good. She opened and closed her mouth, wishing she could go back in time and just tell him. But she hadn’t known him then like she knew him now.

  “Michael Evers and another guy arranged for a shipment to come into our airport.”

  “You just found out?” No emotion. Deadpan. So not like the man she’d come to know who laughed and felt so deeply.

  “No.”

  “And you just remembered that he uses Everglades Air?” The uptick in tone made her cringe. Anger. Well, she’d expected that to some degree.

  “Aiden, please.” She took a step toward him, and he backed up. She stopped, letting her hands drop to her sides. “When you came to me, I didn’t know who you were. I didn’t know that I could trust you. Talking about my life was one thing. My boss’s clients were a whole other thing. I mean, Lily’s parents gave me a chance when no one else would. How could I just tell you stuff about their business like that?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

  She opened and closed her mouth. In the moment, when she’d come face-to-face with Michael Evers, she’d thought about it, but then she’d been afraid. Afraid of Evers. Afraid of losing Aiden. Fear was one thing she was sick of.

  “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d instantly suspect me again.” Like he was now. It was written all over him from the narrowing of his gaze to the tick at his jaw. “Aiden, please.”

  She took a step toward him and he retreated one.

  That was how it was going to be?

  “I trusted you.” His voice was a growl, deep in his chest that made her want to cower. “And this whole time you’ve been lying to me?”

  “I didn’t lie. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

  “I’m not going to say anything else. I’m too pissed off.” His voice was cold, hard, and unlike anything she’d heard from him. “Stay here. The walls are reinforced and there are cameras on the property. Anyone shows up, call me. Find the drive. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Aiden turned and walked away from her. No arguments, no accusations, just silence.

  “Aiden?”

  He clicked his key fob at the Challenger and the car beeped. She watched him climb in the white car, rev the engine, and roll out. The heavy door slid shut after him, the locks engaging. She shivered and glanced around the barn-turned-garage. There was another side entrance, but other than that the place appeared secure. So was she a prisoner? Or locked up for her own safety?

  Was this how it would end? She knew this fragile relationship wouldn’t last, but was this it?

  She sat down on the bent bumper and pulled her phone from her pocket. He could walk away from her, but he couldn’t completely ignore her. Could he?

  Please believe me. I didn’t want to keep that from you. Evers has a plane coming in this evening. It’s going to sit overnight for customs to come in the morning. According to the flight manifest, he’s flying in six cars.

  She hit send on the messages and hoped he believed her. Could the trust they’d built up be eroded so quickly?

  Madison stared at her phone for a minute, and then another one. No reply. No call. He really wasn’t going to talk to her about it. She sucked in a deep breath as an invisible pain stabbed her in the chest. Stupidly, she’d given him a piece of her heart, knowing full well he’d carve it out of her flesh when things ended. Was this it?

  She pressed a hand between her breasts.

  There were a hundred scenarios and what-ifs circling her mind. He could preach trust all he wanted, but Aiden had never given her much to go on. If he wanted to be upset with her, so be it. Their deal was about the drive and Dustin. That was it.

  She went back to the Chevelle and began upending the boxes in the trunk. They were mostly Dustin’s belongings, not hers.

  One box held a couple stacks of discs and CDs, another random bits of paper and a marble pen holder. Odds and ends that weren’t worth much. She reached back into the trunk and hauled the last couple of boxes toward her. She tossed the top off one and stilled, looking down at a gray external hard drive nestled in a bunch of cords and charging stations. Dustin had always lost his chargers. It would make sense that an important box to him would contain those, and the drive.

  She picked the drive up and turned it over in her hands. She’d never seen it before. But, then again, she hadn’t cared so much what she took as long as she stole from Dustin like he stole from her. It was petty and stupid. She’d regretted it at the moment she’d done it, but he’d taken so much from her.

  Time was getting away from her. There was no way to make it to work on time, but she’d already preemptively texted her boss after her bike turned up in pieces. If Aiden thought she was going to stay put while he was pissed at her, well, he was wrong.

  Lily was going to hate her.

  Madison dialed Lily’s house phone, which she couldn’t put on mute, and held her breath. It rang and rang, easily a dozen times. Was Lily angry with her too? They hadn’t exactly had a lot to say to each other last night.

  “What?” Lily groaned through the phone.

  “Morning, sunshine.” Madison’s throat constricted and she smiled at nothing. Lily had forgiven her. If she hadn’t, she would have simply picked up the phone and waited for Madison to apologize.

  “Fuck you.”

  “Fuck you, too. How was last night?”

  “Not as much fun without you, but you aren’t calling about that. Need a ride?”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry. I promise I’ll figure something out.”

  “I have no doubt about that. Where are you?”

  “Uh, give me a second. I’m not sure.” Madison put the call on speaker. There were no message icons waiting for her. She activated the GPS on her phone and pulled up her map app.

  “What did you do last night?”

  “Showered, ate, slept.” Fucked like bunnies.

  “You’re lying. You got some.” Lily’s voice was smug. The sounds of a coffee machine started up in the background.

  “You don’t like him, remember?”

  “I don’t know him.” She sighed.

  One thing about Lily, she was pretty awesome about admitting when she was wrong. That, and she always looked out for Madison.

  “Do you feel better?” Lily asked.

  “I don’t know.” Madison’s throat constricted once more and it was hard to breathe. Her eyes instantly filled with tears and the ache in her chest w
as back again.

  “What did he do? I will kill him. I don’t care how much of a badass he is, he’s dead.”

  “No, no, we just—had a thing and I screwed up. It was really me, but he’s being an ass and not giving me a chance to explain. I just want to throat-punch him.”

  “Oh, it must be bad if you’re going for the throat, but at least you aren’t wanting to knee him in the balls. If it was that level, I might not let you talk me down from kicking his ass.”

  Madison laughed despite the pain.

  “Where are you?”

  Madison rattled off the address from her phone’s GPS. Thank goodness for modern technology.

  “Dang, okay, that’s going to take me at least twenty to get there. At least. Think you can hold on that long?”

  “I can.”

  “Okay, I’m going to be a few more minutes—oh dang. The cable guy is here. I friggen call him and call him and now he shows up? Let me tell him to come back and I’ll head over. I don’t have time for his lazy ass right now. Good?”

  “Thanks, Lily. You’re the best.”

  “Only for you. Muwah.”

  Madison hung up and blew out a breath. She couldn’t ask for a better friend. Whatever she’d done to get Lily, it was luck.

  She closed the trunk and rested the drive on top of it for a quick picture. Even if Aiden wasn’t replying to her—probably because he was driving, if she were being honest—she could at least let him know she’d found it. This was the bone of their bargain, after all. She took the picture and sent it to Aiden before deleting it off her phone. The last thing she wanted was to be caught with anything resembling evidence of it on her.

  “What to do with you now?” She glanced around the garage.

  Madison carried the drive over to the stall reserved for the Challenger. There was a small workstation built into the side and a red rolling set of drawers. She opened one at random and set the drive inside. Anyone who didn’t know where to look for it would be stuck performing a very long search.

  Did she tell Aiden where it was?

  Nah, he’d have to call her if he wanted the location.