Chapter 5
Five
Cam was more than a little disappointed.
The press had wanted a show this morning and now that he and Nic were ready to give them one, Vaughn was arriving at SFO’s private terminal.
Sure, Cam could have leaked what was about to happen—like someone had leaked the news of Curtis’s death—but their friends also frequently used this terminal.
Privacy was part of what they and others paid for here.
He didn’t want to violate that expectation for their sake.
Without a crowd of press, the line of suited federal agents with him and Nic standing in front was unmistakable.
Which was probably why Vaughn was taking his sweet-ass time disembarking.
Cam had offered to storm the plane with his agents but Nic wanted to wait.
That, however, was twenty minutes ago and Nic’s shoulders were inching higher.
Cam wanted to lay a hand on his arm or back to ease him, but with the agents behind them, he settled for stepping closer and putting their heads together like they were having a tactical discussion.
“He wants to provoke you,” Cam whispered low. “You need to bring back the mask. Be the magician.”
Nic glanced sideways, taking his eyes off the G5. “The magician?”
“That’s what Aidan calls you.” Cam chuckled at Nic’s eye roll, glad for the break in the tension. “I know it’s a mask, but it’s still remarkable how you pull it up on command and keep your cool no matter the situation.”
“That’s not being a magician. That’s being a SEAL.”
“Then that’s who you need to be.” Nic had given him this lecture more than once over the past year, and it had saved him time and again.
Kept him in the Agent Byrne mindset when Cameron Byrne, brother and son and former thief had been scratching beneath the badge’s surface.
“You need to be Captain and Assistant US Attorney Dominic Price right now, not Dominic Price, son of Curtis Price.”
Nic’s shoulders lowered another notch. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“No place else I’d rather be.” Cam shot him a grin, then stepped back into position as the jet door opened.
Duncan Vaughn appeared at the top of the unfolding stairs.
Cam had seen pictures of him—in the press, in their case files, in Mel’s surveillance videos—but they didn’t do the man justice.
Headful of coiffed blond hair, a trim, tight body encased in tailored designer threads, and, as he descended the stairs, a bright white smile, the lines at the corners of which were the only indication of his age.
He sauntered over, whiskey-brown eyes locked on Nic. “Dom, so good to see you.” He gave Cam a passing glance, then returned his rapt attention to Nic. “And you’ve brought backup. I thought you didn’t need it.”
“Duncan Vaughn, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Cameron Byrne.”
He checked out Nic instead, in a way that made Cam’s skin crawl. “Have you come to accept my offer, Dom?”
What fucking offer? Cam didn’t voice the sentiment, not in front of a suspect, but that feeling of being ten steps behind became twenty.
“I told you then that I was never going to work for you.” Nic, to his credit, didn’t flinch. The magician back at work. Not that Cam liked his words one bit. Or Vaughn’s that followed.
“And I told you that’s not exactly what I had in mind.” Cam’s stomach roiled. Make that thirty fucking steps.
“Well, you can put both out of your mind for now,” Nic said.
“Of course.” Vaughn reached out, laying a hand on Nic’s arm. Cam locked his hands behind his back to keep from shoving Vaughn off. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Vaughn went on. “You must be busy dealing with your father’s estate.”
“That’s on hold for the moment.”
Vaughn lifted his manicured hand, waving it in the air. “Something about an autopsy.”
Cam’s personal irritation subsided, professional instincts roaring to the fore. “That information’s not been released to the public.” Meaning either they had a leak inside the morgue or Bowers had failed Nic’s test. Cam bet the latter.
Vaughn, for his part, wasn’t the least bit fazed, giving Cam a wink. “Offer’s open to you too, Agent Byrne.”
Fucker.
Cam winked back at him. “Conflict of interest.”
“I imagine so.” His gaze slid back to Nic. “All right then, Prosecutor. Let’s get this over with.” He held out a hand. “You have some papers for me.”
Very well informed. Cam was likewise convinced Bowers was on the take. Or on Vaughn’s blackmail list at minimum.
Unbuttoning his jacket, Nic withdrew two folded papers from his inside pocket. “Duncan Vaughn, you are officially under investigation by the FBI and US Attorney’s Office for suspicion of bank fraud, financial crimes, witness tampering, and various RICO violations.”
“Tell me something I didn’t know.” Typical Vaughn. Brazen about the fact he pulled all the strings but good luck following those strings to the puppet master.
“Along with arson and murder.”
Vaughn’s eyes widened, just a smidgen, but Cam saw it. So did Nic, a smug smile gracing his handsome face. Apparently, those were not sins Vaughn thought they’d be able to connect. Well, surprise, surprise. He’d picked the wrong family to fuck with.
Nic handed him the first sheet of paper.
“In connection with our investigation, search warrants are being executed on your corporate headquarters and personal residence. Agent Byrne will be leading his team through a search of your aircraft.” He passed Vaughn the second folded sheet.
“Your presence is also requested for an interview at the Bureau this week. If you fail to appear, a grand jury subpoena will be issued. If you ignore the grand jury, an arrest warrant will be issued.”
To Vaughn’s cold-blooded credit, he didn’t react further. No visible increase in his pulse, no tightening of his lips or eyes. Just a disinterested scan of the documents before he tucked them inside his jacket. “That won’t be necessary. You’ve been busy, Dom.”
“His name is Nic,” Cam ground out, hating it more each time Vaughn used Dom, sensing the nickname was part of the story he was missing, and that Nic hated it as much as he did. Rotating, he signaled his agents into action. “Search every inch of this overpriced flying heap of metal.”
“Do you need me here for this?” Vaughn’s voice dripped with boredom. “It seems I need to speak with my lawyer.”
“As long as your flight crew has keys to any locked compartments,” Cam said, “then no, we don’t need you here.”
Vaughn nodded, perfect hair fluttering as the breeze caught it. He smiled, politely at Cam, then leeringly at Nic. “Have a good day, gentlemen.”
He swaggered to the idling town car as agents swarmed the plane. Cam waited until they’d all ascended the stairs before he rounded on Nic, every ounce of pent-up frustration pouring out.
“What fucking offer is he talking about?”
“We should go—”
“What haven’t you told me?”
Nic ran a hand over his stubbled jaw, clearly reluctant, and Cam did reach out then, grasping his elbow and yanking it down. “Tell me.”
“Vaughn came by Gravity one night when you were in Boston.”
“He what?”
“He made his usual threats, but he also offered me certain access.”
“Certain access?” What the ever-loving fuck?
Nic shoved his hands in his pockets, blue gaze averted. “He intimated he would be open to a sexual relationship.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Cam plowed his fingers through his hair, tugging at the ends as he began to pace, feeling like he needed to run a mile to catch up now. “That’s not in his file.”
“Because he’s paid people to keep quiet.”
“You know this?”
“Mel has a list.”
Cam stormed back in front of his lover, nose to nose.
“Which you haven’t shared with me. Dammit, Dominic.
” Fuck, if they weren’t out on the tarmac where agents could see them, he’d either shove him in the chest or plant a kiss on him so hard he wouldn’t forget to keep him in the loop ever again.
He settled for letting his eyes and words convey both.
“You can’t keep me in the dark on this case anymore, professionally or personally. ”
Message received, judging by Nic’s raised hands and rocking step back. “Full disclosure, here on out.”
Cam took a step back as well, reining in his temper. He also needed to be Agent Byrne right now. Not Cameron Byrne, Dominic Price’s boyfriend. Problem was, they argued so well as both it was an addiction Cam couldn’t turn off in either form. “You didn’t take him up on his offer?”
“Of course not.”
“Did you consider it?”
“I wouldn’t have slept with him.”
Because that was so much better. Goddamn SEAL, thinking he could do it all himself. “But you would have flirted to get an inside track.”
Nic’s blue eyes flashed. “How’s that any different from your undercover work?”
“Because I’m a trained agent,” Cam said, voice louder again.
“It doesn’t matter. Aidan and Mel talked me out of it.”
“Thank fuck.”
Nic talked right over him. “Then we went to Boston and when we got back, Vaughn was out of the country.” He patted his suit jacket pocket where copies of each of the documents they’d served on Vaughn were tucked. “And I decided to go about things the way I knew how to handle them best.”
Cam was still simmering, but Nic had made the right decision. For now. He should trust that he’d stay on that path but . . . “Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing else.”
Cam stepped closer, lowering his voice. Doing his damnedest to retract the anger and project that this was about more than just the case. This was about them too. “If I’m going to have your back at home and at work, you have to tell me everything.”
Nic brushed a hand down the inside of his arm, fingers tangling briefly between them. “Understood, Boston. Now, can we go join the inspection of the overpriced flying heap of metal?”
It was a fight to hide his smirk, and judging by Nic’s answering one, Cam had failed. “Lead the way, Counselor.”