Chapter 12 #3
There was also Cayden, who was currently stuffed in her trunk like a suitcase. His odd claim that it wasn’t his first time in the trunk of a car had spiked her curiosity, but she hadn’t asked. She was late enough as it was.
Trixie had lost count of the number of times they’d made love the day before and through the night. She honestly was trying her hardest not to count. She couldn’t get her heart to stop running a million miles per minute and she felt like there was never enough air in her lungs.
She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t know how to do this.
To make her reactions more genuine, Cayden refused to tell her what he was about to do. He simply asked that she remember, no matter what he said, he loved her with all his heart and he would do his damnedest to come home to her.
Trixie had refused to have a clichéd last kiss or a long goodbye.
She wasn’t sure if she was going to regret that decision, but she knew that her heart wouldn’t have been able to handle letting him go if there was even a possibility that it would be their actual last kiss.
Maybe it was cowardly of her, but saying goodbye just seemed too real.
Cayden was leaving for who knew how long and doing only God-knows what.
Her sanity was walking on thin ice as it was.
She wouldn’t have been able to handle putting a label on their last kiss as being their last kiss.
Trixie did acknowledge that, though they were the same words, they sounded different in her head and had separate meanings.
She pulled into her designated parking spot. For some reason the sight of Romero’s didn’t fill her with the joy and pride it usually did. This place that had helped her through so much tragedy suddenly felt…bleak, empty. Her hands trembled so badly Trixie struggled to get the seatbelt off her.
She stepped outside into the October morning. Why did the bright sunlight feel like a bad omen?
Her eyes landed on the closed trunk. She wasn’t supposed to linger, she wasn’t supposed to look or think about him in there.
He’d said he’d make his own way in so no one knew he’d driven with her.
She wished he could have ridden up front holding her hand.
She really could have used that extra support right then.
She looked down at her empty hands, recalling Cayden’s last words to her before he had gotten into the trunk. “I need you to promise me something, baby. I need you to be safe. Don’t take extra chances, don’t take any risks. Be safe and smart. I love you.”
Safe and smart. That’s what she needed him to be. How had their perfect weekend turned into such a clusterfuck? How had they gone from domestic bliss to him going undercover to bring down his old motorcycle club?
Her eyes glanced around the parking lot.
Lee had said he’d be here this morning to get Cayden.
After whatever it was Cayden had planned to do to publicly break his parole, the two were supposed to meet up.
She didn’t see her brother anywhere. Was that the point?
Was he here and just watching? Or had Lee gone back on his word?
She’d never known Lee to lie. It was the Marine in him.
At his core, Lee was honorable and trustworthy.
Which she did not consider to be good qualities right now.
Lee was seeking justice for their dead brother.
No matter if Cayden and Lee were successful in bringing down Carver and then Massey, it wasn’t going to bring Marco back.
AJ might be safer in prison, but he would still be in prison.
Personally, her life wouldn’t change much if they were successful.
But a lot of other lives would. Didn’t that count for something?
Didn’t that make Lee’s mission noble? She was struggling to accept that since Lee was taking away the love of her life for who knew how long.
“Where have you been?”
Trixie’s head snapped to Jeff, who was speed walking out to her. “I spent the weekend at Abuelo’s.” Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the panic on his face. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“The police are here,” he told her. “They’re looking for Cayden.”
Here? She tried to keep her face calm while her heart nearly flatlined. She wiped her clammy hands on her pants and locked her eyes forward so she didn’t glance at the trunk where Cayden was currently hiding.
“I don’t understand. They haven’t found him yet?”
Jeff’s eyes narrowed just slightly. “You knew he was missing?”
She forced herself to nod. “They came to my house last night, said he broke curfew and never returned to Greg’s.” Jeff just stared at her. Crap, had she given something away? Trixie squared her jaw. “What?”
“Your boyfriend goes missing and you’re this calm?” Jeff shook his head. “I don’t buy it. What’s going on?”
Trixie flinched. “He’s not my boyfriend.” He was her all and her everything. “We had a fight on Saturday and I kicked him out. I haven’t seen him since.”
The employee door of Romero’s opened. Two uniformed police officers walked out towards them. They were different from the pair who had come to their house last night.
“Beatriz Romero?” one asked, looking down at his notepad.
“Trixie,” she corrected, holding out her hand. “What’s going on?”
The first officer shook her hand. “I’m Officer Sutton and this is my partner Officer Hail. We’re looking for your employee, Cayden Russo.”
She nodded. “Yes, I had two officers come to my house last night. They said he broke curfew and is in violation of his parole.” She looked to Jeff. “He hasn’t shown up for work?”
Jeff stiffly shook his head, his eyes never leaving her face. Crap, the old man saw too much.
Trixie forced her attention back to the police.
She tried to keep her voice even, but she had a feeling it was a bit too high pitched to sound like her usual self.
“As I told the other officers, Cayden and I were romantically involved. We had a fight on Saturday night around nine. He used my phone to call and pay for an Uber, the cheap bastard. I haven’t seen him since. ”
“Mr. Ingram gave us access to your place of business, Ms. Romero. We have confirmed that Mr. Russo is not here at present.” That was the second officer, Hail.
“His rehabilitation officer is also looking for him.” He lowered his sunglasses to give her a stern gaze.
“If we discover you are hiding him or aiding him in any way, you will be charged with harboring a fugitive.”
Trixie paled but forced herself not to look away. “I haven’t seen him,” she lied. “I don’t know where he is, and furthermore, I don’t care. Bastard broke my heart,” her voice cracked. “He deserves whatever’s coming to him.”
Her eyes glanced to Jeff. The weight of his stare was intense.
His eyes weren’t on her face, but on her hand.
Trixie glanced down to her chest. She was unknowingly fisting Cayden’s present under her white tank.
Shit. Trixie took a deep breath and unclenched her fingers.
The necklace was secure under her shirt.
Why did Jeff have to have such eagle eyes?
Of everyone, he was going to be the toughest to fool.
“Ms. Romero?” Her head snapped back to the officers. “Do you mind if we search your car?”
She swallowed. “Um, what?”
“Your car, Ms. Romero.” That was the first officer, Sutton. “We need to search it.”
Her heart started pounding even louder. She couldn’t let them search it. Cayden was in there. But she also couldn’t let them not search it. How guilty would that make her look and then they’d end up searching the car anyway? Shit, shit, shit…
Mechanically, she extended her arm with the keys. “Knock yourself out.”
Hail moved Jeff and Trixie away from the vehicle as his partner donned a pair of latex gloves. She hadn’t locked the car yet, but he still pressed the unlock button on the remote. She felt like throwing up. What now? What if she feigned fainting to draw their attention?
The officer methodically looked through the driver and passenger front seats and then did the same in the back.
He was looking for more than just Cayden, because there clearly wasn’t a man sitting in the body of the car.
Her knees near gave out when he popped the trunk of her Firebird, hand on his holster, and she nearly fainted for real.
She needed to stop them. Needed to distract them. She had to give him a chance to get away…
To her shock and amazement, there wasn’t a shout or a struggle. Cayden hadn’t leaped out of the trunk the moment it was opened and made a run for it. She saw Sutton duck under the lid, rummage around a bit, and then close it.
Trixie blinked. What the fuck? Where was Cayden?
“It’s clear,” Sutton announced walking up to them.
He handed Trixie her keys back. “We appreciate your assistance, Ms. Romero. There will be a car parked outside your residence if he shows up there. Hail and I will be around here today. You should be aware that a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Please inform your staff to notify us if they see him.”
Trixie took back her keys. Her entire body felt like it was weighed with lead. Where was Cayden?
“Thank you, officers,” she heard Jeff say through the ringing in her ears. “Please feel free to use our facility as needed, including this wonderful new Italian roast we have in the breakroom.”
The officers extended their hands to them both with gratitude. They walked off towards their cruiser, which was parked out at the edge of the parking lot.
“Get inside, Trixie.” She felt an arm pull her in the direction of the building. As soon as they were inside, Jeff rounded on her. “What the hell is going on? You expected those officers to find Cayden in your car, didn’t you?”
She flinched. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would Cayden have been in my car?”
“I don’t know,” he snapped. “But you suck at lying. Whatever it is that is going on, do not get Romero’s involved, Trixie. You’ve worked too hard to ruin everything now.”