Page 25 of Our Tricks

When I said it, Simon flinched.

“Okay, hookers, but that wouldn’t be quite enough since lots of people pay for sex nowadays. Hmm, that leaves sex with people of a questionable age. Is that what it is, Deputy Assistant Director Maxwell?” I asked, pressing, hoping he’d crack, and he did.

Simon made a bolt for the door, but he didn’t count on Eagle stepping in his way and body-checking him. Once more, Simon was on the floor looking bewildered as Eagle loomed over him. “Sorry, were you going somewhere? I don’t think we were done with our conversation yet.”

The laughter that burst out of me had me almost crying at the whole scene. It was as if I’d watched a cartoon of the entire interaction. Cam reached down, grabbed Simon by the back of his suit coat, and hauled him up.

“I suggest you listen to me carefully,” Cam said in a low, dangerous voice that had me rubbing my legs together. “You’re going to sign my transfer, make sure that whatever is needed for that is handled, and I won’t say a word to the higher-ups about your preferences. We’re going to take Marco out, something you should be glad to have happen. Once he’s gone, who’s going to have the evidence of your sins? Think, Maxwell, use that brain of yours to realize he’s using you to keep us from destroying him.”

Simon gulped, his eyes so wild with fear that I wasn’t sure he was even really hearing what Cam was saying. Then slowly, his breathing slowed and his eyes cleared until the man who I believed could be an assistant director reappeared. “You make a good point, Black, but how do I know you won’t be holding this over my head just like he was?”

Cam shifted so he was now face to face with Simon. “Because you know who Dax is and that I’m married to her. If the FBI, CIA, or even the President of the United States asks me to turn her in for any crimes I might know about, I’d say no. That’s all the security you need to hold me equally accountable.”

Simon cleared his throat, rolled his shoulders, and adjusted his suit so he looked less disheveled. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Black. I’ll get the paperwork processed, and you’ll be the CIA’s problem as soon as Tuesday. It takes at least a day to process, and it’s Sunday so that’s the fastest I can make things happen.”

Cam reached out a hand. “It’s been a pleasure to serve with the FBI. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Simon grasped Cam’s hand and squeezed harder than he needed to as they shook. “Watch your back, I’m not the only one who’s under his thumb. If that man can’t find something to hold over you, he’ll make it happen with the camera at the ready.”

“We’ll take that warning to heart,” Cam answered. “Have a safe flight back to D.C.”

The three of us watched the man leave, needing reassurance he was really gone. Simon hailed a cab and was off before I let myself relax.

“What the fuck was that?” Eagle asked. “Do we need to worry about Marco having someone in every goddamn place? Everywhere we go, he’s got people crawling out of the woodwork to fuck up our mission.”

He was right. Marco had a reach that didn’t make sense, even with Diego and the Mad Dogs. How was he finding the connections and setting traps for unsuspecting victims if he’d been in Mexico?

“Do we have any idea when Marco’s father died?” I questioned. “When he called me, he didn’t say, but what if while his father was still alive and running things, Marco was here in the US? He knew his father was sick, but we don’t know for how long. Marco could have been doing what Tommaso did and set up an entire plan for when he took over after his father died.”

My brain started to churn through what little knowledge I had about Marco. Chewing on my thumbnail, I paced the massive lobby. “I’ve been running the Hidden Empire, what, eight years, give or take, and I didn’t cut off the border to Mexico until three years in, but I’d been slowly taking over the drug routes or cutting them off. There were so many operations moving in and out I had to pick them off slowly.”

“What exactly did Marco tell you on the phone,” Cam asked.

Pausing, I closed my eyes, trying to go all the way back to when we’d just gotten home. Till came over, and Marco had called me from her phone. Wes still didn’t know how he’d found out about her, but knowing what we know now, it was probably Dante. Think, Dax, think.

“He told me his father once had an empire like mine, but I slowly destroyed it. Marco was pissed because his dad wouldn’t fight back, just let me take over and forced them out of the game. On his father’s deathbed, he promised he’d make the empire great again and get revenge,” I shared, yet I felt like I was missing something.

My eyes snapped open. “He said he’d tried to unseat me more than once, but it never worked. I assumed it was everything that had happened so far. Trying to stir up trouble in the Empire, assassination attempts, and then blowing up my house. What if it’s more than that? Ken said that Marco’s been watching me for years, but he didn’t know anything about you?” I said, pointing to Cam. “What if he had no idea about your task force or assumed Simon would be used to take me down? You kept it all a secret from them that you know me, loved me, and were watching my back long before you decided to pull me in.”

Stepping up to my dark knight, I rested my hands on his chest. “Cam, what did you protect me from?”

Chapter 10

Cameron

The way her gray-blue eyes looked up at me with equal parts curiosity and fear had me wrapping my arm around her. Fuck, I couldn’t believe she was finally mine after all this time, and I didn’t have to linger in the shadows looking after her. I’ll admit it took me longer than it should have to adjust to the darkness that now lived inside my beautiful artist.

Back in college, she’d always been tough, fearless, and quick to fight for those who couldn’t, but there was a lightness to her that was gone now. I think the reason it was hard to accept this is who she was now is because everything I did since the moment I joined the FBI was to keep the light inside her safe. At one time, her other men accused me of being unable to handle what came with being in the criminal world and how it had made Dax evolve. The thing was, my hands were just as bloody as theirs but in a different way.

There were many ways to ensure someone died in prison, no matter how careful the guards thought they were. Witness protection, well, it wasn’t my fault they believed me when I told them they could still make phone calls as long as it was from the burner phone I gave them. I followed the rules like the good FBI agent I was until they were handed off to others, and then I made sure they’d never put my woman in danger again.

“I think we should have the others around for that conversation,” I suggested. “It seems unknowingly I thwarted some attacks on you, and I believe there are some files I’ll need dear Wessy-boy’s help with.”

Amazingly, she took my logic to heart and nodded. “Okay, let’s head up to see what they’re up to and if we need to stick around. Pretty sure Tommaso’s not going to want my help anymore after this.”

“Really, Dax?” the man himself commented as he rounded the receptionist’s desk. “Personally, I think having you around today has saved me from almost losing everything. Your guys also were able to get to the twentieth floor, and I’m not sure I’d have a guy who was that skilled.”

There was something about this man I still didn’t like. He’d proved he was on Dax’s side, but he was still a De León at heart. Tommaso might not have been raised by his biological father, but the man who raised him didn’t keep it a secret from his adopted son. In fact, he encouraged him into the conquest of taking over. Granted, I think the Italians were hoping to have more influence over things, but there’s still time once we leave.