enjoys the fancy ones.”
“What are his favorites?”
She rattled off a few names and suggested we look in Manhattan. “He has a ton of business associates there.”
“You mean drug kingpins?” I asked.
“Exactly. His biggest dealers are there and in Chicago. Try that next if he’s not in New York.”
Huff shouted, “Wait, he just logged into his computer.”
“Won’t he know you’re in too?” Sinead asked.
“Nope. I’m behind a wall I installed.”
We scrutinized Huff as he typed, and soon he was grinning. “I’ve got it. He’s in New York, all right. But in Brooklyn.” And then he named the hotel.
Drex called the team back and told them to head straight there. I hoped Aiden didn’t leave by the time they arrived. He was as slippery as an eel.
Huff shouted again. “I think I have Cruze’s location.” He kept typing and then said, “Aiden’s contacted a house near here. About a thirty-minute drive away. It has to be it.”
Raiden shouted, “I’m going.”
I stopped him. “No, you’re not. We’re about to get one of us back. We’re not losing you in the process. You’re too valuable to them.”
“I don’t care. It’s my brother they have.”
“Don’t you think I know that? But putting yourself out there makes this even more risky. Stay put and let the team handle it.”
He acted like he would argue, but he didn’t. He plopped his angry ass down and pouted instead while Drex phoned in to another team. Then Gemini, Drex, and I got ready to go.
Raiden grabbed me as I was leaving, “You’d better come back to me Scottie Sullivan or I will kick your ass to the moon and back.”
“Did you play soccer?”
He looked confused. “No, why?”
“Sounds like you have mad kicking skills.” I winked, pecked him on the cheek, and joined Drex and Gem. I heard him calling out to be careful as I closed the door. God, I loved that man.
Chapter Forty-Three
Scottie
On the drive to the destination, Gem turned around and said, “Seems you and Raiden are getting along well.”
“We are.”
“Is that all you’ll say?”
“Yep.”
“Oh, my God. Leaving me in suspense.”
I waggled my brows at her. It killed her. But I didn’t want to talk romance in front of Drex.
“Ugh, okay. Guess I’ll wait.”
“Ladies, let’s focus. We have a job to do,” her husband chimed in.
She scowled at him. “You would have to ruin it.”
He gave her a sidelong glance. “What are you talking about?”
“Girl gossip, that’s what.”
He glanced up and asked, “Why now? Of all times.”
“Drex, I’ve had no time alone with Scottie.”
“Are you two a thing now?” He held back a laugh. By nature, he was not a humorous sort.
“You’re so funny.” She punched his upper arm.
“Hey, take it easy there, Popeye.”
“Don’t be such a pussy.”
“Pussy, huh? Remind me of that later.”
“Count on it.”
“Hey, you two, remember me? I’m still back here.”
“Yeah, what?” Gem answered.
“Do you really think we can bring Aiden and his entire network down?”
Drex’s eyes met mine through the rearview mirror. “I do. If Isla contacts the feds and we can arrange a group meeting, getting their true cooperation, I believe we can dismantle his operation.”
“I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. This has been a struggle for everyone. To breathe again would be a dream.”
“And to live on our own,” he said.
“I’d miss you guys. You would miss me,” I chirped.
“Right.” The salty reply told me his true thoughts. Reaching out from the backseat, I patted his shoulder.
The truth, though? We were all on edge and although the house was large, living under the same roof had taken its toll on everyone. “I feel your pain, as I’m sure everyone does. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Gem had to throw a monkey wrench into things. “Um, what if Aiden has something in store for us when we arrive?”
“You would have to say that, wouldn’t you?” I scowled.
Drex came to the rescue. “We’ll deal with it. At this point, I’m ready to chew the motherfucker’s head off.”
“Well, that’s an idea that hasn’t crossed my mind,” I said. “On another note, when do we bring in the feds?”
“We need to free Cruze first. I’m afraid if we don’t, Aiden will kill him. If we bring his entire organization down, he’ll retaliate somehow, and if Cruze isn’t back with us, that’s exactly how he’ll do it.”
“My thought exactly,” I agreed. “Raiden won’t deal with that and neither will Acer.”
“Scottie, Acer understands the wrath of the O’Briens much better than Raiden does. He’s the one I’m more concerned about,” Drex said.
I