"What does it matter than you can afford to set it up? Did you consider the fact that we might like to help? Not for you, but for the women who need it." He could tell she was softening. He tapped at his phone and shot off a message in his team’s group text, smiling at the immediate responses.
"Fine." Her hands slipped to her sides.
Shock vibrated through him. "Really?"
"If Cormac wants to, he can decorate."
"I'm confident he'll want to." Beckett had already texted Cormac to ask. They'd all responded that they wanted to help. "And the rest of us can help clean it up and get everything settled."
Ridley grimaced, but nodded.
While he had her in a compliant mood, he thought of one more thing. "You should funnel the money for the house through a shell company I have set up so anyone who figures out you're the one helping them won't follow the trail to the house."
Her mouth pursed. "I hadn't even considered that. Thanks. That's genius."
Beckett shrugged. "Mind of a hacker."
The realtor finished her phone call and wandered back over to them. "Have the two of you made a decision? WE still have the other two houses to look at."
"I need to discuss things over with my partner, but I don't think looking at the other two places will be necessary."
The realtor looked back and forth between them. "Your partner? You two aren't looking together?"
Ridley shook her head, cheeks flushed. "No. Beckett and I are just friends."
Beckett hid his amusement.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My mistake."
Beckett smirked, enjoying Ridley's discomfort.
Ridley shrugged it off. "It's fine. No big deal."
He considered messing with her, but that was more Reese's style. And Ridley had been acting different since she appeared back into their lives. She wasn't as brash and confident and funny. Something was bothering her. Something he suspected had nothing to do with them.
Something haunted her, making her lose weight and sleep. He wished she'd let him in, let them all in. Stubborn, frustrating woman. He hoped since he opened up to her a little today, she'd feel more comfortable confiding in him. If not today, maybe soon. He wanted to unearth the secrets she kept hidden behind those gorgeous blue eyes.
"If your interest is real, I'll have the contracts drawn up and you can put in an offer."
Ridley beamed. "Perfect. I'll let you know tomorrow morning."
"Excellent."
Ridley grinned over at Beckett, happiness and excitement lighting up her face. Beckett wished he could see her like this more often, the agony inside her banished by hope. It was a good look on her.
"Thanks for your help."
The realtor smiled and got into her car, leaving Beckett and Ridley alone in front of the house.
"You ready to go? Maddox should be finished with his appointment soon."
"Yeah." Ridley snapped a few more photos before turning back to him. "Where is Maddox anyway?"
"He's in the big brother program and his little brother had a football game."
Surprise lifted Ridley's brows high on her face. "He really is a great big softie do-gooder, isn't he?"
Beckett chuckled. "Pretty much." He frowned at his phone dinging. "My facial recognition program got a hit on the guy Misner was with. We need to go. I'll call Cormac and Reese to come meet us. I doubt we need to keep following him right for now."
Chapter 15
Ridley
PROPPED UP AGAINST the wall of her office, Ridley watched Maddox pace back and forth in the small space while Malia and the rest of the shitheads sat around on the chairs and couches.
"It's not enough evidence to bring him in. That guy could be his CI. He could have fixed his car. Without knowing what Misner bought, we're still in the bloody dark." It wasn't the first time Cormac had made this point, but Maddox was having a hard time accepting it.
"He's dirty."
Beckett tried this time. "It definitely looks that way, but it doesn't mean he killed your brother. We need to come at this a different way. Following him isn't working. Hacking their shit isn't working."
"Then let's find the slimy bastard I stole the money from and ask him a few questions." Ridley hated how stalled out things had gotten. She hated how it was eating at Maddox.
“That’s illegal.” Beckett pointed out.
"I can do it. I'm not connected to the Legion and I can look like anyone. But if I let him go, he might go running straight to Misner." Which would be a massive problem. Shit.
"And could make him disappear or clean house or worse." Beckett sat back with a sigh.
Maddox raked his hands through his long hair, all but vibrating with frustrated rage.
Reese stood to clap Maddox on the back. "Dude. This is what most of our cases look like. We start with suspicions and possibilities and we keep chipping at it until something shakes loose. You know this shit."
Ridley wanted to go to Maddox, to touch him, to ease him, but they weren't at that stage in their friendship and she definitely had no interest in having an audience for it. She pressed herself tighter against the wall and crossed her arms.
"We still need to look a little deeper into Wallace as well once he's back in town. He should be back tomorrow night." Beckett held up his phone.
Maddox needed something to do instead of waiting.
Ridley had an idea. "I still want to go back to Tony's old apartment building at talk to the people who lived there back then. Show them the photos we have of Misner and Wallace. Probably another dead end, but worth a shot. I'll go with you while the others get eyes on Wallace. We aren't going to give up until we have answers, Mad. No matter how long it takes."
Maddox finally calmed, his eyes softening as he stared over at Ridley. "All right. It's a date."
Ridley rolled her eyes, but her shoulders released some of the tension tightening them at his smile.
"How'd the house hunting go?"
She smiled at Maddox’s interest. "Good. We found a place and Beckett is going to let me funnel the money through some corporate fund or something."
"Nice. Smart plan."
"I'll go with Beckett tomorrow and we'll make it look like we're purchasing it for a company who is opening an inn or charity or something since the rest of you will be busy." Malia rolled her shoulders back with a wince.
Beckett nodded. "I can keep track of what everyone else is doing while we sign the papers."
"Thank you for helping." Ridley really was grateful for all Beckett wanted to do. What they all wanted to do.
"We believe in your cause. We want to help."
Cormac wandered over to lean against the wall next to Ridley. "Let me look through the photos you took and I'll start searching for furnishings."
Ridley unlocked her phone and handed it over. "We haven't even signed the papers yet. It'll be a bit before it's ours."
"It takes time to find the best furniture. It cannot be rushed."
"If you say so." He was so weird.
"I do. Since you're letting us help with this, any chance you'll let me up in that infernal apartment of yours to redecorate? I know you didn't like the beach theme we set up in your room at the house."
"I did like it." It was beautiful. Like a room at a bed and breakfast.
Cormac narrowed his eyes. "Bullshit. I told them you'd prefer reds and blacks over that nonsense, but they refused to listen."
"If I was going to live there, then sure I'd prefer reds and blacks and chromes, but I was just staying for a short time. The way you decorated it fits with the rest of the house so you have a nice guest room."
Maddox played with his eyebrow ring. "But it wasn't really supposed to be a guest room. So, we should have listened to Cormac. We just didn't because he ignored us for the rest of the house. Including our own rooms."
Curiosity piqued at Ridley. All the time she'd spent at their house, she'd never seen their rooms. The guys hardly ever went into them except to sleep, preferring
to spend their time together in the common areas.
She ignored Maddox's comment and instead answered Cormac. "No, you may not decorate my home. I like it the way it is no matter how much that offends your snobby sensibilities."
"You'd be doing me a favor."
She jerked backwards. "You haven't even seen it."
Cormac sniffed. "And I am grateful I haven't been put through that torture. What I heard was bad enough."
She threw her hands into the air. "Oh, for fucks sake, you are the most ridiculous ostentatious pretentious crumpet I have ever met."
Cormac's eyes flashed and his lips curled into a smug grin. A grin that made her thighs rub together and her core clench. "There it is."
"There what is?" What was he talking about?
He exchanged a look with the others. "Nothing."
Ridley glanced in confusion at them, but everyone other than Reese had similar expressions of satisfaction on their faces. Even Malia. Reese stared at the floor with a frown furrowing his brow. What the hell was going on with everyone?
She sighed. "All right. We have the next stage of the plan, yes? Then, can all of you get the hell out so I can go to bed?"
"It's only nine." Maddox pointed to the clock on her wall.
Heat stung her cheeks. She hadn't meant to bring up her sleeping issues. "It's been a long day. You four are exhausting."
"Are we?” Cormac asked. “Or is something else keeping you awake at night?"
She refused to admit she hadn't gotten a full night's sleep in weeks. The last time was when she lived with them. They couldn't find out about it or they'd never shut up about her moving in. And it wasn't because they made her feel safe or any bullshit like that. The timing was a weird coincidence.
Meeting them and her discovering her secrets had knocked a few things loose in her subconscious, so the nightmares had returned to torment her full force.
"I'll see you shitheads tomorrow. Now, go away."
They rose and filed from her office, each one of them searching her expression, but she kept it placid and blank, not letting them see inside her.
Maddox was the last one out and he bent down to brush a kiss on her cheek. "I'll text you when I'm on the way."
"I'll meet you there."
He squeezed her hand and left, leaving Ridley and Malia alone.
"So, want to talk about it?" Malia asked.
"Talk about what?" Maybe if she pretended hard enough, Malia would drop it.
"What's going on with you. I know it has nothing to do with them. Not now that they're back in your life. Spill."
Ridley started cleaning up the mess the guys left in their wake. "It's nothing. Just a bit of insomnia."
"Insomnia? Or nightmares?"
Ridley froze. "How'd you know?"
"I recognize the signs since I've seen them in myself."
"Right." Ridley sighed and replaced the throw pillow back onto the couch Beckett had used as a seat.
"Ready to try therapy yet?"
"Nope."
"Then may I suggest a lot of vigorous sex?"
Ridley snorted with laughter. "That I will consider." It had been way too long since she'd had that kind of release. Since Maddox.
"You have four perfectly willing guys available. Or we could go out and you could score one with less baggage."
"I think the second option is the better one right now." Ridley didn't like the way the words tasted as they came out. Somehow even thinking about it tasted like betrayal.
Malia gave a sharp, decided nod. "Then, we'll go out tomorrow night. It's been to long since we went out just the two of us."
"Agreed." Maybe getting drunk with her best friend and relaxing would be enough.
Because bringing someone else into her bed didn't sound as appealing as it usually did, and there was no way she wanted to use any of the four shitheads just to get some damn sleep.
She wasn't ready for what it would mean once she slept with one of them.
"I miss drunken hookups."
Concern trickled through Ridley. She thought Malia and Katy were happy and thriving. She sucked as a best friend if she was missing problems. "Everything okay with you and Katy?"
"Oh, definitely. I am so in love with her it's a little pathetic and embarrassing. But I did always love when you first met someone and everything was new and exciting."
Ridley laughed. "Until you wake up sober and have to sneak out before they get too clingy."
"Right. Maybe I just miss getting super drunk and pounding greasy onion rings on the regular."
"Then that is what we'll do tomorrow night."
"Excellent."
Chapter 16
Ridley
MADDOX AND RIDLEY TROOPED down the stairs of the apartment complex, disappointment and frustration slumping their shoulders. No one could remember anything and didn't recognize either photo. A few thought maybe they saw Misner, but couldn't be sure.
"Dammit. This is taking too long. We don't even have the slightest clue if we're on the right track. We might be wasting our time with both of them."
Ridley swallowed back her own curse. "It's a definite possibility. But you never know what might shake loose while we investigate them. Gotta say I agree with you though. Investigating like this sucks ass."
Maddox looked over at her when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "How do you usually handle that side of it when women come to you for help?"
They didn’t actually do much investigating. Not like the guys did. She’d actually enjoyed it more than she expected when she worked with them on the Gregory case.
"Usually Malia and I do a little online recon, get as much info from the woman as possible about the target, get her to safety, then usually beat the shit out of him and put the fear of God into them."
Maddox laughed. "I like your way better. What I wouldn't give to just grab both of them and lock them in a room with you for a few hours until they break."
They crossed the street to the parking lot where they’d left their bikes.
"And I'm willing to help you do just that, but even if one of them is guilty, you'd have to either kill him or let him go. The Legion won't touch him with a coerced confession. You won't get any judgment from me if you decide that's the way you want to go."
Maddox stopped Ridley from mounting her bike with a hand on her arm, and Ridley turned to face him with a bemused frown. He grabbed her upper arms in a careful grip and tugged her closer, giving her every chance, every opportunity to stop him, to pull away.
But she didn't.
Instead, she rested her palms on his massive chest and peeked up at him through her lashes, a smirk on her face hiding the pounding in her chest, the need in her belly.
She ignored the questions she still needed to answer, the decisions she still needed to make. None of it mattered in this moment. The only thing that mattered was the icy heat racing through her.
"You are something else, babe." His hands tightened on her arms as he raised her onto the tips of her toes so she could reach him.
"I know." Tired of waiting for him, she pressed up against his hard body and teased his mouth with hers.
His chest rumbled and he yanked her closer as he kissed her back, his hands sliding from her arms to her lower back. Ridley's fingers dug into the hard muscles of Maddox's chest, her head spinning as their tongues tangled and danced, as he traced shapes across her back, at his hard length caught between them.
Maddox pulled away a little and spoke against her lips. "What are your plans for the night? Beckett mentioned he could cook if you wanted to come to our place. Everyone's tired of takeout."
"Not tonight." Ridley kissed him one last time before pulling out of his arms. "Malia and I have plans."
He licked his lips, looking like he was savoring her taste. "Oh yeah? Something to do with the house you're buying?"
"No. We're going out." Her words came out strangled and breathless.
"Really? Anywhere special?"
"Mind some company?"
She shook her head. "Sorry. Girl's night out." She definitely couldn’t bring someone home with those four looming over her.
"The guys and I could probably use a chill night. We've been so focused on the investigation and have been split up across the city, I haven't had a chance to really check in with them." Guilt slashed across his face.
Ridley smiled, warmed at the way he cared for his team. "Let me know what they find on Wallace. If you need me to take a shift, I will."
"I think it might be time to throw in the towel on constant surveillance. It only got us Jeston. And we still don't know what the money was for."
Nothing good. Jeston was the guy she stole the money from and he’d been arrested multiple times for drugs and solicitation. Misner was looking dirty as hell.
"What are you thinking of trying next?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Keep watch over their phone activity, go back over everything we have on their contacts and on them, see if we missed something. Maybe if we take a breath, something will spark. You've all been working overtime on this for me and I'm being an ass by expecting miracles and answers right away."
"Maybe. But it's understandable. You'll find your answers one day, Maddox. You just have to keep searching."
He tilted his head to stare up at the clouds crawling across the sky. "At what point does it become ridiculous though?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've spent so many years searching for whoever killed my brother. The rest of my family has grieved the healthy way and moved on. I'm the only one who hasn't." He sighed and adjusted the bun in his hair. "How long do I chase my brother's ghost instead of building a life of my own?"
"You don't feel like you have a life? Do you not see what you've already built?" Ridley shook her head. The idiot had no idea. "You've built an incredible team of who might very well be the only decent Legion aces in existence. The four of you are a family. They're your brothers. And you have one of the highest successful arrest rates in the city. You've got a gorgeous home, more money than you could ever possibly spend, and you spend your time either helping save people or making Hawaii a safer place regardless of the Legion's shittiness. What more do you need? Do you feel like you don't have a real life until you're married with a boring job and a couple of kids?"
Boom (Aces and Knaves, #2) Page 7