“It’s the boss,” I whispered and ducked down so that he wouldn’t see me.
“What? Oh my god, Max. Are you serious?”
“I’m serious.”
“What is he doing? Is he leaving?”
I shook my head. “He just sat down. Quickly, if you look now, he’s not looking this way.”
Madison turned to look at the man in question, and when she turned back to face me, I saw that she looked surprised by who she had seen.
“You’re sure?” she asked again.
“Madi, I’m sure. I can feel it. And I remember him being there that night. Oh my god, Madi, I remember him shooting Shell,” I said as the memory came back to me. He’d shot Shell even though Shell had done nothing wrong. My stomach was twisted in a knot, and I resisted the urge to throw up. “What are we going to do?”
“Max, that man is from Congress. I recognize him from the TV. Holy shit. He’s a well-known public figure.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Definitely. We have to call it in,” she said. “Oh, good, there’s a bathroom behind you. I’m going to casually walk over there now and call the chief.”
Madison walked away while I pretended to read a newspaper on the table. Every now and again, I shifted my gaze towards his table and was glad that he was not facing me directly. When Madison came back, I noticed that she had a fine bead of sweat on her forehead. I had never seen her look so nervous, and I resisted the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her. But if I did, it might attract the attention of those around us, which would in turn attract the attention of the boss.
“What happened?” I asked quietly. “Did you talk to him?”
She nodded. “Yeah. They’re on their way. We have to keep an eye on him in case he bolts. Don’t stare at him too often, but just make sure he isn’t planning on leaving.”
I looked at the man again and shook my head. “I think we’re fine. He’s just received his coffee and doesn’t seem to suspect a thing. What the hell, Madi? Do you think he was here because of us? I mean, not this café, but this area?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea, but I assume so. I guess he figured it out somehow. Out of all the places in the world, how did he know that we were in this area? We’re such idiots. We shouldn’t have come out. We were supposed to be locked away until we found him. We were being too reckless.”
“Yeah, but if we didn’t come out, we wouldn’t have our eye on him,” I reminded her. “We’ve got him, Madi. We’ve got him.” I felt so much anger looking at the man. How could he just sit there drinking his coffee as if he were the most normal person in the world? It drove me crazy.
“True. Oh man, I hope the chief hurries. He said they are ten minutes away. Apparently, they’ve been patrolling this area.”
The ten minutes were the longest ten minutes of our lives. The boss thankfully ordered a second cup of coffee and seemed in no rush to go anywhere. Still, I kept worrying that he’d look up and see me. I couldn’t see his whole body from where I was sitting, but the chances of him having a gun on him were very high. When the waitress came by to ask if we wanted anything else, I almost jumped in my seat.
“Few minutes, thank you,” I said and quickly waved her away. I could see she was confused by my sudden change in attitude. I’d been so friendly before then.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I spotted the chief and his team walking towards us. I ducked while the chief ran in and arrested the man. Then I got up and walked up to them. The boss recognized me immediately and spat at my shoes.
“Rat,” he said to me.
“Thanks for coming so quickly,” I said to the team. Then I looked at the boss and smiled. “And finally, we have you where we want you. You’re going to be put away for the rest of your life.”
The man burst out laughing. “Oh, you have no idea what you’re talking about. And trust me, Max,” he said and hissed as he said my name. “You are never going to make it to testify against me. This isn’t over yet. Oh no, this is far from over.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Madison
My body was trembling when they took the boss away. Even though he was caught, I still couldn’t get over what he had said to Max. I hadn’t seen so much hatred in one person before. The moment they took him away I looked at Max.
“I cannot believe that the entire time the boss has been Fredrick O’Leary. A man in Congress. I can’t believe it. No wonder you didn’t meet him the entire year. He probably doesn’t go to these drug hauls because he doesn’t want the world to see what he’s really involved in. It’s so shady. I never liked him on the TV, and now I know why.”
“I had no idea. I remember thinking he looked familiar, but I had no idea. I’m just so glad we got him. I’m so glad I finally remembered something important.”
I shuddered. “I don’t think you can forget a face like that. He has so much hatred in his eyes.”
We were still standing in the café, amongst a few very terrified and confused customers. All the workers had come out to see what was going on too. The chief popped his head back in and told us that we were all going back to the station. He told us that someone would be coming to get us, and we’d see him there. I was glad that we were not going to be riding with the chief. It was a long drive, and I could see that he wasn’t happy with us. I turned to talk to the waitress, who was holding onto the counter as if she were going to faint.
“Hey, don’t worry. We got him.”
“But . . .who . . . ?”
“He was part of a drug gang. He was the leader. It’s a long story, and very complicated, but the main thing is that we got him.”
“But you guys . . . who are you? Did you know he was bad straight away? Is that why you came here?”
I shook my head. “No, it was a case of being at the right place at the right time. We’re cops, and we’ve been looking for this guy. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want anyone to lose their cool. It was clear he had no idea that anyone was onto him today. You did well,” I said to her.
We followed our driver back to the car and made our way to the office. We were immediately greeted by Blake, who followed us in. The chief closed the door and offered us all a round of coffees, which we all declined. There was a strange tension in the air.
“Look, Chief, before you say anything . . .” Max started.
The chief held up his hand. “No, I don’t want to hear it. I went out of my way to put the two of you in witness protection. I don’t give that house to just anyone. I give it to people that I know I can trust. You had enough food and amenities to last you for months, and yet it only took you a few days to go out. Twice. I mean, the first time I was lenient, I said it was fine as long as you were careful. But to go out immediately the day after even when I asked you not to? Don’t the two of you have any idea what sort of danger you are in? This isn’t just fun and games. You’ve both been on this job long enough to know that it’s serious. People are after you, and they want you dead. These are not guys that you play games with.”
I gulped, and I shot a glance at Max. I felt incredibly guilty for going against his orders, but Max didn’t seem bothered at all. He was looking at the chief in annoyance.
“You do realize that if Madison and I didn’t go out there today, we wouldn’t have caught this guy?” he said. “I know we should’ve listened to your orders, but at the same time, you have to at least appreciate that what happened was a good thing. Madi and I are very good at what we do, and we work well as a team. I may not remember everything, but I do remember that. We can help you catch this guy.”
The chief looked angry. “Are you kidding me, Max? Don’t you see what sort of danger you’re in? Sure, we got the main guy, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the end of it. Frederick O’Leary, the boss, is a very powerful man. Just because we’ve arrested doesn’t mean that he’s not going to have other people after you. It doesn’t just end with him. Didn’t you hear what he said? He’s not going to r
est until you are dead. And I really believe him. Now, as much as I’m glad that we caught this guy, I would’ve preferred to have done it without you. The boss had no idea that you were alive. I’m sure he suspected it, but he didn’t have proof. The last time he saw you, he had shot you, and you were out cold on the floor. It would’ve been far better to have let him believe you were dead rather than see you alive. And it’s not just about seeing you alive that’s bugging me. It’s about the fact that it has now made him angrier than before. And he’s not the kind of man that you want staying angry.”
“No, I don’t want to anger him. But I’m not scared of him either. We have the law on our side,” Max said, although I noticed that his tone had changed. I wasn’t sure how confident he felt anymore. I think even he realized that the chief had been right. We shouldn’t have been so hasty in going out. I wondered if Max was scared for the first time about the possibility that someone might be after him. If so, he probably wouldn’t want to admit it to me.
Blake stepped forward then. “I think we all need to be very careful. I still think that there is a mole in this team. I think that’s how the boss knew where you were now. I don’t think we should let anything out from this circle, just in case. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I think it’s probably better if I voice my concerns.”
“What concerns? Do you know something?” I asked.
“Well, not really,” Blake said. “It’s just a feeling I get. I have a suspicion that it’s Peter we should be watching out for.”
Peter? He had been a part of the team for a long time, and I was certain that Max had always respected him. He’d also always been there for Max, and I couldn’t why he would do anything like this. Although, I couldn’t help but remember the way he had approached Max when he’d come out of the hospital. He’d been almost too cheery to seem sincere.
“You really think it’s Peter?” I said.
“I don’t know. It’s just a strange feeling I get. I don’t want to put ideas in your head that aren’t right though,” Blake said. “But I do think that we should all be extra careful at this moment. It’s not worth taking the chance. Money is a big motivator.”
The chief beamed at Blake as if he were the only sensible person in the room.
“I agree. I’m not saying that I think it’s Peter, but I do agree with Blake about keeping our guard up from now on. Let’s all be very careful. We won’t let them fool us again. Now, I know that the man is behind bars, but like I said, that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down. Max and Madison, I’m putting you back in witness protection. If you want anything, I suggest you get it from the shop with the driver, and you make sure you bring him in with you. Then I want you to stay in that house until further notice. Do you understand?”
Max and I both nodded. “We understand,” I said. “I’m sorry about what happened. We weren’t being smart. I guess we didn’t realize how bad it was. We shouldn’t have gone out, and I cannot apologize enough.”
The chief sighed. He couldn’t be mad at us for too long; we’d always all gotten along so well, and we had way too much history. I knew that he was just angry because he was worried.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I just want to keep you all safe. That’s all. I’m not mad at you, but I just don’t want to see anything happen to my favorite two people. I would never forgive myself. Now, are you going to be okay back in that house? It wasn’t all bad, was it? I was hoping you could view it as a holiday.”
I sighed. “You’ve locked me up with Max; it’s awful,” I said and pulled a face.
Blake chuckled. “You poor thing!”
“Yeah, horrible,” the chief agreed.
“Hey! I’m right here you know,” Max said, and we all laughed.
The chief pulled me aside alone afterward to see how everything was going. I apologized again and promised him that we wouldn’t make the same mistake.
“I guess we were being too confident about the whole thing.”
“That’s okay. But listen, I just wanted to check up on you. Are you doing okay? I know it’s rough for the two of you not to have any work to do, but I promise you it won’t be for long. Now that the boss is locked up, it’s only a matter of time before we get the other guys.”
“Nah, we’re fine. I was just messing with you earlier. We get bored easily, that’s all. You know what we’re like. But we need to learn to relax. And we need to lay low. This is far more serious than any of us cared to admit.”
“I’m glad you see it that way now. And how has Max been? Is he starting to remember more?”
“Yeah, he is. Bit by bit. He’s been fine.”
“Madison, I only realized the other day that I stuck you both in a house with one bedroom. I’m so sorry. That couldn’t have been fun.”
I tried desperately not to blush as the memories of Max came flooding to my mind. Max without his shirt on. Max kissing me on the bed. Max touching me in places I never thought he would touch me. I gulped and tried to push the thoughts away.
“Nah, it’s fine. There’s also the couch. We’re making do.”
“The couch? Oh no, that thing is not comfortable. There’s a blow-up mattress in the closet,” he said. “Didn’t you find it?”
“There is? No, I didn’t see it.”
“Yeah, in the bedroom closet, it’s on the far right I think. That should make your life a lot easier.”
I smiled. “Oh, that’s good to know. Thanks, Chief, I’ll make sure to take it out.”
Later, when we got back to the house safely, and we were alone again, Max asked me what the chief wanted. I thought of the mattress in the closet and smiled.
“Oh, nothing really. He just wanted to see if I was doing okay, that’s all. You know how he worries about us,” I said.
“Yeah. I actually do feel bad for going against his wishes now. He’s right. We need to let them do their thing. I’m exhausted after all of that. Want to climb into bed?”
Did I want to climb into bed with Max when there was another bed waiting to be used in the closet? I smiled. “I’d like nothing more,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Max
A few days had passed since the incident at the café, and I was still feeling nervous about it all. I hadn’t wanted to admit to anyone how worried I was, but I couldn’t help but worry that the boss was going to find a way to walk out. Madison must’ve seen the concern on my face because she took my hand and squeezed it. The two of us were sitting on the sofa, watching a movie, but for a while, I’d just been staring at the screen without watching. I hadn’t thought she had noticed.
“You okay?” she asked. She reached for the remote and switched off the TV and turned to look at me. “You’re a million miles away.”
I sighed. “I’m okay. I’m just worried.”
“About the boss?”
“Yeah. I mean, he’s got a lot of connections. A lot! And I’ve seen things like this happen before, where guys walk away despite being in the wrong. If he knows the right people, he will easily walk away. And then what? Then I’m going to be watching my back for the rest of my life.”
“No, we can’t let that happen.”
“I know. We need to get to that courtroom soon. The quicker it happens, the less chance he has of gathering up people to help him. I’m sure he has tons of people on the outside rallying together as we speak.”
“I hate that we have to just sit here and wait. It’s the worst. I know the chief keeps saying we must use this as vacation time, but it’s not the easiest thing to do. It’s not like we can just relax. There’s way too much going on in my mind to fully relax.”
I nodded. That was exactly the way I was feeling. The whole week we had tried to enjoy ourselves, but it was clear that neither of us knew what to do. We’d skirted around the various issues at hand. We had no idea what was going on between the two of us, we had no idea what was happening in the outside world, and we didn’t know how to handle it. I was glad to know that I w
asn’t the only one going through it, though. It was good to have Madison with me.
“I’m just glad I’m not here alone,” I said.
Madison grinned. “Oh yeah? You think I’m better company than no company?”
“Let’s just put it this way: I’d rather look at you all day than look at myself in a mirror,” I said and smiled at her.
“I look a mess,” she said, and her hands flew automatically to her head.
I laughed. “You could never look a mess. Honestly, Madi, if it wasn’t for you, I’m not sure what I would’ve done. I would’ve literally gone out of my mind.” I looked at her. She was still holding my hand, and her thumb was brushing against my hand. I felt my body begin to react to her touch. I’d been avoiding touching her all week because I wasn’t sure what she wanted to happen between us. But she was touching me now and looking at me, and there was no way I could pull away. I was just about to pull closer when my phone rang I jumped up in surprise.
“Damn,” I said as I reached for my phone in my jeans. Madison had pulled her hand away the moment the phone rang, and I felt sad that it wasn’t there anymore. I saw that it was the chief and quickly answered it. I probably would’ve let the phone just ring if it was anyone else, but I couldn’t not answer a call from the chief. “Everything okay?” I asked.
“Hi, Max. I’m just phoning to let you know that I’m on my way. I’m coming over to talk. I’ll be there soon.”
I put the phone down and sighed heavily. I wished I had asked the chief what he meant by soon because I wanted desperately to reach over and kiss Madison. Although it was probably a good thing I had answered, and he hadn’t just arrived unannounced.
Dirty Maverick (The Maxwell Family) Page 13