Page 88 of Saving Grace
Our flight from Dallas back to Atlanta was uneventful. Lucas and Colt met us at the latter’s Atlanta condo so we could backup the memory stick to a repository on the Dark Web.
I removed Troy’s name from the list on the flash drive much to Matt and Colt’s objection, but I argued that I had the unedited one stored away, so I still had leverage until I figured out if Troy betrayed me. After I had time to calm down, I realized it could be any of his men, but I knew they’d been with him for a long time. Still, not all of them wanted to get out of moving drugs for the Carillo Cartel. That much Troy had told me.
All I had to do was contact the DEA Administrator and the Attorney General and relieve myself of this burden, and The Reaper would come for me. No more cat and mouse. Matt and I would be ready.
We should have expected the shit storm that awaited us in Misty Grove.
*****
“Your boss showed up the other day.”
This was the first news that greeted us when we pulled up at the garage on Sunday evening.
“Elliot showed up here?” I verified. Roger nodded, but I was more alarmed at the bruises on his face, which my husband immediately addressed.
“What happened to you?” Matt demanded, stepping down from the pickup and rounding the vehicle to get to my side of the door. His eyes never left Roger though.
“Cristiano and some of Troy’s crew demanded to see Grace,” Roger replied, lightly touching his jaw where the bruise was darker. “I told him I didn’t know where you were. That’s the truth anyway.”
“And he beat you up for that? That son of a bitch,” Matt growled, yanking his phone from his back pocket and thumbing through his list. He opened my door as he held his phone to his ear. I jumped down from the pickup and leaned against it, anxiously waiting for his call to go through.
“Boss, it’s no big deal.” Roger tried to appease Matt. “I was a bit of a smart ass.”
“I’ll decide what’s a big deal or not,” my husband snapped. “Troy. Foster.” He listened for a while before he cut the biker off. “I don’t give a shit what you’re thinking, but Cristiano laying a hand on Roger is an offense to me.” He paused again. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Fine. Get your ass over here, and we’ll talk. Alone. Not sure if it’s a good idea to bring Cristiano with you because I might shoot him on sight,” Matt threatened, then ended the call.
“You need to calm down, boss. It’s just a few punches and Axe stopped him.”
“Where’s Axe? In fact, where’s everyone?” Matt asked, grabbing our suitcases and walking into the garage.
“It’s Sunday, boss,” Roger reminded him.
“You’re right,” Matt muttered, dropping the luggage on the bottom of the stairs leading up to the loft. He turned to me. “Grace, I’m sorry if you don’t want to talk to Troy right now, but he’s on his way.”
“I figured that,” I replied dryly.
“If you want me to stall, I will,” Matt said. “But it’s no use denying anything. Someone spotted us at the Dallas airport.”
“What?”
“I’m not surprised,” he shrugged. “The moment Troy realized we’d disappeared, he probably called out surveillance from his contacts.”
“Damn. Does that mean El Segador knows, too?”
“Probably,” Matt said. “That’s why we need to get Troy on our side. Somehow, I don’t see him setting you up. He’s got too much to lose.”
“Cristiano?”
Matt nodded grimly, looking at Roger. “Tell me everything.”
We were all gathered in Matt’s office when Troy arrived. He came alone as Matt requested—or rather—demanded. I was sitting in Matt’s chair while my husband half-sat on his desk. The biker came in, sprawled into the chair across from me, then looked at Roger who was standing at the far end of the room.
“Sorry about Cristiano,” he offered. “He was a bit too enthusiastic.”
“Why send your second?” Matt asked.
“I knew you guys snuck out of town,” Troy sneered instead of answering him. I’d never seen this contemptuous look on his face before. I was suddenly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Matt sensed my withdrawal.
“Grace?” Matt turned his head to me in concern. “Want to do this some other time?”