“Because of his hands?” Daniel asked cautiously.
Eli’s lips parted in surprise as if he couldn’t believe he had said that. He blew out a breath. “Caffrey was a bastard to everyone, but the things he made Mo do were indescribable. Mo was small for his age. He told me he came from Papua New Guinea, and his skin was really dark. Caffrey…” Eli swallowed. “Think of every racial slur you ever heard and then double it and it doesn’t come close to the hell Caffrey put him through. He didn’t just make him do the scrap metal, but they had this cleaner for the trailers. Nasty stuff. Cruz always wore gloves and left the doors open when he used it. Caffrey didn’t like the ‘bad job’ Mo did of cleaning one day and made him do it with that stuff. No gloves. Cruz gave him vodka for the pain.”
Daniel couldn’t speak for a long minute.
“I never saw Caffrey try anything with Cruz, but I guess he would have been too old then.”
“He’s thirty-five now, so he was only nineteen when you went there. It would be easy to find out if he was fostered there originally.” Daniel clung onto facts and tried to keep his tone even. “There’s a small chance we could get Cruz to talk if you think he wasn’t there by choice.”
“I think sometimes people get to the point where they don’t see any choice.”
Daniel knew Eli wasn’t just talking about Cruz.
Eli shivered even though the car wasn’t that cool. “Come on, let’s go.”
Eli answered his phone just as they got back to Daniel’s. It was Talon. “Carl Ramsay has just called the field office, and it was put through to Gregory.”
“What?” Daniel asked incredulously.
“The Mile High Club? He’s invited all the team to the exclusive opening night party upstairs tomorrow night.”
“All the team?” Eli clarified.
“Yes, but I’m just going to use it as a way of getting Sawyer in there. Eli is mentioned by name,” Talon interrupted. “As are you, as a thank-you for saving his receptionist’s life.”
“This is insane,” Daniel bit out. “Eli, there is absolutely no way you can go.” Daniel gripped the steering wheel.
“Why?”
The one quiet word left Daniel incensed. “Why? Did you just ask me why you shouldn’t go to party with a monster who—”
“Exactly, Daniel.” Eli’s voice hardened. “There’s nothing else he could possibly do to me that he hasn’t already.”
“Talon,” Daniel nearly growled. “Please tell me you aren’t sanctioning this?”
“I’m sorry, Eli,” Talon said. “But I’m with Daniel on this. It was one thing consulting as a backup for the Orlando feds, but it would be irresponsible of me putting you in that situation. I know you want to be in there, but I think we need to leave this to Daniel and Sawyer.”
Eli nodded even though Talon couldn’t see him as Daniel pulled into his parking space. “No. I’m sick of Caffrey still dictating my actions even now. I’m going whether you all come or not.”
Eli was out of the car and jogging to the elevator before Daniel got a chance to say anything else.
“That went well,” Talon said dryly into the sudden silence.
Didn’t it just?
Chapter Nineteen
Eli nearly burst through the door. How dare he? How fucking dare he think for one second he had the right to dictate where he went. He would leave. He would leave right the hell now. He grabbed the backpack from the bottom of the hall closet where he’d tossed it and stormed into his bedroom.
He heard the apartment door open and tensed, ready for an argument.
“You are such a good girl.”
Eli froze. Trixie. Jacob’s daughter. Shit, Trixie and the dog. He hadn’t even registered she wasn’t there when he let himself into the apartment. He’d been too angry. He glanced at his phone. Just after three.
“Hello?” he heard Trixie call nervously.
Eli plastered on a smile and opened the door. The closet door was still open where he’d grabbed the bag and had obviously been closed when she arrived to pick up the dog. “Hi, Trixie,” Eli said evenly as he opened the bedroom door wider. The dog immediately started wagging her cropped tail, and Trixie let go of the leash so she could hop over to him. “How’s she been?”
“She’s an absolute sweetheart.” Trixie grinned now she knew it was Eli that was there. “And there’s a beagle—Dynamite—at the dog park that’s her new best friend.”
“Dynamite, huh?” Eli chuckled and rubbed the dog under her chin. The apartment door opened and Daniel stepped in. He glanced at Trixie and the dog, then Eli, but Eli looked away.
“Hi, Uncle Danny.” Trixie smiled, oblivious to the sudden drop in temperature. Eli managed not to shiver and buried his head in the dog’s thick coat. “Did you decide on a name yet?” Eli shook his head and heard the frustration in Trixie’s voice. “Because I can’t keep calling her ‘Dog.’ It’s weird.”
“Maybe you should choose one?” But Trixie shook her head.
“Nope, she’s not mine.”
She’s not mine either. What would he do with a dog? Dogs needed a family, and he was leaving. He had to leave. Eli stood up and reached into his back pocket for some bills, solemnly handing them over to Trixie. Her eyes widened a little when she saw how much he’d given her, and before he knew what she was going to do, Trixie flung her arms around him. “Thank you. This is going in my gas fund.”
Eli squeezed her, slightly embarrassed, and stepped back, letting go. “Saving for a car, huh?”
“Grandma gave me her truck because Dad says it’s big enough to have bubble wrap installed.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s like a tank and inhales gas. It’s going to cost me a fortune to run, but I think that’s their plan.”
“Too expensive to drive far?” Daniel hazarded a guess after he got a hug as well.
Trixie nodded, then bent down to give the dog a final pat. “Same time Monday?”
Eli nodded but really had no idea what to say. He wouldn’t be here Monday and no idea about the dog.
Trixie left, and Eli went back into his room. He didn’t realize Daniel had followed him until he spoke. “Going somewhere?”
Eli knew he was looking at the clothes he’d rammed into the bag and the others still on the bed. He didn’t reply for a few moments, hoping Daniel would take the hint and leave. He didn’t. Eli turned and glanced at him. He’d taken his jacket off and was leaning on the dresser, arms folded, calmly waiting for a reply.
Eli walked to the window to stare out of it, then turned to face him. “I’m not your absolution.” Whatever Daniel was searching for, Eli couldn’t give it to him.
It must have taken Daniel a few seconds because he didn’t reply right away. “I’m not asking you to be.”
Daniel let his arms drop and took a couple of steps nearer. Much nearer. Eli just resisted the temptation to step back toward the wall. “You’re not some pet project, Eli, and I don’t think you need saving. I’ve treated you no different from any other partner—”