“Aiding and abetting for starters.” Dace was taunting him, and the snide grin he wore gave it away.
“Okay. And who, may I ask, am I aiding?”
“Cartel.” Dace felt the moment deserved duh as an answer, but thought better of it.
“Not a fucking chance. I loathe the bastards. They’ve made my life pure hell, and that of your fiancée – are we still calling her that – and your child, I might add.”
Dace rolled his eyes. “This is boring me. How about we just go straight to capital murder?”
“Of who?”
“Let’s see if I can make this any clearer. You knew who was at the compound, who cleaned up the mess – because you told them we were coming – and where to find the bodies you left lying around. Wait, except for two. You needed those to play your story out.”
“Wow. It sounds like you have this all figured out, and I need a lawyer.” Eli looked at Carter. “Taking any new clients, Brother?”
“Whoa.” Carter put his hands up in surrender. “Don’t drag me into this. Besides, it would be a conflict of interest. This is my case, and I’d be trying you. And I’m not your fucking brother.”
“Oh, but you are. I’d hope for the family discount. How do you think I knew who you were, how vital you were to this team? I’ve studied you for years, finally figured it out. We share the same DNA because we share the same father. I grew up with him while you grew up with your mother, who clearly didn’t tell you the truth about your paternity. I can prove it all, of course, but it seems we have another matter to tend to at the moment.”
“Well, there’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming.” Wylie snickered. “This shit’s just getting weirder by the minute.”
“It’s all bullshit,” Carter challenged. “It’s a distraction. He knows more and wants to segue to daddy issues.”
“Ah, Brother. I was hoping for a warmer reception than that.”
“If you’re brothers, why doesn’t Carter have the crazy accent?” Wylie questioned, earning looks of disapproval from his brothers.
“Easy. My father was a political dignitary when he was younger. Met a pretty girl while he was here – had a sweet fling – left for his home country and didn’t give her another thought because it was forbidden. He was already slated to marry my mother and did. I came just a few months after Carter here. We’re practically twins – how fun is that?”
“It’s bullshit, is what it is.” Carter grew angry. “Can we stop with the charade and get back to business?”
“I knew you were a player,” Dace said. “This little performance of yours – not quite Oscar-worthy, by the way – kind of confirms it.”
“I assure you, I have told you everything I know. If you’d quit focusing on the wrong subjects, maybe this thing will be resolved, and we can all go about our business. I know you believe, deep down, that I am as innocent as Ivy.”
“I didn’t say Ivy was innocent.”
“You wouldn’t be sleeping with her if you didn’t, Dace. You’re a man of honor and justice. You don’t sleep with the enemy – you crucify it as though it’s the bain of your existence like you tried me just now.”
“I don’t trust you,” Dace said point-blank. “I think you’re up to something. I think you came here, wheels on fire, dropped a bunch of intel, then went quiet for a reason. You’re waiting to make your next move.”
“You don’t have to trust me to need me, and you know you do need me. I understand the suspicion because I would feel the same way. I brought you all together, Ivy included, because I know that man who calls himself Ivy’s father is a player. The man is dirty as sin, and every minute you focus on me, or Ivy, he gets a step ahead of us, and your son gets further out of reach. GPS me, put a detail on me, hook me up to an old-fashioned lie detector…you’ll find that I’m being honest on all fronts” – Eli looked at Carter – “including the brother thing, but we can table that for another day. I’m not just looking out for people I care about but gain my freedom by doing so. I’m passing the torch, so to speak – I am handing Ivy and Cash’s safety and well being to you because I’m no longer needed. Let me help you do that.”
All eyes were on Dace as he coolly stared at his potential enemy. He’d tried him, caught him off guard, gave him the chance to waver from the position he’d claimed all along…and the man didn’t falter. Eli wanted Dace to protect his own family so he could move on. His focus and theory had been the same from start to current, and that had to stand for something. Sure, the bit about Carter being his brother was odd and completely ill-timed, but the rest was on point.
Dace nodded his approval Eli’s way. “You fuck this up, you fucking lie, and it’s me that you’ll be running from, Eli.”
“I’d expect no less.”
CHAPTER 26
“It’s definitely cartel,” Carter said. “I have confirmation and already shared it with Eva so she can get into it on her end. This is a resurgence – part of Esteban's group you took down a while back.”
“Eva’s father?” Wylie questioned. “I thought we dismantled them completely when Esteban was killed. Eva not knowing they’re reassembling means she’s in danger.”
“Not necessarily. Just because they’re rebuilding doesn’t mean they’re a threat to her. Not yet, anyway. We’ve seen this before,” Dace reminded.
Carter went on. “These guys aren’t as sophisticated as Esteban was, so Eva will have them in her back pocket in no time. They’re mostly working for hire now – not a power cell. With Eva’s help, I was able to link them to a group we’re watching. They already have feds on their tail, so this should be a slam dunk. Bring them in, show them the case we’ve built against them, remind them they have enemies in the supermax they’d be headed to, and get them to turn on whoever they’re getting their paycheck from because I’m certain that’s our unsub.”
“Keeping Ivy’s name out of it, or do we need to prep her?” Dace asked.
“For now, she’s a victim in this case, and if she wasn’t already under your protection, she’d be under ours,” Carter said, referring to the Federal Government.
“She’s safer with us,” Dace added.
“I agree. She wouldn’t be safe in WITSEC – not when our suspect links to the high offices of DC.”
“What would a Washington official need cartel for? Have we nailed that down?” Wylie asked.
“Arms, drugs…access and distribution,” Carter answered. “Ninety percent of DC is in someone’s back pocket. Why do you think they’re all loaded? It’s from backroom deals, and I’m certain that’s what this is – DEA and ATF are confiscating shit left and right that belonged to us in the first place.”
“What, we’re busting the cartel, confiscating their shit, and what…selling it back to them?” Dace asked.
“Then selling it back to them again. It’s a working theory.”