Tricks (Take It Off #6)(40)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“I need to ask you something,” Tucker said, his tone turning more serious.

“Of course,” Cavalli replied, pulling over a chair from a nearby table and sitting down with us.

“It probably won’t make sense, and I’m sorry, but I can’t explain right now. I will when I’m able. But it’s important.”

“You know I will help you if I can.”

I stared at Tucker. In that moment, he didn’t just look like Max, but he sounded like him. Max was always so earnest when he spoke. He was always so straightforward. I admired that because I always knew what to expect.

Before Tucker continued his conversation, he gave me a small look, obviously noticing I was staring. I cleared my throat and took a sip of my water.

“Have I recently given you anything for safekeeping? A flash drive?”

To his credit, Cavalli didn’t act as if the question was loony. He seemed to take it in stride and my heart began to pound in excitement. He must’ve known what we were asking about!

Justice is coming, Max.

Cavalli sat back in the chair and regarded Tucker for a long moment. “What’s this about? Are you in trouble, Max?”

“I wish I could explain,” Tucker said, sitting forward.

“No,” he answered. “You haven’t given me anything for safekeeping. I haven’t seen you in weeks. Don’t you remember?”

Tucker smiled. “Of course. I just need confirmation.”

Cavalli sat forward. “Max, you know if you need help, I will be there.”

Something shifted behind Tucker’s eyes. Sorrow perhaps. And then it was gone. “You’ve been a great friend to… to me. Good friends are hard to come by these days and you’ve been one. Thank you.”

He was thanking this man for being so good to his brother. For being there for him even when he wasn’t. I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes and I pushed them back.

Tucker carried a lot of guilt inside him. For the men who died that he couldn’t save. For his brother who he pushed away and now would never get to tell he was sorry…

I wondered what other pieces made up the man that Tucker was. I wanted to know them. I wanted to know everything I could about him. I realized I wasn’t just wildly attracted to him. He didn’t just make my pulse race… I liked him.

Cavalli smiled. “Nothing you wouldn’t have done for me.” He stood and clapped Max on the back. “Meal’s on the house.”

He planted a light kiss on my cheek and then went back to the kitchen.

We sat there in charged, disappointed silence.

“I wasn’t here when he needed me most,” Tucker said quietly.

“Well, I was here and didn’t even know he was in trouble.” I added.

“The flash drive’s not here. We need to keep looking.” He pushed away from the table and stood. After dropping a generous tip on the table, he walked away without looking to see if I would follow.

Sometimes his mood swings gave me whiplash.

I looked around the restaurant one final time, remembering the last time I was here. It was with Max. We came for dinner, we talked about work a lot, but we had some good laughs too. That dinner was the last date we’d ever have.

Tucker reappeared beside the table. I tilted my head back to look up at him. “You okay?”

I nodded, swallowing thickly.

“I’m sorry I was an ass.”

I felt my lips pull up. “That was difficult for you, wasn’t it?”

“What?”

“Apologizing.”

“I usually prefer to deliver my apologies in a different way,” he said suggestively. The desire that waved off his body literally melted me to the floor.

I didn’t know how to respond. Most men I talked to, most men I interacted with, were not even half as sexual as Tucker was. It was like he thought about sex every three seconds.

Thankfully, I was saved by my ringing cell in my bag. I pulled it out, noting on the screen it was my mother. I would have let it go to voicemail, but I needed a way out of this conversation.

“Hi, Mom,” I said, putting the phone up to my ear.

“Charlotte! How are you, honey?”

I stood from the table and followed Tucker across the polished floor toward the exit.

“I’m good, but I’m actually in the middle of something. Could I call you back in a bit?”

“Of course. I just wanted to tell you that I’m late mailing out your latest box.” I almost groaned out loud thinking about the monthly box my mother always mailed me. The boxes I always had to go retrieve from the UPS store.

Wait.

The UPS store. The note left on my door.

“You haven’t sent it yet?” I asked curiously.

“No, honey, and I’m sorry. But I found the cutest little slippers online. They will be just perfect for you on cold nights… but the color I wanted was all out of stock so I had to wait for them to come in. They arrived today so I will be mailing your box within a day or two.”

Tucker held open the door to the outside and I stepped through, out onto the cold New York City sidewalk. If my mother hadn’t sent me a package, then who did?

“Mom, I’m going to have to call you back,” I said quickly, not waiting for her to say good-bye before disconnecting the call.

I spun, practically knocking into Tucker. “Whoa,” he said, grabbing me by the shoulders. “Who was that?”

Was there anyone Max trusted—really trusted—that he might give it to for safekeeping? Tucker’s question bounced around in my swirling mind.

I did know someone Max trusted.

Me.

My eyes collided with Tucker’s. “I know where the flash drive is.”

25

Tucker

“You really think it’s in there?” I asked, standing in front of a UPS office, staring in the wide glass window at all the boxes and shipping supplies.

“If it isn’t, then I’m out of ideas on where to look,” Charlotte replied, rummaging around in her purse in search of some note the UPS left on the door of the apartment about a package just a few days ago.

I prayed to God it was in that package and that it had all the evidence the Feds would need to put away Wallace Jr. and Sr. and whoever else was guilty of corporate espionage and killing my brother.

“Got it!” she exclaimed, holding up a crumpled piece of paper.

We went inside and I practically paced the room while waiting for them to retrieve her package out of the back and hand it over. It was a small manila envelope addressed to Charlotte in neat handwriting. We both stared down at it like it held a ticking bomb.