Page 25 of The Drag Race Debutante & the Detectives
“About ten years ago he gave evidence that helped your team take down the biggest car theft ring in South East Queensland,” she said. “He also did a six month stretch for, among other things, the property damage he caused when he led the police on a high speed chase through Brisbane. The chase that caught the ringleader’s daughter and her top drivers.”
Cross laughed and nodded. “I remember him. Fuck me. Emily is Emily Berringer. Jesus, no wonder she was so cocky.” He stared at Dane and Eric with a considering look. “You really think she can do it, don’t you? You think she can beat him.”
“That’s your suggestion?” Bryant demanded. “To get a civilian involved. No. Not happening.”
“Finally, we agree on something,” Dane said.
Eric turned to face him, his expression as serious as it had ever been, which was saying a lot considering Eric wasn’t known for his lighter side. “You said it yourself last night, Dane. Emily may not have a choice.”
“No. We keep her out of it. We keep her safe.”
“That’s not what you said last night,” Eric reminded him.
“Yeah, well, I’ve changed my mind, okay. I made a judgement call based on the information we had at the time. But she’s been removed from the situation now. Why put her back in it?” He shook his head and rubbed at the ache in the centre of his chest. “I don’t want her anywhere near it. I don’t want her anywhere near him.”
“You think I do?” Eric scowled. “Dane, she won’t be safe until Shane Spencer is put away. Detective Cross is right, she humiliated him. He’s not going to forget that. And now that everyone is on the same page again, it really doesn’t matter if she wins or not, as long as we catch him in the act.” His brother pinned the other men with a glare. “Because we will catch him, right?”
“If we can find out where the next meet is.”
Bryant rubbed his chin. “You said she showed up last night with Matthew Spencer? Any chance she has his contact info? Maybe we can use him to find out where tonight’s race is.”
Much to Dane’s chagrin, Eric agreed, and they all spent the next two hours hammering out the details of their plan and working out contingencies for every possible outcome. They also gave detailed accounts of the drug deals they’d witnessed, plus the sale of counterfeit car parts, and at least one incidence of prostitution, just for good measure.
It seemed Shane Spencer was a regular entrepreneur.
Once everything was settled, Dane looked at his brother and forced a smile. “Great. So. Who wants to tell Emily the plan?”
Eric pulled a coin out of his pocket, flipped it in the air and called it. “Heads.”
The coin landed in his brother’s palm, tails side up. “Fuck.”
Chapter Fourteen
Emily shoved her hands in her pockets and paced from one end of the dealership to the other, trying her best not to freak out.
When the guys had dropped her off at work, they’d been worried for her safety. Dane especially had not wanted to leave her alone. They had insisted on coming inside and checking everything out, and even held an in-depth conversation with with brother about everything that was going on, which had been… interesting.
She had completely forgotten that Teddy was even on the Saturday roster, and to say he was furious was the understatement of the century, although she wasn’t sure which part of the story irritated him more. The fact she’d caught the attention of someone like Shane Spencer, or the fact she’d spent the night with Eric and Dane.
Either way, it was a miracle the guys had left in one piece.
And as soon as they were gone, she had received the chewing out to end all chewing outs from her over-protective big brother. And it had felt worse than anything her parents could have said, because Teddy had spoken from experience.
Her guilt had threatened to overwhelm her, until he’d pulled her into his arms and squeezed her so tightly she’d thought her ribs might burst. That’s when she’d realised her brother’s anger had come from a place of fear.
That he was scared for her.
Join the club.
Emily supposed Teddy had hoped she would have learned from his mistakes. Not that she had put herself in that position on purpose, and not that she would ever be able to see what had happened as a mistake. Not when it had led her back to Eric and Dane and the passion they had shared.
She would never regret that.
By the time her men had returned with lunch—from her favourite sushi place, no less—Teddy had almost accepted the fact their relationship went beyond the physical, that they were in love. Almost.
He’d been staring daggers at them ever since they’d returned from their meeting with their superiors.
Of course, it hadn’t helped when Dane had relayed The Plan, which essentially boiled down to:
