Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7)

by Kaylie Hunter

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, cutting her off. “One of the boys killed him. It doesn’t take a profiler to figure that out. Which one of them did the deed, though?”

  “Either one of them is capable. Santiago is almost textbook cartel crazy. Miguel is a calculating entrepreneur who’ll do anything to succeed.”

  “When did Santiago and Miguel get married compared to the uncle’s disappearance?”

  “Ooh, let’s see…” I could hear Charlie flipping through paper. “Says here that Santiago married a woman after he got her knocked up. It was a few months after the uncle disappeared. Miguel married…” I heard more pages being shuffled. “… a year to the day after his uncle disappeared.”

  “How much money did Miguel make that first year after his uncle disappeared?”

  “Enough. He turned a hundred grand into a million in assets that first year. I doubt he slept.”

  “Bingo. Miguel was the one motivated to get his uncle out of the way.”

  “Does that help us?”

  “It might. It depends on what the real story is between Sebrina and Santiago.”

  “If Tebbs manages to get his hands on Sebrina’s file, it will be classified. They won’t share it with me.”

  “Okay. Well, the information you dug up helps. I mean it. Good work.”

  “You’re acting odd. Since when do we thank each other?”

  “I’m not acting odd. You helped me. I said thank you. It’s called being respectful.”

  “What’s really going on?”

  “I recently realized I’m an insensitive ass who needs to fix her personal life.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with your personal life?”

  “Rumor has it that Grady dumped me to get back together with his ex-wife Sebrina.”

  “I wouldn’t believe whoever told you that rumor.”

  “It’s kind of hard when the rumor came from Grady himself.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m dealing with it. He should actually be at Headquarters soon. I need to take care of a few things before he arrives.”

  “Do you need me? I can fly to Michigan.”

  “You’re just trying to run from Kierson. You can’t use me as an excuse to bail.”

  “You suck.” She hung up on me as expected.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I walked inside and looked at Nicholas. “I need you to read the book on your nightstand for a little while. I should be back in less than an hour.”

  “I don’t like that book.”

  “You don’t like the cover of the book. You’ll like the story once you start reading it.”

  “Ah, man,” he whined as he stomped toward his bedroom.

  I whistled at the top of the basement stairs. Three Devil’s Players appeared. “I need a volunteer to babysit for me. One hour, tops.”

  A guy named Farmer climbed the stairs and looked around. I hadn’t spent a lot of time with Farmer, but he was a friend of Whiskey’s.

  “My son occasionally has exploding temper tantrums. They’re rare, but if you can hang out in here until I get back, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Where is he?”

  “In his room reading Treasure Island,” I said, pointing down the hall.

  “Great book,” Farmer said as he moved over to the couch and sat.

  I looked at Alex and then at Hattie.

  “We’ll be fine, sunshine. Farmer and I are acquainted. We share an interest in botany.”

  “That’s plants, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Like ferns?” I said, trying to figure out the shared interest.

  “Sure, dear.”

  I shook my head. “Come on, Bridget. I need your special set of skills.”

  “Happy to be of service. This body wasn’t made to sit behind a computer all day.”

  I grabbed the keys from the kitchen hook and handed them to Bridget. We both knew she was a better driver than me. She walked around the SUV as I slid into the passenger seat.

  “Do you know where Tech keeps all his spy craft toys?” I asked.

  “He thinks I don’t, but yeah, bottom drawer of the file cabinet has the good stuff.” She backed out of the garage. “What’s the plan?”

  “I need both Grady and Sebrina’s rooms bugged. The problem is, I don’t which rooms were assigned to them and we can’t ask or they’ll figure out what we’re doing. I hate putting everyone in a position of betraying Grady.”

  Bridget had backed out into the road but hadn’t changed the SUV gear out of reverse. “I have an idea. Call Lisa.”

  “Shit. I was supposed to call her hours ago about Abigail.”

  As I called Lisa, Bridget reversed further down the road and then pulled into Lisa’s driveway.

  Lisa answered her phone.

  “Hey. I forgot to call you earlier. We moved Abigail to my house. The nanny, too.”

  “Alex called and told me. He said you had a lot going on and would likely forget.”

  “Sorry.”

  “All good. Covering for each other is what we do. As long as my daughter is safe, I’m happy.”

  “Great. Now I need to hand the phone to Bridget.”

  Bridget took the phone, placing it up to her ear. “Hey, Lisa. I’m going to run inside your house and steal a few sets of new sheets. They’re for a project Kelsey’s working on.”

  She uh-huh’d a few times, paused for a long moment while she listened to Lisa, then uh-huh’d a few more times.

  “Cool thanks.” She ended the call and handed me back my phone.

  “What are we doing?”

  “The guys all bitch about the cheap sheets Jerry bought for the apartments. Lisa has a stockpile of new sheets. We’ll say we’re putting better sheets in Grady and Sebrina’s rooms.”

  “Everyone will think I’m nuts if I put nicer sheets in Grady and Sebrina’s room. I’m more likely to leave spiders in their sheets.”

  “I know,” she said, climbing out of the car. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  I watched Bridget pick the lock on Lisa’s door, followed by entering the code into the alarm panel. A few minutes later, she jogged out carrying a pile of nicely folded sheets. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and relocked the door.

  “If you had the key, why did you pick the lock?” I asked her when she got back into the SUV.

  “Practice.”

  I shook my head, refocusing my thoughts. “We need to work on this story before we go over to Headquarters.”

  “No, we don’t. It’s a good story.” She reversed the SUV back onto the road. “You just can’t participate.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Where exactly will I be?”

  “You’ll be covering for Lisa in the Bridal Room. Tech is prepping the equipment we need. Lisa will storm into Jerry’s office, insist he let us into the apartments, and then help me set the spy equipment. It will work because everyone knows Lisa’s crazy when it comes to things being just so.”

  “How do Lisa and Tech already know what we’re up to?”

  “As soon as you moved the kids out of Headquarters, everyone was waiting to see what you’d do next. Lisa guessed that you wanted the rooms bugged and asked if she should have Tech get the equipment ready. After I said uh-huh, she told me I had to be the one to tell you that she’d be going in your place.”

  “It’s a good plan,” I admitted, turning in my seat to grin at Bridget. “But Anne will need to go with Lisa. I’ll cover Menswear for Anne while you cover Bridalwear.”

  “Why is that better?” she asked as she pulled into the parking lot of The Changing Room.

  “Everyone knows you’re my devious sidekick. No way would you help put nice sheets on Grady’s bed.”

  “Damn it.” She pulled into the handicapped spot in front of the store, leaving the SUV running. “I was really looking forward to being devious.”

  “Sorry. But if I can’t go, you can’t go.”

  “Rock, paper, scissors for Menswear,” she said, tur
ning in her seat and holding her hands out.

  We counted out to three and looked at our hands. I had paper. She had scissors.

  “Two out of three,” I said, ready to go again.

  “Hell no!” she laughed, climbing out of the SUV.

  “Damn it. I hate bridezillas!” I yelled as I jogged toward Bridalwear.

  Inside, Lisa gave me the thirty second update on the customers. I gave her the ten second update that Anne was going in Bridget’s place. Lisa ran out of the store as I greeted the bride who was standing in front of the mirrors.

  “This is it. This is the dress!” she squealed.

  “Really?” I asked.

  Five heads swiveled almost demonically in my directions, piercing me with glares.

  “Yes, I see it now,” I said, taking a step back, then another. “You look lovely.” I quickly walked around the counter and stood behind it for my own safety. Maxine, Lisa’s sales assistant, smirked as she helped the bride back to the dressing room.

  “Do you have this dress in a size six?” a woman asked from the other side of the room.

  “We might have something similar, but this is a resale store, so no.”

  “Could you order a size six?”

  I looked at her, then looked at her friends and family who were all eagerly awaiting my reply. “Uh, no.”

  “The people here are so rude,” the bride said, putting the dress back on the rack and storming out.

  The bride from earlier marched out of the dressing room and stopped in front of me. “What did you mean when you said really?”

  Her friends and family shook their heads back and forth so fast I thought they’d injure themselves. I looked back at the bride. “I cannot lie. You look horrible in that dress. Your boobs are too small and your ass is too big for an A-frame dress. Anything but an A-frame would look good, but you picked the one design that makes you look like a white fluffy triangle.”

  The bride’s mouth dropped open as she stared back at me. A moment later she ran toward the dressing room, stripping the gown off before she made it to the curtained area. In less than thirty seconds, she ran past her friends and family and out the door while still carrying her shirt and shoes.

  “Who’s next?” I called out.

  “That dress really did look horrible on her,” a mother of another bride whispered loud enough for everyone in the store to hear. “Oh, darling, you look beautiful!” she said as her daughter exited the dressing room.

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Out!” Maxine yelled, pointing toward the door. “Lisa is going to have my head. Just leave!”

  “I can go?” I asked, grinning.

  “OUT!”

  “I’m going. I’m going.” I ran out the door, past the main store entrance, and into the Menswear department. “Ah, ha!” I said, jumping into the store.

  Several men turned to look at me like I was crazy.

  “Why aren’t you in Bridalwear?” Bridget asked with a fist on her hips.

  Katie walked through the side entrance that connected the front of the stores.

  “Maxine kicked me out!” I couldn’t contain my smile.

  “Wouldn’t have anything to do with multiple brides crying in the parking lot, would it?” Katie asked.

  “Maybe.”

  Katie and Bridget continued to stare at me.

  “It’s not my fault! She had no boobs, a big ass, and picked an A-frame dress!”

  “Oh, that’s different,” Bridget said as she took the clothes away from one guy and replaced them with the ones she was holding. “Good call on stopping that mistake.”

  “And the other bride?” Katie asked.

  I took the purple shirt the guy next to me was holding and handed it to the guy behind me. Then I took his silver shirt and handed it to the first guy. “She asked if we carried the dress she liked in a size six. If you’re a size six, you should shop the rack that’s clearly marked size six. You can even go to the higher sizes and have alterations. What you don’t do, is shop the rack that says size four.” At the tie rack, I selected ties for each of the men, handing them over. “Am I right, guys?”

  “Makes sense to me,” the one guy said.

  “I don’t get it,” the other guy said.

  I pointed out the window to the size six bridal group. “You must be related to them.”

  He looked out the window and smiled. “Yes. My daughter’s the bride. How’d you know?”

  “That’s wonderful,” Katie said as she steered the man out of the room. “We have a special today for fathers-of-the-bride only. Yay, for you!”

  “I kind of get why you were kicked out of the Bridalwear,” one of the men said, grinning. “Will they fire you?”

  “Nope. I own the place,” I said as I picked out two more shirts for him and a pair of pants.

  His smile widened as he looked around. “Maybe we should make plans to meet up for a few drinks when you’re done today.”

  “That’s very brave of you,” Wild Card said from behind me. “You’d have to get in line, though.” He walked around me, closer to the man as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a long line, too.”

  “Not funny,” I said, walking over to straighten out another customer who had all the wrong merchandise picked out. “Why are you here?” I asked Wild Card.

  “I was looking for the two of you. Figured you were here covering for Lisa and Anne while they were doing your dirty work. Are you aware that several women are crying in the parking lot?”

  “They’re still out there?” I asked, walking over to the window. “Damn it. I need to get rid of them before Lisa gets back.”

  “You can’t shoot them,” Wild Card said as he followed me out the door.

  “Both of you!” I yelled at the brides, pointing at them. “Come back inside.”

  They both glared.

  “Now!”

  They both scurried back inside the store. I looked at the first girl and then at the size six rack. I flipped through the dresses and found one that would work.

  “Take your shirt off,” I said as I unzipped the dress.

  “What?”

  “Shirt. Off. Now. I don’t have all day.”

  She pulled her shirt over her head and I dropped the dress in its place before zipping it up.

  “Turn.”

  “What?”

  “Turn!” the bridal party yelled at her.

  “Now listen to me. I don’t bullshit people. That dress looks great on you. If you want to spend the next three months shopping for a dress—whatever—but don’t bitch at us later when you realize you missed out.”

  She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes starting to water. “I’ll buy it.”

  “Great. Maxine, can you help her box it?” I didn’t wait for Maxine to answer. I turned to the other bride instead. “Having a big ass can be a good thing. Your husband to-be wouldn’t be marrying you if he didn’t like your body. Let’s find something more ‘fit and flare’ to show off that golden rump. Take off your shirt.”

  She removed her shirt and leaned over for me to drop a dress over her. I held the front in place while her friend zipped her in.

  “Damn, girl. She’s right. Your ass looks great in this dress,” her friend said.

  “The lace detail in the bodice is beautiful, too,” her mother said.

  “Go to the mirror and take a look,” I said.

  “Maybe if you go to spin class a few more times a week, it will look good,” another woman said.

  “Mother of the groom?” I asked the bride to be.

  Tears pooled in the girl’s eyes as she nodded.

  “Does your groom share her opinion? That you need to take more spin classes?”

  She nodded again.

  “Here’s my advice.”

  “Oh, boy,” Wild Card said from where he was leaning against the far wall. Maxine inhaled sharply, her head swiveling my direction as she handed the first bride a receipt.

  I ignored
them and focused on the bride. “Buy the dress, dump the guy, and find a man who will love that ass.”

  “And there it is,” Wild Card said, laughing.

  The bride looked over at him. “Is she crazy?”

  “Definitely,” Wild Card said. “Doesn’t mean I don’t agree with her. You have a great ass. If your guy can’t appreciate it, find someone who does.”

  “I agree,” her friend said.

  “Me too,” her mother said. “The dress is perfect for you. Roger is not.”

  “You should be grateful my son even wants to marry you,” the mother of the groom scolded.

  The bride looked at her, threw her shoulders back and raised her chin to the woman. “If the choice is Roger or this dress, the dress wins.”

  Her friends cheered and her mother clapped. The mother of the groom pivoted and walked out of the store, fuming.

  “My work here is done,” I said to Wild Card.

  Lisa was almost to the door when I walked out of the store. “How’d it go?”

  “Great! I sold two dresses!”

  “Really?” Lisa asked with a raised eyebrow.

  I decided it was best to change the subject. “How’d the sheet changing mission go?”

  “It was a snap. Jerry practically ran to let me inside their rooms. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  Wild Card laughed, taking the keys from Lisa. As he got behind the wheel of the SUV, I climbed into the backseat.

  Bridget came out of Menswear and jumped into the front passenger seat. “Did they say Yes to the Dress?” she sing-sang.

  “Yup. Both of them.”

  “One of them is no longer getting married, but she’s still buying the dress,” Wild Card said, laughing.

  “You broke up an engagement?” Bridget asked, turning in her seat to face me. “How is that even possible in such a short amount of time?”

  “Roger and his mother want the bride to lose weight for the wedding.”

  “Oh. Well, then, good riddance, Roger.”

  “Exactly. I’m all for losing weight to be healthy, but not for a man.”

  Wild Card had an odd expression, a slow grin appearing.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, just stop thinking it.”

  His smile widened.

  “Good grief. What time is it?”

  “Almost time to confront Grady,” Wild Card said. “Jackson is at the airport picking them up. Sebrina’s awake. Grady’s starting to stir. Jackson plans on driving fast.”