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

by Kaylie Hunter

  “I promised Farmer I’d be back in less than an hour.”

  “Which one is Farmer?” Wild Card asked.

  “The one with the marijuana tattoo on his bicep,” Bridget said.

  “Yeah, I know which one now,” Wild Card said, nodding. “The big guy with the black hair. He’s a nice guy. Kind of quiet.” Wild Card looked at me in the rearview mirror. “I’ll keep Nicholas at the house while you deal with Grady. Best if I keep my distance since I still want to punch Grady for the shit he pulled with Nick.”

  “Do you know what you’re going to say?” Bridget asked, looking back at me again.

  “No clue. My big plan was to wing it and hope they don’t have me arrested for kidnapping.”

  Wild Card laughed.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  When we pulled in front of the house Wild Card got out and Tyler claimed the driver’s seat. The back doors of the SUV opened and Shipwreck climbed in on my right and Tech on my left.

  “I don’t need an escort.”

  “Team Kelsey, remember?” Bridget said, giggling.

  “I’m not Team Kelsey nor Team Grady on this one,” Shipwreck said. “I just thought it would be fun.”

  I looked at Tech, waiting to hear his excuse.

  “What?” Tech said, grinning. “Katie kicked me out of the store. She said I was annoying her.”

  “Everything annoys Katie.”

  “What’s the plan?” Tech asked.

  “I’ll calmly explain to Grady and Sebrina that they need to stay at Silver Aces until the situation with Santiago is resolved. That’s it. Nothing more.”

  Tyler and Bridget laughed from the front seat. Shipwreck started humming. Tech shook his head.

  Outside Headquarters, Shipwreck left us, heading toward the building entrance. Donovan was already outside, making a beeline for us, but paused to do some kind of hand-clap-shake-shoulder-bump maneuver with Shipwreck before he continued our way.

  “You should’ve warned me,” Donovan said, shaking his head. “He’s pissed.”

  “I figured it would be easier if you had plausible deniability.”

  Donovan nodded in agreement as he looked back at the building’s doors. “Bones isn’t faring as well. Grady’s ready to tear his head off.”

  “I can handle Grady. What’s Sebrina’s mood?”

  “Drama is sort-of her forte. She’s enjoying the scene.”

  “I can work with that.”

  Donovan cringed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Sebrina.”

  “I know you, Donovan. You would’ve pestered Grady to tell me about her. You would’ve predicted it biting him in the ass.”

  “If I would’ve guessed he’d get back together with the bitch, I never would’ve kept his secret.”

  “That’s the least of my worries at the moment. First task, convince them to stay.”

  “And then?”

  “We deal with Santiago and end the threat,” I said, walking toward the doors.

  “You make it sound simple. Mechanical,” Donovan said, holding the door open.

  “It’s not, but one task at a time.”

  We heard the yelling when we entered the building. Walking into the gym, I was happy to see almost everyone at Aces had gathered to witness the showdown. I wasn’t sure who was on which side, or if there were more than just two sides, but the more public this conversation was, the greater my chances were of getting Grady to stay.

  Grady was standing in Bones’ personal space, screaming up at him and shoving him with his one good arm. His other arm was in a sling with heavy bandages around his shoulder. Trigger, Pops, Jackson, and Whiskey had been standing by the gym doors and joined my pack as I walked to the center of the room.

  “Enough! Bones didn’t order this—I did.”

  “I’m well aware they were following your orders!” Grady yelled in my face.

  Sebrina stood off to the side. Her smile ticked up a notch as she chuckled silently.

  “Your discharge papers said you needed plenty of rest,” I said to Grady, shrugging. “I was making sure you followed doctor’s orders.”

  “And then what? Are you going to have them lock me in the basement?”

  “Don’t be silly,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “I’m leaving! I told you, we’re done! Jealous, psycho bitch isn’t a good look on you, Kelsey.”

  “Jealous? Of her?” I asked as I looked at Sebrina openly.

  Her black silky hair accented her almond skin. Her figure was slim and sensual, and her clothes accented her curves. In almost all accounts, she was a classic beauty. The tiny lines around her mouth from pursing her lips and her narrowed eyes piled full of hate were too obvious to be ignored, though.

  “I’m not jealous, Grady,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m sure you wish it were that simple, but you should know by now that I’m not that girl.”

  I stepped away from him, looking around the gym and focusing to keep my emotions under control.

  “What I am—is pissed. Maybe a dash of confused and hurt as well, but pissed is the emotion beating the others by a long shot.”

  Grady growled, taking a step away from the pack, closer to me. “You have no right to be pissed at me. You’re the one who refused to get married.”

  “You think I’m pissed because you dumped me? Do you know me at all? Do you not get that the first priority in my life is and will always be—my son?”

  Whiskey stepped closer to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I knew he was cautioning me to calm down. I nodded, stepping away again and breathing through my anger. When I felt I had it bottled again, I walked back to Grady, standing directly in front of him.

  “You hurt Nicholas. Abandoning him over the phone like you did sent him over the edge. It was bad. I didn’t even recognize him, he was so angry. I had to pull him from school for Sara and Beth’s safety. He has to be guarded—to keep other people safe. My son. My sweet little boy is a danger to others.” I took off my leather jacket and passed it to Bridget. Taking a step closer to Grady, I held up my swollen and bruised arm. “He threw a chair at me, Grady. My nine-year-old son threw a fucking chair across the room at me.”

  Grady went to reach for my arm, but I stepped away.

  “You tore his heart out and then hung up on him like he meant nothing to you.”

  Grady sighed, looking down at the floor. “I didn’t mean to hurt Nick. I’ll talk to him. Explain it better.”

  “No,” Pops said, stepping beside me. “You won’t.”

  “Pops is right,” I said, placing a hand on Pops’ arm to keep him at bay. “You won’t go near my son, Grady. Or Sara or Abigail. You lost my trust. They’ve been moved out of Headquarters, and you’re no longer welcome in my home.”

  Grady stepped away, continuing the physical dance between us. “You have a funny way of kicking me out. You drugged me and flew me across the country against my will. What was the point? To collect my things? To tell me what a horrible person I am?”

  I held up my index finger, indicating for Grady to wait. “Pops, head to the house. Hattie’s awake, and I know she’s anxious to see you.”

  “You sure, baby girl?” Pops asked, not looking at me as he glared at Grady. “She’ll understand if you need me to stay.”

  “I’m sure.”

  Pops kissed the top of my head before jogging out of the gym.

  I turned back to Grady. “You may continue your rant now.”

  “What the hell was that about?” Grady asked, waving a hand toward the doors.

  “You ended our relationship, remember? My family business is no longer your concern.”

  “If that’s the case, then why the hell am I here? What the hell were you thinking having me drugged and shipped back to Michigan?”

  “I seem to recall you drugged me against my will not too long ago.”

  “That was different. I did that to protect you from yourself.”

  “Which is exactly what I did today. Even if you can�
�t put that together yet.” I pulled a set of keys from my pocket and tossed them to him. “Your belongings were already moved into one of the apartments. A room was arranged for Sebrina as well. Sort the sleeping arrangements as you please. I don’t give a shit. What I do care about, is the men and women in this building and those across the street.”

  Grady looked at the keys in his hand, then looked back at me. There was a hint of something in his eyes. Pain? Regret? I wasn’t sure. “Why am I here?”

  “To keep your promise. You used to be a man of your word. Are you still that man? Or has Sebrina stripped you of your honor, too?”

  “Leave Sebrina out of this,” he snapped, stepping into my space again. “This is between you and me.”

  “No, Grady. You’re wrong. You and your team made choices that impact everyone.” I walked toward the men of Aces, standing in front of them. “We have a cartel coming after us because of those choices. Four of us were kidnapped yesterday. Tweedle had a Glock pointed at her head.” I turned toward the side, looking back at Ryan and Tweedle. “Are you going to stand here in front of Ryan and tell him he’s on his own to protect his wife?” I walked over to Donovan and motioned with my thumb at him. “What if they get to Donovan’s daughter? Is that his problem to deal with too?”

  Grady looked to Ryan then to Donovan. I could see the indecision.

  “I had you drugged and dragged home for one reason—to ask if you were man enough to stay and help us protect everyone until I can eliminate the threat.” I walked back to Grady. “It’s your decision, though. I can’t make you do the right thing.”

  I walked away, dry eyed and calm. What I didn’t expect was that everyone would follow me. Not just Tech, Bridget, Trigger—those known as being Team Kelsey—but all the men of Aces as well. I’m not sure if they even knew why they were following me or what it meant. What it would mean to Grady.

  “Will he stay?” Wayne asked when we reached the parking lot.

  “I think so.”

  “Sebrina?” Donovan asked.

  “She’ll stay if he stays.”

  “What’s the plan?” Ryan asked, snaking an arm around Tweedle. “I need my wife kept safe.”

  “I have people digging into the cartel,” I said as I watched the front doors open and Grady walk out holding Sebrina’s hand. I didn’t say anything else, waiting instead until they crossed the lot.

  “We’ll stay,” Grady said, stopping to stand beside Bones. “Only until the threat with Santiago is over, but we’ll stay until then.”

  “Good. We could use your help. I have one rule, though, and it’s nonnegotiable. You and Sebrina are not to cross that highway,” I said, pointing to the busy road. “Aces will continue to secure this side of the highway. Tyler will continue to lead the security for the store and houses.”

  Tyler walked over and stood beside me, directly across from Grady.

  “Tyler?” I said.

  “Yeah,” he said without looking away from Grady.

  “If Sebrina or Grady cross over onto my property—for any reason—your orders are to shoot them.”

  “Understood,” he said between clenched teeth.

  Sebrina laughed lightly, turning her eyes to me. “What did I do to earn such disregard?”

  “Why is Santiago obsessed with you?” I asked, stepping in front of her to study her reaction. “Why does he want you so badly?”

  “I’m a DEA agent building a case against him. We’re natural enemies.”

  “That’s funny. His men had a different story.”

  I watched a flicker of something cross her face, but it vanished too quickly for me to identify the emotion.

  She leaned into Grady, rubbing her breast against his arm. “I have no idea what crazy stories Santiago has told his men. I only hope that we can put him in the ground before he gets to me again.”

  Grady raised a hand and caressed her cheek. It was an action he’d done a million times with me. Sebrina spotted my unease and watched me as she turned her face into his hand to kiss his palm.

  “Kelsey?” Donovan called out. “What do we know about the cartel?”

  I turned away, walking out of the circle, feeling the need to gain some personal space.

  “Santiago is crazy. My sources confirmed that. He also has a network of drug smugglers across the country who he calls upon to complete tasks such as the kidnapping that occurred yesterday.”

  “Are the kidnappers dead?” Sebrina asked.

  I ignored her question. “Santiago has a daughter in Arizona. She broke ties with her father, but if we push the wrong buttons, he may have her dragged against her will across the border. I’ve assigned some guys to keep an eye on her for her safety. We won’t use her against Santiago, though. She’s innocent.”

  “Should I ask the FBI to put her in a safe house?” Donovan asked.

  “No. If we have to move her, she’ll go to one of my safe houses. I might be being paranoid, but I sure as hell didn’t like how fast Santiago’s men found Shipwreck’s place in Mexico. Shipwreck had operated under the radar for years with no issues. Someone tipped him off.”

  Several men glanced at Sebrina.

  “Why would I have tipped Santiago off?” she asked, looking at the men. “He held me hostage and had me beaten.”

  “I don’t see any bruises,” Ryan said, moving Tweedle to stand behind him.

  Sebrina lifted her shirt and showed a single bruise the size of a fist under her right ribcage. Turning her head upward, we could see a fading bruise on her neck. No one said anything, but I was sure we were all thinking the same thing: the bruises looked staged. Why though? What was her objective?

  “Sebrina was kept in a shed—chained to a wall!” Grady yelled. “She was starved of food and water and forced to watch two women beaten to death.”

  “If you say so,” I said, sighing dramatically.

  Several of the guys chuckled quietly.

  Wayne cleared his throat. “Does Santiago ever travel to the States, or will we have to take him out in Mexico?”

  “Take him out?” Tweedle whispered to Ryan. “He means, kill him, right?”

  Ryan shrugged, but didn’t say anything, waiting for me to answer Wayne’s question.

  “He seldom comes to the States, but he might this time. He wants Sebrina. He’s obsessed with her. If his men keep disappearing, he might make the trip to supervise the situation himself.”

  “How many men were involved in the kidnapping yesterday?” Grady asked.

  “Eight.”

  “And were all of them…” he looked at Sebrina and then back at me, “punished? Or did some of them escape?”

  “All eight were punished,” I answered.

  Grady knew if I was unwilling to tell Sebrina what happened to the men, then I had a reason. He played along so he could get at least a few answers to his questions.

  “What else do you know?” Sebrina asked.

  “Nothing else I’m willing to share. Those who need to know, will be updated as needed. You’re not on that list.”

  “I’m a DEA agent.”

  “You’re a guest of Silver Aces until I say otherwise.”

  “You’re not in charge of Silver Aces,” Grady hissed.

  “No,” Donovan said to Grady. “If it comes to it though, she’ll have my vote to have you both removed. Kelsey won’t risk the safety of her family, including my wife and daughter. If she feels either of you are a threat, I’ll back her decision.”

  “Some brother you turned out to be,” Grady said.

  “What would you have him do?” Bones asked. “Risk his men and his family because you’re in love? It’s not that simple, man, and you know it. We’ve all got people we need to protect.”

  “Maybe it’s best if we leave then?” Grady said.

  “Are we really back to you abandoning us all to clean up your shit?” Wayne asked. “Damn, man. That woman has you fucked in the head.”

  Grady charged at Wayne, but Donovan, Ryan, and Bones bl
ocked his path with a wall of solid muscles. Even if Grady wasn’t injured, he’d never be able to take them all on.

  “This is bullshit,” he growled, moving away and pacing.

  Sebrina walked over to him and rubbed her hands up and down his chest, calming him. He looped an arm around her, tucking her into his body.

  “What about the tournament?” Donovan asked me.

  “Cancel it,” Grady answered.

  “The tournament is still a go,” I said. “All the festivities are a go unless something else happens. We can’t live the job twenty-four seven and expect to stay sane. Most of us need the tournament weekend to regain our sanity. I’m not taking that away from anyone unless it becomes a safety concern.”

  “We have a few guys bringing clients,” Wayne said. “What about them? We can’t put clients in danger.”

  “Get the files of the clients. You, Donovan, and I will decide together what to do.”

  “I’m still a partner!” Grady yelled.

  “I don’t give a fuck!” I yelled back.

  Donovan walked over, placing his hands on my shoulders and walking me backward away from Grady. “Breathe, little dragon.”

  “We have another issue that needs to be settled for security purposes,” Bridget said.

  Donovan wrapped an arm around my shoulders while we looked back at Bridget.

  She looked about the crowd of men and women. “Donovan, Wayne, Ryan, Jackson, and Bones, we need to talk about whether you’ll be allowed on the other side of the street. Everyone else, stay on this side. Our security team will be closed for visitors.”

  “I’m not allowed to cross?” Shipwreck asked.

  “Sorry, but no,” Bridget answered. “No offense, but we only met you yesterday.”

  “Kelsey trusts me enough to build me a bar.”

  Bridget laughed. “That’s just money. She’s got a lot of it to spare.”

  Jackson crossed his arms over his chest, glaring between Bridget and me. “Don’t sweat it, Shipwreck. The rest of us are practically family, but we’re on the maybe list?”

  “Did you hear Kelsey’s orders?” Donovan asked Jackson. “She ordered Tyler to shoot Grady or Sebrina if they cross onto her property.” He looked around at the men. “How many of you are willing to pull the trigger if it comes to that? That’s the question being asked of you if you want permission to cross the road.”