“Anyway… I’ve got someone watching the account the client sent the money from. If the they’re at all smart, they’ll close it down.”
“Repeating myself—you need to let it go.”
“It would be helpful if we knew the identity of this person so you could make a decision as to what to do. If it’s revealed that you’re alive before that, then what? Move to Iceland?” He didn’t appear convinced. I went on. “Another mistake: the man made the last call from a phone he hadn’t used before. I was able to have it traced back to your old stomping ground—Orlando.” I took my phone out of my pocket and sent a text; Grey’s phone dinged. “That’s from me. I started a list of suspects, and since I don’t know all the players, I thought you could add to it.”
“I can take it from here.” To quell the outburst that was sitting on the tip of my tongue, he added, “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Got it.” Barely containing my annoyance and refraining from saluting, I crossed to the sink and rinsed my mug.
Grey came up behind me, leaned in, and whispered in my ear, “You look great.”
I turned, my back against the counter. “You behave yourself.”
“That’s rich.” Grey laughed. “If I gave you the same advice?”
“For today, I can swear.” I crossed my heart and squeezed past him, grabbed my purse and, with a short wave, scooted out the door.
Avery was waiting at the elevator, holding the door open. Like me, she had on a dress: a blue multi-print sleeveless tent dress. She’d opted for dark glasses that covered her face, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“How’s lover boy?” she asked as the doors opened in the garage.
“He mentioned yesterday that if I wanted him to move out, he could stay at my dad’s office until he figured out his next move. I’m not sure if he thinks it’s what I want or it’s really what he wants,” I said, as we walked over and got in her Porsche.
“And you said…” She roared out onto the street.
“I nodded as though whatever he wanted would be swell. This situation is so weird. I don’t know what to say and still come off as normal-ish.”
“My expert opinion on men…” We both laughed, having shared dating horror stories. “Grey’s probably offering you an easy out. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. If he does skate, he won’t go far, and I can help you ’nap him again. We won’t tell Rella. She can’t take two kidnappings. Mum’s the word.” Avery crossed her lips with her finger.
“You’re the best.”
“Yes, I am.” She tugged on a loose strand of her hair.
It was a short drive to the Cat House Café on trendy Washington Boulevard. The restaurant was owned by a friend of Rella’s. She was their chief backer, her foundation supporting more than one animal rescue, along with several other charities. She always arrived ahead of us, making sure to be there when they opened. She and the owner shared a cup of coffee and used the time to discuss business.
Avery parked, and the two of us walked up to the entrance to the café and maneuvered around the line of people coming out the door, the noisy hum of dozens of conversations going on at once. The hostess waved us past, and we spotted Rella sitting at our usual window table on the outdoor patio.
While enjoying one of their amazing breakfasts or lunches, one could fall in love with and adopt one of the cats from the glassed-in room attached to the patio that had been turned into a playhouse for cats and kittens in need of a home. The occasional dog snuck in after demonstrating some get-along skills with felines. The room was dotted with oversized chairs filled with prospective parents.
Rella wore a pair of tailored ankle pants and a silk blouse; she never left the house without being perfectly groomed, not restricting her CEO look to weekdays. Besides, she was always looking for any excuse to drop by her office on her day off: “I just need to check on…” Her hundred-and-fifty-pound guard dog, Bruno, a Saint Bernard, lay asleep on her designer heels.
“How’s it going today?” I asked Rella, who smiled as Avery and I sat down, the three of us facing the play area.
The server showed and set down our coffee preferences. We were well known there and made it easy by always ordering the same thing.
“The cats have been in rare form. Instead of snoozing through all the attention, they’re on their game—playing and doing acrobatic leaps from one scratching post to another—and all their playfulness has increased the adoption applications.” Rella beamed.
“The write-up you arranged in Miami Today will keep this place packed,” I said, referring to a magazine that catered to the rich and happening.
“Your idea of featuring cat pictures in the article was a good one. I know I spent time checking each one out. I bet the ones featured get forever homes quickly.” Avery smiled at Rella. “The article was so glowing that locals will flock here for the food, and be eager to brag that they adopted a pet.”
“How’s your victim doing?” Rella asked with a big smirk.
“Grey’s resilient, that’s for sure. He’s moving forward, and I hope he lets me help.” I finished my coffee and was tempted to wave the cup in the air for a refill.
“You know I’m the cautious one,” Rella reminded me. “Just don’t let yourself get hurt or taken advantage of.”
“I can’t wait to dispense good advice to you.” I wanted to hug her but couldn’t stretch past Bruno.
“I’m the slow bloomer, not having released my inner wild child, and then there’s my image, which I work hard not to tarnish. The fallout would be huge if I were to do something outrageous.” Rella grimaced.
Avery and I laughed.
“I don’t recommend anything illegal,” I said. “I’m here to tell you that it’s not that fun and definitely nerve-wracking. Would I do things differently? Maybe.”
Avery’s eyes went wide as she stared over my shoulder.
Rella turned her head, following Avery’s surprised look. “You invited your victim?” Her brows went up.
“Would you stop? What are you talking about?” I twisted in my chair and tracked Grey’s movements as he cut through the waiting patrons and bore down on the table.
“Good morning, ladies. Imagine running into you three.” Grey’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
I was going to have to rethink my idea that he could stay under the radar in baseball hat and sunglasses; he attracted plenty of attention—all female, young and old. He dragged a chair over from another table and sat down.
“Coincidence?” I said, an eyeroll in my tone. “I can’t imagine a cat house would be your first choice of a place for breakfast.”
Avery laughed. “You’re forgetting that it’s the newest, hottest in-spot.”
Bruno lifted his head and sniffed Grey’s shoe. “Nice bear you’ve got there.” Grey patted his head.
“You’re lucky Bruno didn’t bite you,” Rella said.
None of us except Grey looked worried. There was no chance of that happening since Bruno was a lover.
“Mobster bit off a chunk of his big toe and left holes in his back,” I said with a grin.
“Exaggeration,” Grey mumbled.
“Watch yourself,” Rella said. “I never thought we’d find that hellion a home, but one look at Harper and he made up his mind that she was the one. He’s not going to take to you poaching his territory.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Grey said.
“Just thinking…” Avery squinted at Grey. “You have your phone on you?” she asked me, holding out her hand.
It surprised me that she didn’t have hers, but I handed mine over.
Avery flicked through the screen. “Didn’t you notice there’s a new tracking app on your phone?”
“So Avery is your tech guru? I wondered.” Grey’s eyes bored her into her, and he appeared annoyed he hadn’t confirmed it before now.
“Avery’s our financial advisor.” I flicked my finger between Rella and myself. “She happens to be a genius with n
umbers. I can’t recommend her highly enough.” I was certain that he’d noticed I hadn’t answered his question and I’d hear about it later. “Back to you, hotshot… You put a tracker on me?”
“If you weren’t such a shifty chick… which I mean in the nicest way. Once I made it my mission to keep at least one eye on you, I knew I needed help, hence the app.”
“You make sure that I get the exact same app for you, buddy.”
The owner of the café, Prissy Mayes, came over to our table. Today’s look was a white three-quarter-length spaghetti-strap dress with a flowery background, a gardenia headband holding back her long, bright-red hair, and earrings dangling to her shoulders. She held out her dagger-like nails to Grey. “You taken?”
Grey tugged to get his hand back, Prissy laughing and enjoying every moment. He draped his arm across the back of my chair.
“Lucky you,” Prissy said to me and shot Grey a pout. “Your regulars?” she asked the rest of us.
“Do you like waffles?” I asked Grey, and he nodded. I looked at Prissy. “Double my order.” I turned back to Grey. “You’re going to love the food.”
“The donations have tripled today.” Prissy shot Rella a thumbs up and gave her a quick hug as she got called away.
“I have a bit of news,” Avery said. “The building where I have my office was sold. The new owner came around, and to say we didn’t hit it off would be an understatement. I didn’t mean to call him a dick face, it just slipped out. After that, he repeated that he wouldn’t be holding me to my lease and that I could move out twice in a two-minute conversation. Pronto was implied but not said. He claimed it was a one-time, take-it-or-leave-it offer. I gave notice on the spot.”
“I can make a couple of calls and find you something by tomorrow,” Rella offered. “Same area?”
“I have a place in mind, if Harper goes for it.” Avery turned a sneaky smile on me. “I’d like to rent one of the floors in your father’s building. I drove by and love it.”
“You’re in luck. I rented the third floor just yesterday.” I shot a sideways glance at Grey. “You can have your choice of the first or second floors. Even though you did a drive-by, I feel compelled to remind you that it’s a mediocre location at best—under the freeway, almost anyway. The upside is the building is insulated from traffic noise.”
“Don’t you think you need something more upscale?” Rella wrinkled her nose. “I’m certain I can find you something on Ocean. That way, your clients won’t have to worry about getting out of their cars.”
“It’s not that bad,” Grey defended.
Thankfully, the stuffed waffles arrived at the table just then, putting an end to that conversation. Each plate was piled with waffles three high, eggs, cheese, bacon and peppers between the layers. A ring of strawberries decorated the outside of the plate, along with a dash of whipped cream.
“How do you eat this?” Grey asked.
“You topple it and dig in.” Avery demonstrated with her fork.
Grey didn’t join in the conversation. Except for the occasional comment, he focused his attention on the restaurant and checking out the neighboring tables. In between bites, he assessed each of us and watched how we interacted.
I wanted to ask about whatever conclusions he came to, but another time.
Eventually, Grey leaned back in his chair. “That was amazingly good. I can see why there’s a line to get in.”
A server came by and refilled our coffees.
“What are your plans?” Rella asked Grey.
“It’s only been a few days,” I reminded her.
“I’m staying in Miami. Easier for Harper to keep an eye on me. She saved my life, so she’s responsible for it. Isn’t that how it works?” He smirked at me.
“This means I tell you what to do and you do it.” I smirked back.
He stared at my lips until my cheeks heated up. “We’ll see how that works out for you.”
“You have a brother?” Avery asked.
“Ditch the ugly frames, and you’ll have the men lined up,” Grey said. She’d pushed her sunglasses up on her head, and her topaz eyes sparkled. “If you need someone to pre-screen them, I’m your man. I can spot a loser and kick his ass to the curb before he takes up your time.”
Prissy came back and stared at Grey’s clean plate. “How was it?”
“I was tempted to lick the plate.” Grey rubbed his stomach. “You happen to have a wagon, so I can get a ride to the car?”
Prissy laughed. “Love the compliments, charmer.”
Chapter Eight
We said our good-byes and went our separate ways. I rode with Grey, and we’d barely pulled away from the restaurant when my phone rang. I took it out of my pocket and smiled at the screen. “You staying out of trouble?” I asked upon answering.
“What would be the fun in that?” Gram unleashed a growly laugh. “You wouldn’t give me your shifty friend’s number before, and I need it now.”
“Gram… why do you need it?” I asked in a demanding, no-nonsense tone that she couldn’t miss, since it was reminiscent of her own.
It was Ender’s contact info that Gram wanted, and a good thing she didn’t know the man she wanted to speak to was her neighbor’s grandson. No one knew he was a behind-the-scenes fixer, and he wanted it to stay that way. I knew because we’d grown up together, but I’d been sworn to secrecy years back. When he got in trouble, I covered for him.
“It’s not for me. It’s for my neighbor’s granddaughter,” Gram huffed. “I’m only calling because this friend of yours has fixed problems in the past. If this guy is as badass as you’ve intimated, then why don’t you have his number? I think you do and you’re holding out. You need to be reminded that I didn’t get this old without knowing how to take care of myself.”
“Listen up, sweetcakes, I’m about to hit you with your own words. Somewhere along the line, you’ve misplaced your common sense, which I’m sure told you to stay out of other people’s business.”
Grey laughed.
I knocked his arm and put my finger across my lips.
“That’s rich coming from you,” Gram said in exasperation. “I don’t know what your excuse is, but it’s not old age.”
I glanced at the clock on the dash. “I can be there in an hour, and we can have a long talk.”
“Just give me the damn name,” Gram snapped.
“I’m bringing pie. Do you need anything else?”
“Wahoo. Now you’re talking. You may be annoying, but you know the way to my heart.”
We hung up, and I tossed the phone in the cup holder. “I’m going to need the car for several hours. You can drop yourself off.”
“Nice try, sweetheart. I’ll drive. I feel compelled to get you to wherever you’re going in one piece.” Grey’s tone held amusement, and his eyes bored into me, daring me to argue. “Can’t wait to meet Gram. We stopping at the grocery store for that pie?”
I made a barfing noise.
“Gotcha, that would be a no. Program that thing so I know where I’m going.” He waved at the GPS.
I had the address for Patisserie Bakery on my phone and programmed it in, then called and reserved a key lime pie. “I’m issuing the strongest of warnings.” I shifted in my seat. “When I’m done, you’re going to want to catch an Uber back to the condo.”
“And miss out on pie? It better be good.” Grey cruised through the streets, sticking to the speed limit, which was more than I could say for myself when I was behind the wheel.
“Gram is an outspoken woman. Whatever she has on her mind, she’ll share. Trust me, when she meets you, she’s going to shoot a hundred questions at you and want to know your intentions. When she gets a head of steam going, they’ll get more personal. I’ll do my best to keep her under control, but my success rate is low. Beware: if you pass muster, she’ll start plotting to call in a preacher.”
Grey laughed. “I’ve got experience with hardened criminals. I can handle one older lady.”
I turned and looked out the window.
“If you’re going to roll your eyes, do it to my face.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “The bakery’s up here. Parking is sparse, so you can drop me off and I’ll run in. I wouldn’t recommend coasting in the red zone; they ticket around here.”
Grey mumbled to himself, which amused me.
As we got closer, I jabbed my finger at the windshield.
He coasted to a stop in front of the bakery, and I hopped out and raced inside. There was no wait, and I was back out in a couple of minutes. Grey timed it just right, pulling back up as I stepped off the curb.
I got in and reset the GPS. “Another heads up: Morningside at the Beach caters to partying eccentrics. They’re a rowdy bunch and like their fun. They have every amenity available and, thus far, have kept the craziness on the property.”
Grey got on the Interstate and exited north of Ft. Lauderdale, heading towards the water. The retirement community was on the A1A across from the beach. He turned in, and the guard, catching sight of my sticker, raised the arm and waved us in.
“Follow this road until you see a cherry red ’57 Thunderbird sitting in a driveway.”
“An old rust bucket that no one wants to steal? Even then, I’d think it would be gone in a half-second, if only for the parts.”
I chuckled to myself. “Park in the driveway.”
“Someone you know?” Grey slowed for a woman in the middle of the road who was waving wildly.
Gram had dressed for the occasion—a tropical print tent dress on her skinny frame and a hat with a parrot on top, which had me doing a double take.
Grey pulled into the driveway, and I got out. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I left him to ogle the pristine rust bucket.
Gram rushed over and wrapped her arms me, giving me a hard hug and covering my cheek in kisses. “My little girl been behaving herself?”
“You of all people know there’s no fun in that.”
Grey grabbed the pie box and smiled at the woman checking him out.
“Who’s this looker?” Gram gushed, her big brown eyes running leisurely over him.
Hired Killer (Biscayne Bay Book 1) Page 5