Eyes on the Target
Heels for Hire, Inc.
Book Two
by Gracie Meadows
© Copyright June 2014 JK Publishing, Inc.
ISBN#9781311468291
All cover art and logo © Copyright June 2014 by JK Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Edited by ML Hill
Artwork by Jess Buffett
Published by JK Publishing, Inc.
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Dedication
Thank you to all those special readers who support me and cheer me on each and every time.
To Amy Bowens—You, my dear, are a treasure! Traci Bumgarner Simo—Thank you so much for helping with names and brainstorming! You rock! Janka Dustan—You always seem to have time to help me whenever I need it!
And so many more!
I would also like to thank my husband who helped with my research as we played with various weapons and picked his brain—even during a sports game, and not once complained! Thank you, baby!
To my girls, who know who they are… Here is another one… With more to come!
Gracie
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Books by Gracie Meadows
Excerpt for Covered by Bubbles
JK Publishing, Inc.
Chapter One
Jess ‘Smokey Eyes’ Cooper was the biggest bitch there ever was to most men, and it was perfectly fine with her. She didn’t give a shit if she had men who she slept with and then left. She was perfectly fine with her various toys and she could self-pleasure all day, but it ate at her that Bubbles was living with Dylan and Chance. She had put up with Chance's silly kissy faces, and Dylan’s overprotectiveness, she could almost choke on their lovey dovey shit. Rolling her eyes at the thought, she looked through her binoculars trying to locate her target. The man she was after had stolen millions of dollars from her client and her client wanted answers. However, this man was also well-to-do in the political world, and getting him to see her was next to impossible. She didn’t have Bubbles's skills to blend with people, or Rainbow's, she could sweet talk anyone into anything she wanted done. Nope she was the go-to person who got the harder jobs of keeping track of people and having Coffee pinpoint locations while she got the scope on them.
Tonight she was sitting on top of a roof looking and taking notes and pictures of the various people he talked to. She could almost taste the completed job yesterday it had felt so close, but it seemed Mr. Well-to-do-Verona had hired some bodyguards. Shit on a shingle. She didn’t have time to deal with wannabe cops. She did, however, get a good look at them. They were yummy in their own right and she didn’t mind looking, just as long as she was able to get the information needed to help bring him into the police department, and if need be press charges against him along with whomever else needed to be questioned. The smug bastard smiled and shook hands with people in his crisp tailored suit while sipping Champagne. She grimaced at the thought. She was sitting there drinking gas station coffee and eating a dried out muffin while the dipshit wined and dined on money he stole. It did nothing but piss her off more.
Just as she took another sip of her bitter coffee she spotted someone she would never have thought to be there. He was a big figurehead in the town, but she never would have expected the Mayor of Ridgeville to be talking in what seemed like hushed tones to her suspect. Not wanting to miss anything, she grabbed her stuff and ran to the door and down the stairs. Jess wanted to see if she got lower and around the side if she could pick up some chatter between the two men. She had been told the mayor was a good man, but now something didn’t sit right with him. The need to put her suspect behind bars, along with anyone who helped him, was her number one priority. She quickly pulled out her phone and sent a text.
Smokey: Have suspect in site, but got small issue.
Coffee: Issue? What kind?
Smokey: Big kind.
Coffee: As in?
Smokey: Need info on another poss. player.
Coffee: ???
Smokey: Look into the mayor.
Coffee: of Ridgeville?
Smokey Eyes was starting to get annoyed. She was running, and texting. She was happy she had on her tennis shoes for this or else she would have tripped.
Smokey: Oh gee... I was talking about the mayor of crazy town…yes Ridgeville... He is talking to suspect.
Coffee: Smart A$$. Fine will see what I can find.
Smokey set a quick pace as she threw away her trash. She had her binoculars around her neck and the rest of her toys in her backpack. She was the best person to do this type of job. Her ability to sneak around corners and in the dark was something she thrived on. Sh
e and Bubbles had the same love for the private detective field. However, they had very different backgrounds. She grew up in foster care and didn’t have anything to do with cops. She was what people called a crack teen pregnancy. She didn’t want to change it, because it helped her see past her youth and move forward. She had developed a love of guns when she was eight. The foster home she was in at the time was a hunting family. The boys that stayed there didn’t show any interest in it, or anything else, unless it was involving a chick. She loved the power she felt holding the cold metal in her hands. She was tiny for her age, but that didn’t mean she didn’t crave power and the strength she got from a gun. The first gun she shot was a .410 pump action shotgun. It had very little recoil, which worked perfectly considering she was only eight. Since then she had tried others, but when the old man had gotten in trouble because one of the other boys had taken one of his guns and threatened someone, they had lost the right to take in foster children and she went back in the system. However, it didn’t stop her small obsession with guns. When she turned eighteen, one of the first things she did was apply for a gun permit. Jess worked odd jobs so she could get the small Glock, which was now her prized possession.
As she rounded the corner, she spotted her suspect, Mr. Verona, standing outside. She knew she could plant a small bug on him if she could get close enough. Finding a small trash can, she hid her backpack and other items there, then ran her hand through her hair. She grabbed her phone and placed small earbuds in her ears but didn’t turn the music on so she could hear everything around her. Running in place a minute, she took off around the corner with the small bug in her hand. She just needed to touch him, bump him, hell, she would knock his ass over if she could. She spotted him and slowly lowered her head and kept to a slow jog as she got closer. She could see the two bodyguards move to cover him as she got close. She spotted a small uneven sidewalk and pretended to trip putting the bug in place. However, it didn’t happen. Just as she leaned toward him she started to fall, but was pulled up short when one of his goons grabbed her, putting an abrupt stop to her plan.
“You okay there, little lady?” She looked up and blinked at the tall man who held on to her and smelled like clean aftershave.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine sorry.” She needed to abort her mission and try again another day. The man smiled at her and she felt her breath hitch at his smile alone. He was so much hotter up close than far away. Not sure what to say or do, she took off in a run. She would run around the block to make sure no one followed her before she went back to her bag. Tonight was a bust, but at least she had a new lead to follow.
Preston and Liam James had been on this job for three months and hated every minute of it. They had taken it as a favor to a friend and it seemed it was needed. The prick they were watching was shady as shit and they were doing their best to help gather information on him. So far they had been able to link him to various accounts of money laundering and now it tied into political figureheads, including a small town mayor. Liam just wanted this asshole behind bars and was tired of running around like a chicken with its head cut off. He wanted this shit done and over with. As they exited the building he spotted a woman dressed in all black running in their direction. It was odd to him since it was night. When one ran at night they normally wore a bright vest or bright colors, but she didn’t. Plus any real runners didn’t run with music, they couldn’t hear around them. Something was off. Liam watched as she looked down, not making eye contact. Oh little Miss hot stuff was going to play them. Following his training from the military, he looked around his surroundings. He spotted some uneven sidewalk and knew she was going to fake a trip. A ploy many used to get close to their target, and he already knew Mr. Verona was on a large list. Planting himself between the two, he waited until she “tripped” and as she started to fall, he reached his arm out and stopped her just shy of her mark.
“You okay, little lady.” He had no clue, but suddenly he was a southern gentleman, if only Preston heard him, he would be laughing his ass off. He looked down into light green eyes that hid a hint of mischief with flecks of blue and gold. He had never looked into eyes this color before, and they were hypnotizing. She seemed to be lost in her movements, he'd bet she was used to getting her way.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Sorry,” she said before she took off in a real run around the block. He knew she had a bug and her stuff stashed somewhere, but he didn’t have time to go and look for it. But he would remember her. After helping Mr. Verona into the back of his black SUV, he climbed in the front seat and Preston climbed in back. The driver took off to the small condo, which was larger than most houses. Liam had already planted bugs and stuff, but even Mr. Verona was hesitant with his business dealings. Both he and Preston were not allowed in the office during meetings, but the one time a bug made it in there the damn maid vacuumed it up. He knew they had the cheaper quality bugs and he wanted something better suited, but they had to make due.
“Preston, we will be having a guest tonight. She will show up an hour after we arrive, make sure she is checked before you send her to me.” Liam overheard the conversation Verona was giving his brother. Liam just rolled his eyes. The prick could only get women who worked as high-end escorts because of his personal preference. His preference made Liam laugh more than anything. He enjoyed the world of D/s, but the damn man was a sub, and liked to have a woman spank him. He was the opposite, as well as Preston when they played. Nothing wrong with being a sub for a male, but he went to the extreme. The man liked to wear diapers when he was told to. For a man that craved power and money, it was a twisted sex life for him. Shaking his head, he focused on the garage. Getting out, he did a perimeter check before opening the door. It didn’t take long and they were inside the condo. Verona went in his study to prepare for his sexual partner for the evening and Liam went to talk to Preston.
“Hey, man, did you see the people tonight?” Preston asked.
“Yeah, but we need to be on the lookout for more. Someone tried to drop a bug.”
“Wait, a bug? You sure. I didn’t see anyone that close.”
“The runner,” Liam pointed out.
“The hottie in black, I saw her for a split second, but Verona had me keeping watch and I didn’t see her too well. I just saw her coming and going, and both sides of her were hot to look at.” Preston smiled. Liam laughed because Preston was the one who got the girls to come and play, and he planned everything. Between the two of them, women came and went, but they never went without, and were careful not to give out too much information about themselves.
“Yeah, weird for a runner to wear black, and an earbud. Not a runner, someone who wanted to play one,” Preston agreed and decided it was best to get some information on the “runner”, between the two of them they should be able to describe her enough to try to find some information. Pulling out the laptop, they went to work.
Chapter Two
Jess made it home without anyone seeing her. After her small encounter with the bodyguard, she made it back to pick up her bag and head home. Kicking off her shoes, she smiled at the relief she had. Pulling her shirt up and off, she walked around the house barefoot, yoga pants, and a sports bra. People said she had issues, but this was her place and she could do whatever the hell she wanted. Tonight had been a bust, well other than the small look into someone else who might be connected. She reached into her freezer, pulled out a pint of her favorite ice cream, Cookies and Cream, and dug in. She was a girl who loved to eat and work out. She kept in shape because she wanted to be able to do anything and everything a guy could do, if not better. But food, well that was more personal. After she left the foster home and went to the group home, she didn’t get as much food as the bigger kids, because she was the smallest and sadly, the weakest. They all got trays of food, but when she sat down that’s when things would disappear. She went many nights being hungry and promised when she got older and had her place she would eat ice cream whenever she wanted and would never be hungry, eve
r.
Humming to herself, she walked around the house and smiled. It was a small house, but it was hers. Bubbles helped her get it since she didn’t have any credit, or anything really when she was starting out. She was her first true friend, then they ran into Rainbow at a club one night kicking some dude’s ass who copped a feel one too many times. The three of them hit it off and worked as a small family. They even helped her when Jess was picked up and thrown in jail for assault and battery for simply showing her ex the best way to use his dick, since he’d cheated on her with someone else. She still laughed when the fucking bastard tried to get his dick unglued from his thigh. The EMTs tried, but superglue doesn’t come off a man’s cock like it would fingers. On a plus for him, the hair on his thigh would never grow back. She ran into Coffee during that time. She was sweet and quiet and seemed really scared. However, she warmed to Jess right away. Coffee was there helping Zach out with something, Zach was a younger lawyer at the time, with a case. Coffee just happened to go about it wrong and hacked into a system she wasn’t supposed to. Coffee had convinced Zach to defend her and soon the two of them were out within a few hours. After talking over coffee and bringing in Bubbles and Rainbow, Zach brought up the subject of a detective agency. Since then Heels for Hire, Inc. had become active. Now, thanks to Dylan and Chance, they were on retainer with the local PD.
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