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

by Kaylie Hunter

  “Got it. Anything else?”

  “The guys ran into some trouble. Grady will need a few days to recover before he can come home. Same for a woman they rescued. Still no word whether the cartel identified anyone on the rescue mission. Until you hear otherwise, stay alert and expect anything and everything.”

  “Do you need to fly out to meet Grady?” Nightcrawler asked.

  I shook my head. “We have a rule that if there’s a threat to the family, one of us stays home with Nicholas. It’s not always ideal, but we try to make it work.”

  “Makes sense,” Renato said. “Besides, by the looks of those black bags under your eyes, you’re not in the right condition to travel yet either.”

  “The whole family lost sleep last night, but I’ll nap this afternoon.” I rubbed a knot in my shoulder muscle. “I’m beyond tired.”

  We turned, hearing the front door open. Pops stepped out and walked over. “Nick and Sara are fighting again,” Pops said, shaking his head. “I swear they quarrel worse than Reggie and Wild Card did at their ages.”

  I sighed as I moved back toward the house. “I can’t decide if they fight like that because they’re so much alike—or because they’re complete opposites.”

  I started to jog when I heard the high-pitched yelling. As soon as I walked into the house, the kids and everyone else went silent.

  “Brush your teeth—all of them!” I ordered, pointing to Nicholas. I turned to Sara. “Young lady, you need to go back upstairs and brush your hair! You look like a ragamuffin.”

  “What’s a rag-a-muffin?” Sara asked as she stuffed her laptop into her backpack.

  “An urchin.”

  “Huh?”

  “Just go brush your hair, and be quick about it.” I heard everyone laughing quietly as I walked down the hall to check on Nicholas. “Back teeth too! All of them!”

  He glared at me in the mirror, but brushed his back molars. When he was done, I stopped him from wiping his mouth on his sleeve and also made him rinse the sink. By the time we left the bathroom he was stomping down the hall, arms crossed over his chest, and into the garage.

  Hattie laughed as she passed me the car keys on my way out of the house. Sara scrambled to catch up, climbing in behind Nicholas into the back seat. Carl ran into the garage next, sliding in beside Sara before I closed the door.

  I opened the back hatch and whistled. Storm ran around the outside corner of the garage and performed an eight-foot leap into the back of the SUV. I checked to make sure his tail was clear before closing the hatch. Beth slid into the passenger seat as I got behind the wheel. After I backed out of the drive, two motorcycles pulled ahead of the SUV to lead us.

  The kids started to argue, and I slammed on the brakes, looking over my shoulder at them. Both of them pressed their lips together and looked downward.

  “Beth, if the kids continue down this bickering path today, find me. I’ll handle it. I don’t pay you enough to listen to it.”

  “No problem,” she said, glancing back at the kids, ensuring they heard her. “Is Carl with us today?”

  “Carl, what do you think about hanging out with the guys? Maybe running the remote while they practice on the Circle of Hell?”

  “That sounds fun.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at Carl. He had his face pressed to the passenger door’s window and was making puffer-fish faces against the glass.

  He paused his game to look over at me. “I should’ve worn my costume.”

  “What costume?” I asked as I focused on catching a break in traffic to cross the highway. The two lead bikes had already crossed.

  “My superhero costume.”

  “When did you get a superhero costume?” I asked, making the turn onto the highway before turning a few yards later to the left into the Headquarters’ drive.

  “UPS delivered it yesterday. Alex helped me pick it out. He says I’ll get a lot of bang for my buck with it.”

  “That kind of scares me,” I mumbled.

  Beth leaned around her seat to look at Carl who was sitting behind her. “You should wait until this weekend to wear it,” Beth told him. “More people will be able to see it then.”

  “Okay.”

  With a quick glance in the mirror, I confirmed Carl had returned to slobbering on my SUV.

  “I’m not sure you helped, Beth,” I whispered.

  “Who says that was my intention,” she said, laughing quietly.

  I pulled perpendicular to the front doors, with two motorcycles still in front of us and two more behind us. A dozen security guards walked out and flanked the SUV. One of the guys took the keys from me as I escorted Beth, Carl, and the kids inside.

  Finding a hair scrunchy in my bag, I whipped Sara’s now brushed but still wild hair up into a ponytail, kissing her cheek when I was done. She giggled and ran toward the stairs. Nicholas, still not speaking to me, stomped in the same direction.

  “It’s going to be a long ass day,” I said to Beth.

  She laughed and followed the kids.

  “Trigger is here,” Carl said, clapping his hands. “Can I hang out with him?”

  “Sure. I don’t have him scheduled for anything today.”

  As if hearing us from across the gym, Trigger looked over. Carl ran in his direction. I pointed to Trigger, then pointed two fingers at my eyes for the universal language of watch, then pointed at Carl. Trigger gave me a thumbs up before turning his attention to Carl.

  I walked across the gym and up the stairs to the war room. Entering, I found Kemp and Tech moving the chairs to the other side of the room and Bridget setting up cots.

  “What are we doing?”

  Tech looked at me as he took a cot from Bridget and moved it to below the large windows. “Kemp’s covering the phones while we sleep for a couple of hours. Then this afternoon, Bridget will relieve Beth and take the kids outside to play, so Beth can take a nap.”

  “What about work?”

  “I’d wager you’ve slept less than five hours total over the last two days. The rest of us have slept only a few more hours than you. We’re useless until we rest. We’d only be spinning in circles all day.”

  “Hattie sent pillows and blankets,” Wayne said, entering the war room. “I’m crashing with you guys. The apartments seem too far from Headquarters until we know the red alert has been lifted.”

  “I felt the same about not being here with the kids,” I agreed. “Let’s prop the door open, though, so we can hear if something happens. And, Kemp, you’d better wake us if needed.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t call her ma’am. She hates it,” Bridget said to Kemp as she removed a chain mace—an archaic weapon with a spiked steel ball at the end of a chain—from the wall. She carried the heavy steel contraption over to the war room door and used it as a door prop.

  When she turned back around, I was smirking at her.

  “What? It does the job.”

  I continued smirking at her.

  “Fine. I’ll let Goat know to install something more normal to use in the future.”

  Tech tossed a pillow at her. “Night, bitches.” He threw himself on the cot under the far window, tucking himself in with a blanket.

  I took the cot closest to the door and Wayne took the cot under the large window overlooking the gym. That left the cot next to the file cabinets for Bridget. Removing my gun harness, I unloaded my Glock and slid it under my cot. I set my phone on top of a wall shelf a few feet away. After curling up on the cot, I was asleep within seconds.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Hey,” was whispered near my ear as someone shook my shoulder. “Wake up, beautiful.”

  Opening my eyes, I found Wild Card crouched down beside me. “What time is it?”

  “Almost noon. Kemp asked me to wake you. He said you threatened him if he didn’t wake you with updates.”

  I nodded, sitting up and running my fingers through my hair. Wild Card reached under my cot and loaded my Glock. I
strapped on my shoulder harness before sliding the Glock in place and snapping the strap to keep it secure. I nodded again to Wild Card, following him out and grabbing my phone from the shelf as we left.

  A few minutes later I was still wiping the crud from my eyes as I sat in one of the guest chairs in Kemp’s office. Really it was Grady’s office, but we’d reassigned it to Kemp until we could figure out the office spaces. Grady never used it, so it didn’t matter.

  “What’s up?” I asked Kemp.

  “First, Wild Card and Ryan returned an hour ago. Wild Card told me not to wake you, though, so don’t blame me for that.”

  Wild Card laughed, sitting in the chair beside me.

  “Deal,” I agreed, grinning at Wild Card.

  “Donovan called. He’s getting messages from the media asking for an interview on the Allie Jacobs investigation.”

  “Pass.”

  “Donovan wanted me to relay to you that it would be good PR for the firm.”

  “The investigations side doesn’t need any PR. We’re carrying a backlog of cases. If Donovan needs good press for his side of the business, he can tie on a cape and do something newsworthy to get noticed.”

  Kemp gulped, staring back at me. I think he even paled.

  Wild Card laughed. “You don’t need to repeat her word for word,” he said to Kemp. “Just tell Donovan that Kelsey said no and to talk to her directly if he has a problem with it.”

  “I like that plan better,” Kemp said, nodding. “I’m less likely to lose my head.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What else?”

  Kemp didn’t have a chance to answer before we heard a loud noise in the schoolroom. Wild Card bolted ahead of me down the hall and into the schoolroom. Beth stood near the far wall, keeping Sara between her and the wall. Storm stood guard in front of Beth, whining as he watched Nicholas who threw one of the kid’s chairs into the chalkboard.

  “Get Sara out of here!” I yelled at Beth as I ran directly at Nicholas.

  In the short time it took to cross the room he turned, throwing a second chair at me. I blocked it, knocking it away with my forearm as I protected my face with my other arm. Wild Card, who had approached Nicholas more stealthily from behind, grabbed him and held him in a straightjacket hold, pinning his arms at his sides. Nicholas kicked and screamed, even snapped his teeth at Wild Card, trying to bite him. I stood frozen, not recognizing the level of rage that had overtaken my son.

  “Kelsey! Get the boxing gear out!” Wild Card yelled. “Hurry!”

  “What?” I asked in a stupor.

  “On it,” Wayne said from the doorway before he ran down the hall.

  I watched Wild Card struggle to carry my thrashing and screaming son out of the room and down the hall. I followed, still trying to process what I was seeing.

  I stopped at the top of the stairs, watching Wild Card carry him down where Wayne and another guard met them and strapped boxing gloves onto Nicholas’ hands. As soon as Wild Card released Nicholas, he stepped a few feet away and slid punching mitts onto his own hands, barely in time before Nicholas’s fists started flying his way.

  “That’s it,” Wild Card said. “Let it out! Come on. Is that as hard as you can hit?”

  Nicholas came close to punching Wild Card in the nuts but Wild Card jumped out of the way in time.

  “Keep it clean, boy,” Pops hollered as he walked toward them. “Hands up! Elbows in! Protect your body. That’s it. Turn sideways and put your weight into it. That a boy. One, two, hit. One, two, hit.”

  “Keep it coming!” Wild Card said, blocking another right punch.

  I watched in fear and awe as they kept talking to him. He was not only responding to them, but I could see the hostile energy dissipating as he threw each punch. I had heard they’d worked with him after he’d been rescued, teaching him how to control his anger. I’d never seen it firsthand, though. By the time I had returned to the ranches in Texas, Nicholas was running and playing with the neighbor kids.

  Beth and Sara walked over and stood beside me.

  “What happened?” I asked Beth.

  “I don’t know. His phone rang, and he said it was Grady. Sara was taking a test, so I asked him to step into the hall. When he returned a few minutes later, he threw the phone into the window. After that… it’s a blur.”

  “He’ll be okay, Aunt Kelsey,” Sara said, wrapping an arm around my leg. “Uncle Wild Card will help him.”

  I turned toward the stairs, still watching Nicholas. Pops held up a hand, motioning for me to stop. He nodded to Wild Card, who was still dancing around the gym goading Nicholas to hit the punching pads. I turned away, walking back to Kemp’s office and closing the door. I pulled my phone from my back pocket and called Grady.

  “Kelsey,” Grady answered.

  “What happened? What did you say to Nicholas?”

  “I tried to call you,” Grady said with a heavy sigh. “Your ringer must’ve been turned off. When I couldn’t reach you, I called Nicholas. I asked him to get you—”

  “Grady! What the hell did you say to Nicholas?”

  Silence.

  “Tell me what the fuck happened!”

  There was a long pause. “I told him I wasn’t coming home.”

  “He already knew you’d be away for a few more days. I told him before school.”

  “No. Not for a few days,” Grady said in a hushed low voice.

  I fell rather than sat into the guest chair. “What are you saying?”

  “After I’m released from the hospital, I’m going to Montana for a while. I have some things I need to think about.”

  “What things? And why the hell can’t you think about them here?”

  He sighed. “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

  It was my turn for a long pause as a million thoughts scrambled in my brain, trying to understand, until only one thought remained. “This is about Sebrina. Isn’t it?”

  “Partly,” Grady admitted. “It’s complicated.”

  “You owe me an explanation.”

  I could imagine him on the other end of the phone, shaking his head. “Sebrina and I have unfinished business. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. I don’t know what our relationship is at the moment, but that’s not the only thing I need to think about.”

  The pause returned. I’d had it with Grady’s stalling.

  “What else?!” I yelled into the phone. “What other shit do you need to go all the way to Montana to think so damn hard about?”

  Grady growled before yelling back at me, “It’s partially about us too! I’m living with my girlfriend who refuses to commit while I raise her kid. It’s not the life I wanted! In fact—except for Nicholas—it’s the exact reason I left Sebrina! I keep falling for women who aren’t interested in settling down and raising a family with me.”

  “And you think the best way to handle the situation is by running away? Abandoning the little boy who sees you as a father figure?”

  “I’m not his father! Don’t you get that?”

  The phone disconnected. I moved it away from my ear and stared down at the Call Ended message.

  “What the hell just happened?” I asked myself. Nothing Grady had said made sense. I knew him. I knew how he thought. I knew how he felt about me. How much he cared about Nicholas. Even if he still had feelings for Sebrina, he wouldn’t abandon us over the phone like this.

  Looking at my phone again, I called Bones.

  “I take it you talked to him?” Bones said when he answered.

  “I need a favor.”

  Bones was silent on the other end.

  “I need you to convince him to go to Pops’ ranch.”

  “What good does that do?”

  “That’s not the favor. Once he’s there, I need you to shoot him with Pops’ tranq gun and drag his unconscious body back to Michigan.”

  Bones was quiet for about twenty seconds. “You’re serious?”

  “I know he’s your friend, Bones, but I can’t leave Nicho
las right now. I need you to drag Grady back.”

  “He won’t be released until tomorrow morning. I can get him to the ranch, convince him he needs to rest before traveling any further, but that’s it. I can’t shoot him with a tranq gun. He’d never speak to me again.”

  “Are you willing to at least help load his unconscious body onto a plane?”

  Bones laughed. “Sure.”

  “I’ll handle the rest then. Thanks.”

  “Chin up, Kel. If it makes you feel any better, I think you’re doing the right thing.”

  We disconnected, and I went to the war room. Tech and Bridget were awake.

  “What happened?” Tech asked.

  “Grady says he’s not coming home.”

  “What?” Bridget said.

  “No way,” Tech said, shaking his head. “Grady’s solid. You two are indestructible.”

  “Well something just exploded the shit out of our relationship.” I paced a few times before turning back to face them. “I need help if I have any chance of fixing this.”

  “What do you need?” Tech asked.

  “Get with Katie. I need a handful of tranq cartridges for Pops’ gun.”

  Tech nodded and picked up his cell phone.

  “Bridget, get a hold of Pops and Trigger. I need them to fly down to the ranches today. Bones will take Grady to Pops’ house tomorrow after he’s released from the hospital. When they get there, I need Trigger to shoot him with the tranq gun. Bones refused to do it, but agreed to help transport him back to Michigan.”

  “Want me to go?” Bridget asked, placing her fists on her hips. “I’d be happy to shoot Grady—right in his rosy ass cheek.”

  “Not necessary. But if you could question Haley about a to-go sedative, I’d appreciate it. It would be an ugly situation if Grady were to wake mid-flight.”

  “What if that Sebrina chick is with him?” Tyler asked from the doorway.

  My mind was spinning with so many variables I wasn’t surprised he’d snuck up on me. “I don’t know.” I rubbed a hand across my forehead. “Shoot her, too? We can’t leave her alone on the ranch if the cartel is still after her. She’ll have to fly back with them so we can protect her here.”