Hunt and Prey (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 8) by Kaylie Hunter (novels to read for beginners txt) 📕

“Am I the reason Pauly’s dead? Was I the target?”

Benny shook his head. “Got no bones about taking a good job for fair pay, but some work isn’t worth the hassle. Combine you living in the building with a sketchy client, any halfway decent bastard would take a pass. But you weren’t the target. Not for that job at least.”

“But I’m the target for another job?”

Mickey leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he silently listened.

Benny glanced sideways at Mickey, then back at me. “For Kelsey’s sake—not yours,” he pointed at me, “I’ll admit the shit that happened in your building wasn’t the only job I heard about.”

The guy who was tailing me, I thought.

“A hornet’s nest got kicked,” Benny said, his eyes cold and dispassionate. “I don’t know who did the kicking or the why behind it, but you’d be smart to get out of town for a spell.”

His warning was clear. Whoever was behind having me tailed earlier meant business. And they were powerful enough that Benny was trying hard to stay out of it.

“I have a picture.” I selected the grainy photo of the man who’d followed me earlier and turned the phone toward Benny as I stood and walked closer.

“Don’t know him,” Benny said without looking at the photo.

Mickey stood, pulled a gun, and held it to Benny’s temple. “And now?”

Benny’s eyes flickered in anger toward Mickey, but then he glanced at the photo. “Doesn’t look familiar, but it’s a shitty picture and the guy has his face turned away from the camera.”

“It might be a shitty picture, but does it look like the guy you talked to? Same build? Anything?” I continued to hold the picture in front of him.

“No. The guy I talked to was scrawny. Nothing more than a middleman. As soon as the name Harrison was mentioned, I told him to leave.” Benny’s cold eyes let me know he was done talking.

I turned the phone toward Mickey. “How about you? Recognize him?”

He took the phone and studied the picture. “No. But it could be anyone. Do you have a better picture?”

“This is it for now.”

Mickey motioned to his bodyguards to join us. He held the phone up for them to view and they shook their heads that they didn’t recognize the man.

I took the phone back, tucking it into my back pocket. “One last question,” I said looking directly at Benny. “Hear anything about a woman named Evie? Or a woman named Genevieve?”

Benny glared at me. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

I stepped back to retrieve my purse before walking toward the door.

“Kelsey always leaves a tip for information,” Benny snapped.

“I’m not Kelsey,” I said, walking out.

~*~*~

I wasn’t surprised to hear one of Mickey’s bodyguards follow me outside. I was surprised that Mickey and his other guard also walked out.

“Does Kelsey know you’re in danger?” Mickey called out.

I walked back toward Mickey, stopping only two feet away. “What I choose to share or not share with Kelsey is none of your business. The two of you might have some skewed alliance, but in my book, you’re nothing more than a thug. Besides,” I pulled my phone and opened the audio file I’d copied earlier, “you’ve got your own problems to sort out.”

Playing the recording, the man known to Evie as Xander Hall threatened someone about a job involving prostitutes and warned to keep everything quiet so Mickey didn’t find out about it. I wasn’t sure how the reference to a dentist office fit in, but I did see the shift in Mickey’s expression when he heard it. When the recording ended, I slid the phone into my pocket.

I waited, watching him. Watching as his eyes pinned me with rolling emotions that I couldn’t read. Anger? Yes, but it was more than that. It was a challenge of some sort.

I was so focused on Mickey that I didn’t notice Spence standing next to me until he wrapped an arm around my waist and gently pulled me back two steps away from Mickey.

Spence’s presence startled Mickey. Mickey glanced around, taking his time to scan the area as his temper visibly settled. He glanced back at Spence, nodded ever so briefly, before looking back at me. Once again, he seemed hard, even cold, but now back in control.

“By everything I’ve gathered here tonight,” Mickey looked down at me, “you have three problems. One, someone in your building was eliminated. Two, you are the target on another job and the person who’s backing that contract is powerful enough to make Benny nervous. And three, you’re sticking your nose into the dentist office which is already being managed by someone a lot smarter,” he stepped forward, towering his height and broad body over me in an intimidating manner, “and definitely more in control than yourself.” He walked toward his town car and without looking back, he said loud enough for me to hear, “Take Benny’s advice. Get the hell out of Florida.”

Spence stood beside me as we both watched the town car pull away from the curb and enter traffic.

I turned to face Spence. “Explain the loan. Why did you borrow money from someone like Mickey?”

Spence shrugged. “I know exactly who Mickey is, and what he’s capable of if he’s disrespected. But I grew up in the same neighborhood as Mickey. We ran together for years, only splitting apart when he started building his criminal business. We’re not friends anymore, but that doesn’t make him my enemy either.”

“He’s a thug.”

“Half the politicians, lawyers, and cops in this city are dirty. The only difference between them and Mickey is that he doesn’t hide who he is.” Spence lightly pushed me toward my car. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll pick up a six pack and you can argue