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

I gripped the railing tighter, trying to reel in my own rage.

Chapter Twenty-Four

CHARLIE

Monday, 11:59 p.m.

“Surprise! I brought you a present,” I said to Baker as we entered his office from the private stairway.

“Whatever it is, I don’t want it,” Baker said from behind his desk, not looking up as he read through a legal document of some kind. “The last present you gave me was purple socks with Christmas trees on them.”

“Cashmere socks. They were expensive. You like things that are expensive.”

Baker grunted.

Wild Card tossed Evie’s bags into a chair before wandering toward the security monitors.

“Evie’s your present. She’s going to keep you company for a few days and stay in your hidden suite. She promised to stay above the second floor, but she was going stir crazy in the condo.”

Baker raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Evie who was nervously standing near the stairway door. He subtly inclined his head at her before turning a stern expression on me. “And where do you expect me to sleep?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?” I asked, walking past him to the other side of the room.

He sighed loudly before saying a simple, “No.”

I opened the wall panel that led into his private suite. Evie and Beast followed me inside. A small sitting room with a couch and TV took up this side of the room. On the far side was a king size bed and private bathroom.

“You good?” I asked her.

“Is he mad?” she whispered.

“No. He’s pretty easy to read when he’s mad. He yells and his face puckers up like he bit a lemon.”

She grinned. “Then I’m good.”

“Splendid. I have more to do tonight, so I’m going to change my outfit and then split.”

“Where to next?” Wild Card asked me.

I held a finger up for him to wait a moment. “Is Garth working tonight?” I asked Baker.

“Yes,” he said as he signed a form.

“Can you send him upstairs?”

“Yes.”

I curled my finger for Wild Card to follow. Beast padded along after us.

Unlocking my office, I dug around in the closet for some street clothes and changed in the little bathroom. I didn’t have to do much to my face except remove some of the foundation. The bruises were a green-purple blend that worked in my favor. I let my hair down and used hairspray to tangle the mass in globs.

From the mirror, I saw Garth open the door and look at me.

Wild Card looked over at Garth, took a step back and looked further upward. He took another step back, unkinking his neck.

Garth ignored him, watching me. “Always a beauty, Kid,” he joked.

“Why thank you, Garth,” I said, winking at him. “Can you grab the keys to the Mustang and take Wild Card—” I pointed to Wild Card “—to the car. I’ll want the convertible for tomorrow. We can leave his rental in the city ramp.”

Garth looked down his nose at Wild Card but spoke to me. “You want your truck for tonight? I can bring it over on my way back.”

“Yes, please. You’re the best.”

Garth pulled both sets of keys from the peg board. “Anything for you, doll.”

“We’re separating?” Wild Card asked me. “I don’t think Kelsey will like that.”

“I need to work the street and ask a few questions. Beast will be with me. But you and all your muscles,” I gestured toward his body, “will scare everyone away.”

“You’re forgetting you’re the target on a kill contract. Let someone else dress like a homeless person and ask questions.”

“Someone else wouldn’t know where to go or who to talk to.” I shook my head. “I’ll be fine. I’ll have Beast, and I’ll make sure I’m not followed.”

“You heard her,” Garth said, running out of patience. “Let’s go, pretty boy.”

Wild Card’s head swiveled back to Garth, but he was already gone. Wild Card looked at me. “Pretty boy?” he asked in a low tone.

I smirked at him in the mirror. “Garth calls it like he sees it. That’s what I love about him. Well… that and the fact he helps me juggle my cars. Speaking of which…” I turned and faced Wild Card, pointing my finger at him. “If you get even so much as a microscopic nick on my Mustang, I’ll be serving your head on a platter.”

“What kind of Mustang are we talking here?”

I turned back to my makeup bag to add junkie tracks on my arm. “A GT coupe convertible refitted with an inline six engine rocking 470 horsepower under its beautiful metallic-silver hood. Don’t make me regret letting you drive her.”

~*~*~

I drove my beater short-bed truck from block to block for forty minutes until I found the new camp location. I could’ve made a few phone calls and saved myself the time, but since I didn’t know who the bad guys were, driving in circles was safer.

The homeless camps were always shifting, moving to new locations. I wasn’t a fan of relocation days, where the police were ordered to force the homeless to pack up and move on, but I also understood why the higher ups in charge of the city didn’t want the camps to become too large or too permanent in any one location. And orders were orders.

I parked the pickup along the curb a half a block away from the camp. After getting out, I patted my leg for Beast to follow. He stayed close to my side as we walked toward the alley, where thirty or more of this city’s homeless were gathering for the night.

Entering with the same hopeless shuffle as those around me, I kept my head tipped downward as I swept my eyes back and forth, both looking for Pauly’s friends and keeping my eyes peeled for