Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) by Kaylie Hunter (great books for teens txt) 📗

coworkers who kept an eye out for each other and talked about sketchy johns. I can’t visualize how being drug-free would make them easier targets. From a trafficking standpoint, though, taking girls without addictions to heroin or oxi means higher profits.”

Katie looked at me sideways, narrowing her eyes. “You’re itching to go to Miami and talk to the hookers.”

“I was planning on flying down Monday,” I admitted. “Grady had agreed to watch Nick if I waited until after the tournament.”

 “You’ll have to postpone your trip or send someone else,” Wayne said. “With the cartel threat, we need you here.”

“I know.”

Anne grabbed a notebook and pen from the credenza. She started writing a list of some kind. I moved over to look over her shoulder.

“I can go,” Bridget said.

“Wouldn’t work,” Jackson said. “Kelsey has street contacts in Miami. She’s a local hero for taking Pasco down. It would take you months to gain that level of trust. And while you were building that trust, it’s likely the perp would hear about you and have you snatched or killed.”

Bridget paled, looking over at Jackson. “Never mind.”

“What about Charlie?” Katie asked.

“No!” came from Pops, Jackson, Reggie, and me, simultaneously.

I chuckled at how protective my Texas family had become over Charlie. “Charlie has a cop vibe. She also doesn’t have the street contacts I have from when I worked undercover. Besides, when I called her earlier to warn her, she said she was with Kierson in Atlanta. They were playing house together for the week to see how it went.”

Hattie chuckled as she walked around the table refilling coffee cups. “That has disaster written all over it.”

“You don’t think she can settle into a relationship?”

“Charlie can’t pretend to be someone she’s not. She’s not the stay-at-home wife type. She needs a job. She needs to be as busy as Kierson, or it won’t work.”

“With him flying all over the country for the FBI, it’s not easy for them to find time to see each other.”

“Doesn’t matter, dear. Look at you and Grady. You rotate who stays and who goes. You tried the stay-at-home thing too, remember?”

I cringed, remembering the panic attacks I’d had trying to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. Hattie was right. Charlie and I were alike in that way. We both needed to have something more in our lives. Maybe we were adrenaline junkies. Maybe we had a death wish. Maybe our childhoods robbed us of any chance to be normal.

As if reading my thoughts, Hattie sighed and patted my shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with either of you other than a stubborn streak of independence.” She filled Anne’s cup as she read her list over her shoulder. “What about doctors’ appointments?”

“Good one,” Anne said, writing it down.

“What are you doing?” Tech asked.

“She’s writing a list of everyday places you might go,” I answered for Anne. “Grocery store. Liquor store. Dry cleaners. The mall.”

“Why?” Tyler asked.

Anne looked up from her long list to answer. “I figured if we have a list of places they might have gone, we might find out where they crossed paths with the perp.” Anne’s nose wrinkled as she smiled. “That’s fun to say—perp. I feel all badass.”

Tech looked confused. “None of them had bank accounts. We don’t have a way to figure out which grocery store or which doctor they went to.”

“Not electronically,” I said. “They worked in a cash-based business, so we’ll have to narrow the list geographically. These women didn’t have cars. They would’ve stayed local for most of their needs.”

Tech nodded. “I’ll start with mapping their addresses and seeing what pops up near where they live.”

“Add their business locations, too,” Bridget said.

“Their business locations?” Tech said, grinning. “You mean the street corners they worked?”

“Where they sold their bodies, yes,” she said, grinning back. “This one worked a dive hotel parking lot.” She slid the file she’d been reading to Tech.

“Once you get their work and home locations entered, we can search for each business type on Anne’s list,” I said.

“I’ll help Anne with her list,” Bridget said. “Lisa and Beth can help Tech pull the addresses from the files.”

I settled back into my chair and focused on the profile cases. I was itching to work the Miami case with everyone else, but Tech was right. I’d studied it for hours and made no headway. Hopefully, their fresh eyes would turn up a lead.

Chapter Eleven

I had moved to the floor, leaning against the wall with my laptop balanced on my thighs. My ass couldn’t take sitting on the wooden dining room chair anymore. The thickly padded carpet below me now was a welcome relief to my tailbone. Everyone else was scattered between the dining room table, the breakfast bar, and the living room, working on the Miami case. Tech kept shaking his head at all the paper being passed around the rooms. So much for his paperless initiative.

The ringing of a cell phone caused me to startle, toppling my laptop to the carpet.

I looked up as Jackson grabbed the burner phone. “Hola.”

I stood, abandoning the laptop, as I watched Jackson’s face for traces of concern.

“Si.” He paused, glancing up at me and nodding. “Si. Senorita Kelsey. Si.”

The room was quiet enough that we could hear the other person on the other end of the phone speaking rapidly in Spanish, but not clear enough to make out any of the words. The sound of gunfire was very clear though. I dropped to my knees as the phone went silent, disconnected on the other end.

“Shit,” Jackson cursed, slamming the phone down. He turned to Wayne first. “Alert our contact with the Coast Guard to be ready just outside international waters for a pickup. Have them keep it quiet, though. The boys will need help getting back