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

Card said, shrugging. “But we’ll need to play either here or at Kelsey’s house.”

“Set it up,” Steve said, shaking Wild Card’s hand. “We’ll bring the beer and the snacks.”

“We need to get going,” Dave said. “We have a whole good-cop, bad-cop skit to play out in the interrogation room.”

“Just don’t record anything he confesses,” I said.

“Understood,” Steve said. “Do we even want to know what’s in that tank?”

“No.” Wild Card, Beth, and I said at the same time.

Dave and Steve looked over at the tank and took a step back.

“All right then,” Steve said.

~*~*~

Beth went back inside to find Sara. Wild Card went to find Nicholas to finish moving Grady’s things. I stood outside staring at the chemical tank, trying to figure out what to do with it.

Ryan walked out the back door and approached me, followed by a man I’d never seen before. “Wild Card sent me out. Said you might need me to get rid of something for you.”

I pulled the list from my back pocket and handed it to him as I nodded to the tank. He read the list and the corner of his mouth ticked up slightly. It was the only change in his facial expression.

“I’ll handle it,” he said, slipping the paper into his front pocket. “You going to explain the new bruises on Tweedle?”

“It’s up to her to tell you. You could’ve warned me that she’s a walking disaster.”

“What fun would that be?” he said, the corner of his mouth sliding up a millimeter higher. “This is Shipwreck. Jerry said you had the keys to one of the apartments for him until we figure out his new housing.”

Shipwreck was wearing Hawaiian-style swimming trunks, flip flops, and a flamingo-plastered short-sleeved shirt which was left unbuttoned until mid-chest.

“Hello, Senorita,” Shipwreck purred, grasping my hand and kissing it.

“Uh, Shipster,” Ryan said, scratching the back of his neck, “you might want to lay off the flirting. Most of the women around here will kick your ass for that shit. Kelsey included. Not to mention, she’s Grady’s old lady.”

“Damn,” Shipwreck said, dropping my hand like it was contaminated. “What the hell am I going to do around here then? No bar. No babes. No weed.”

“Who says we don’t have weed?” I asked.

The men’s heads swiveled back to me.

I shrugged. “I took the liberty of having an apartment arranged for you. There are clothes in the closet, personal products in the bathroom, and I left a present for you in the nightstand drawer. Thanks for getting my boys out of Mexico. Room twelve is all yours.” I handed him the keys and walked back into the gym.

Chapter Fifteen

I returned a few phone calls and emails while I waited for Dave and Steve to scare the bejeebers out of Carl. When I received the text that I could pick him up, I woke Beth from her mini nap. Sara was with Bridget, learning Lock Picking 101. I let them both know to call Tyler when they were ready to leave.

When Beth and I arrived at the police station Steve, wearing his serious cop face, escorted Carl to the main lobby. Dave and a few other cops were behind glass doors in the next room, laughing.

Wearing neon orange, hand cuffs, and ankle chains, Carl wailed as drool dripped from his lower lip. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re in big trouble, Mr. Carl,” Beth scolded as Steve used his keys to unlock the cuffs. “You’re lucky Kelsey was able to get you released. If you pull something like this again—they’ll likely lock you up for good.”

“I didn’t mean to break the law,” he cried, looking between us. “I’ll be good! I prom-mm-mise!”

“From now on, if you want chemicals for one of your experiments, you tell me,” Beth continued. “I’ll decide if it’s legal and safe.”

“I will. I will,” Carl said, sniffling and wiping his snot on his sleeve.

Ugh, I thought. I’m so not doing Nicholas’ or Carl’s laundry ever again.

My part of Carl’s punishment was the silent treatment. I marched out ahead of them, leaving the precinct. Carl shuffled after me. Beth stayed close on Carl’s heels, lecturing him the entire trip home.

~*~*~

Dinner consisted of burnt chicken, undercooked potatoes, and slimy green beans. We were all grateful for the chocolate cake Tweedle had prepared for dessert. The guys moved down the hall into the family room to prepare for their poker game. The kids ran off to play in the field with Storm while Nightcrawler, Tyler, and a half dozen other men guarded them. Carl went to the basement to use the tunnel to hide in his bedroom at Alex’s house.

“Well, ladies,” I said, putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. “Who’s working out tonight?”

“Lisa and I want to work on your prostitute case,” Anne said. “We had more ideas to add to the list.”

“I can help them,” Tech said. “I’m not in the mood to play poker.”

“I feel guilty,” I admitted. “It’s my case. I should stay and help.”

“Nonsense,” Lisa said, shooing me off. “You deal with this stuff every day, but this is an escape for us. Go burn some calories.”

“I’m still working out,” Katie said, stretching her arms over her head.

“Me too,” Bridget said. “I haven’t had a good workout this week.”

“Can I go, too?” Tweedle asked.

We all cringed.

“Just to watch,” she added. “You can tie me to a chair if it makes you feel better.”

Katie grinned at Tweedle before turning back to me. “We’ll work out at Headquarters. We only have one mat in the basement, but the gym at Headquarters has three mats. Tweedle can practice coordination exercises while we spar.”

I shrugged. “Give me a minute to change and to let Tyler know I’m relocating.”

I changed into the camo leggings Grady