31 Kisses Read online

  “Yeah.” I quickly grab the other puppy and put her in the second crate. I tap on the cages before saying, “I’m coming back for you two tomorrow.”

  They’ll be my excuse.

  6

  Foxy

  Kelsie

  “Stone, I swear to God you live to make my life more complicated,” I growl out. Stone is on speakerphone in my car.

  “Don’t blame me for how fucked up your life is. I told you to come with me to school, but you choose to stick by my father.” He forgets I had nothing, not a penny to my name. The FBI froze all of my father’s assets during the investigation into Robert West’s disappearance turned homicide investigation.

  “How did you want me to do that?”

  “I would’ve helped you. I can still help you.”

  “You are helping me, Stone. Danvers. Alibi.”

  He breathes out loudly and grunts. “I hate that you’ve put him on Breaker’s radar.” He loves Hayden almost more than he loves his brother. “I told you to stay away from him. This is what Breaker does, he finds your weaknesses and exploits them until you cave. Now you’ve given him a common thread.”

  “What are you babbling about?” I shout as I pull into a parking spot.

  “My best friend and your boy toy. Breaker’s going to threaten him until he gets what he wants from us.”

  “He won’t.”

  “He’s already doing it—”

  “You should be thankful I’m giving you a heads-up. Breaker wanted me to blindside you with this.”

  “Thankful?” he belittles. “For what exactly?” He blows air out through his teeth and scoffs. “You know what? Forget it.”

  I can’t forget it. “I’m going to ask him tonight before Breaker does it for me.”

  “I don’t like this, Kelsie. He’s setting us up for something, and I have a feeling the party’s going to end up bloody.”

  I sigh as I turn off the ignition. Grabbing my phone off the holder, I take it off speakerphone and exit the car. “Nothing is going to happen to Hayden. I swear.”

  “Whatever. One way or another, you’re the one who’s going to end up hurting the most. I’ll see you later.”

  I glance up at the coffee shop and familiar bus stop. “See you at the bar.”

  “Kelsie?” he says right before I end the call.

  “Yeah? Can you not disrupt the party? I need Hayden in the hot seat tonight. If you’re there, he won’t do what I need him to.”

  I saw that fucking ad on the Internet. There were way too many shares and even more likes. “What do you need him to do.”

  “Be himself, basically, but instead of kicking girls out of his room, I need him to kick girls off his lap.”

  I don’t like the way that sounds. Jealousy is a foreign emotion, but I’m pretty sure it’s introducing itself to me right now. “Does he know that?”

  “He knows the plan… he just isn’t privy to the changes yet.”

  “I’m feeling the need to add Santa Chasers to my list.”

  “Well, spare the naughty ones, I need their money.”

  I crack a smile. “I’ll think about it.”

  “I mean it. I don’t want to end up asking Dad for help.”

  “Fine.”

  I power down the phone, put the ad with Hayden permanently out of my head, and cross the street. I stroll into the store at exactly 11:00 a.m. Rebecca’s on the phone talking to someone about rent. When she sees me, a huge smile spreads across her face. “I’ll call you back in a bit,” she says cheerfully and hangs up.

  “Good morning,” I greet her and the puppy. There’s only one left. “You’re missing one?”

  “A couple came in this morning looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for their son.”

  That’s not what they’ll be asking Hayden for tonight. I cough, trying to clear the thought out of my head. Focus, Kelsie.

  “Oh.” I pick up the black one and bring her to eye level. She nips me in the nose and then licks it.

  “This one’s a little more spirited. That’s why they choose the golden one. She seemed more docile.”

  “I think she was,” I say, as the puppy bites down on my thumb.

  “Love bites.” Rebecca chuckles. “I was just telling my landlord I would be clearing out soon. It’s going to be a long night.” She’s ecstatic.

  “Congrats.” The puppy’s tiny tongue sticks out as she tries to reach my nose.

  “Thanks, doll. What are you doing back here?”

  “I couldn’t get the puppies out of my head. I pulled my funds together and decided to buy myself a gift.” I would have taken both. I didn’t want them to starve after I killed my mom’s friend.

  “Oh,” she says, coming around the front of the counter.

  “I have a name picked out already. Foxy.” The other one was going to be Roxy. Had they been male, I would’ve named them Breaker and Stone, just to annoy the Beneventis.

  “Foxy is cute. It fits her personality.”

  “I thought so. Is she still available?”

  “Absolutely. Let me get the paperwork for you from the back. You can go ahead and pick out a collar and leash. It’s my gift to you.” She hastily walks to the back room—while I put Foxy in the pen. Perusing the shelves, I decide on a red studded collar with little white gems on it. I try it on around the puppy’s neck and it fits, so I leave it on. I locate the matching leash and leave it on too.

  “Perfect,” Rebecca says, emerging from the backroom with an envelope in her hand. “This is her pedigree… Oh. Let me get her vaccination log.”

  I reach into my purse, use a glove to remove the money and leave it on the counter for her. Dropping the glove inside my purse, I make my way toward my dog and zip my bag before I accidentally flash Rebecca the murder weapon.

  Foxy barks at me and stands on her hind legs, using the sides of the puppy pen to keep her balance. Her barks turn into growls when I don’t give her attention.

  “Demanding, aren’t you?” I free her from the cage and lead her to the cash register just as Rebecca comes back. “I thought I wasn’t going to sell this little girl, so I put her under my sister’s name to take with me to Arizona. If you give me a few days, I’ll get another official pedigree and put your name on it.”

  “Will I need the pedigree?”

  “Well, only if you want to enter her in dog shows or breed her.”

  “Oh, then don’t worry about it.”

  “Okay.” She grabs the money. “May I?”

  “Sure. You said fifteen hundred, right?”

  She nods as she counts to fifteen. “Perfect.”

  “Thank you. I’m going to get this girl home and get her some cute outfits.”

  She hands me the envelope and the vaccination card, which I stick in my pocket. I scoop Foxy into my arms and cross the street, making it a point to draw attention to myself as I get in the car.

  I should have picked up a crate to carry her in because Foxy kept jumping on top of me. I ended up cradling her on my lap while I drove through the city one-handed.

  When I get to the Beneventi estate, the guards let me in the without much question. Though they did eye my new friend suspiciously; they’re used to me coming and going in different vehicles. My uncle works with some used car dealership fronts. They’re usually tasked with acquiring the ideal car for the job. As opposed to Breaker, I prefer mine non-flashy and ten years out-of-date. It’s harder to get noticed if I hide in the masses.

  I park behind one of the nicer vehicles my uncle bought me in the circular drive, right behind Breaker’s Hummer. I run my fingers through Foxy’s hair, waking her up. She has fallen asleep on my lap. “We’re home, girl.”

  She yawns as I open the door. I didn’t expect her to hop out of the car and bolt for it. “Damn it,” I call after her. She puts up a chase for a couple minutes, but I manage to catch her and hook the leash on before all the security guards joined in.

  I nestle my face in her neck and whisper, “I’m t
empted to let you run around just so I can have something to laugh about today.” Ten grown men chasing a three-pound puppy would do it.

  I put her on the ground and walk her up the three steps before she rushes forward and loops herself around the pillar.

  “Foxy,” I pout, as I bend down to pick her up and remove the self-extending leash. “You’re going to be a handful.”

  I slide the leash into my back jean pocket and cradle her in one arm, freeing my hand to open the door.

  “Uncle Costa?” I shout and place Foxy on the floor. I’d like to ask my uncle about Rebecca Stanton before heading to the restaurant. I don’t understand what she had to do with my father’s death.

  Foxy starts to bark toward the stairs, catching my attention.

  “You bought a dog?” Breaker says as he comes into sight on the curled staircase, in nothing but his boxers.

  “You should buy some clothes,” I say, flipping him the middle finger. Technically, he bought a dog since I took the money from the expense account.

  He rolls his eyes, but disappears for a minute. When he returns he’s wearing sweats.

  “What’s her name?” he asks, as he comes down the stairs, putting his arms through his shirt.

  “Foxy.” She sits on the floor between us. “Is your dad home?”

  “He’s in his office. He got a call from the Ranch. I have to head over there in a bit, so you’re on your own with him for awhile.”

  “Where’s the nurse?”

  He looks up the stairs. “She’s going to be out of it for a while.”

  “Why? What did you do?”

  “Let’s just say, she forgot the safe word.”

  I glance up the stairs, debating on whether I should check on his latest conquest or not. He must notice because he squats down and yanks on Foxy’s ear, causing her to yelp and run behind me.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I ask, scooping her into my arms.

  Breaker shakes his head. “You know you could have just killed her.”

  “The dog?” I gasp.

  “I’m not that horrible,” he says and flashes me an over exaggerated sadistic smirk; a lingering yet remains in the air.

  “No,” I admit hesitantly.

  “I mean you say you’re off to kill number twenty-eight and you show up with a dog.”

  My eyes bulge out as I look around the room. The nurse isn’t vetted yet.

  “Relax,” he says, as he leans against the railing. “She’s cleared and currently unconscious, I think. Or dead. If she doesn’t come down in a couple hours, maybe send Franco up to check on her.”

  Franco’s our cleaner. He disposes of the mistakes. I hold Foxy close to me and ignore the possible dead girl in Breaker’s room. “Well, Rebecca’s not dead yet. Foxy here is my in.”

  “When?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Cutting things kind of close, aren’t you?”

  It’s not even Christmas yet. Fucking men. “You can’t have everything you want exactly when you want it, Breaker.”

  He clucks his tongue and waves his finger in the air. “You know, you’re right.”

  I still myself, instinctively protecting Foxy from him.

  “For now, anyway.”

  I inconspicuously swallow as I realize getting a dog was a bad idea. One more thing he can use against me. “Have you gotten me any more information?”

  “I should have something soon.”

  “Thanks. I need to go ask your dad about Rebecca. I’m finding it hard to see how this lady is connected to anything.”

  “She has eyes, doesn’t she?”

  “She’s not blind.”

  “Maybe she saw something she shouldn’t. Or heard something. Why does it matter, anyway? You suddenly grow a conscience?”

  “Not really,” I say. “I’m still going to kill her.”

  Because I don’t have a choice.

  Maybe it’s better not to know her role.

  “Fucking shit, Foxy.” She’s looking at me, wagging her tail, and reminding me that the woman who owned her before is a good person. Against my better judgment, I drop the piece of toast on the kitchen island and head toward my uncle’s office. Foxy happily follows behind me, nipping at the backs of my feet on the way. “Stop that!” I whisper-shout. “You’re ruining my shoes.”

  She listens for all of twenty seconds then starts again.

  Franco steps out of my uncle’s office. I smell the metallic odor before I note the blood on his pants and shirt. We aren’t friends, but I play nice because at some point we all need someone with his particular disassembling skill.

  “Is Uncle busy?” I ask.

  Foxy circles my feet.

  “You got a dog?” he asks the obvious. I can’t tell if he’s surprised or concerned about the fact, not that it matters.

  I point toward the door. “Can I see him?”

  “I think so. He’s doing a round of dialysis, but the nurse should be coming to check on him soon.”

  “Um,” I point toward the back staircase. “Breaker’s off to the Ranch, but he asked me to send you up there.”

  Franco doesn’t try to hide his annoyance. A string of Italian curse words makes his irritation clear. “Is she dead?” he asks, looking down at his pants. “Because if I’m already dirty, I might as well clean his shit up again.”

  “Again?” I ask.

  Franco scoffs and pinches his shirt, tenting it. “Where do you think this comes from?”

  I pop my shoulder. I had a guess, but I rather him volunteer the information.

  “Breaker decided to have some fun with one of the new cattle. He let her escape.”

  I raise my brow. Not what I guessed. “How did he do that?”

  “On purpose. He thought it would be fun to make me play catch.”

  I open my mouth to say something and then decide against it. Franco’s all too eager to report back to the Beneventis. Masking the uneasy feeling flowing through me, I opt for a little sarcasm—something that won’t put me on Franco’s to-do list. “I’m guessing it wasn’t fun?”

  He exhales loudly. “I’ll let you know when I catch it.”

  It. The word makes me cringe every time. They dehumanize the girls to make them easier to slaughter, or at least, that’s what I tell myself. I blink my thoughts away and ask, “So the blood?”

  “We’re down three new heifers.”

  I glance down at Foxy to hide the anger in my eyes—anger that should not be there. The Ranch has always been a sore spot for me. I’ve done well in hiding it, but three girls were just tortured and slaughtered because Breaker wanted to have some fun. My uncle doesn’t value lives, but he values money, and in this case, both are the same thing. “Were the girls not talking?”

  “Not even to save their fucking lives. They wouldn’t tell us anything about their friend, and now I have to send out guys to replace these girls. It’ll take weeks with the holidays right around the corner, and we have a business to run. I was just telling your uncle they were ready to be bred. Now, because of their girl power solidarity shit, we are no longer meeting deadlines.”

  I lift my gaze to him, narrow my eyes, and lower my voice to a vicious growl. “Well, maybe you shouldn’t have killed them.” I mean it.

  He laughs at my seriousness. “Your funny, Kelsie.” He studies me and flattens his grin. “You’re serious?”

  “I am.” He likes to think we’re the same, but there’s a difference between Franco and me. I kill for vengeance, he butchers people for money.

  He eyes me suspiciously and glances at the dog before squatting down to pet it. “Right, I heard you like slumming it with unmades now.” He smirks and tilts his head to the side. “Bet the cock isn’t the same when the rooster doesn’t crow.”

  “I have no clue what that fucking means.”

  “It means you’re getting soft, Kelsie. You’re surrounding yourself with the wrong kind of people.” He stands, steps into my personal space, and runs his finger down my
cheek. “We’d make an interesting team, you and me.”

  I catch him off guard and shove him back, almost toppling him over. “I’d get really tired of your shit and put one right here.” I point to the center of his forehead for emphasis and lean in to whisper, “Don’t ever fucking touch me, or my dog, again.”

  He straightens himself, suddenly less confident. “Relax, Kelsie. I’m just doing my job.”

  “You aren’t doing it right.” I take the risk and scare him a little. “Breaker and Uncle are going to have to make up for your fucking impulsive trigger finger.”

  “The bitches wouldn’t talk,” he defends himself.

  I glare at him—daring him to say one more fucking word about the poor girls.

  He shuts his mouth.

  “Ever think they didn’t know? You could’ve saved yourself a lot of trouble if you just thought before you acted.” I glance at the door. “You’re lucky Breaker favors you because if he didn’t, Costa would probably be holding you accountable for the loss…” I pause for emphasis and use the opportunity to spare the next girl. “Think next time, Franco. I don’t want to have to be the one who comes to collect.”

  He nods again. “I’ll go check on the nurse.”

  I wait for him to clear the hall before I let myself breathe. I lean against the wall and let my panicked thoughts flood me. What the hell came over me? If Breaker finds out I just pulled rank, he won’t be happy.

  When I notice the door is ajar, I knock on the door and step inside without being invited in. My uncle’s in his wheelchair, hooked up to the portable dialysis machine. He’s awake and smiling at me. He’s not a smiler.

  “Everything okay?” I ask and saunter over to him, placing a kiss on his pale cheek.

  “It’s better now.” He coughs and motions for me to sit next to him. “I heard you and Franco.”

  Oh shit. “I’m sorry, Uncle. He just gets under my skin.”

  Costa lifts his feeble hand and puts it on mine then gently pats it. “I wanted to knock the shit out of him with my bare hands.” He holds his hand up; it has a slight tremor to it. “But since I can’t, I’m glad I at least raised one kid to have balls.”