Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) Kaylie Hunter (books to read this summer TXT) 📖

at the house while you deal with Grady. Best if I keep my distance since I still want to punch Grady for the shit he pulled with Nick.”

“Do you know what you’re going to say?” Bridget asked, looking back at me again.

“No clue. My big plan was to wing it and hope they don’t have me arrested for kidnapping.”

Wild Card laughed.

Chapter Twenty-Two

When we pulled in front of the house Wild Card got out and Tyler claimed the driver’s seat. The back doors of the SUV opened and Shipwreck climbed in on my right and Tech on my left.

“I don’t need an escort.”

“Team Kelsey, remember?” Bridget said, giggling.

“I’m not Team Kelsey nor Team Grady on this one,” Shipwreck said. “I just thought it would be fun.”

I looked at Tech, waiting to hear his excuse.

“What?” Tech said, grinning. “Katie kicked me out of the store. She said I was annoying her.”

“Everything annoys Katie.”

“What’s the plan?” Tech asked.

“I’ll calmly explain to Grady and Sebrina that they need to stay at Silver Aces until the situation with Santiago is resolved. That’s it. Nothing more.”

Tyler and Bridget laughed from the front seat. Shipwreck started humming. Tech shook his head.

Outside Headquarters, Shipwreck left us, heading toward the building entrance. Donovan was already outside, making a beeline for us, but paused to do some kind of hand-clap-shake-shoulder-bump maneuver with Shipwreck before he continued our way.

“You should’ve warned me,” Donovan said, shaking his head. “He’s pissed.”

“I figured it would be easier if you had plausible deniability.”

Donovan nodded in agreement as he looked back at the building’s doors. “Bones isn’t faring as well. Grady’s ready to tear his head off.”

“I can handle Grady. What’s Sebrina’s mood?”

 “Drama is sort-of her forte. She’s enjoying the scene.”

“I can work with that.”

Donovan cringed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Sebrina.”

“I know you, Donovan. You would’ve pestered Grady to tell me about her. You would’ve predicted it biting him in the ass.”

“If I would’ve guessed he’d get back together with the bitch, I never would’ve kept his secret.”

“That’s the least of my worries at the moment. First task, convince them to stay.”

“And then?”

“We deal with Santiago and end the threat,” I said, walking toward the doors.

“You make it sound simple. Mechanical,” Donovan said, holding the door open.

“It’s not, but one task at a time.”

We heard the yelling when we entered the building. Walking into the gym, I was happy to see almost everyone at Aces had gathered to witness the showdown. I wasn’t sure who was on which side, or if there were more than just two sides, but the more public this conversation was, the greater my chances were of getting Grady to stay.

Grady was standing in Bones’ personal space, screaming up at him and shoving him with his one good arm. His other arm was in a sling with heavy bandages around his shoulder. Trigger, Pops, Jackson, and Whiskey had been standing by the gym doors and joined my pack as I walked to the center of the room.

“Enough! Bones didn’t order this—I did.”

“I’m well aware they were following your orders!” Grady yelled in my face.

Sebrina stood off to the side. Her smile ticked up a notch as she chuckled silently.

“Your discharge papers said you needed plenty of rest,” I said to Grady, shrugging. “I was making sure you followed doctor’s orders.”

“And then what? Are you going to have them lock me in the basement?”

“Don’t be silly,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I’m leaving! I told you, we’re done! Jealous, psycho bitch isn’t a good look on you, Kelsey.”

“Jealous? Of her?” I asked as I looked at Sebrina openly.

Her black silky hair accented her almond skin. Her figure was slim and sensual, and her clothes accented her curves. In almost all accounts, she was a classic beauty. The tiny lines around her mouth from pursing her lips and her narrowed eyes piled full of hate were too obvious to be ignored, though.

“I’m not jealous, Grady,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m sure you wish it were that simple, but you should know by now that I’m not that girl.”

I stepped away from him, looking around the gym and focusing to keep my emotions under control.

“What I am—is pissed. Maybe a dash of confused and hurt as well, but pissed is the emotion beating the others by a long shot.”

Grady growled, taking a step away from the pack, closer to me. “You have no right to be pissed at me. You’re the one who refused to get married.”

“You think I’m pissed because you dumped me? Do you know me at all? Do you not get that the first priority in my life is and will always be—my son?”

Whiskey stepped closer to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I knew he was cautioning me to calm down. I nodded, stepping away again and breathing through my anger. When I felt I had it bottled again, I walked back to Grady, standing directly in front of him.

“You hurt Nicholas. Abandoning him over the phone like you did sent him over the edge. It was bad. I didn’t even recognize him, he was so angry. I had to pull him from school for Sara and Beth’s safety. He has to be guarded—to keep other people safe. My son. My sweet little boy is a danger to others.” I took off my leather jacket and passed it to Bridget. Taking a step closer to Grady, I held up my swollen and bruised arm. “He threw a chair at me, Grady. My nine-year-old son threw a fucking chair across the room at me.”

Grady went to reach for my arm, but I stepped away.

“You tore his heart out and then hung up on him like he meant