Paid in Full: Kelly Kennedy Series (Book One) Read online

  Paid in Full

  Kelly Kennedy Series

  Jamie L Biggs

  Copyright © 2020 Jamie L Biggs

  All rights reserved.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank my family and friends for the support they gave me while writing this book, especially my husband. He went without a home cooked meal more often than not while I locked myself away in my cave to write. Thanks, big guy!

  Also, a huge thank you to Joe B, Sarah G and Callie S at The Write Practice for your honest opinions and support. I would not have made it through the process without!

  And to my sister, Jill. Thank you for getting me.

  For Tom

  Chapter 1

  Kelly

  The smoke burned my eyes as I followed my father into the darkened hotel bar. I wrapped my arms around myself and keep my head down as he guides me toward a booth in the back of the place.

  “I need you to follow my lead tonight.” He sits next to me and throws his arm across my shoulder. “Do you hear me, Princess?”

  My internal radar pings. Something is off and I cannot put my finger on it. My gut never fails me. Never.

  I survey the area. A dive cocktail lounge in a rundown hotel off of the strip. The drink servers move between the packed bar and tables crowded with men. The haze in the room along with its clientele are less than appealing to me. A vision flashed in my mind of a body lying on the ground, face down. Blood oozes from his neck. Gross. I shake the thought away. The smell of strong disinfectant burns my nasal passage. I imagine management uses some bleach cleaner after they dispose of dead bodies. I realize I have an overactive imagination, but this place conjures up horror in my mind.

  Something tickles my senses and draws my gaze to the far end of the bar. A man, a little younger than Joe, my father, is observing us. Our eyes lock and his lips twitch into a grin. I recognize he is dangerous. Lethal. And I don’t want any of his attention.

  “Princess. This is important.” Joe drags me tight into his shoulder.

  “Yes.” Turning to look my father in the eye. “I know what to do.”

  “That’s my girl.” He smiles down at me.

  Joe isn’t a good man. He can charm the pants off of a homeless person if given half a chance and then turn violent in his next breath. It is always hard to tell what sort of mood he is in, so I try to remain as neutral as possible with Joe. I hope whoever we are here to see, have enough common sense to walk away from whatever Joe is selling. My father has an innate knack to probe someone until he has found their vulnerability. He leverages his targets weakness and then leaves them with nothing. I hate being brought into one of his con games.

  I wear jeans and a sweater, not trying to impress anyone. Joe wears his only sport coat over a stained button-down shirt and his good pair of black jeans. This is the best he can do with what we have, which isn’t much. My father is a small-time criminal who finds enough money to keep a roof over our head, but that is about it. He’s done a few days in the county lockup, but nothing major.

  I hope the man he is here to meet tonight doesn’t think much about our attire. From the looks of the crowd here, it shouldn’t be a problem. We fit in well. Joe started working for the Contessa Hotel and Casino on the strip six months ago. It is out of character for him and surprised me when it happened. Now that he has a job, I hope things will become a little easier and we can pick up some new clothes.

  A brunette dressed in the bar’s uniform, black shorts and a low-cut crimson t-shirt, comes to the booth. “Can I bring you something?” She places two red cocktail napkins on our table.

  Joe takes his arm from around my shoulder, straightens up in his seat and kicks in the charm. “Hey, honey. Aren’t you the cutest little thing? What’s special tonight?” Joe appears to undress the young woman in his mind.

  “Well, it seems you are, handsome. What can I get you?” She winks at Joe.

  I lose interest in this conversation and pull my gaze away from my father as he flirts with our waitress. Scanning the room again, I realize the man who has been sitting at the bar is now making his way toward our table. He locks eyes with me and continues moving in our direction until he is standing next to our server and smiles down at her. “Hello, Alicia. Bring me a whiskey, please?”

  The startled girl, flinches. “Yes, Mr. Bailey.” She nods and gives Joe a quick smile and left.

  Alicia does not ask if I would like something to drink. I’m not upset about it because I’m not old enough to drink alcohol yet, anyway. But a Coke sounds nice. I have two months to go until my eighteenth birthday. Fifty-eight days to be exact. It is fifty-eight days from today that I plan to leave Las Vegas and start a life away from Joe and his criminal antics. I don’t expect he will keep his job at the Contessa for long. Being employed isn’t his thing. Well, working at all isn’t his thing.

  My father stands up to greet the smiling wanna-be mob boss who continues staring at me. “You must be Finn. I’m Joe Kennedy. It’s nice to see you.” My father’s eyes sparkle.

  The man abandons his appraisal of me and takes Joe’s offered hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Joseph.”

  He releases my dad’s grip and returns his regard to me again. My skin is crawling as if a nest of ants are marching up and down my arms, and my gut is telling me to turn and run, but I have to stay. Joe will make my life a living hell if I mess this up for him.

  The mob boss stands a little over six-feet and isn’t muscular, but not scrawny either. Dark brown hair, cut and styled. His complexion is pale, but flawless. He reminds me of a metro-GQ model. He smiles again at me.

  I hide behind my mask, empty of emotions, and stare back at the man.

  “Call me, Joe. This here is my daughter, Kelly.” He waves a hand at me.

  He reaches out and grasps my fingers, raising them to his lips, and pressed a kiss against the top of them before letting me go. “Kelly, I am very glad to meet you.”

  I pull away from him. There is something off with Finn Bailey. I want to run, but Joe has me trapped in the booth, blocking my escape. My radar is pinging Morse coded messages to me to stay alert. The fine blonde hair on my arms lift. I didn’t need any psychic detection to understand this guy is a threat.

  Joe waves toward the empty seat. “Sit down.”

  “Thank you.” Finn unbuttoned his suit jacket and slides into the booth seat across from me.

  My father leans forward, moving himself closer to the polished man, “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me tonight. I have some ideas and hope you will want to partner with me. It can make us rich men.”

  Finn raises an eyebrow. “I’m already wealthy, Joseph. Money no longer motivates me.” He tapped his finger on the table, then turned his face toward me. “However, I enjoy a good challenge.”

  I wasn’t afraid of much. Joe’s lifestyle attracts rif-raff in our direction all the time, and I have learned to avoid confrontation. Pushing down my emotions to con
centrate on my surroundings and whatever situation I find myself in, is the best way to protect myself. Finn is breaking down every wall I attempt to erect, stealing my sense of security. Yes, he is scaring me.

  To my relief, Alicia arrives with drinks. She places a Bud Light in front of Joe, and then a crystal cut glass with amber liquid in front of Finn. “Will there be anything else?”

  Finn crosses his arms over his chest and scrutinizes his employee. “Alicia, where is Miss Kelly’s beverage?”

  “Oh.” The girl places her tray in front of her as if to shield herself from Finn. “I’m sorry.” Her cheeks flush. “What would you like?”

  “Oh, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

  “No, it is not fine.” Finn raises his chin. “Alicia, bring a glass of wine, red.”

  “Yes, Mr. Bailey.” And without hesitation, she is off, sprinting to the bar.

  “Mr. Bailey. I’m not old enough to drink.”

  “Princess, one glass won’t hurt. Finn here, is goin’ out of his way here. The least you can do is thank him.” I read the unspoken threat hiding in Joe’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry. Thank you. I mean no disrespect Mr. Bailey.”

  He forces a smile. “Do you always follow the rules, Kelly? I assume most teenagers seek ways to break the rules, and here you are with your father’s permission.” He raises his eyebrows.

  I cross my arms. “Well, I guess I’m not like most teenagers.”

  Finn tilts his chin. “No. I suppose you are not.”

  I feel my mind become fuzzy, but I force myself to focus. A pressure builds in my head, not a headache but something else. I will it to stop. Control is important right now. To let my guard down would be a mistake. Whatever is causing the fuzziness fades away.

  “Princess?” Joe draws back my attention.

  I peek up and realize Alicia has spoken to me.

  “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

  “Your drink.” She places the glass of red wine in front of me. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

  “No. Thank you.” I glance at Joe, and then Finn.

  “Thank you. You may go.” Finn waves his hand at Alicia to shoo her away, but his eyes never move away from mine.

  Finn waits for me to take a sip, but I left it on the table. He frowns. “There is something different about you, Kelly. Something special, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

  Before Finn can continue, my father interrupts. “Maybe we should get down to work.” Joe fidgets. “There is an opportunity for an import-export business that you might like to consider.”

  I am glad when Finn pulls his gaze from me to address Joe. “Do tell.”

  “Well, I have this guy who wants to import hand warmers from Japan to the states. He’ll work a deal for us, pennies on the dollar. I just need a little help with the seed money… up front.”

  “And I suppose this is where I get into the picture, Joseph?”

  Joe swallows the last of his beer. “That’s where you come in.”

  “I see.” Finn’s gaze centers on me again.

  He continues staring at me as he speaks. “Tell me, Joseph. What do you know about hand-warmers? Are you an expert in the manufacturing process? Convince me why I should work with you.”

  Joe leans in toward Finn. “I got a degree in metallurgy from Pepperdine.”

  A small gasp escapes from me. What in the world? Finn glances at me, and I watch his lip twitch.

  “I have some contacts in Asia that will work with us. I bring a lot to the table, Finn. Trust me.”

  Finn’s brows tighten. “My understanding of Pepperdine University is they are recognized for its business programs.”

  I close my eyes and cringe. Why Joe has to be such an idiot is beyond me.

  “Oh. They are. But they branched out into other programs.” Joe’s lie hangs in the air.

  “Metallurgy?” Finn continues to regard me. I am desperate to hide my embarrassment from him. I swallow the lump in my throat and continue to stare back at him.

  “Yeah, that’s right. Great program. Top of my class.” My father beams.

  Finn’s hard smile scares me. He is silent for a moment before he asks, “so tell me, Joseph, what do you do for a living to support your beautiful daughter? Are you working in the metallurgy field full-time or is it a hobby of yours?”

  Joe squirms in his spot, causing the faux leather to screech. “Uh, well.” A bead of sweat glistens on his forehead. “Finn. It’s a tough business to break into.”

  “I can only imagine, Joseph. So, what do you do for a living?”

  “Well, I’m working over at the Contessa as the boss’s right-hand man. I take care of all his affairs.”

  A slow smile drifts over Finn’s face. “The Contessa? You work for Grant Cooper?”

  “Yeah, you know him?” Joe perks up with relief.

  “I do. How long have you been working for my friend, Grant?”

  Squinting one eye closed, he seems to do the math in his head. “Almost six months now. It is sheer luck that it happened. Right place at the right time.”

  “Joseph. I can see there is a distinct possibility we may work something out.” He taps the tabletop.

  I realize he is on to Joe’s con game and I assume he would just walk away. What does he want? He can’t expect a deal with my dad is a good idea.

  “However, I am not interested in a partnership with you.”

  A slow smile appears on my father’s face. “I am open to suggestions. What do you have in mind?”

  I catch the gleam in Finn’s eye.

  “You may be an asset to me in my organization, Joseph.” He smiles at me. “You did well raising your daughter. It shows me you have a good head on your shoulders.”

  “Give me until the end of next week and I will contact you with the details. Is this acceptable?”

  Joe stands up. Finn grips Joe’s hand and shakes it, sealing the deal. “Thank you, Finn. I can do whatever it is you need. Just say the word.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  Joe takes my arm and pulls me out of the booth. “Say goodbye to Finn, Princess.”

  “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Bailey.”

  “The pleasure is mine.” He winks at me, stands, and disappears.

  I am glad the night is over, and I hope to never see him again.

  The moonlight bounces off of the wet road as we drive away from the Vegas strip. Relieved we are on our way home, I try not to worry about the future. The cons Joe continues to pull will get him in trouble. Worse case, he will end up dead because he crosses the wrong person. But today, the meeting with Finn can be that one person to make things bad for Joe.

  “Princess? You good over there?” Joe switches his eyes from the road to me and then back.

  “Yeah.” I watch the landscape change as we drive to the darker side of town.

  “You did great tonight, kid. Finn seemed to take to you, you know? I guess you may have been the deciding factor in this deal.”

  “I did nothing but keep quiet while you lied to him. He knows you were lying about your education.”

  “Ah come on, he didn’t have a clue.” He chuckles.

  “A metallurgy degree? Are you serious with that? Is that even a real thing?” I shake my head. “Pepperdine does not have a science program, let alone metallurgy. Whatever that is.” I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

  “Well, he must have believed me. He thinks I’m smart and I have clout.” He slows the car down as we stop at a red light.

  I think about Joe’s criminal antics. What he did when he pulls a con is wrong on so many levels. Lie, cheat and steal is his unspoken motto. Life would be easier if he followed the rules and treated people better.

  “You need to be more positive and stop bringing me down all the time.” He whines.

  “I’m sorry.” I relax my neck on the headrest. “Can you do something for me? Please be careful. I can’t put my finger on it, but I think this guy
is shady.”

  “Did your radar go off?” He clears his throat.

  “Yeah, it did.” My gut is never wrong, and he knows it.

  The car turns down our street and swings into the apartment complex. Joe pulls into our parking space and switches the car off. We sit there and listen to the pinging of the engine as it continues to run for a few more seconds.

  He reaches for my arm to turn me toward him. “This will be the last one. I realize you don’t like it, but this is the only way I have to make decent money.”

  “You could just work like regular people.” I pick at my nails. “I mean you have a good job at the hotel. You are working for the owner. How bad can it be?”

  “I do not want to end up working for somebody else for the rest of my life. I promise, Princess. If this goes well, I won’t need to work another deal, okay?”

  I look up at my father and realize he believes this will be the last time he would work a deal. If he pulls this off, he will have enough to retire on and then some.

  “Yeah. Okay.” I realize I have no control over what he does and just need to let it go.

  Chapter 2

  Grant

  I wait outside my maker’s office while his personal assistant Drew announces my arrival. “Master Grant is here to see you.”

  “Thank you, Drew. Please show him in.”

  The king’s assistant waves for me to enter. “Please, Master Grant. If you will?”

  Drew lowers his eyes as I step forward. He hasn’t been Alex’s assistant for long. But long enough for me to know I don’t like him. The human wants to be a vampire in the worst way. Alex isn’t positive he will make it in our world, and I agree with Alex.