In a Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2) - Shelly Laurenston Page 0,152
out of a few years—”
“I know which one you’re talking about. What interest?”
“In Denny’s hyperrealistic paintings. That street view of Paris that he did from memory . . . everyone is talking about it. It’s garnered a lot of interest.”
“Interest?”
“Yes. Interest.” She reached across the table, placed her hand on his forearm. “So I don’t want you to worry about anything. The Jean-Louis Parker name will be known for art. Because of Dennis.”
Kyle sat up straight. “I have to go.”
And he did, leaving Stevie there until Oriana walked over.
“That was brilliant,” she said, taking Kyle’s seat.
“You heard us?”
She pointed at her head. “Jackal ears. And you were . . .” She began to laugh. “I’m surprised his fucking head didn’t explode.”
“I’m not about to let your brother fuck up his career because of Kiki Li. Despite the fact that I really like her.”
“Kyle will be fine,” Oriana said with a dismissive wave. “But were you serious about Denny?”
“Oh, yeah. I heard from a friend of a friend of a maestro who had been at an auction that included one of Denny’s pieces, and he bought it for eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“But he never speaks. For years we all thought he had been born mute. Then one day he just started talking in very short, very quiet sentences. He wanted a grilled cheese sandwich.”
“Because a grilled cheese sandwich is the best sandwich. Even then he was showing his genius.”
* * *
“Come to bed, woman!” Miki Kendrick heard Irene Conridge’s wolf husband yell from their bedroom.
“He’s persistent,” Miki chuckled, continuing to print pages from the Wells brothers’ files she’d finally hacked into. The more pages she discovered, the more fascinated Irene became. Miki had no idea what her friend was discovering and she really didn’t want to know. That kind of science was not her thing. She liked computers. She liked how they worked. Plus she didn’t have to worry about putting a few elements together and creating a virus that would turn everyone into zombies. Win-win.
Of course, Miki hadn’t planned on being in New York this long. Her mate and his Pack lived on the West Coast, but Irene had called and the job sounded so interesting, she’d come. Besides, according to Miki’s daughter, “You need to go. You’re getting on my nerves.”
Brat.
Miki found some new files buried beneath more encryption than she’d thought possible, but when she looked up to tell Irene, she saw the woman’s cold gaze fixed on a spot behind her.
Miki, who’d grown up in a rough part of eastern Texas, surrounded by wolves and bikers who could shift into wolves, had the blade she’d purchased when she’d arrived in New York out of its holster and pressed against the neck of the Asian woman standing behind her.
And the Asian woman had her blade pressed against Miki’s neck.
She smiled. “Nice, for a full-human.”
“Can I help you with something?” Miki asked, figuring if the woman had wanted her dead, she’d have slashed her throat by now.
“As a matter of fact, you can.”
“What are you doing here?” Irene asked. Then she snapped, “Both of you put your weapons away before I get terse.”
Gazing into each other’s eyes, Miki and the woman lowered their blades.
“Miki Kendrick, this is Max MacKilligan.”
“One of the sisters. I’ve heard about you guys.”
“And you’re the hacker.”
Miki slid her knife back into the holster. “I prefer computer expert. For legal reasons, of course.”
“I need your help.”
“With what?”
“I need you to track a few things down.”
“Like?” Irene asked. “Because she’s working for me right now.”
“Hey, bitches,” Miki said, her gaze bouncing between both women, “I don’t belong to either of ya. Now what do ya want?” she asked Max.
“My twin aunts sent my cunt of a cousin to come to my house and kill me while my sisters were downstairs with their boyfriends.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. I’m on the trail of my cousin, and I’ll find her. But my aunts also stole money from my family by using my father. Now, he is an idiot. I don’t think he can even send email. But he used a hacker and I want to know who it was so we can track down the stolen money. Or, at the very least, just get the fucking money back. And I’m guessing you’re the one who can find it.”