McKuen’s Revenge Read Online Free PDF

restored hotel near the end of Pico?”
    “Um hmm?”
    “Somebody got shot there last night, I know him.”
    “Who?”
    “Name’s Ron Grimshaw, owns a couple of bars in Santa Monica.”
    “A friend?”
    “Not really.”
    “So why are you upset?”
    He looked away again. That was a tell, a term she’d picked up trying to learn poker. When his eyes went left like that, he was going to try to soften the impact of his next sentence. She stared.
    “Uh, seems like Santa Monica’s more and more—”
    “ Mr. McKuen , you’re not being straight with me. This affects you so it affects me. Out with it.” He winced.
    “OK, the guy’s a competitor. Another competitor was shot last week. Dennis said the police are looking at us.” He put down the iPad and raised a palm. “Honest.”
    Amy frowned, believing now. “Ridiculous. But look honey, this is getting out of hand. Two murders? The police are looking at you? And this man picked me up and pointed a gun at me? I’m sorry, there’s more, what else?”
    He took a deep breath. Was it that he didn’t want to say what he thought, or he was as confused as she was? She waited. He pressed on his forehead.
    “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”
    “You told me about the drugs, about having to pull a gun on a man to get out of a jam.” She softened her tone. “What else, Steve?”
    “Amy look, you know about Mindy, but I can’t say any more. I’ve been involved in some other things, that…” Finally he looked her in the eye.
    “Remember when I said it was better you don’t know where I put that piece of paper? Well, like that. You don’t know, you can’t be held accountable.”
    Lips a pout she put a hand on his. “Steve, I know you want to protect me but I’m a big girl.”
    “No, you don’t understand, whoever’s killing is playing by different rules.”
    A grey cloud of silence floated. It wasn’t time to push. She stood up.
    “Freshen your coffee?” His eyes tracked her.
    “Thanks for understanding.” He smiled. “I’ll get things worked out.” She smiled back, relieved. He would tell her eventually.
    “Be right back.” He went to the dining room and tapped his phone. She knew who he was calling.
    She sat down, picked up her coffee and listened to one side of the conversation. If the boys wanted to spend money on their little schemes, so what? Liv felt the same way.
    Keeps ‘em busy. She smirked. Aware of the bodyguards, she tolerated it as long as they stayed out of sight and she didn’t have to feel like she lived in a cage.
    She put down her coffee. He was a smart guy, but she would figure it out. She left to get ready for midterms.

5
     
    “Down, Duke!” Duke sat, then lay on his back, tail wagging, waiting for a belly-scratch and a word of approval.
    BeBe Dias grinned. She squatted as best she could in her tight skirt. The big Lab’s tail whacked a chair leg as he anticipated praise from his mistress. She gave him a healthy rub and scratch with her nails, a “Good boy,” and stood. He flipped on his side and scrambled to his feet, then raced to the kitchen, chomped a tennis ball and dropped it in front of her. She put up her hand.
    “Wait Duke, gotta wait ‘til I change.” He huffed with anticipation as he followed her to the bedroom.
    She slipped into grubbies, looked through the mail and checked her messages. Three sales calls, two hang-ups and a voicemail from her twin sister, CeCe.
    “Need a favor. Call my office.” BeBe rolled her eyes. When did Cee call her that she didn’t need a favor? And her hints about the IRS?
    She took her impatient friend outside and warmed up with an easy toss at the back wall. A block from Whittier Boulevard in Montebello, she rented the neat little bungalow with its neat little lawn from her aunt for a song—a family discount.
    Everything changed the summer before senior year. Papa hired CeCe and BeBe went to basketball camp. She smiled. Six feet one at seventeen years old, she’d