Hard Case VI: The Killer Inside (John Harding Book 6) Read Online Free Page B

UFC ticket. He pulverized some undefeated up and comer in thirty seconds, so that didn’t show me much about weaknesses. I still say it was more fun when we were street fightin’.”
    “It was simpler then because you didn’t know about my side work.”
    “True. Rachel loves the financial security, but she’s not happy about the headlines we’ve been responsible for. She told me she liked you better when you were just my pug, doing pickup fights, and bustin’ bond jumpers.”
    We shared a laugh over that pronouncement for a moment. He stopped in front of my house a few minutes later. “I bet she likes sending the kids to any college of their dreams though, huh?”
    “Can’t deny that. We’ll be checking out colleges this summer for Liz. She has the grades to go practically anywhere. We’re hoping she picks a place in the Bay Area, but fat chance of that. The only names she mentions are of course in the East.”
    I opened the door. “Seems like a great problem to have, T. She has a Dad with access to a private jet. We can check on her at a moment’s notice. I’ll fly you anytime you and Rachel want to visit her.”
    “I’d rather walk.”
    “That’s just mean.”
    “I’ll pick you up at four, or do you want to throw down a few before the meeting? You’re going into the Bay on Monday, so it’s best if you celebrate not being shark bait for at least one more day.”
    “Maybe I will retire tonight.”
    “That’s the spirit.” Tommy drove off leaving only a vapor trail of miserable memories behind.
    * * *
    “Oh look, Al. It’s the Lone Avenger.” Lora and Al were sitting together in the entertainment room watching a movie I didn’t recognize.
    I had a brother Bud in one hand and a triple brother Beam on ice in the other. They were meant to dispel the glad tidings of Bay voyages coming on Monday. “In my defense, I wasn’t alone. We had to solve Jess’s problem with his Mom’s special witness protection program. It’s all better now although there may be some fall out depending on the politicos. Since learning her son has legitimate FBI credentials, Florence Brown has decided to clean up the city. I think we should run her for mayor. She could not possibly be worse than the last few we’ve had.”
    “I’d vote for Flo in a heartbeat. We heard we’re going to Las Vegas. Did you happen to hear anything like that?”
    Uh oh. The big mouth grapevine of Cruella Deville went to work the moment she reached home. “Where did you hear about that?”
    “I have my sources,” Lora said. Al giggled, cementing the fact it was her idol, Crue.
    “That is not a done deal yet, so I was waiting for confirmation before discussing the terms with you two.” Let’s see how that angle works.
    Lora shut off the movie. “I see you have an iced glass of courage in one hand, and a chaser in the other. I don’t have to be a mind reader to figure you’re blurring the thought of Monday in the Bay as shark bait with your twin torturers poking you with poles.”
    I sat down with a sigh, sipping my Beam brother with that very blurring notion in mind. The woman does know me. “It might be I’m signing a contract at The Warehouse tomorrow. Want to have dinner there?”
    “You mean like before that horrible fight with Marko Hristov?”
    “It won’t be like when those two came with Alexi. They had another agenda Denny needed to find out about. Plus, Alexi wanted to keep control of the ports. We wanted that too, so the fight had to take place. We had a nice dinner though.”
    “Along with Marko letting you know his intention of killing you in the fight,” Lora replied.
    “And he asked if he could come here after the match to see us,” Al added.
    “And,” I reminded Al, “you said sure, if Marko could still walk. As it turned out, he couldn’t. Like I said it was a special case with the fight tied into the terrorist business.”
    “Marko nearly blinded you, and you killed him,” Lora countered. “Would you