Page 6 of Carter's Battle

“Because he was making serious money off of me. He staked me and I was good. When I stopped, he lost his cash cow, and he wasn’t happy about it. Then he got arrested just after he threatened them. Two weeks after he got out of jail… they were dead.”

Akela’s mouth formed a perfectO. She blinked. “That does not make me feel better.”

Mia shrugged. “No, I guess it doesn’t. I’m sorry but you should know Bobby and Donny will do exactly what they threaten to do unless we find a way to stop it.”

“We?” Akela raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to help me?”

Mia bit her lip. “I’m not going to do your books anymore for sure, but I don’t want you or your brother to get hurt either. And to be clear, I would love to see Bobby and Donny get what they deserve.” She took a sip of her wine and then set the glass down on the counter. “Let me think on it. Maybe there’s something I can do or some kind of plan we can make to get you out of this jam.” She hurried on after Akela’s look turned hopeful. “I’m not promising anything, but I’ll do some thinking about it, okay?”

Akela nodded. “That’s fair. Bobby is going to get suspicious when you quit though.”

Mia shrugged. “I can’t risk my reputation. It’s taken me too long to build my client list. If I get exposed as cooking someone’s books, even if I didn’t do it, I’ll lose my livelihood. I’m sorry, Akela, I just can’t risk that.”

“I know, I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m so sorry I got you involved. I just …I’m just trapped..”

Mia stood. “Like I said, I’ll think on it a bit and see what I can come up with. Since I was at the café today, we have anothermonth before Bobby and Donny will find out I’m not doing the books anymore. By then we’ll have a good story lined up. I’m chasing some bigger clients at the moment. If some of them come through, I’d have to quit doing your books anyway. Your job just doesn’t pay enough.”

Akela got up off the stool as well. “Okay, that sounds reasonable.” She leaned in and gave Mia a quick hug. “Thanks for listening. I feel better now that someone knows my secret. Even if we can’t come up with something, somehow, I don’t feel so alone.”

Mia nodded as she walked to the door. “I’m glad you feel better.”

They hugged again briefly and then Akela left. Mia watched her go and then closed the door and locked it. She wanted to run around and make sure the entire house was locked down. Bobby Kamaka scared the crap out of her. She hated him with every fiber of her being. She was dead certain he’d killed her parents, which made a huge part of her want nothing to do with him.

But…

But the part of her that had gotten involved with him in the first place, that darker part of her soul, that part wanted revenge and wanted it so badly it was a sour taste in her mouth. There had to be a way to take down Bobby and Donny. She just needed to figure it out.

Glancing at her watch, she quickly decided that Ohana’s might just be the place to start. If Emery was there, she could pose some hypothetical questions and maybe get some answers. She wouldn’t involve her friend just yet. She didn’t have any concrete evidence to bring to her. Akela was the only one who was on the hook at the moment and there was no way she wanted her friend to go to jail, even if their relationship had cooled over the years. Akela had worked too hard and long tolet Bobby Kamaka bring her down. She and Kai deserved some happiness and deserved to be safe from assholes.

Mia changedinto a black tank top and a pair of faded jeans. She jammed her feet into her favorite cowboy boots and ran a brush through her long black hair before heading out the door. She didn’t want to think too much about the mess with Akela or Bobby, or she might lose her nerve. To quiet her racing thoughts, she turned the music up high and sang at the top of her lungs as she drove. She’d never sing on stage because she was god-awful, but in the shower and in the car, it was okay to let loose.

Twenty minutes later, she walked into Ohana’s and slid onto a barstool.

“Hey, Mia,” Dahlia called from the other side of the bar.

“Hey, girl. How’s it going? How was Moana last night?”

Dahlia sauntered over to stand in front of Mia. “Amazing. That girl has gotten better since she left.”

“Sorry I missed it.”

“Did you get your shower fixed?” Dahlia asked as she held up a wine glass.

Mia shook her head. “Tonic water. I had a glass already and I have to be able to drive. Yes, I took care of the issue with my shower, but the list of things that need to be repaired just gets longer, I swear.” She glanced around the bar. A good crowd was building. The place would be jam-packed before long. “Is Emery around?”

Dahlia shook her head. “Not yet. She’ll be by in a bit. She’s just getting off duty.”

Mia sat at the bar and watched Dahlia work. People came in twos and threes, and it was getting hard to have any kind ofconversation without yelling. Mia glanced at her watch. Maybe it was time to pack it in. She’d text Emery tomorrow and see if they could have a chat.

“Excuse me, but is this seat taken?” a deep voice said in her right ear.

She turned and her gaze was captured by a set of the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. It was the guy from yesterday. She’d noticed his eyes from across the bar, but up close they were mesmerizing, sexy as sin. “Uh…no. It’s free.”

He sat down beside her and immediately turned to face her. “Can I buy you a drink?”

She blinked. “No thanks. I’m just on my way out.”

Those blue eyes studied her. “You look worried. What are you worried about?”

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