Read Online Take the Monkey and Run by Laura Morrigan - Free Book Online

barstool and strolled, only a little more loosely than usual, to the reception desk.
    â€œHi, I’m Grace Wide—ah . . . Wilde.” I blinked at the man behind the marble-topped counter and tried to act sober. “You have a package for me.”
    â€œYou’re a guest?”
    â€œYepper.”
    â€œDo you have your room key or ID?” I handed him my driver’s license. He studied the photo, then my face.
    â€œI’m an angel today.” I pointed to the halo in case he needed clarification.
    â€œVery nice.” His smile seemed genuine, so maybe he meant it. “You’re going to the parade?”
    There was a parade?
    Here’s the thing—I don’t like crowds or most people, but I love a good parade. Paradox.
    â€œHope so,” I told the desk clerk.
    â€œHere’s your package, Miss Wilde.” He handed me a padded envelope half the size of a magazine. I tucked it into my jacket and was turning to go when he asked, “Would you like your messages, too?”
    â€œMessages? Um . . . sure.”
    â€œIt’s a voice mail. You can listen in your room or use the courtesy phone.” He pointed to a phone at a cute little writing desk on the other side of the reception area.
    Did I want to risk going to the room or try to hear over the echoing lobby?
    â€œCan I listen to the message here?”
    â€œSure.”
    He handed me the receiver, pushed a couple of buttons, and after a few seconds, my sister’s voice came over the line.
    â€œI didn’t hear from you last night so I’m assuming your phone either died or you lost it. In case it’s the latter and you don’t have access to your contacts, I’m going to give you my number and Kai’s. Give one of us a call when you get this so we know you’re alive.”
    There was an odd noise in the background and a muffled sound as she covered the receiver to speak to whomever she was with. The bourbon in my brain was not helping me think and she was already reciting her number when I realized I didn’t have anything to write on or with. By the time I borrowed a pen and notepad from the concierge she was halfway through her number. Thankfully, I knew the area code and prefix so I was able to scribble the number down, along with Kai’s.
    I heard another shuffling noise over the message and my sister said, “There isn’t room for you up here. Go on. Hugh, can you help me out here?” I couldn’t make out Hugh’s response but I heard the words
crazy
and
dog
.
    Dr. Hugh Murray, exotic animal veterinarian, überflirt, and my sister’s new honey, must have been helping Emma deal with Moss and his stubborn streak.
    It didn’t worry me—Hugh had plenty of experience with animals—until I heard a third person speak. The voice was too faint to tell who it was but my dog’s reaction was loud and clear.
    He growled deep and low.
    A warning. What the heck was going on?
    â€œUm . . .” my sister said into the receiver. “I’ve got to run. Call me later, okay? Love you.”
    Before she hung up I heard her say, “Moss, cut it out.”
    Okay, now I was a little worried, but I couldn’t standthere at the front desk and call her back. It was too much of a risk. I would have to hope she’d handled whatever situation had come up.
    I thanked the desk clerk and handed him the phone. Even though I was itching to see what was in the package, I didn’t want to hang around any longer than necessary.
    I turned to look for Belinda. I spotted her posing with a couple of tourists next to the gigantic grandfather clock in the hotel’s foyer.
    I caught her eye and gave her a nod to say I’d gotten what we came for, then hooked my thumb toward the entrance.
    After extracting herself from her admirers, Belinda sashayed to where I was waiting and we hightailed it out of there.
    We bustled out of the