Catastrophe Magnet: Hunters & Co., #1

By JB HELLER

Sparks fly when an accident-prone bounty hunter mistakenly apprehends the wrong guy...

Moving to small town Shiloh Springs from Manhattan was an adjustment Arlo was prepared for. Being accosted by a pocket-sized blonde that made him forget his own name in the middle of the town's one and only coffee shop… not so much.

 

Kida's badass bounty hunting sisters don't see her as a valued member of the team. So she may have had a few minor incidents in the past—it's not like she meant to break that guy's nose... or his collarbone—but Kida is determined to prove her worth.

 

She's been given one last chance to bring in an easy target, without any broken bones this time. Unfortunately, things don't pan out the way Kida planned. Now she's left trying to avoid another embarrassing run-in with the town's new hottie while keeping her father in the dark about her latest mishap.

She's totally got this... she hopes.

 

 

 

*Catastrophe Magnet is the start of a fun, fresh, and steamy, rom com series—Hunters & Co. Following the badass daughters of a bounty hunter in the quirky small town of Shiloh Springs where they all follow in their father's footsteps.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JB Heller
• Release date: Aug 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201699420

Book preview

Chapter One

It’s been four months since my last incident, and I’m ready to get back out there.

I’ve been doing extra training with Snow and Ariel and tagging along on their retrievals whenever I can. They still get all protective big sister on me when they think the skipper is too dangerous, but they let me come most of the time.

Having four overprotective older sisters really blows sometimes. I wish they saw me as one of them as opposed to an accident-prone baby who needs constant supervision, so I must prove I can be as good as they are.

Bounty hunting is our legacy, and I’m the only one who isn’t allowed in the field.

I might have had a few mishaps in the past, but they were all accidents and rarely my fault. Like if the last guy had tied his shoelaces like a freaking adult, he wouldn’t have tripped and fallen down the stairs, resulting in a broken collarbone, nose… and a few teeth.

Smoothing my clammy hands down my black turtleneck, I drop my gaze to Bosco, my British bulldog sidekick, best friend, and emotional support pup. We’ve totally got this, I tell him, infusing my tone with confidence. His itty-bitty stump of a tail wiggles relentlessly as he nuzzles my leg, and then we’re off, striding into my dad’s corner office at our family business, Hunters & Co.

I wrap my knuckles against the open-door frame, then stop just inside with Bosco hot on my heels. I’m ready to take on my own case, I announce.

My dad’s gaze lifts to me, and he slowly shifts back in his worn leather chair, lacing his hands over his flat stomach. I wish I could read his expression, but he gives nothing away. I swallow, then move farther into the room, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, my shoulders stiff, my back ramrod straight.

After a prolonged, awkward as hell silence, he finally speaks. And what makes you think you’re ready, princess?

Dropping a hand to smooth my fingertips over Bosco’s big head where he’s positioned by my booted feet, I clear my throat. Well, I’ve been doing extra training, which has really helped improve my coordination. Snow and Ariel have been taking me along with them, and when they can’t, I’ve tagged along with Kline. I’ve also practiced arresting Val like a hundred times, over the Christmas and New Year break. I’m ready.

Dad’s lips tug to the side, and I think he’s at least considering it, but then he asks, Is that why Valentine’s covered in bruises?

I scoff. It totally is, but I’ll never admit it to my dad. Not while I’m trying to convince him to put me back in the game. Uh no. He probably has some freaky sexual fetish or something.

Val pops his head in, glare fixed on me. Hey! I heard that. I have very normal sexual desires, and they very rarely result in bodily harm, thank you very much.

Rolling my eyes, I shoo him away, then turn my focus back to my dad.

I can read his smirk loud and clear. He doesn’t buy it. But he lets it go, his gaze dropping down to a small stack of files on the corner of his desk. A tiny spark of hope blooms in my chest, and I cross my fingers in my lap as my teeth sink into my bottom lip.

Never underestimate the power of silence.

I squirm in my seat, anticipation gnawing at my insides.

Okay—

I shoot out of my seat and throw my arms around him before he can get another word out. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

He hugs me back until I release him and return to my seat. His smile is wide and full of love as he shakes his head at me. There are conditions though, he says.

I nod. That’s fine, I can do conditions.

You don’t even know what they are yet.

I don’t need to. You said yes, that’s all I need right now.

He frowns, a deep wrinkle forming between his brows. Kida, you need to know the conditions before I hand this case to you. And you need to agree to them.

Fine, hit me. I give him the come at me hands.

Valentine has to go with you—

I open my mouth to protest, but he narrows his eyes, so I slam it closed again.

You can run point, but Val will be there as a precaution. This is non-negotiable. And if there’s any blood, tears, broken bones, or anything else worthy of note, you’re benched for a year.

My jaw drops open. "A whole year?"

He inclines his head. "A year. Take it or leave it. My insurance premium goes up every time there’s an… accident."

Oh, my God! He even uses air quotes, as if I hurt people for shits and giggles or something.

Fine, I grumble. But I’m not happy about this.

He smiles as he shrugs his wide shoulders. So don’t screw it up, princess. I have faith in you. The conditions are just there to cover my ass if things go tits up. He picks through the stack of folders on his desk, then flicks one open and runs his gaze down the cover sheet before nodding to himself and handing it over to me.

Thank you, I murmur, accepting the simple beige file as if it’s made of gold. Hugging it to my chest as I hightail it out of there before he can change his mind, Bosco excitedly bounces around my ankles as I go.

I head straight for the break room out back and drop onto the couch, staring down at the file with my case in it. I’m so freaking excited that I crumple it a little. Oops.

Laying it on my lap, I smooth it out as best as I can then take a few calming breaths before flipping it open. I scan over the information on the cover sheet my sister Belle writes up for each skipper that comes through the system.

Neil Berkley, my new target, is a recent college dropout who got done for setting the dean’s car on fire before vandalizing his home. No priors, no history of violence, and no record of drug or alcohol abuse. I tap my chin as I take it all in. What the hell set him off?

Picking up his mug shot, I can’t help but notice he’s kinda cute. Shaggy dark hair, nice brown eyes, full kissable lips… Shit. I drop the photo back into the file and slap it closed. My eyes dart around the room, making sure I’m alone. Perving on the perp is so not cool!

My oldest sister Megara walks in, heads straight for the fridge, grabs a bottled water, and then turns to face me before kicking the door closed. What you got there?

Pride suffuses me, and I hold the file up to show her, just about squealing as I say, Dad gave me a case!

Her green eyes widen as she grins. Oh, did he now?

Yep. He thinks I’m ready to get back out there.

And whose idea was it exactly? Yours or his?

I smirk. It was a joint decision.

"Sure it was. So, what have you got?" Meg’s lips tick up into a smile, and she takes a seat beside me, then throws her arm around my shoulders.

Out of all of us girls, she looks the most like our momma. Tall, slender, long dark brown hair, and piercing green eyes. I lean into her side, soaking up her presence. I was only two when our mom passed away in a horrific car accident, and sadly I don’t have any memories her.

With Meg being the eldest, she’s always treated me more like her daughter than her sister despite being only eight years older than me. I don’t mind it too much; it’s nice to have a motherly role model, seeing as dad never really moved on.

Meg gives me a little squeeze. Sooo… she prompts.

I shake my head and grin at her. Right, so my guy has zero history of violence or drug use until he dropped out of SSU, which is when he torched the dean’s car and messed up his house. He had a perfect record and good grades, too. There has to be a reason he snapped, don’t you think?

She nods and reaches for the file. May I?

I hand it over, and she reads over everything I already have. Meg is our lead negotiator. If we receive a case with markers indicating they’d respond well and allow us to apprehend them in with no force, Meg takes them. She’s never come up against someone she can’t talk into a set of cuffs. That’s not to say she couldn’t kick major ass if things went sideways, because she’s just never had to. Meg has a way about her that makes you fall under her spell and do whatever she says. She’s a weapon, and she knows it.

Hmm, my money’s on the dean bangin’ his mom, she eventually says.

I cringe. His mom? I was thinking maybe his girlfriend.

Nah, girlfriends come and go. I’ve got fifty on the mom.

You’re on, I tell her, extending my hand to make it official.

What are we betting on? I want in, Belle declares as she plops onto the arm of the couch, one long leg crossed over the other.

She’s wearing a fire-engine red tunic and a pair of black, patent leather Louis Vuitton peep-toe pumps that match her skintight black pants. And of course, her fingernails and toenails are painted matte black with diamantes. We may live in a small town, but Belle would be better suited to New York or some other big fashionable city.

Flipping her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder with more pizazz than Shiloh Springs knows what to do with, she tilts her head and gives Meg and me an expectant look. Well…?

Meg thinks my skipper found out the dean was boning his mom and that’s why he dropped out of SSU then lit up the dude’s car and got fancy with the spray paint on his house. I think his girlfriend was getting it on with the dean, not the mom. Bets start at fifty a piece, I tell her.

Belle’s eyes light up. Ohhh, juicy. She makes grabby hands at Meg, who hands over the file. Belle skims it. "Ah yeah, I remember this one. Little ol’ Neil had a bit of