Cody Carlyle knew there were just some days when she wished she’d stayed in bed. She had a gut feeling today was going to be one of them.

She cautiously moved forward, hugging the alley wall, weaving between the large, dirty brown dumpsters. The cold seeped into her skin like a damp blanket thrown on top of her.

Staying in bed would’ve been nice. A second cup of coffee, maybe read the paper. Instead, she’d tugged on ratty, knee torn jeans, a second chance vest, faded black t-shirt and steel-toed boots. She’d slipped her gun inside the holster of her leather halter, tied back her dark hair, and pulled on a light jacket, effectively concealing her weapon. Her uniform of the day was complete.

She blended well with the riff-raff on Ft. Worth’s seedier side.

A hell of a way to spend one’s life.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t all bad. On most days, she liked being a bounty hunter. There was nothing better than the adrenaline rush when she nailed a skip and brought him to justice, and picking up fat checks from desperate bail bondsmen didn’t hurt, either.

They figured paying out part of the money was better than losing it all. That’s why they called her or another bounty hunter to drag the skip back into custody...by whatever means available as long as the culprit was still kicking.

That’s where the problem lay.

The law frowned on dead or alive and had removed the dead part. It made her job a little harder.

And today she had a bad feeling. Sometimes all she had to go on was what her gut told her. She’d learned in the past to listen.

Except maybe today.

She’d gotten a tip the skip was in the area and she wasn’t about to let him slip through her fingers. Leonard Morgan, a mean son-of-a-bitch. He’d jumped bail...twenty-five hundred dollars at stake. Not a lot by the time she got her ten percent considering what she’d had to go through, but the bastard liked to hit women. He’d broken his wife’s jaw during their last fight. She really hated men who resorted to their fists, especially on a woman.

She’d been hunting Leonard for a week now. Into sleazy bars, flea-ridden motels—anywhere the dregs of society slithered off to. So far, all her leads had fizzled out, and none of his relatives were talking.
Probably scared.

Then she’d gotten this tip.

She straightened her spine and narrowed her eyes, moving farther into the alley with its myriad of twists and turns, the concrete and brick walls a musty tomb that seemed to press against her. A cold shiver whipped down her spine sending goose bumps over her arms.

God, she had to quit watching late night television. Pure escapism, that’s all it was. There was nothing even remotely real about what she watched. Last night had been The Vampire From Hell. The vampire was a good-looking sucker, though.

She inwardly chuckled at her pun—until a rat as big as an overweight Chihuahua ran in front of her. For a moment, she couldn’t move. Her gaze fixed on the creature as it stopped, glared at her with its beady little eyes, then scurried behind one of the dumpsters.

Yuck! She hugged her middle. Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!

She hated rats. Hated them worse than anything. They were right up there with roaches on her list of things to avoid. She couldn’t stand them. What she wouldn’t give for her own apartment and a hot shower right now.

Maybe she should’ve kept to the streets, but then, she didn’t want to attract attention. Besides, if you were looking for a maggot sometimes you had to wallow in the garbage.

Just so long as the rats kept their distance!

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s dangerous to walk the alleys at night?” A gruff voice spoke from behind her.

* * * * *

"Hell on Wheels just might be Karen Kelley’s best book yet! One of the many great things about Karen Kelley is that her writing is so funny; readers can’t help but laugh out loud." -- Jaymi, Fallen Angel Reviews. 5 Angels Recommended Read.

"I really loved this book.! The author tells a wonderful story of two damaged people who find each other, but with suspense and humor, not to mention a lot of hot love scenes. This is a great story." -- Maura, Coffee Time Romance. 4 Cups.

"I liked HELL ON WHEELS. It was a reading escape. It was fun! I liked how Karen Kelley wrote her love couple as a complete team… a writing masterstroke for Karen Kelley." -- MaryGrace Meloche, Romance Designs.

"You'll read anxiously to see what happens next and laugh out loud at some of the completely unexpected things that happen. As with every Karen Kelly book I've read, this is a well written story with kick-butt characters. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next." -- Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies. 4.5 Ribbons.

"…this novel is spotted with bright moments of comic genius." -- Jennifer Madsen, Romantic Times.

"HELL ON WHEELS showcases Karen Kelley’s superb writing skills which grow stronger with each new release. This review comes with a high recommendation; it definitely belongs, and will remain, on my keeper shelf." -- Laurie, Romance Junkies. 5 Blue Ribbons.