Bounty's End (Bounty for Hire) Read online

  Thomas watched as Anthony moved to his right, slowly walking toward the suit. Thomas watched Anthony and noticed that there was recognition in his eyes when he looked at the guy in the suit holding a gun towards them.

  “Put the gun down. Panelli, I am telling you now, put down the fucking gun.”

  “Don’t think so, detective.”

  Thomas moved as Anthony moved, trying to get closer to Wen to pull her to safety.

  “Panelli, I am telling you now, it’s better to be taken in by me than the whole police force, which just happens to be on the way.”

  It was then that a roar of several voices yelling “Police, freeze,” could be heard from upstairs. Thomas kept his eyes on Wen, making sure he would get to her if need be. Her eyes stayed on his as tears were streaming down her face. He only had a few more steps and he would be within arm’s reach.

  Yet it was too late. Thomas saw it just before it happened. Panelli pulled the trigger just as Thomas took a dive toward Wen, taking her down with him.

  Gunshots rang out around him. After several more shots, Thomas could hear Anthony shouting. Lifting his head up, he looked down at Wen.

  “You okay?”

  “I-I think so.”

  “You guys okay over there?” Anthony asked.

  “Yeah, buddy, thanks. Come on, baby, let’s get up.”

  Thomas got Wen up and confirmed that she wasn’t hurt. He then walked over to Anthony and noticed that Panelli wasn’t moving and there was a great big pool of blood surrounding his body.

  “You hurt?” he asked Anthony.

  “Nah, not even a scratch. You two?”

  “We’re good.”

  Sure, they weren’t hurt, but Thomas could feel Wen wrap her arms tightly around his waist while burying her face in his side.

  “You need to make a statement and explain what the hell Tony Panelli was doing with Wen.”

  Thomas looked down as Anthony was holding onto his forearm, eyes bearing into his.

  “Who the hell is Panelli, Anthony?”

  “He’s number two, to one of the larger drug pushers here in Benton.”

  Shit.

  “Got it. And thanks, Anthony, for everything.” Thomas was not sure he could ever repay him. The debt he felt he owed the man, for what he did for Keylee was large, but now this... Thomas didn’t think there was enough out there that could repay Detective Anthony Phillips.

  Carefully getting Wen upstairs, Thomas stayed close to her, never letting go of her body while they both answered questions about what had taken place over the last couple of days.

  When that was all said and done and they’d reassured the police they would both formally come to the station, he and Wen were allowed to leave. Thomas wanted to take Wen to the hospital, but all she wanted to do was get cleaned up. He walked her over to his house where her parents engulfed her in hugs and kisses ’till she begged them to let her take a shower.

  Thomas took her to his room, staying close to her while she stripped there in the bathroom. Carefully, Thomas watched as she stepped into the shower.

  “Thomas?”

  “Yeah, babe?”

  “Burn those clothes, will you? Because I think if I see them again, I might not recover.”

  Thomas heard the wavering in his voice. Damn their company downstairs. Quickly, Thomas stripped out of his clothes.

  When she gasped as he entered the shower stall, all Thomas did was pull her body close to his. Allowing his warmth, his love for her to envelop her body.

  Sobs then racked her body as he held her, allowing her to cry in the shower while she let out everything she’d been holding in.

  After the shower, Thomas tried to convince her to take a nap, but she refused, stating she needed to see her family.

  Upon descending the stairs, Thomas watched as Wen was once again taken into her parents loving arms. As much as he wanted to be in the circle, Thomas understood what it was like to need your parents to love and hold you. He still missed it. At thirty-one years old, he still missed his mom hugging him and telling him all would work out.

  Chapter 18

  After several hours, Thomas and Wen were both able to convince her parents to leave only after the extracted promises from each of them to come to their house tomorrow for dinner. Thomas thanked his friends and family for their help and watched as they too left the house. It was only he and Wen left in the silent house.

  Thomas pushed Wen to head upstairs while he said goodbyes, let Peaches out one more time, and then locked up the house. As he made his way to his room, Thomas was once again taken aback by the sight of a sleeping Wen in his bed.

  She was curled up on her side with her hands under the pillow. Her hair was splayed across the pillow.

  Stripping out of his clothes except for his boxers, Thomas crawled into the bed and slowly pulled Wen into his body. Draping his arm over hers, he held on tight, dipping his head down to her neck to breathe in her scent.

  “You know, that’s not very nice to do to someone that is trying to sleep.”

  Laughing, he responded back, “If you were asleep, then it wouldn’t have bothered you.”

  Thomas eased his hold when he realized that Wen planned on turning to face him.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “No, yes. It is so strange, the need I still feel to cry over this. I mean, nothing horrible happened to me and I feel like a wimp because I know what Keylee went through, and look at her. But I’m not her, Thomas. It all still feels so surreal, almost like watching a movie where you’re only praying for the best outcome and knowing the worst could still happen. You know, Mr. Smooth, I mean Panelli. He told me shit like this happened all the time. That I was too naive to accept it. In God’s all honesty, he’s right. There is so much crazy shit out there, which we hear about all the time or watch on television, but never really think it’s going to happen until it directly affects us.”

  Thomas didn’t know what to say. He had seen crazy shit in his life. The military showed him crazy and being a bounty hunter showed him fucked up. However, she was right, things like that did happen, but things like that just were never talked about.

  “Sometimes being naive is a good thing, sweetheart.”

  “Maybe, Thomas, I don’t know. What I will tell you though, is that I’m never going to stay in that house again—I can’t. I’m getting out of my lease. Just the thought of going back in there makes me nauseous.”

  “Move in here with me.” The words just rushed from his mouth.

  “What?” Wen replied with a shriek in her voice. “Keylee lives here.”

  “She does and she doesn’t; that girl is always out. But that is not the problem. Just say you will move in.”

  Thomas watched as Wen shifted closer to him. Not giving her a chance to interrupt he continued.

  “Fine, don’t move in. We can find a new place for us. Wen, I swear to God, when your dad showed up informing me that you were missing, I felt my heart stop. The whole time we were looking for you, all I could think about was that you didn’t know how I felt. I know we’ve avoided each other, but holy fucking shit, Wen, I fell in love with you six months ago. Every day since, Keylee would tell me about little things you girls talked about.”

  Her smile was wide as emotions shone her in eyes. He continued, “You know, I plan on opening a garage and Keylee is coming with me. I still need to talk to Jefferson, but my hope is that it will be a family thing. It might be rough and it might fail, but honest to God, baby, if we’re together, anything can happen. If you take this leap with me, I swear to God, and on anything else you or I could think of, that I will make it worth it to you. We will have ups and downs, but you will always have my love and my protection. I…”

  Thomas was stopped from continuing by Wen placing her finger on his mouth.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Yes?”

  Thomas watched as she nodded with a huge grin on her face. Leaning in, he slipped his hand behind her
head, bringing her close so that he could kiss her. He might not have been hired to protect her, but he sure as hell was going to prove to her that she was safe in his arms. His bounty hunting days might be at an end, but his reward was here in his arms, and would be for years to come.

  About the Author

  AJ Wiliams lives in Kansas City, Missouri with her husband and two children, and their faithful dog. She grew up in Arizona and at the age of eight, her mother brought her to Missouri to be close to family. As an only child, AJ had to learn how to entertain herself. Writing was an escape from an isolated life she led as the only child. Living in a small town also provided interesting scenarios to create stories. Like most small towns, everyone knew everyone.

  As she grew older, her parents and grandparents played a large role in her writing life. By the age of thirteen, she had written several poems about her family and about growing up.

  AJ loves listening to everything from the classics of Mozart to System of a Down, to Indie music such as Lana Del Rey, and Florence and the Machine. That love of music has continued on, influencing her and the stories she likes to write.

  Connect with AJ Wiliams

  Website: http://ajwiliams.com

  Blog: http://ashlynnwiliams81.blogspot.com/

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  AJ's Facebook Page

  Contents

  Title page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  About the Author

  Table of Contents

  Title page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  About the Author