Bounty's End (Bounty for Hire) Read online

  Pulling out his phone, Thomas called Anthony to find out his ETA.

  Chapter 9

  Thomas stayed with Wen as Anthony and the other cops surveyed the house and asked her questions. Thomas had to run some errands, but did not want to leave her alone. So once Anthony and everyone left, he marched over to where Wen stood on her back deck.

  “You know why I rented this house?”

  “No,” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close to his chest.

  “The deck. I know, odd right? But I knew I could spend hours out here on this deck. I know I’m in the city, but there is just something about this deck and the fact that I have actual trees in my backyard that offers more.”

  “Yeah, I can see that.”

  “But I…”

  Thomas could hear her getting choked up. So instead of saying anything, he just held on a little tighter, letting his body do the talking for him.

  “Let’s get out of here, Wen. Pack a bag, grab Peaches. You guys are staying with me ’till this blows over.”

  “I don’t know, Thomas.”

  “Wen, don’t argue with me. Get it taken care of, babe, because once we get your stuff over to my place, you and I are having the dinner you promised me. Besides, half the day is gone and I have some places I need to be before dinner even gets here. So hop to it,” he said as he kissed her on the head.

  * * *

  They got her bag and Peaches moved over to his house. Then, Thomas took her to his bank where she waited in the lobby while he talked to his loan officer. He received the good news that his loan was approved. Even though Wen asked about the reasoning behind the bank visit, he was just not ready to tell her. He had yet to tell the two most important people in his life that things were going to be changing.

  Honestly, to him it felt as though they should be the first to know. So he simply said it was business and left it at that with a smile still playing on his face.

  Since the bank visit had taken awhile and Thomas’s stomach was making its presence known, he decided that even though it was four in the afternoon, it was a great time to eat dinner. So they went for Mexican food. Thomas could tell that Wen was putting up a brave front, but she was still visibly upset. He couldn’t blame her; hell, he was pissed off for her. It made him more mad thinking that if she hadn’t been with him or called him, the chances of her coming out of this alive were slim. There was still a small chance that this could all blow over, but every instinct in his body was telling him a different story.

  They did not talk much until the chips and white cheese dip was placed in front of them. It was then that Wen opened up about her childhood and her love of all things old. Thomas told her about being adopted at the age of seven, unlike her age of six months. He told her that he remembered his biological mother, and though he recalled her beauty, it was the ugliness that she brought with her that stuck with him the most.

  He told her about his first year with the Anders, and being a dick and working really hard to make them angry. But no matter what happened, they sat him down told him they loved him and dished out the punishment. The stories he told had Wen laughing so hard at times, that neighboring table’s occupants would turn heads just to see what was taking place.

  It was the first time in a long time that he felt this relaxed. After dinner, he took her back to his home. As they entered the house, Thomas stopped when he felt Wen take his hand and squeeze. He turned and noticed that she was staring at her house that as the sunset cast its yellow and red colors onto her house.

  Not wanting to let the mood be ruined, Thomas pulled her into the house, shut the door and had her back against the front door.

  “I had a great time,” he told her.

  “You know, I did, too. I really didn’t think I would, but honestly, it was great.”

  His hand left his side and went to her cheek.

  Something shifted in her eyes as Thomas watched with baited breath as she went up on her tiptoes and gently brushed her lips across his.

  It was all the invitation that he needed, as he pulled her close to him and moved his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. He wanted to keep her there for a moment. As the kiss went from soft to hard and then back again, he reluctantly let her go. Raising his head, he needed to be sure she understood what she was starting here with him. He gazed down at her and saw her lips were red, swollen and wet. It was a fantastic sight.

  Giving her a quick kiss once more, he straightened. Looking into her eyes, he knew she was not ready and that was okay. When they were finally together, it would because they both wanted it and not because of stupid shit.

  “Come on,” he finally muttered, taking her hand and leading her into the kitchen where he let go of her hand at the small island in the middle. He walked to the LG silver side-by-side fridge, opened the door and placed the leftovers on one of the shelves.

  As he turned from the fridge, he found Peaches on the other side of the island, lying on the tile floor where the last rays of the sun came through the back door.

  Bending down to one knee, he scratched her belly.

  “Do you want to watch a movie or do something else?”

  “Shower?”

  “You can use mine, which is the last room on the right at the top of the stairs, or you can use the one off of the hallway which is the second door on your right.”

  “Thanks, Thomas,” she replied, as she disappeared up the stairs.

  While Wen was occupied, he walked back to the living room, bent down to grab the remote and turned the television on to HBO, looking for a movie or something to watch.

  Strolling over to the bay window in the room, Thomas pushed aside the curtain to gaze across the street. Everything looked normal except that Wen’s lights were all off and what was left of the light plywood could be seen secured over her windows.

  Man, he was glad he called Bob and asked him to come over and board the windows up. He would pay that man extra for getting it done so quickly. Though Bob was their handyman at Sloan’s, the name of their bounty hunter office, Thomas liked to think of him as part of their small family. He knew Keylee and Alek felt that way too. As far as Jefferson though, who knew with him anymore.

  He was about to call Bob and thank him when he saw Jefferson pull into the driveway.

  Hmm.

  Thomas waited ’till his brother was in the house before saying anything.

  “Hey, bro,” was called out with the slam of the front door.

  “Hey, man, what’s up?” Thomas asked as Jefferson made his way into the sunken living room.

  “Nothing. Wanted to see if you had any food. My apartment has nothing.”

  “That’s because you don’t shop.”

  “Why shop, when you and Keylee keep this fridge well stocked?”

  Jefferson did have a point, but still, it was time that his brother stopped living on the edge and started to come back down to reality. The approval for the loan could not have come at a better time. All he needed to do was sit down with Jefferson and talk. Now if only he could get him to talk after sitting down for the conversation.

  It was then that Peaches strolled out from the kitchen and headed toward Thomas that he noticed Jefferson raise an eyebrow in his direction as the click and clank of dog nails went across the hardwood floors.

  “What?” Thomas muttered as he turned from Jefferson who was now hitting up the Mexican leftovers.

  “Man, I’m not saying a word.”

  After the ding of the microwave and rustling of plates, Jefferson was sitting beside him on the dark suede La-Z-Boy couch.

  “Am I cramping your style, little brother?”

  “Asshole; and no, she’s upstairs, showering.”

  “Awe.”

  “Head out of the gutter. Her place was broken into and trashed. I want her here until she is safe.”

  “Need help?” Thomas took in the seriousness of Jefferson’s tone.

  “Possibly. You know, i
f you answer your phone when it rings, that might be a good start,” Thomas retorted.

  “I was busy; sorry.”

  “Busy doing what?” Thomas asked

  However, before he could a reply, Thomas heard footfalls walking down the steps.

  “Hey, Wen,” Jefferson shouted with food in his mouth.

  How this man was his older brother by a year was beyond him at times.

  “Jefferson,” Wen replied back, as she walked behind the couch to sit beside Thomas.

  They all sat there in comfortable silence watching Die Hard until Thomas noticed it was getting late and Wen had fallen asleep against his chest.

  It was then that he also saw that Jefferson too was asleep.

  Pansies.

  Thomas carefully maneuvered his body out from Wen’s, placing her head on the cushion slowly and carefully, so as not to wake her. As he began to walk away, his phone started ringing, waking Jefferson up.

  “Hello?” he answered, not recognizing the phone number.

  “Thomas, oh thank God. Listen, I have to make this quick. Zeus has been shot.”

  Keylee?

  “What!” Thomas heard the roar out of his mouth, turning to look at Jefferson all the while noticing that Wen shot up off the couch.

  “Listen, Thomas, Hunter and I are good, but seriously, whoever is after him was hunting him and on his trail for a while. Hunter said that this guy had been around a couple of days. Whoever he was he is, he’s a professional.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Christ, I don’t know. Some dirt bag motel across from a biker bar. Which is where I’m at calling you from. I have Hunter stashed in the motel room taking care of Zeus while I call you. All my crap is at the cabin and so is Hunter’s stuff. We’re on the fly, Thomas. But I needed to call you guys and let you know things are happening and quickly. My plan is for us to sleep here tonight.”

  “Drive through.”

  “Can’t; Zeus needs our attention, and holy crap, Thomas, I’m exhausted and so is Hunter. I drove around in circles for two hours just to make sure we weren’t followed and ended up in some backwoods mountain hideaway. I think I can rest a few hours before finishing the drive back to Benton okay.”

  She continued, “Seriously, I am okay. Still, something needs to happen and fast, because this guy does not have time to waste, if you know what I mean.”

  “Fine. I will get with Alek and Jefferson and see what we can do. I mean it, Keylee, take care of yourself and call, because Jefferson or myself will be there if need be. Don’t worry about it. Also, I want you to call before you leave there, okay? That way, if there is a plan or a location that you need to know about, you will have that information before you get into town.”

  “Okay, got it. Thanks, dope.”

  “No problem, little dope,” he replied back, using her other nickname that she didn’t get mad about.

  Thomas disconnected and glanced at Jefferson who was now sitting on the La-Z-Boy with his head bend and hands over his knees, breathing in and out.

  “Jefferson, buddy, breath okay?” Thomas said as he went down to his knees to be closer to his brother.

  “Tell me she’s okay.”

  “She’s fine, everything is fine.”

  “She said…I heard her through your phone.”

  Dammit, he should have turned the volume down.

  “She is good and don’t worry, Zeus will be, too. We need to pull it together and get with Alek. Got it?”

  He watched his brother take a deep breath in and look him in the eye while he released the pent-up worry Thomas knew that Jefferson had within.

  Thomas walked to the kitchen and called Alek. After several explosive choice words, Alek informed Thomas he would get back to him.

  Thomas relayed the message to Jefferson and then watched as his brother nodded his head and walked out the front door.

  He waited a few minutes before he let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He watched as Wen got up from the couch and made her way to his location. She wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted her head up to kiss his chin.

  “Wen…”

  “I don’t know what happened, but I can tell it’s bad. I’m having a shitty day and you’re having a shitty day. Let’s change the night to something that both of us will enjoy.”

  Thomas heard her say those words just before she bit her bottom lip, her gaze staying on his. He flexed his fingers, fighting the urge to pull her into his body to ease the pain she brought him. All it took was just a moment, a single solitary moment, to pull her up against his body, walk up the stairs to his room and slam the door shut and take her, claim her for his. Yet, that was not going to happen. There was a time and a place. He laughed to himself, thinking if she called him a Neanderthal at his insistence to leave her parents’ shop, what would she call him if he did just pick her up and carry her to his bed.

  Thomas watched as she looked at him from head to toe. There was no mistaking the awareness in her eyes nor could she hide the reservation.

  “Head upstairs to my room, will you? I’m just going to make sure everything is locked up. Okay?”

  “Sure,” she murmured back as she kissed him one more time before walking up the steps.

  * * *

  Wen went upstairs and could not believe that she just kissed him like that. That was completely out of character for her.

  Damn.

  This was exactly why she worked so hard to stay away from him. She knew that if he got close, she would not be able to resist him. Yet, how could she after she saw the hurt and pain in his eyes since he took that call from his sister. What was harder was watching Jefferson.

  Through Keylee, she knew that Jefferson was older, but it was Thomas that acted like the elder child. Keylee often commented that if something needed done, everyone went to Thomas. He was the go-to person in their family.

  Wen could understand it all now. He took charge at her house, at her parents’ shop and again here tonight. What would it be like to have him take charge with her? Granted, she wasn’t big on dominance, but there was something very arousing about having a man tell you what to do during sex. The authoritative words didn’t have to ‘commands’, per se. It’s the words that he gives you, such as touch yourself, suck me, tell me what you want—those she loved, and she blamed it all on romance books as a teenager. Those books did her in, until Greg.

  The piece of shit, Greg, ruined all that pleasure for her. But, Wen could easily see Thomas being that type of male that commanded you to the height of full pleasure. Pleasure she was in desperate need of.

  No matter how she was feeling, tonight was not the night, but that didn’t mean the morning could not bring them both pleasure and release, she thought with a happy smile. She walked into the bathroom, shut the door, and went about washing her face and brushing her teeth.

  As she came out, she saw that Thomas was already in bed with the covers pulled up to his waist, and his chest bare.

  Hot, her mind screamed.

  She knew he’d said he would be upstairs shortly, but to actually see him in bed, his bed with her about to get in… Wow, was she excited. Heck, she was surprised, and oh so thankful. It was crazy. She didn’t even know him. Well, she knew him and of him through all the stories that Keylee, his sister, shared on their Wednesday girl’s night out. Which seemed they rarely went on now, because Keylee, also a bounty hunter, was out catching bad guys more often than not. But still, Keylee would call on those Wednesday nights to talk. If Wen was honest, after her date tonight with Thomas, she knew him better. She liked the stories he told.

  But Thomas and her…it was crazy. The awareness she felt when he was just feet away from her was like an abyss of the unknown grabbing and pulling her forward.

  She knew people considered her elegant, yet, despite her efforts, she didn’t feel all that elegant. She accepted long ago that she was different from her parents. She had to accept it at an early age. Wen even accepted that she ha
d darker skin than them, accepted that her hair and eyes would always be different. That wasn’t what bothered her. The love her parents gave her was enough to allow her to do anything she wanted.

  What held her back, was all the lies that Greg told her. The lies of love and commitment. To find him screwing the waiter at their rehearsal dinner. Yeah, that was enough to send her flying back to California from New York that very night. Greg had done that to her.

  Wen lived with her parents for eight months before moving to her current place. Five months of sulking, two months of pulling herself together, and after that, it was about getting back out there. She’d even indulged in the short term, physical relationship. Friends with benefits, a couple of one-night stands here and there. However, when Thomas helped her move in, all her desire for sex turned to dreams of him.

  Was it wrong to have one-night stands? Maybe, but what was a girl to do when you find the guy you supposedly love giving it to another man against the wall? Her eyes burned with that memory. Heck, it also explained why Greg loved to dominate. She didn’t hold that dominance against all men, but it was Greg that showed her the power of words in bed.

  Fucker.

  She should not be thinking about Greg as she slipped into Thomas’s bed, curling herself on her side laying her head against his bare chest.

  She didn’t even realize she said his name aloud.

  * * *

  “Wen, who is Greg?”

  Damn.

  “What?” she responded back, not looking at him from her position on his chest. “Greg?”

  “Is that your boyfriend?”

  “What?” she nearly shouted. “You think I am some two-bit slut that has a boyfriend and goes out with her neighbor for the hell of it? Oh my God, Thomas, seriously?”