Bounty's End (Bounty for Hire) Read online

  As the first rays of the sun were rising through the window, she contemplated waking Thomas up, but as she rolled over she saw that he had one arm draped over his eyes while another arm was above his head. His chest slowly rose and fell at a steady pace.

  This man before her was in utter peace, and she decided as much as she wanted to wake him, it would be better if she just let him sleep for a while. Carefully extracting herself from the bed, Wen headed into the bathroom, where she washed her face and brushed her teeth.

  When she came out, she noticed that Thomas now had the covers pulled up over his head and he body was turned away from the window.

  Shaking her head, she went about her business of getting ready for work. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a light pink short-sleeve button down shirt, Wen quickly dressed when she noticed the clock read 8:30. Damn, she better hurry.

  Gently walking over to Thomas, Wen bent down and whispered, “I’m heading to work, Thomas.”

  “Mmhhhmmm.” Came back incoherently.

  Standing back up, Wen shook her head as she walked out of the room, pulling the door shut as quietly as possible.

  As she left his house and drove to work, she felt a surge of happiness seep into her soul. Though they had only known each other for six months, she had not felt this happy in a long time. She didn’t want to think about what she would do if she left his house. She loved his house. It was warm and inviting. She loved being in his bed. Would that change when this problem she was in resolved?

  Whatever the outcome, she knew that he was hers and she would do whatever needed to keep it that way. Six months she’d held out. For six months, she dreamed of what it would be like. Now that she had it, there was no way in hell she would give it up.

  Once she got to work and cleared her mind of Thomas, she opened the doors at Simply Antiques, and allowed the peace of her job to welcome and wash away any bad thoughts she might be having.

  Just after opening the doors, two customers came in looking for chairs and benches. Then after that, she had two to three customers every hour until the moment she closed the doors at five o’clock.

  Thomas had called when he woke up, making sure she was okay, and he was pissed that she left him alone without fully waking him up. She had to laugh at his surliness and informed him that if he was like this at ten in the morning, than he needed go back to sleep.

  Then he called back at three, asking her when she was coming home. She loved the way he said home. The rest of the afternoon wore on and at five, she closed the doors, locking them behind her. Tired beyond reason, she made the quick walk to her car. Sliding in, she rested her head against the headrest with her eyes closed, taking a moment to breathe.

  “Make any sudden moves and I will blow your fucking head off. Drive straight for five blocks, bitch, then you are going to pull over when I say. You understand me?”

  Wen could only nod. She was afraid if she said anything then this scenario would turn out worse. She drove the five blocks as instructed, then was told to pull into an abandoned gas station. She pulled into the station and put the gear into park.

  I am going to die. Oh my god, I am going to fucking die…was her last thought before she sank into darkness.

  Wen woke back up in a dark room that smelled like mildew. Wanting to cover her mouth, she realized that her hands were bound. Straining against the bonds, she came to the conclusion that she was not going to be budging from this spot anytime soon.

  Hearing footsteps coming toward her, she held very still.

  “It won’t work, sweetheart. I already know you’re awake. First, let’s take care of matters. However, before we can do that, let me ask you, do you need to pee?”

  What the hell? Seriously, do you need to pee? No, not at all; I have three bladders you moron. Of course, I have to pee, is what she wanted to say, but held the sarcasm back. She nodded her head instead in response.

  “See, I am not a heartless man, Ms. Snow. I only care for information. It is information that you have and information that I need.”

  Wen couldn’t see his face, as the light from overhead was blinding her, but she could hear the rich deep baritone voice. A voice that was not young, but older. His voice was soft and smooth as silk, all of which sent shivers through her whole body.

  “Listen, I don’t know what you think I have or what information you think I can give you, because honestly, I don’t know anything. I work in an antique store for crying out loud. Shit like this seriously only happens on TV, not in real life.” Her voice was rising in pure shock, horror and absolute anger at this situation.

  “Ms. Snow, you see that is where you are wrong. Shit like this happens all the time. It is your naivety that makes you want to not think about this happening. Girls are taken off the streets every day. Psychopaths kill randomly. Shit like this happens and it is currently happening to you. Yes, you work at an antique store, but what you fail to see is that the last shipment your parents procured was mine. Mine by right and by birth.” That silkiness to his voice was starting to evaporate.

  “You see, I hide drugs in all my families’ heirlooms. I did this because no one looks at antiques. They were just pieces of unwanted furniture sitting in my family’s old house for years collecting dust, until poof,” he yelled, smacking his hands together.

  “My items are sold and not by me. Do you know how easy it is to move furniture around the city without neighbors or cops suspecting anything?”

  Wen kept her eyes trained on the wall ahead of her. The light was blinding, but as long as her eyes were straight, they held no spots and that was what she needed to get out of this alive.

  * * *

  Thomas felt like ass after he first woke up and then even worse when he discovered that Wen was not his bed. After a quick search of the house, he called her and of course she was at work and she informed him that he was surly and needed more sleep.

  He would agree with her on needing more sleep, but the whole surly part he would have to disagree with her. He didn’t like the idea of her being away from him, but he needed to deal with Keylee.

  As much as he hated the fact that she was away from him, he felt only slightly better when he called Alek who said he would do a drive by making sure she was fine.

  Alek only agreed to it because he was going to be in the area. Jefferson also said that he would drive by because he too had to take care of business in the area.

  Thomas asked that they each just drive by and make sure everything looked all right. He didn’t want to worry her more than what she probably already was.

  After he got off the phone with Jefferson, Thomas headed up to see Keylee. She would be fine, thank goodness. After they had her knocked out to sleep a little, he sat there at her bedside worried and elated that she was safe and that he could get her out of this crap of a life.

  He then waited around the hospital for her little catnap to be over. When she awoke, they decided to hang out ’till they knew that Hunter was going to pull through surgery. However, as the night progressed, the doctor came out informing them that it was not looking good. Though Keylee wanted to stay, she informed him that she needed to get out of the hospital. So they left. When they arrived home, it was just after 2 a.m.

  Jefferson was planning on staying at the hospital to keep an eye on Hunter, and Alek was heading back to his place to get some things for Tess.

  When he first walked in his room, he stopped for a breath at the sight of Wen’s sleeping form curled under his comforter. His heart squeezed at the sight. She was so beautiful, and in that moment, she looked at home. This was something that he could not even have thought about just a few days ago. Wen being in his home, in his bed.

  Not that he was thrilled with the situation she was in. But he was happy that he was the one that she’d come to and the one who got to be the person she came home to.

  Once they talked about Keylee and she stilled under his arms, he was dead to the world. Which brought him to this point where Wen was at wo
rk and he and Keylee needed to talk.

  He walked back to his room from the kitchen. Once there, he walked to his dresser and took out a white Henley shirt which he pulled over his head. Walking down the hall to check on Keylee, he saw that she was sitting up in her bed watching TV.

  “Hey, Leelee,” he said, as he walked into the room to kiss her forehead.

  “Thomas.”

  He could see the circles under eyes and the space stare she got when she was not all together there.

  “Want to talk about it?” he drawled.

  “No. Yes. Oh heck, I don’t know, Thomas, I just don’t know. Jefferson called and said that Hunter made it out of surgery, but I don’t know. I mean, what if that interval was just a moment of adrenaline-induced passion?”

  Thomas never asked what took place with her and Hunter, but he had a good idea something big happened when she tackled the dirty cop after the cop shot Hunter.

  “Leelee, baby, I’m here for you. You just have to be open to talking.”

  “Like you and Jefferson talk? Admit it big brother, we don’t talk. We haven’t talked since the day Mom and Dad died.”

  Thomas saw a tear slip down her check. Taking his thumb, he quickly wiped it away.

  “Well, let’s talk. Besides, you’re right. None of us talk, so you and I will start and then we shall tag team our oldest brother and wrestle him to the ground until he talks. Deal?” Thomas found himself smiling in hopes of getting a smile out of his sister.

  It was just after six in the evening and he and Keylee just spent the better part of the day talking. They took a break to eat lunch and Thomas called Wen again at three after he heard back from both Alek and Jefferson who said that she was busy with customers. When he talked to Wen, she was busy but said that she would be home soon.

  Soon could not come fast enough. Glancing at the clock, he had dinner started when he was starting to worry about her. However, he knew traffic could be bad. He figured he would give it a few minutes before he called her. Besides, if she were in trouble, she surely would call him.

  Turning his mind back to cooking dinner, Thomas went over the conversation he had with Keylee. She was behind him in opening a garage and she agreed to join him on this endeavor regardless of what happened with Hunter or Jefferson. She would be there for him and make it a great family adventure.

  Thomas was about to call Wen on her cell phone after another thirty minutes went by without hearing from her when the doorbell rang. Rushing to get it, he pulled it open hoping to see Wen, only to be disappointed to find her father there. “Sir?”

  “Hello, son. I’m sorry to intrude, but I was wondering if Wen was over here? I checked her house and she’s not there, nor is she answering her phone.”

  Alerts went off in his head of what could possibly be wrong.

  Thomas watched as Mr. Snow took a step back as though he had been hit. He read Thomas’s eyes as they no doubt flashed with concern.

  “Fuck.” Thomas heard the words hiss from his mouth.

  Then he noticed once again that Mr. Snow’s eyes going wide….

  “Sorry, sir.”

  “Don’t worry about it, son. I had the exact sentiment after calling her for the fifth time and she didn’t pick up.”

  “Why don’t you come on in, sir, and we can figure out what to do.”

  “Wish I could, son, but I have Andrea in the car who is beside herself.”

  “Bring her in, too. Keylee is upstairs and we’re getting dinner ready. Besides, she could probably use company other than myself right now. While you’re waiting, I can get some phone calls started.”

  Thomas watched as the man turned his head to look back at the car that was sitting in his driveway and then turn back to the opened door where Thomas stood.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Mr. Snow, think of it this way. I’m right across the street from her and if something was to take place, you’re right here. We are all right here.” He placed his hand on the man shoulders giving him a gentle squeeze. Trying to reassure him.

  “Besides, it is better to be with friends than alone while we try to figure out what the hell is going on.”

  That won him over. With a nod from Mr. Snow, he watched as the man went and opened the passenger car door and got his wife out. She put up a fight, but the stance that Mr. Snow took was one of pure will. That man was fighting to stay strong and he was close to losing it. Parents always knew when something wasn’t right. They had good reasons to be upset. Their store had been broken into twice. Their daughter’s house was broken into, then a second time with her still in the house. Thomas didn’t blame them for already taking their minds to the dark place of being truly terrified.

  Turning back around, he yelled for Keylee, who he noticed was already coming his way.

  “Heard you talking to someone. What’s up?”

  “Wen’s missing. Get Alek and Jefferson on the phone. I’m calling Anthony, and please will you help in taking care of the Snows? Wen’s mother is a mess.” He whispered the last part in her ear as he heard the Snow’s footsteps getting closer.

  “Sure, big brother.”

  Turning to face the Snows, he ushered them into his spacious open living room. He got them comfortable and then had Keylee sit with them while he made calls.

  “Anthony here.”

  “Hey, buddy; Thomas Anders. You working today?”

  “I am, but later tonight. What’s up?”

  “Can you swing my house?”

  “What’s this about?’

  “Christ man, will you just come by?”

  Thomas did not have time for this. He needed to get Eva on the phone and have her do her magic and he needed Anthony for his skills, along with the fact that Anthony might have more leads as to what the hell was going on. Especially now that the police had those two boys in custody.

  “Fine, I’m turning your way. Give me ten,” Anthony snarled into the phone.

  Okay, he had ten minutes. Walking back into the living room, Thomas noticed that Keylee had a tea set on the coffee table, pouring Mrs. Snow tea while Mr. Snow had a glass in his hands that held dark liquid. The poor man probably needed it.

  “Okay, Detective Phillips is on his way over. Can I get you guys anything while we wait?”

  They both shook their heads as they were seated on his couch holding hands waiting. That was all they could do—wait.

  Thomas turned back to the kitchen and saw that Keylee was waving him over.

  “Here’s Jefferson; talk to him.”

  “Hey.”

  “Keylee is saying that Wen is missing?”

  “Her parents think so and I have to say I’m starting to think so. She left work at five, I know, because I got a text from her then stating she was leaving. It’s close to seven now. Her parents said she wasn’t answering her phone. Hell, I tried calling and get nothing but voicemail. Fuck! Jefferson, I talked to her at three and everything was fine, I talked to you at two and everything was fine.

  All right, listen man, let me swing by the store and see if there’s something there might give us clues. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

  “Thanks.”

  Thomas disconnected his phone and turned to look at the Snows, who each held sadness in their eyes.

  “My brother is heading to your store to look around.”

  “I don’t know what good that will do. We just came from there,” Mr. Snow bellowed.

  “Sir,” Thomas started and then stopped at the shout.

  “James,” Mrs. Snow gasped.

  “Well, Andrea, I’m simply stating a fact here to the boy.”

  Thomas could see that the man needed this, so as much as he wanted to interject, he said nothing and allowed the man to yell. “You’re right, sir,” Thomas volunteered.

  Thomas watched as the man looked at him and then hung his shoulders, sitting back down with his wife. “I’m sorry, son, it’s just that with everything that has happened, I feel so useless and defensel
ess to protect my own child.”

  Thomas knew that feeling all too well.

  “Sir—”

  “Don’t you think you can call me James now, son? I can see by the look in your eyes that you care for my daughter. I would assume that she means something to you?”

  Thomas’s footsteps faltered just a bit before he righted himself.

  “Yes, sir…I mean, James,” Thomas stuttered out. He was beside himself, waiting for Anthony to get to his house. The sun continued to go down and darkness started to coat the sky. Damn, he should have been there with her. Keylee would have been fine at the house by herself. He knew that, but instead he chose to stay home with this sister than go out and protect the woman he loved. Months, days, minutes did not matter to him. He loved her and damn it to hell, he needed to tell her. She needed to hear him say the words.

  “Hang on, Wen, I’m coming for you, he said silently, hoping and praying the words somehow were carried to her, wrapping her in the warmth of his love.

  He’d loved her from the moment she asked him to help move her furniture. For six months, he loved her from afar, although only getting to know her through Keylee. He knew in his heart that she was the one and he was ready to go to war with whoever the fuck had her.

  He was beside himself pacing back and forth from the kitchen to the living room waiting for Anthony to arrive. As he paced, he called Eva to see if she could get information from any security cameras in the area.

  Anthony finally arrived and they talked about what they needed to do and what could actually be done. None of the possibilities were helping Thomas calm down any. Especially as he watched the minutes tick by. Anthony promised to return after he was off duty and let him know if anything came up during the night.

  Damn, he really wanted to beat his head against the wall or punch something. The only thing that kept him from punching something was the mere fact that Wen’s parents were in his house, and he wasn’t going to show them his anger. As the night rolled on, Thomas asked James and Andrea to stay with him. He could tell that they didn’t want to, but at the same time, they were too physically and emotionally exhausted to drive home.