Bounty's End (Bounty for Hire) (6 page)

Steeling her shoulders back, Wen marched up her driveway, up the two concrete steps and saw the mess. Her couch was flipped over, her 32” plasma television was thrown off the wall and smashed into several pieces from the fall. Walking through the front living room, she took in everything else. Chairs and pillows on the floor. She turned the corner to enter into her dining room and it was the same. The large solid oak refurbished antique table and chairs were turned over. Her china cabinet doors were open. She walked over, expecting to find that the china had been destroyed, only to thank the thieves for not busting her antique 1940s plates that she held near and dear to her heart.

Those plates were her first antique find. They were what got her started. Wen found her hand reaching in the cabinet to pick up one of the plates.

It was a beautiful vintage piece. They were white dishes with platinum trim with a spray of bluebells and pink columbine flowers decorating the center of the dishes from one point to the next. This was part of an original 81-piece set. Yet, she only had four dinner plates and four desert plates. Wen also had in her possession four small bowls along with four cups and saucers. They were Noritake Nippon Toki Kaisha china, but marked as ‘Made in Occupied Japan’ during the years 1947–1949.

Each piece was unharmed. Thank God for small miracles. She could feel her eyes gathering moisture and forced herself to place the dinner plate back into the cabinet and close the doors before she turned to examine the wall that held the clock.

This situation seemed like it was something to watch during movies or television shows. Feeling it, however, really feeling it, was something she hoped she never would have had to face. But, here she was facing it. She knew she wasn’t alone, but that was how she felt. Wen wanted to run to her room, slam the door shut and hide from all this.

As much as that called to her, she understood that hiding would not solve the problem that she faced. This mess needed to get taken care of and she was the only one to do it.

“Did they get anywhere else in the house?”

“Nah, babe, it looks like the majority of the damage was done here in your living room.”

* * *

Thomas hated that she was going through this. Hated that he could do nothing to make the anger and hurt that showed in her eyes disappear. Nonetheless, he could be there for her. Support her, help her in any way that he could. Watching as she nodded in understanding that the assholes only decimated the front of her house. Thomas let her go back into the living room. He watched from the front room as she walked to the back door to let Peaches back in the house. Probably not the best idea, seeing how messy the house was, but he knew that Peaches offered some security to Wen.

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, if 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?”