The Thief Redeemer (12 page)

“I’m pretty sure his building has a silent alarm,” Tommy
says. I feel the unease increase again in the car, and I wonder about the
cause. Maybe they’re upset with me for putting them through this. After all, we
were
almost caught. Maybe I’m becoming too careless with my men.

“Hey this thing wasn’t a total bust,” I start, trying to
raise their spirits. “We got the computer, and no one was arrested. We did lose
a Beamer, but Tommy can go tomorrow and get that back for us.”

The guys say nothing, and now I know they’re angry. I’m not
used to this feeling. “Guys, sorry I put you through this, okay? It means a lot
that you would do this for me. Thank you.” There, I said my thanks and that is
all
I’m doing. I might have softened up a little since I’ve met Claire, but not
that much.

They guys exchange glances at each other. “What’s going on,
guys?”

Claire looks up from my chest and looks at the guys, too.

“I’m sorry, boss, but this mission wasn’t a success.”

“What?” My body becomes harder and colder. I can feel the
anger growing inside of me. “What do you mean it wasn’t successful?” Now I see
the looks the guys are giving each other and realize it’s not anger but fear. I
have been misinterpreting their silence this entire time. They are scared, and
I want to know why.

Tommy looks guilty as he turns off on our exit. “I’m sorry,
Brandon.” He uses my real name instead of “boss,” and I know this isn’t good.

“This mission wasn’t successful,” he says miserably. “We
never found her computer.”

WE PULL INTO the warehouse, heat
pounding in my ears. If I hadn’t been holding Claire when Tommy gave me the bad
news, I would have broken the window. Holding her kept me calm, yet I felt her
tense when my arms tightened around her body. I swallowed several times, trying
to rein in my temper, and closed my eyes. I wouldn’t lose myself with her in my
arms.

Now back in the warehouse, I pull myself from the car and
storm straight to the sheet-rock wall. I slam my fist into the wall, screaming
at the top of my lungs. My voice echoes through the silent warehouse, and I
still haven’t released my anger.

I put my hands to my head and yell again at the top of my
lungs, throwing whatever I find in my way. Once I have my shit somewhat back
together and have thrown everything within my reach, I look back at Tommy,
Marcus and Claire.

They are standing motionless by the car. Tommy and Marcus
stand with their heads down. They look more disappointed than concerned or
frightened. Claire, on the other hand, has terror sketched on her face. I
instantly soften.

I walk over and stand right in front of her. She looks me
straight in the eyes, and I look down at the ground. I stick my hands in my
pockets and try to speak calmly. “I allowed myself to hope. That’s why I’m so
angry.”

I want her to understand this isn’t her fault and that I
would never blame her. I inhale and exhale a deep breath.

I feel her arms around me, embracing me. At first I don’t
know how to respond, but as her body molds to mine, I wrap my arms around her,
too. I smell her hair and realize that this is the closest I have allowed
myself to be with her except for the mornings when I carry her to bed.

We stand in that moment as my body relaxes into hers. When
she pulls away, I realize Marcus and Tommy have left us alone in the warehouse.
“This isn’t your fault, and I don’t want you thinking that. I’m sorry for my
temper. I just thought…” I can hardly finish the sentence as the pain hits my
body. I really will never see my brothers.

That was my only shot. There’s no telling where her computer
is now, and I can’t conduct a massive search around the world to locate it. I
learned a long time ago never to hope, and I did the unthinkable. I allowed the
feeling of hope to enter my system.

“Look at me,” she commands, and I look into her blue eyes.
They remind me of the sky on a clear day. She takes her hand and cups my face
as I lean into her soft fingers. I am sad and overcome with grief, but with her
fingers touching my face, I temporarily forget the pain.

“We will find your brothers,” she whispers.

I shake my head no.

“I will have to wait and hope they come find me when they
turn eighteen. Hopefully, I won’t be too much of a disappointment to them,” I
add, and my voice breaks on the last word. Shit, I’m going to start crying
right here in front of a woman. I am losing my pride and dignity one step at a
time.

“My computer isn’t the only way to find them. Give me some
time, and I will do what I can.” Her fingers are caressing my face. I barely
keep myself from crying. Her soothing touch makes me forget all the bad and
wrong in my life.

I grab her closer to me and kiss her on the forehead. I pull
her into a deep embrace and feel her body touching mine. I long to kiss her on
the lips, but I know I don’t deserve her. This will be as far as I go with
Claire, but I’m okay with this knowledge. At least I was able to embrace her,
smell her, and spend time with her. When this is all over, I can always say I
finally met someone who changed my life for the better.

THE NEXT WEEK is a whirlwind as I
attempt to push my brothers from my mind. I was so close to the information,
only to have reality, once again, snatch my dreams away.

Claire, on the other hand, has made finding my brothers her
fulltime job. It’s Friday evening and she sits on the couch, holding my laptop,
hard at work. She hasn’t even looked up from the computer all night, the
concentration evident on her face.

She’s been like this all week, and although I have no idea
what she’s doing, I let her have access to whatever she wants. But I don’t
allow hope to reenter my bloodstream. This time, I will be indifferent. I can’t
figure out why Claire would even help someone like me. I kidnapped her! But she
sits and continues to ponder into the computer like we’ve always been friends.

She’s fighting sleep, and holding back yawns, as we work
into the early mornings. I call the other warehouse to check on Simon, and all
seems well. When we are finally wrapping up for the night, I glance over at
Claire. She has the laptop on the floor and she’s asleep on the couch. She
looks like an angel sleeping there. If she does end up helping me find my
brothers, I will be forever indebted to her.

IT’S SUNDAY MIDMORNING and I’m glad
my weekend is over. We are taking two days off from the car ring, and as I wake
up from the long night, I notice Claire is already awake. She’s back on the
computer, with her back propped against the wall.

“Morning,” she tells me and smiles, although I can see
circles under her eyes.

“Claire, baby, please get some rest,” I say as I wrap my
arms around her and lay my head on her arm. Ever since our hug in the
warehouse, I have allowed myself to become slightly more affectionate. I know
this will only kill me when she has to leave, but at this point I don’t care. I
need her touch. No, I crave her touch. “I know you’re only doing this because
you feel guilty, but please put the computer down and rest.”

She looks at me with her big blue eyes, her blonde hair
spilling down her shoulders, and I see the sincerity written across her face.
Her cheek is almost completely healed and her face back to its original perfect
state.

“I need to go to the law library on campus.” Her statement
comes from left field and I lift my head.

“Why? You know how dangerous it is for us to be out in
public.”

Also, what if she runs? What if she tries to take off? I’m
suddenly very nervous about losing her.

“I know, but don’t you have some sort of disguise? I could
wear a wig. All I know is that what I need is in the law library. If I can get
there, I can find this information. I need access to microfilm.”

I stare into her eyes for a while, and I see the honesty.
She’s always been honest with me.

Still, I have to ask. “What if you try to run?” My voice
sounds desperate and there’s a plea attached to my tone. I should be
embarrassed, but I’m not. This has shown me how I would feel if I lost her.

She sighs and looks away towards the window. She doesn’t
speak for a while, making the atmosphere tense. “You have my word that I won’t
try to run. At least not this time.” She stops and looks me straight in the
eyes. “But I really want to go home, Brandon.” A tear runs down her cheek and I
feel, once again, like shit. I’m such a selfish person.

“I said I would make all this up to you, didn’t I?” I remind
her of my lame attempt for a promise and she nods her head yes. She wipes her
eyes and looks back out the window. I’m such a coward because I really have no
idea how I will make this up to her. I can’t return her to her family. I sit in
bed, my back to her, and run my hand down my face. I’m not sure if I
can
let her go. I’m a selfish prick, and in that moment, I seriously hate myself. I
should just do the right thing, return her and risk having my entire car theft
system ratted out, but I’m too selfish. I can’t let go of this. What would
become of me?

“Okay, I’ll get you to the library today.” I speak to the
wall. “I really appreciate you doing this,” I add, my voice softer. “If you can
find them, you don’t know what that will mean to me.” I don’t even glance
behind me as I get off the bed and head to the shower. I turn the water on the
hottest setting and stand, letting it scorch my back. My face is pressed onto
the wall and I feel the all too familiar feeling of self-hatred.

I’ve always despised my life, always wished for something
better, but now I hate everything about me. I will end up hurting this innocent
girl and that rips my heart in half.

I have to think of a plan to return her to her father
without giving up my way of earning a living.

I don’t know how much more time I have. I feel the seconds
with her are ticking away, and at any moment, she’s going to slip through my
fingers.

WE HAVE CLAIRE in a brown wig and a
baseball cap. She’s wearing some of my clothes, which hang off her like a bag.
She’s completely unrecognizable. Sally did an excellent job with her disguise.
We drive to the library in a car with the windows tinted so thick that the sun
barely shines through. I take a deep breath and look around. Students walk
freely around the library and our car. “I don’t know if I like this.”

“Why not?” Her voice is innocent. I know she won’t run, but
deep down inside, I have a feeling she will. Why on earth would she return to
this car? I have a crazy feeling that I’m going to lose her today, and I want
to wrap her in my arms and
beg
her to never leave me. I have never
begged any for anything before, but I seriously would beg Claire if that’s what
it took.

“Just be careful, okay?” I look over at her and grab her
hand. I bring the palm of her hand to my lips and kiss it. I exhale, knowing
this might be the last time I see her. If she runs, I won’t chase her. I’ll let
her go. She deserves that much.

I can’t go with her into the library to watch her, either.
It’s dangerous enough that she’s going at all.

“I’ll be careful.” She answers me in that confident voice of
hers, and I relax. “I shouldn’t be but an hour. Wait here for me.”

I nod and she opens the door. She walks along the library
sidewalk, and then I watch her ascend the stairs. I usually watch her ass
whenever she’s in front of me, but today she’s wearing my baggy jeans, and I’m
too nervous to think of anything else. She opens the door to the library and
turns to look at the car. Her face is expressionless as she looks at the
vehicle. I run my hand down my face and stare at the clock. She said an hour
and I’m going to take her on her word.

ONE HOUR HAS passed. Two hours have
passed. Three hours have passed. I’m now in my third hour and I don’t know
whether to scream or cry. She ran. I knew she would, and I was a damn
fool
to think she would stay! I’m so angry with myself for being a lame ass. How
could I not have seen this coming? I want to go inside and search for her, but
I know that would be suicide. I have no disguise and I can’t be out in public.
I hit the steering will for the one-hundredth time and scream in the car.

I hope no one can hear me, but my anger has been mounting
for the past two hours. I can’t leave. What if she does return, and I’m not
here? No, I’m stuck waiting on her at least until the library closes at five
pm. Until then, I will wait…and hope…for her return.
Please return
.

In a flash, I see the baggy clothes and the baseball cap
open the door. Relief washes over me. I want to run and hug her. I want to grab
her in my arms and swing her around. She walks to the car and climbs inside. I
turn towards her, shock, excitement, and bewilderment on my face.

She removes the cap and the wig and looks me full in the
face. Her eyes are wild.

“That was three hours.” It’s all I can say. There is no
anger in my voice, only relief. I want to touch her right now, but I refrain. I
need to hold on to what little bit of dignity I still possess.

“Yeah, I got carried away.” Her voice is distant and she
swallows a couple of times. I sense something is off, but she reaches into her
pocket and brings out a scrap of paper. She hands it to me, and a smile moves
across her face.

I look down at the paper and take it from her hands. My
nerves are on end, and I suddenly feel nauseous. Could this be? I open the fold
and there I see everything.

Mark and Luke Peoples.

There’s also a phone number and address. They live right here
in Atlanta. The past ten years comes rushing back to me and I lay my head on
the steering wheel. I can feel myself starting to shake. Then I become
completely vulnerable to Claire and do something I haven’t done in years. I
begin to cry, uncontrollable, ugly tears.

I’ve finally found my brothers.

Maybe the word is weep. I am weeping as I feel Claire wrap
her arms around me. I don’t ask her how she was able to access this
information. I hope it wasn’t anything that will ruin her changes of obtaining
a law degree. I’m not sure how long I cry, but it’s somewhere between a couple
of minutes and a few hours. Claire runs her fingers down my back in an attempt
to sooth me as the sobs escape my body. I never thought this day would happen.
Never. She whispers into my ear and her touch starts to bring me back to
reality. I stare at the piece of paper again and wonder if I’m dreaming.

Mark and Luke Peoples.

This isn’t a dream. It’s real. For once in my life, reality
dictates a positive outcome. I shake my head and try to fight back the tears.
Without thinking, I pull Claire into a hug and cry some more into her hair. Her
scent comforts me as her hair soaks up my tears. She continues to caress my
back with her fingers. The feeling is amazing and peaceful, like coming home.

After some time, I compose myself. I wipe the tears from my
eyes and look again at the paper. “Thank you.” My voice is soft and sounds
distant. I look at Claire, and she has tears in her eyes as well.

“I told you I could find them.”

“I gave up hope.”

“I didn’t.”

“Claire, have you ever had to give up hope? Have you ever
been so desperate you think all hope is lost?” I wait for her answer, because
I’m pretty sure she has never endured what I’ve been through.

“Yes,” she whispers. “I’m living it in this moment. I’m
starting to think I will never go home.” She breaks her eye contact with me and
looks down at her lap.

Although her voice sounds like honey, her words are like a
punch in the gut. My moment of happiness has suddenly turned sour, and I’m
reminded that I’m a horrible human being.

“I promise I’ll return you, Claire. I promise.” I look down
at my hands. I’m not sure if I’m lying, but I can promise her this much. I’ll
do everything in my power to think of a better option than the two I have, the
first being to keep her and the second being to turn her over to Richard for
disposal.

I’ll think of something else. I’m officially indebted to
Claire Peters for the rest of my life.

“Brandon,” her voice is a whisper, and with the air vents
blowing through her hair, she looks even more like an angel. “What’s your
greatest fear?”

I exhale and run my hand down my face. I’ve never told
anyone my greatest fear. This is going to make me even more vulnerable to
Claire. I pause and press my lips together. “Going to jail, Claire. Once I’m
caught, I’m going for life. Prison sounds like a death sentence. I think I fear
that more than the possibility of never seeing my brothers again.”

I can’t look in her eyes, so I stare out the window. We are
silent for a while, deep in thought. I decide to change the subject.

“I wish we could enjoy a celebratory dinner,” I smirk,
knowing that we can’t be in public. She gives a halfhearted smile and for the
first time, I realize she’s rattled and her eyes still wild.

“What happened in there, Claire?” I have yet to turn the
ignition, and I give her my full attention. “Tell me. You looked spooked.” I
take her hand and place it in mine. She looks like she might cry, and I hold
her jaw with my other hand. “Tell me,” I murmur.

She looks into my eyes and the tears start to fall. She puts
her hands to her face, removing the soft grip I have on her.

I pick her up and place her on my lap. She continues to cry
as she molds her body into mine, resting her head into the crook of my neck. I
rub her back and run my hands through her hair. This must be bad. Maybe she had
to sell her soul to the devil to obtain this information. I’m probably about to
feel like even more horseshit in a few minutes.

“Shhh, Claire. It will all be okay. Please tell me what
happened.”

Her crying lessens and through sniffles and hiccups, she
manages to speak. “While I was in there, I saw Jonathan.”

I freeze at her words. Not only did she see her boyfriend,
but she didn’t run into his arms. She returned to me. Instead of feeling like
horseshit, I feel like the master of the universe. In a small, crazy way,
Claire picked me over him. Of course, I would never mention this to her.
Instead I hug her tightly, letting her know that I care, but deep down inside,
I’m ecstatic.

“Did he see you?”

“He kept glancing my way, like he thought he might know me,
but he didn’t come speak. I don’t think he knew it was me. It reminded me I
have another life to return to.”

Okay,
now
I feel like horseshit. I kiss the top of
her head because there’s nothing else I can say or do. I have found the files I
wanted from Birch and this whole kidnapping thing is now officially above my
head. I will make it my mission to figure out some third option for Claire and
Sarah.

I need to do something productive and positive in my life,
and now seems like a good time to start.

I NOW HAVE a new obsession: finding
my brothers. Now I’m the one with the computer, Googling their names and
information. I have found the Peoples’ residence and I’m constantly talking
with Claire about how I should reach out.

“I think you should call the house between three and five.
We know your brothers should be home from school then, and if the parents work,
they won’t be home till five.”

I think about her words, and they make sense. “But what do I
do if the father answers the phone and I think it’s one of the twins?”

“Just ask who’s speaking. Oh, and call from a blocked
number.”

“But the big question is, what do I say if one of the twins
does
answer?” I look at her with uncertainty in my eyes. I have already been beyond
vulnerable with Claire, and I know she won’t judge me. “I haven’t spoken to
them in ten years. What if they’ve forgotten all about me?” I hang my head at
the last sentence.

“Tell them who you are and the situation you’re in. Make
them promise to meet you alone…and let’s hope they’re good for their word.”

“That’s the best idea you’ve got?” I ask, jabbing her
playfully with my elbow. Thank goodness I have lifted the mood in our
conversation.

She smiles back. “That’s the best I’ve got, boss.”

Laugher erupts through my system at her calling me boss.
“And where do I meet them?” I ask, shaking my head at the way she makes me
feel.

She thinks for a moment, and then her face lights up. “At
our pond where you take me. I’ll be there, too. We’ll ask them to meet you
there one Saturday or Sunday, and you can spend the entire day with them.”

The thought sounds like heaven, and part of me wants to call
them right now. “You can’t go with me, though,” I say, and I watch her face
fall.

“Why not?”

“Because if it’s a trap…” I stop, catching myself before I
actually say the words. If it’s a trap, they’ll take her away from me. And I’m
not ready for that. I know I said I was going to try to become a better person,
but I need more time.