THIS IS HOW the next week goes. I don’t see much of Claire. She’s in Tommy’s care, and when I come in from the warehouse at dawn, she’s asleep on the couch. I don’t know what they’ve done with Sarah. I don’t ask because I don’t care. I ordered that she be kept safe and I’m sure that Sally is following orders. Tommy seems to be, too. Claire has hardly looked at me since I turned her over to Tommy, and I’m starting to regain some control over my life.
I’m extra tough on the guys at work, especially Carlos and Simon. I won’t have anyone thinking they can take this job from me. Although I miss her being down here reading while I work, I would never admit this to anyone. I see the approval in Marcus’s eyes, and I know that I made the right call. Claire continues to stay handcuffed upstairs. I try to avoid her.
The media has gone crazy with the disappearance of the two girls, and Richard says our plan is working. I hope so because these two girls are costing me an arm and a leg, not to mention almost my manhood.
Speaking of losing my manhood, I’m reminded of the trip to Birch’s office where I never found the sealed files. The day I was totally sidetracked by Claire and went into dream land. I need to find my brothers and discover if they’re okay. I need to know that they are living fulfilling lives before my own life catches up to me, before this all blows up in my face and I end up behind bars.
The clock’s ticking on my life. If I don’t contact them now, I don’t think I ever will. I sit at my desk and stare at the screen saver. I wonder what my brothers are doing right now and where they are. I wonder if they’re taken care of and if they’ve applied to college. I hope they have. I would be more than proud if they were headed in the right direction. That’s all I want. To meet with them and to wish them well. To make sure their lives turned out much different than my own. I know they wouldn’t be proud of me, but I sure as hell could be proud of them.
Everything I need is in that file. I should have never let myself be distracted by Claire that day. I should have gone in there and done the job and done it correctly. But I didn’t, and now I may pay for that mistake the rest of my life.
Tommy cuts around my office corner, out of breath with sweat pouring from his brow.
“What?” I see the look of panic on his face and instantly know it’s Claire. I stand up from my chair, knowing that I probably look just as panicked as Tommy.
“She ran away. I’m so sorry, man, but she’s gone.”
I don’t say anything for almost thirty seconds, letting the words sink in. She’s gone.
“How?” It’s the only word that leaves my mouth as I grab his shoulders. This past week of ignoring her comes crashing down around me. I’ve got to find her. We’re in a bad neighborhood and she could be anywhere.
“I uncuffed her to eat dinner, and I forgot to cuff her back. She went to lie down on the sofa and the next thing I know, she’s gone. I searched the entire apartment. She’s not there and I don’t know how long it’s been.”
He looks incredibly guilty, but right now I’m so angry, I don’t care. I push past him, heading to the middle of the warehouse.
“Marcus, Carlos.” I’m yelling with desperation in my voice. I rush over and explain the situation. Tommy timidly joins us, and we devise a plan. Marcus will stay to run the shop, and the rest of us will go in search of Claire. We head out with Carlos in the car and Tommy and I on foot. This side of town is crawling with gangs who wouldn’t hesitate to grab a girl like Claire.
I tear out of the warehouse door and start walking down the alleyway. Tommy keeps pace behind me, and I see the taillights of Carlos’s beamer slowly riding the streets. It’s dark out, and I glance at my watch to see that it’s almost four in the morning. There’s no telling how long she’s been gone or how far she’s gotten. I should have kept her with me. This would have never happened if I had kept her under my watchful eye. I’m furious at her for running off, and even madder at Tommy for letting her. But I’m angriest at myself for entrusting her care to another person. I entrusted her to someone who didn’t realize exactly how precious she was and who “forgot” to cuff her.
We walk past a storm drain and I punch it with my fist. The sound vibrates through the streets and from the corner of my eye, I see Tommy jump. I spot some guys hanging around a store. They stop talking when they hear me. I walk straight over to them, and they immediately take offense. I don’t want any trouble, but I know being out like this, I might run into some questionable characters. Good thing both Tommy and I are packing.
They look at me, wondering why I’m on the streets at four am. I’m wondering the same about them. Grams always said nothing good happens after midnight, and my business is living proof.
“I’m looking for a girl. Blonde hair. You seen her?” My voice is rough. I don’t have time for pleasantries or shit. I want a straightforward answer, and if they haven’t seen her, I need to move along.
They snicker. “Yeah, we saw her,” one of them replies. “What you gonna give us?” I stare back in their faces, and I feel the anger starting to rise again. They must see the fierceness in my eyes because some of them step back.
“Where. Is. She?” I annunciate each word and my hands are in tight fists. I’ve never been known for holding my temper, and the fact these guys might have Claire, might cause me to lose it completely.
“Hold up, man.” The leader of the group steps forward with his hands up. “We’ve got your girlfriend, but we want to know what she was doing wandering around here this early in the morning?” I don’t know whether to trust these guys or to move on. They could simply be lying to me for money, and I don’t have time for their bullshit.
“Take me to her.” I pause and then narrow my eyes even more. “And if I find out you’re lying, there will be hell to pay.” My voice is serious and I’m pretty sure venom is leaking from my eyes. If Claire is with any of these men, I can only imagine what they’ve done to her.
The leader gets in my face and now his voice is as serious as mine. “What. Will. You. Give. Us.”
I think for a minute, and then I know exactly what I can give them. “I want the girl, in one piece and no harm done, and I can deliver wheels.” I see the eyes of the group widen. The leader has a smirk on his face.
“And if you’re lying?” he asks, mimicking my own question.
“Then you can kill me.” I’m dead serious. The mood has shifted quickly. The leader nods his head towards a door in another alley. I make sure Tommy has my back, and we follow the guys inside.
I don’t like the looks of this, so I pick up my phone to send Carlos a message. I tell him exactly where we are and tell him to have the car waiting. I have a bad feeling as I follow them inside, but I don’t have a choice but to trust these thugs. If Claire is inside, she needs me now more than ever.
I follow them through dark hallways and then we ascend a staircase. I’m close behind the men, the uneasy feeling still bubbling up from within. There’s two of us and five of them. They’ve also brought me onto their turf. This might be the stupidest decision I’ve ever made, but I really had no choice.
I’m going to kill Claire when I find her.
As I think this thought, I know it’s far from the truth. When I see her, I’m going to give her an embrace, and then I’m going to kiss her. Well, maybe I shouldn’t do the kiss part since she did try to run away from me. I might get slapped.
The leader of the pack opens a door and waves us inside. I walk in, and there, sitting bound and gagged in a chair is Claire. I can’t believe my luck as I attempt to rush over to her. “Claire,” I call out, but I’m stopped short when two of the men grab me and punch me in the gut. I hear a commotion behind me and realize that Tommy has been hit too.
“Do you know what we discovered about your girlfriend here?” The leader’s face is inches from my own, while another of the men has my arms wrapped tightly behind me. I’m bowed out and at their mercy. The leader takes out a folded piece of paper from his jacket and unfolds it delicately in
his hands. He holds the paper up to my face, and I see before me a flyer for the safe return of Claire. There’s her name, a picture and a $50,000 reward. Damn.
“This girl looks like the same one to me. And didn’t you just say her name is Claire?” The leader smirks and I want to punch him in the jaw. I look at Claire. She’s frightened. Her mouth is gagged. I wish I could remove the piece of cloth. There’s no telling how long they’ve had her like this, but secretly, I give a sigh of relief that she’s in one piece.
“I think we’ll need more than wheels to release this beautiful woman back into your possession,” the leader continues. I know what he means. He will blackmail me and the bad part is, he can. I will give him anything he wants in exchange for the girl.
“Okay. What do you want?” I’m at his mercy, and I hate being at anyone’s mercy. I feel the grip loosen behind me and I glance over at Tommy. He has on a signature poker face. I refocus to the leader.
“I’m going to need double the money AND a set of wheels.”
Shit, $100,000 and a car? I have the money but I sure don’t want to spend it on this.
“Done. Just give me the girl.”
“I don’t know if you’re good for your word. I’ll need the money and the car delivered to me by noon tomorrow. Or we call the cops and seek our own reward.” Anger surges inside of me. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving Claire here for one more second.
“Tommy,” I nod over to him, “will go get the money, and I’ll stay here with the girl. I’m not letting her out of my sight. I need a moment alone with Tommy first.” They release us both, and we walk over to the corner. I tell Tommy to get the cash from the safe located in our apartment, and I give him instructions on what car to bring. I tell him to bring Carlos and Marcus for backup when he returns.
Tommy leaves, and I walk over to Claire to remove the cloth. I run my hand down her face, and tears leak from her eyes. I know the men are watching us, but I’m beyond caring.
“I’m sorry,” she mouths, and I bend down to kiss her forehead. I step behind her to remove the rope that binds her hands together, and then I remove the ropes at her feet. The men are watching my every move and I know they think I’m planning an escape, but I’m not. I pull her up to stand and she does, but I notice her knees are wobbly. I wish I could take her back to my own room, but at least I’m here now to keep her safe. I sit on the chair and pull her onto my lap.
She buries her face in my chest, and for a minute I am lost. How did I ignore her for the past week? I realize I have thrown my pride out the window with this girl. I run my hands through her hair and hold her close. I inhale her scent and relax holding her body. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I can feel the lost connection I had with Claire resurfacing. I briefly wonder if she feels this too, but I push those thoughts aside. Now’s not the time or place to let myself wonder about our relationship status.
I’m holding her and she’s safe. That’s what’s important.
I look across to the men and narrow my eyes. They seem to be in conversation, but I know they’re focused on Claire and me. I’ll kill them if they try to hurt her.
I really will kill them.
I feel her tears on the skin of my neck and wonder how a tiny, blonde angel can wreak such havoc on my soul. How can burying her head into my chest cause me to forget what I am and want to offer her the world? I kiss the top of her head.
I know my boys will be back soon, and, I start to think of the easiest way to get out of this mess. I’m devising a plan when the door swings open, displaying Carlos, Tommy and Marcus. Carlos and Tommy are scary looking guys, but Marcus has them all beat. They glance at me, holding Claire, while the gang members stand to attention. I don’t know how this will go down, and I don’t want Claire to be around when it does. I pull her up off the chair, and we move to the door.
“Not so fast,” the leader says as he steps in front of the door. “I need to count the money and see the vehicle.” No one says a word as Tommy hands him the envelope. This won’t set us back too much, but still, I’m burning $100,000 and I’m starting to get impatient.
“Look, take the keys and let us go. We’re good for our word.”
The leader walks over to us and looks me up and down. Claire hides behind me, never letting go of my hand. “I want to know why this girl means so much to you.”
I see red and my free hand balls into a fist. “That’s none of your business.”
“She must be something good if you’re willing to pay this much money for her.” He’s got that smirk on his face, and I’m about to lose it. Marcus puts his hand on my chest and backs me up. He gets in the leader’s face and hands him the keys. I head towards the door as the leader calls back to me.
“Hey. Who are you that you think you can leave? Who are you that you have so much money?”
I stop and look back into his green eyes. “Who am I? WHO AM I?” My voice is getting louder, and I’ve hit the limit. “I’m Brandon Wilson and YOU are pissing me off!” At the sound of my name all the men from the gang back away. I might not be in a gang, but my name holds power in these parts. “And you kidnapped my girlfriend. And if you EVER touch her again, there will be hell to pay. You got that?” I’m yelling into the leader’s face, and I can tell he’s scared. But I also know he’s young and stupid. He’s cocky, too, and he’s one of those boys who have been taught never to back down.
Quicker than we can react, he pulls his gun. That’s when I notice that during the scuffle, I have released Claire’s hand. She’s standing with her back against the wall, vulnerable to all attacks.
Before I can do anything to stop the leader, he pistol-whips Claire in the face. Her entire body turns as she immediately crumples to the ground.
“HELL NO!” I shout and the fighting begins.
I GLANCE AT Claire, lying on my bed, with the ice pack covering half her face. Her left eye is swollen shut and the bruising has already begun. The entire left side of her face is puffy and red. I swallow, and rage begins to make its way into my bloodstream. My men could have been injured, and Claire lies here with a pistol-whipped cheek. Thank goodness she doesn’t need medical care.
I beat the leader to a pulp. That’s all I really remember. The temper and rage inside of me took control, and I lost all feeling of reality. I hit and hit until I didn’t hear the gunshots. We left two of their members dead, and I’m not sure about the leader. He seemed unconscious. I would have kept going if Marcus hadn’t held me back and motioned towards the other two. I know there will be retaliation from the gang. You don’t mess with their members and not expect payback.
Thankfully, by the end of the fight, our work shift was over, and Marcus was able to get Tommy and Carlos to the hospital for their small injuries. I brought Claire back to my apartment. This is the last time I let anyone else take care of her. Let the men call me a pansy. This won’t happen again.
I haven’t felt this kind of rage in years. Seeing the gang leader hit her ignited a fire in me I had thought was gone. It was the same rage I’d felt when my brothers were denied a life with me due to my “lack of self-control.” I’d overturned seats and tables in the courtroom, which resulted in me spending thirty days in jail. That was the same rage I felt now. No one messed with my brothers. No one messes with Claire.
I should be angry with her, but I’m not. If any other hostage had done this, I would have let them get what they deserved. The only reason she was in decent condition when I found her was because those boys were planning on turning her in for the money. They were going to be the heroes. Now they’re probably out for blood. My blood. Between Claire and me, we have a pretty hefty price tag on our heads.
I sit on the side of the bed and she opens her right eye. A lone tear slides down her face, and I wipe it away with my thumb. She hasn’t said much since we’ve been back, and I’ve allowed the silence to extend between us.
This is all my fault. I should never have let her out of my sight.
I kiss her on
the forehead and turn to look out the window. I wish we could have taken her to the emergency room with Tommy and Carlos, but I knew she’d be recognized. I have been pistol-whipped before, and you heal. I’m just furious that it happened to someone as good as Claire.
“I’m sorry, Brandon,” she says, accompanied with a sniffle. She’s about to cry, and I don’t think I can take anymore of her tears.
“Baby, it’s okay. Please don’t apologize.” I wipe her tears away again and she winces. She’s holding her ice pack with one hand and the other is helping me wipe away tears.
“This will heal. It will take a few months, but trust me, it will heal.” I long to kiss her lips, but I know this isn’t the right moment. With Claire it has to be the right moment.
I have already given her Tylenol but there’s nothing else I can do to heal the pain. If only it was me that had been hit. That stupid asshole did this to spite me. Of course, we took our money back and road away in the car we had promised him. Shit, I will have some serious repercussions to pay for this. I push all these thoughts on the back burner, though. I have Claire to worry about first.
She struggles to sit up, and I help adjust the pillows behind her back. “Want to watch some television?” I ask, turning towards the small television in my room.
“No.” She puts her hand on my forearm and stops me. I glance back and see the red, swollen skin beneath the ice pack.
“What can I do to help?” My voice is pained and vulnerable. I hate that I’m this vulnerable around her, but seeing her hurt like this is killing me.
“Tell me what I did wrong.”
Her statement hangs in the air. I’m not sure why she asks this question. “What you did wrong was run away in a rough neighborhood.”
“No. Why have you ignored me this past week? You took off my handcuffs and told me that if I was good I wouldn’t have to have them back on, and then the next thing I know, I’m under Tommy’s care and I’m back to the cuffs.” She repeats her question. “What did I do wrong?”
The Thief Redeemer Page 7
