“I think she should know the truth. You’re both all over each other, and she has no idea of your future plans for her.”
“YOU have no idea of my future plans for her, so SHUT THE HELL UP!” My fists are balled and ready to knock the lights out of Carlos. One more word out of his mouth and I’ll start swinging.
He holds his arms up in surrender and slowly steps backwards. “Sorry, boss. I just thought she should know.” He turns around and heads back towards his car with Stan. I’m still so livid that I’m actually shaking.
I look back at Claire. Her face is pale. I exhale because now I’m going to have to tell her the truth - the whole truth. I run my hand down my face and hold out my hand out for hers. “Come on. Let’s talk.” She takes my hand and I signal to Marcus to temporarily watch the warehouse. I lead her to the door and we ascend the stairs. I lead her out to the balcony. The night is deathly quiet.
“What did Carlos mean by disappear?” Claire asks. Her voice is soft, yet seems to bounce off the buildings and echo through the quiet night. I exhale a sigh and swallow before speaking.
“Claire, I made a decision the morning after you arrived that I would only be truthful to you. And I have been about everything except your fate. I have not discussed this with Carlos, but everyone here knows what happens. You and Sarah are now liabilities. We can’t let you integrate back into the real world because you know too much. You would lead the cops straight here, whether it was intentional or not.” I pause to run my hand down my face. She’s looking at me with no emotion in her eyes. I swallow again.
“When any of my employees betray me, I hand them over to Richard, my cousin. He has a way of making people disappear. I’m not even sure what he does. He just…makes it happen. That’s what Carlos was talking about.” The air is quiet around us and Claire looks away.
“So, will I eventually disappear?” I barely hear her speak, and I reach out to take her arm. I pull her towards me to hold her in my arms.
“Claire, you will never disappear. If you want to stay with me, you can. When I feel it’s safe for you to return, you can. You have my word. I will never put you in the hands of Richard.” I’m dripping sincerity in my words, and I hope she believes me.
“What about Sarah?”
I exhale because I’m not quiet sure what to do with her yet. “She won’t disappear either, but I don’t know her fate completely. You have my word she will be kept safe, too.”
“Our relationship is so complicated, Brandon.”
“I know. I’ve known since the beginning.”
“Why is love so difficult?”
“Baby, I’ve found that anything in life worth keeping and working for is difficult,” I say as I kiss the palm of her hand. “Don’t listen to Carlos. I don’t know what his problem is, but I’ll take care of it. He had no right to do that tonight.” The anger towards Carlos starts to rise again, but it’s quickly mellowed out when Claire runs her hands through my hair.
“He’s always giving me dirty looks. I thought he was your friend.”
“He is. Don’t worry. Like I said, I’ll take care of him.”
I hold her in my arms as the silent night wraps around our bodies. “Do you believe me, Claire? I will never let anyone hurt you and I will always do what’s best for you.”
“Yes…I do.”
I softly kiss her on the lips. “Okay, let’s get back down there. I have some cars to sell. She grabs my hand and we exit the balcony. Carlos and I will be having words later.
CARLOS RAN OUT of work early last night, probably to avoid my wrath. Tonight, he’s pissing me off even more. I will speak with him before we break at dawn. Maybe I should fire his ass. He’s walked over me long enough. If he hadn’t been such a faithful employee, I would be making him “disappear.”
I look at my surroundings and don’t like what I see. Carlos and Stan are speaking to each other, and the other men are slowly filing in for the night. Claire is upstairs with Sally and I’m in my street clothes, waiting on Marcus. I have a bad feeling about tonight. It must be because I’m leaving Claire. I haven’t left her except for the week she escaped in the past three months.
What if she tries to run again tonight? No, she won’t. Things are different. We’re in love with each other now. She said she wants to stay with me.
She won’t leave. She won’t leave.
Maybe if I keep reciting this to myself, I won’t feel the unease that’s running through my blood. Something about tonight is off, and I can’t put my finger on it.
The guys have all arrived and I partner up with Marcus. Carlos is staying back tonight with Stan to manage the arriving cars. I head out with the guys, and we load up in the vans. We head into the city and they start dropping the guys off. I’m nervous as hell, and I can’t shake the bad feeling.
“What’s wrong with you, boss?” Marcus asks under his breath.
“I’ve got a bad feeling.”
“About what?”
“Tonight.” As I say the words, it’s like my body explodes. “I’ve got to go back, Marcus.” I put my hand on his shoulder and plead with my eyes.
“Why? She’ll be fine. Is that what you’re worried about?”
“I don’t know why I’m worried. Dean!” I yell at the driver to drop the other guys off and take Marcus and me back. “Make it quick!” I yell, and he throws the van into high gear. I’m sweating and running my hands down my face. Marcus looks at me like I’ve gone crazy, and maybe I have. All these years have finally caught up with me.
“Don’t look at me like that, Marcus. Something about tonight is off. I don’t know what, but we need to get back, and quick.”
He sighs out of annoyance but nods.
“Okay, boss, but Carlos has it under control. He’s done this as long as you have.”
“Dean! Faster!” I’m yelling at the driver, and he’s putting the van into high gear. Marcus holds onto the seat in front of him as we speed down the streets. I glance at my clock and see we’ve been gone almost an hour. We pull up to the alleyway.
“Dean, don’t open the garage. Just let me out here.” I don’t want anyone in the warehouse to know of my presence. If anything is going on, I want to surprise them. Call me paranoid, but that’s the price you pay after so many years in this business. I leap out of the van, Marcus right behind me, and swing open the side door.
Everything looks normal. There are a few of the men hanging out, waiting for the cars to arrive. I look around for Carlos and Stan, but neither of them is there, which is weird.
“Where’s Carlos?” I ask one of the men.
“He went upstairs, through that door.” He points to the door that leads to our apartment. I don’t like this feeling at all. Why is he in the apartment where we keep the girls? I sprint to the door, which I find unlocked. Our first rule is to always lock the apartment door. I speed up the stairs to the apartment and throw open the door. There, sitting on the couch, is Sarah. She’s roped and gagged and fear radiates from her eyes. I’m about to ask her where Claire is, when I hear the noise coming from my bedroom.
Muffled screams. My blood runs cold. I sprint to the room and slam open the door to find Carlos on the bed with Claire. She’s tied up and gagged, crying while he attempts to pull off her clothes. At the sound of the door opening, he freezes. We both stand in a state of shock for almost three seconds before I lunge towards him.
I have been angry many times in my life, but nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to how I’m feeling right now. In this moment I could kill. How dare he touch my woman? My weight alone forces him off the bed. We are rolling on the floor while lamps, books and furniture falls on our heads. I am punching him with no abandon, while he gives it right back. I take a few in the face, but I give a few back as well. I notice him reaching for the back of his pants, and that’s when I realize the reason.
He has a gun.
I hit him, the rage consuming my entire being, all the while grabbing for his gun. He finally grasps i
t in his right hand and with all the energy I have, I sling the gun from his hands. It flies across the room and lands in the corner. Now I have the upper hand in this fight, because I’m stronger than Carlos, and the rage is pounding in my ears.
“DON’T YOU EVER TOUCH HER AGAIN!” I scream at him over and over as he fights me back. Just when I think I have him done for, he hits me in the stomach and I double over in pain. This is the moment he throws himself on top of me and starts pounding my face. He overpowers me with a single punch right into my temple and I see stars. I won’t let him win this fight if it kills me. No one touches my woman. No one.
I fight him back as we continue to roll on the floor. I vaguely hear gunshots and fighting coming from the den area. I want to concentrate on what’s going on outside my room, but I have to deal with Carlos first.
That’s when I hear the gun cock, and we both freeze. Standing in the middle of the room is Claire. She has freed herself from the ropes and is now holding the gun pointed at Carlos.
“Get. Off. Of. Him.” Her words are soft, yet powerful.
“Baby, you don’t know how to use a gun,” Carlos says and I’m fearful for Claire. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know how to use a gun either, but I’m angrier that Carlos just called her baby.
“I said get off of him.” She repeats herself, not showing the fear I am sure is radiating in her mind. We hear tables and chairs breaking outside while our room has suddenly gone quiet. Carlos removes himself from me and then with quick reflexes, lunges at Claire. From sheer instinct, she pulls the trigger, sending a bullet into Carlos’s stomach. He falls on top of her as they stumble towards the ground. I hear Claire release a yelp, as his 200-pound body pins her down.
“Claire!” I sprint to the heap of bodies on the floor, tearing his body off hers. I roll him to the side, hardly noticing his wide-open eyes. Grabbing Claire, I pull her to me and hold her tight. Her body is shaking uncontrollably as the sobbing begins.
“Where…is…Sarah?” she asks in between the cries. “He…had…her…too.”
I don’t want to let go of Claire in this state, but then I remember Sarah outside on the couch. I quickly check Carlos’ pulse to ensure he’s dead, and once no pulse is confirmed, I close his eyes with my fingers.
“Stay right here, okay? Don’t move. I’m going to go outside and check on everything. She gives me a tearful nod and I hand her Carlos’ gun. “Keep this and use it if you have to.” I go to the desk in the room and pull out my own gun. I load it and slowly start my descent outside.
Holding my gun to my chest, I walk along the wall, noticing the quietness of the den. I walk around and see Sarah, still bound on the couch. I notice her crying first, but then I see the two bodies on the floor, both with gunshot wounds.
Marcus and Stan are down.
I run to Marcus first and throw myself on him. I feel for a pulse, and there isn’t one. Just like that, Marcus is gone. For the first time in a while, I don’t feel rage, but complete and utter loss. This was my number one man, my best friend since high school. He was the only one, besides Claire, who knew my past. The tears of remorse start to fall.
I can’t believe he’s gone.
“NOOOOO!” I scream to no one in particular. My voice radiates off the walls to deaf ears. I’m accustomed to death and loss. Death has been a major player my entire life, but it still hurts like hell each and every time it happens. I’ve lost my parents, my grandparents, and now Marcus. I put my head on his chest and the sobbing explodes from my lungs.
“I can’t lose you, too. I can’t lose you, too,” I mutter into his chest, but there’s no turning back time. Once someone has crossed the line to the other world, there’s no return. No matter how hard you hope and pray that this is a mistake, it’s not. They’re gone for good and nothing you do or say can change what’s happened. I’ve learned this life-lesson the hard way.
I take my shirt bottom to dry my tears when I see the light reflect an object on Marcus’s chest. I instantly recognize the cross necklace from his mother. Now there’s no one else to pass on this keepsake. Marcus will never be married and never have children of his own. I almost lose myself again at the loss of my friend. Where should the necklace rest? I remove the keepsake and clasp it onto my neck. I put my fingers on the small cross and feel the smooth gold against my skin.
Feeling the necklace sends remorse and shame into my being. Marcus is dead because of this business. We never discussed the fact that our days were numbered, but it was an unspoken reality we’d both sensed lurking in the shadows. In this business, your life is hard, fast, and short. Today was Marcus’s day.
I look around the room and see Sarah. I had forgotten she was here, and notice she’s about to hyperventilate. I remove my pocketknife and, walking over to Sarah, I remove her gag. “How did this happen?” I’m trying to be strong and speak through the tears. His death hasn’t hit me yet. It never hits me until a couple of days later.
“He…was…trying…to…defend…me…from…him!” She points over at Stan who lies on the ground with a bullet to the stomach. I realize Stan and Carlos were in alliance on this sabotage.
And Marcus is dead.
I return to Marcus and run my fingers over his eyes. I say the Lord’s Prayer, my hand placed over his heart. Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name…
It’s the least I can do, as I place my forehead against his. He was a gentle giant who would never hurt anyone and because of me, he is now dead; because he was trying to defend a girl I had kidnapped. I hate myself even more. Not only am I the most selfish and self-destructive person I know, I’m now a murder.
I walk over to Stan and feel his pulse. He still has one but it’s vague. He will need immediate hospital attention if he is to survive. While deciding what to do, I notice the flashing blue lights. I approach the window to see cops lining up along the warehouse. Hell, this was a complete ambush.
I glance once more at Marcus, knowing this is it. Our first rule of never leaving the other behind is about to be broken tonight for the first time ever. I can’t possibly take him with me, and if I don’t get the hell out of here now, there won’t be a second chance.
“Sarah, they’ll find you here, okay?” I tell her in a stiff voice as I start the long walk to my bedroom. I take one last glance at Marcus, lying cold on the floor, and I run my hand down my face.
I still can’t believe this has happened.
Part of me wants to stay with Marcus and make sure the body is correctly handled, and the other part knows I must run…and now. My legs feel like lead as I widen the gap between myself and Marcus’ body. I can’t believe I’m going to leave him, and I’m in shock that my right hand man is gone. I swing open my bedroom door to find Claire standing next to my bookshelf. The gun is pointed in my direction, her hands shaking, and she’s ready to shoot.
“It’s just me. We have to go.” I’ve got to get us out of here. She lowers the gun and places it on the bed. She glances at my face with a worried expression but doesn’t ask questions. I know my face must look like shit, but I can’t explain anything to her yet. I’ve got to focus on getting us out of here. I’ll have to think about Marcus later.
I walk to my nightstand and grab the picture of my family. This was the exact reason why I never had it framed. I stuff it in my pocket and walk to my window. After opening it, I grab Claire and send her outside first. We can hop warehouses from here and take the sewage system to the alleyway. “Follow me.”
She is still visibly shaking, and I take her hand to offer a small amount of comfort. We run across the roof. We leap to the parallel warehouse and take the outside stairs down to the neighboring alley. I see blue and red lights reflecting off the walls as I run us over to a sewage pipe. This pipe is parallel to the ground and has a hundred pound iron gate blocking its entrance. I grunt while successfully removing it to let us inside. We slip into the tube, and fade with the shadows. We keep a clear view of the alleyway, and I see the police lights il
luminating Claire’s face in the dark.
Claire’s shaking overtakes her entire body, and I wrap her tighter into my arms. “Baby, I’m so sorry,” I say holding her to me. She continues to cry, grabbing onto my shirt with her fingers. I kiss the top of her head and realize what a total bust tonight was. My world has finally come to a head. I have lost Marcus and my business. Who knows what else happened down in the warehouse? I have no idea where Tommy and Sally are, and I wonder what Simon’s doing at the second warehouse.
I rock her back and forth, trying to comfort her, running my hands through her hair. “What happened with Sarah? Is she okay?” Claire asks while wiping her nose and eyes.
“She’s fine.” It’s all I answer because I remember seeing Sarah’s face and the fear in her eyes. I also know that the cops will find her and she’ll be able to go home. Tonight she will sleep in her own bed with her family. She’ll be happy tonight for the first time in three months.
And then my conscience hits, the reality of the right thing to do swarms through my mind. Claire should be with her family, too. She should sleep in her own bed tonight just like Sarah. Claire should be happy, too.
The time has come to face what I’ve been avoiding since Claire arrived. I can’t deny her the same freedom that Sarah will have. She deserves better than Sarah.
It’s time for Claire to return home.
MILLIONS OF EMOTIONS run through my mind while holding Claire in my arms. This might be the only chance she has to return. Who knows where I’ll be tomorrow and what I’ll be doing this time a month from now. This is no life for Claire. She wants a house and kids. She wants the entire dream, and I want to give her that dream.
The only way to give her this gift is to give her up.
I know this is love. There is a searing throb in my gut, and I feel like I might vomit. My breathing is starting to become heavy because the thought of letting her go is almost too painful. She’s my light and my peace. I’ve already lost Marcus, and now I’m going to lose Claire, too.
The Thief Redeemer Page 16
