Sinner

by Minx Hardbringer

  We’re going to be okay. I keep chanting that in my head until we pull up in front of the Grove. It’s an orchard where families can pick apples and other fruits, but it’s not open for the season yet. This must be the place for the exchange.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Adam

  I’m standing near the entrance to the Grove’s oldest apple orchard waiting for Vladimir. My hands are slightly sweaty, and I’m fighting to keep my breathing and my heartbeat steady. I’m wearing, and earpiece and Ian assures me that everything is in place. I’m minutes away from having my sister and Lilith back for real this time.

  A black SUV comes racing down the road to the Grove, and I hear “Showtime” in my ear piece. The vehicle parks nearby, and Vladimir, Lilith, and the undercover FBI agent get out. There’s no Sophie. I realize why a moment later when the FBI agent reaches back into the vehicle and pulls her out. She’s almost unconscious, and she can barely stand on her own.

  “Let them come to me first, and you’ll get the drive. On my say, my associate will shut down the virus too. But, I want my sister and Lilith first.” I bark at him. I’m done messing around, and this is ending right now.

  “Fine. Go.” He says and waves towards them with his gun.

  The next few moments happened in a blur. I’m still not entirely sure I remember it all correctly, but here goes. Vladimir must have sensed that something was wrong, or one of the agents waiting to take him down made a noise. I don’t know for certain. What I do know is that he aimed his gun at Sophie and tried to shoot her. The undercover FBI agent reacts in a split second and shoots Vladimir in the hamstring.

  It doesn’t kill him, but it does bring him to his knees. Before the undercover agent, David I’ll come to find out can get him all the way to the ground, Vladimir squeezes off a round and hits Sophie in the upper back. David kicks Vladimir to the ground, and the rest of the agents swoop in and grab all of Vladimir’s men.

  I run to Sophie and Lilith, and I half carry her out of the way. Ian calls for an ambulance, and fortunately, there was one standing by not too far away. The paramedics are helping Sophie in two minutes, and I explain to one of them about her heart condition.

  “She hasn’t had her medicine today,” I tell them as they load her into the ambulance.

  “Thank you for telling us. Are you riding with us or meeting us at the hospital?” The paramedic asks me.

  I don’t even think about whether I should go or whether I’m about to be arrested. “I’m going,” I say and climb into the back.

  The doors slam, but before we’re gone, I can see David and Lilith running towards a car. They’re going to follow.

  When I get to the ER, I'm separated from Sophie again. It’s tearing out my heart, but I’m at least able to kiss her cheek before they take her away. David and Lilith arrive a few minutes later.

  “Where is she?” David asks as soon as he’s in front of me.

  “They just took her back. I have no idea what’s going on, but we have to wait here.”

  It’s two of the longest, most excruciating hours of my life before a doctor comes to talk to me. The three of us have been taking turns pacing the waiting room. Whenever I can sit, Lilith holds my hand lovingly. But it never lasts very long because the feeling of panic takes over, and I have to pace again.

  When the tiny, Indian ER doctor finally does approach us, we all stand at attention waiting to hear what she has to say. I’m sure I’m almost breaking Lilith’s hand I’m squeezing it so tight, but she doesn’t protest beyond a small yelp.

  Chapter Twenty

  Lilith

  “We’ve got her stable enough for surgery.” The doctor says, and I feel Adam’s hand release a bit. “I can’t make any promises. Her heart is weak, and that makes the surgery hazardous. We wouldn’t typically perform surgery on someone in her condition, but without it, she will die. Even if she survives the surgery, there’s a chance her heart won’t hold out. This is a lot of stress her body might not be able to handle. We’ll do our best.”

  Another hour goes by while we wait for word about the surgery. We’ve been moved to a family waiting room in the surgical department instead of down in the Emergency Room. The door opens, and we all jump up again. It’s not the doctor, though. It’s Ian and another man.

  “I’m sorry. I tried.” Ian says, and then I understand why.

  “You can’t be serious. Please let me stay until she’s done with surgery.” Adam pleads as they put us in handcuffs.

  “That’s not the way it works Mr. Reid.” Agent Holmes answers.

  “I’ll stay here and wait for her to get out of surgery. If anything happens, I’ll find a way to tell you. I’ll tell her you were here.” David tells Adam before we’re lead away.

  “Thank you,” Adam replies.

  We’re taken to an FBI building and put in separate rooms for questioning. I tell Agent Holmes the entire story from when I found Adam in Tom’s office until now. I don’t leave anything out because I don’t think lying or omitting details is going to do anybody any good now.

  Agent Holmes leaves after I tell my story. I assume that he’s gone to question Adam and compare our stories. Ian comes in after a few minutes with some food. He’s gotten us burgers and fries. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until he showed up.

  “I don’t think they’re going to charge you with anything.” He says in between bites. I’m not sure what’s going to happen to Adam, but as long as you cooperate with any investigation, they don’t want the hassle of prosecuting you.

  “Adam is in a lot of trouble, huh?” I say and take a bite of my food.

  “I can’t say much, but he’s in more trouble than you. There could be a way to get him cleared, but I can’t talk about that yet.”

  When we’re done eating, he collects the trash and leaves. I’m sitting there for another hour or so, and Agent Holmes comes back into the room where I’m being held.

  “You’re free to go.” He says, and that’s when I see that he didn’t close the door behind himself.

  “What about Adam?”

  “I can’t talk about that with you, but you can go.”

  The first place I go when I’m released is back to the hospital. David is still in the waiting room where I left him, and Becks has joined him. They’re both so still and quiet that my heart jumps into my throat.

  “She’s alive,” David says when he sees me. “She survived the surgery, but she’s in intensive care. None of us can visit her in there, so we told them we’d wait here. One of the nurses said she’d take Sophie a note when she wakes up.”

  Becks is texting someone, and she jumps up after she hit’s send. “I’ve got to go. I think I’ve got a way to make things a little easier for Adam. I’ll tell you about it later. When I can.” She says and hugs me before taking off.

  The only thing left to do is sit and wait.

  “You really care about Sophie, don’t you?” I ask David when I can’t stand the quiet anymore.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “She’s almost nineteen, you know,” I say and nudge him in the arm with my elbow.

  “I know. I think I’m going to take her to Rome for her birthday. If she’ll let me. Sophie’s never traveled much, and I’d like to do that for her. As long as she makes it,” He says, and his eyes get watery. “I’ll never forgive myself if she doesn’t. I should have blown my cover and gotten her out of there.”

  “You did your job. More people could have gotten hurt if you hadn’t. You took care of her the best you could, and that’s what matters.”

  “I hope she’s not mad at me.”

  “I don’t think she is.”

  A nurse peeks her head into the waiting room.

  “Come on you two. The doctors have gone home for the day. I can sneak you in to see her for five minutes, but you’ve got to hurry.”

  David and I both get up and head for the door.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Adam

  At least I c
an make phone calls where the FBI is holding me before my sentencing. I’ve gotten to talk to Sophie a few times, and she’s finally out of the hospital. Lilith’s apartment has a second bedroom, so she’s moved in with her. Lilith doesn’t have a job anymore because the Feds have arrested Tom too, but she’s got savings.

  I’ve decided to plead guilty to the charges against me. In return for doing that, the kidnapping stuff has been dropped altogether. Ian thought they might go easy on me because the foster family I “kidnapped” her from was busted for abuse and welfare fraud. The Federal Government is feeling generous since I’m not putting them through the hassle and expense of a trial.

  I still have no idea how long my sentence is going to be. I’ve got a lawyer, and Ian has been here to see me a few times. The last time he visited he told me to hang tight and that things were changing. I haven’t heard a word from Becks, and no one will say why.

  “Is she alright?” I asked Lilith on the phone one night.

  “She’s fine. I wish I could tell you what’s going on, but I can’t. It could screw things up for both of you.”

  When she got off the phone with me last night, she said she’d see me soon. I have no idea what she meant. Our phone call time ran out before I could ask her. As far as I know, I’m looking at a couple of years in prison if things go well.

  The morning of my hearing, the guard brings me a suit that Lilith sent for me. I put get dressed and try to keep my hands from shaking while I button up my shirt. At least in prison, I’ll get visitors. It will be so good to see Sophie’s face again and be able to apologize for not being there for her when she was in the hospital. I hope that Lilith will come to see me too. We never really got a chance to get started the right way, but she’s stuck by me through everything. I love that woman, but I want to tell her that to her face.

  A van takes me to the Federal Courthouse, and two agents take me into my courtroom. My lawyer is waiting for me, and he’s got a huge smile plastered on his face.

  “You’re a very lucky man, Mr. Reid.” He says and shakes my hand.

  “What’s going on?” I ask him, but I can’t help but smile back. I’ve never seen this man look happy before.

  “I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but…” He has to stop talking because the judge enters the room.

  “All rise for the Honorable Judge Markham.” The bailiff says, and we all stand.

  “Please be seated.” The judge and we sit. “I’m going to cut right to the chase and save us all some time, Mr. Reid. You’re a very lucky man. You’ve got friends in high places, and you’re free to go. The court is adjourned.”

  “That’s it?” I say to my lawyer when the Judge is gone.

  “That’s it. You can go. I got word of this a short time before the hearing, so I called your friends. There are three very lovely ladies waiting for you outside.”

  I walk outside of the courthouse, and Sophie, Becks, and Lilith are all waiting for me. We embrace for as long as my arms will last, but then I have to ask.

  “How? Who are my friends in high places? Do any of you know how this happened?”

  “I’m your friend in high places,” Becks says and smiles wickedly. “I offered the FBI the information I collected using the virus in exchange for your release. I also took them up on their offer for employment just to be sure that they followed through. I’m going legit.”

  “Really?” I say and hug her again.

  “Yes, and Lilith has some news too. It’s pretty good.” Becks says and nods towards Lilith.

  “The movie studio wants to end the standoff with your settlement because they want to buy the film rights to your story. You’ll get the money for your injury, and they’re offering seven figures to make your life into a movie. Of course, you could shop the other major studios and try for a better offer. They have been screwing you over with your settlement.” Lilith says. She gasps when I pick her up in my arms and swing her around.

  I kiss her. Without the threats hanging over us, I realize that my nickname for her is perfect. She tastes like a fresh spring peach. Having her in my arms feels like home.

  Epilogue

  Two Years Later

  Adam

  “With this ring, I thee wed.” She says and slips a ring nervously over his finger.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The Priest says, and he does.

  I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t my wedding. Lilith and I actually got married about a year ago on a beach in the Caribbean. It was a beautiful ceremony, and now we have a baby girl named Ruth. I call her Ruthie, and she’s my little princess.

  This is Becks and Ian’s wedding. Turns out she only told me she was gay to prevent hurting my feelings because she found me wildly unattractive.

  “It was just easier that way. Sorry dude.” Becks told me when she and Ian revealed they were dating.

  Sophie and David are stuck together at the hip as well. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her dating him, but she’s a grown woman. He takes good care of her. They got engaged a few months ago, but since she’s young, David is insisting that they wait a year. He’s good guy.

  Thanks to the money I made selling my story to a rival movie studio, I can afford to get Sophie the best medical care available. She’s looking healthier and stronger than she’s ever looked in our lives.

  At the reception, I dance with my wife until the food is served. I watch in awe as she cleans her plate and half of mine two. Her appetite has been voracious lately.

  “Can I get you more?” I ask and chuckle.

  “Yes, you can dear husband. But, I want to tell you something first.“ Lilith says and takes my hand.

  “What is it?”

  “You know how you’ve been saying for the last couple of weeks that I’m glowing?” She asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, there’s a reason for that. I’m pregnant. Ruthie is going to be a big sister.”

  I hug her so tight that she squeaks.

  “I love you, Peaches.”

  “I love you too, Adam. Now, about those seconds.”

  ***

  Bonus Book

  Rough: A Diamond in the Rock

  Minx Hardbringer

  Chapter One

  Josie

  It’s the first day of my new job and I’m running twenty minutes early. I’m so nervous about my first real job in the industry that I got up three hours early, and even though I spent a ton of time doing my hair and makeup, I’m still running way ahead of schedule. In this business, appearances are everything, and I don’t want to come off as too much of a square on my first day.

  Both of my parents are in the music business, and I’ve seen what can happen to assistants who rock stars perceive as nerds. It would be like sharks smelling blood in the water, and this entire tour would be a living hell. My squirming and discomfort would become a constant source of hilarious entertainment for every member of the band and crew with even a hint of a mean streak.

  Nope.

  That’s not going to happen to Josie Harvard. I’ve been working with bands since I could walk, and I just graduated with a degree in music management. My dad is a pretty big deal in the industry and he promised me a job right out of high school, but I turned him down. I wanted to go to college, and I wanted to get my first job on my own merit. Well, as much as I could. Everybody knows who my father is, and my mom has been a favorite songwriter of many pop and rock groups since before I was born. My family name may open doors for me, but I don’t want it to carry me through my career.

  What I need to do is keep things together for the Troubled Kids, but make it look effortless and fun. I have to be a mom, confidant, and shit kicker all in one, but it has to look like I’m just one of the guys at all times.

  So, rather than humiliate myself, I park my car down the street at a taco place and wait for fifteen minutes out of sight. I may or may not have scarfed down two breakfast tacos too. I’m probably running so early bec
ause I forgot to eat breakfast.

  The moment of truth finally arrives, and I climb the steps onto one of the nicest tour buses I’ve ever been on in my life. The record company has spared no expense for these guys, and I realize I’ve been hired to tour with the label’s it rock band. They’re moderately famous right now, but I can tell by this bus that the label is planning to launch them into the fame stratosphere with this tour. People put in years with the record company before they have a chance to work with bands this big, and I landed it on my first job?

  Dad.

  I’ll have to remember to have a talk with him when the tour is over. I knew the Troubled Kids were big, but they aren’t really in one of the genres of music I listen to often. I hadn’t fully grasped the level of prestige they held, and this tour is probably an essential part of their career trajectory.

  I don’t feel any pressure, though.

  That was complete sarcasm. I have to keep it together because I can’t let these guys see me sweat. If Dad helped me get this job, he must think I can handle it. So, I’m going to make him proud.

  “Hi everybody, I’m Josie.” I say and every head on the bus whips around to look at me.

  Crap. That was smooth. I could always quit the music business and go back to school for nursing or something. As the eyes of the band and crew take me apart piece by piece, I can feel my knees starting to shake. Fortunately, I have a savior in the crowd.

  “Hi, Josie. I’m Andy. Good to have you aboard.” He says and crosses the bus to shake my hand.

  Andy is the bassist for the Troubled Kids, and he is a childhood friend of lead singer and bad boy extraordinaire, Zach Verona, who I don’t see anywhere on the bus. He’s also my savior and new best friend, whether he knows it yet or not.

  “You want a drink?” Andy asks me with a smile.

  “At eight a.m.?” I look at him skeptically. I mean I understand that rock stars love to party, but still.