by Jax Abbey
HIGHWAYS & HOSTAGES
..................
Jax Abbey
¶
PRONOUN
Thank you for reading. In the event that you appreciate this book, please consider sharing the good word(s) by leaving a review, or connect with the author.
This book is a work of fiction; its contents are wholly imagined.
All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.
Copyright © 2016 by Jax Abbey
Interior design by Pronoun
Edited by Leah Wohl-Pollack
Distribution by Pronoun
ISBN: 9781508037842
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication
WEDNESDAYFinn, 7:34 p.m.
Stella, 7:46 p.m.
Finn, 9:27 p.m.
THURSDAYStella, 12:23 a.m.
Finn, 4:18 a.m.
SATURDAYFinn, 9:39 a.m.
Stella, 11:18 a.m.
Finn, 6:08 p.m.
Stella, 6:26 p.m.
Billy, 6:33 p.m.
Phoebe, 6:49 p.m.
Finn, 8:14 p.m.
SUNDAYStella, 8:06 p.m.
Finn, 10:22 p.m.
Billy, 11:03 p.m.
MONDAYStella, 3:46 a.m.
Finn, 9:34 a.m.
Phoebe, 11:19 a.m.
Stella, 6:54 p.m.
Finn, 8:37 p.m.
Billy, 9:48 p.m.
Stella, 9:23 p.m.
Phoebe, 10:42 p.m.
TUESDAYBilly, 12:14 a.m.
Phoebe, 1:58 a.m.
Billy, 6:28 a.m.
Phoebe, 7:47 a.m.
Finn, 8:24 a.m.
Stella, 6:45 p.m.
Finn, 7:13 p.m.
WEDNESDAYFinn, 4:35 a.m.
Stella, 1:02 p.m.
Finn, 3:19 p.m.
Billy, 3:31 p.m.
Stella, 3:50 p.m.
Finn, 3:56 p.m.
Stella, 4:24 p.m.
Phoebe, 10:28 p.m.
THURSDAYFinn, 7:15 a.m.
Phoebe, 8:35 a.m.
Billy, 10:15 a.m.
Stella, 7:08 p.m.
FRIDAYFinn, 10:33 a.m.
Stella, 1:29 p.m.
Finn, 3:04 p.m.
Stella, 8:14 p.m.
Finn, 8:16 p.m.
Stella, 8:35 p.m.
Billy, 10:48 p.m.
SATURDAYFinn, 2:03 p.m.
Stella, 6:20 p.m.
Billy, 6:47 p.m.
Stella, 9:35 p.m.
Phoebe, 9:46 p.m.
Finn, 9:40 p.m.
Stella, 9:52 p.m.
Finn, 10:03 p.m.
Stella, 10:18 p.m.
Finn, 11:35 p.m.
Stella, 11:50 p.m.
SIX MONTHS LATERFinn
Stella
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Thanks for the read!
DEDICATION
..................
For my mom, Kimberly Edgerton, who believed in me every step of the way and then some.
WEDNESDAY
..................
FINN, 7:34 P.M.
Planning a heist was never easy… not that Finn Gilroy had ever actually planned one before. Sure, he’d done some breaking and entering when he was a teenager, but this time he was spending days preparing. And he’d never broken into the house of someone he had a history with… but if he was being honest with himself, he was sure going to enjoy it.
In a back corner booth of the Leaky Stein Ale House, Finn and Alex Beckham pored over a large blueprint that covered the tabletop. Finn and Alex had originally been attracted to the bar based on the enormous selection of beers on tap. They returned because of the pretty waitresses in their tiny German barmaid costumes. It also wasn’t a bad place to talk shop. But mostly, it was the German barmaids.
“I’ll use the code Danny gave us to disable the security alarm. You start looking for the chalice in the back rooms on the first floor. I’ll scan the front rooms and keep a lookout on the door, okay?” Finn explained. After going through the plan over and over in his head for days on end, he was ready to get the damn thing over with and move on to the next project. He rubbed his eyes and scanned the bar.
Modeled after a hunting lodge in the German forest, the Leaky Stein boasted a lot of dark wood and fake leather. Mounted deer and moose heads silently observed the comings and goings of patrons. Chandeliers made from enormous deer antlers completed the aesthetic. The clatter of billiard balls, the blather of numerous TVs, and the chatter of beer enthusiasts made it nearly impossible for the two men to hear each other, let alone for someone else to overhear their discussion. Considering most of their conversations revolved around their questionable activities as art traffickers, this was necessary.
“Art traffickers” was such a dirty phrase; Finn preferred to think of himself as an “acquisitions agent.” It just so happened most of the things he acquired entered the country without the government’s notice.
“Hide the print; the waitress is coming,” Alex hissed.
Finn whisked the blueprint off the table as their waitress, Stella, neared. She was clad in a short green dirndl and matching knee-highs with bows. Her shoulder-length red hair bounced jauntily in two pigtails tied with green bows.
“Hi, guys,” she said. “Long time no see.”
“You mean since last week?” Alex asked with a charming smile.
“Well, you guys used to come in, like, everyday. I’ll bet you don’t even need the menus,” Stella said. “What’ll it be?”
“I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger with waffle fries,” Finn said.
Alex cleared his throat and tugged at the collar of his button-down. “Could I have the wedge salad with the balsamic vinaigrette on the side?” He gave Stella his best winning smile. She blushed and ran a hand over her hair.
Finn shook his head and lifted a brow in Alex’s direction. Everywhere they went Alex flirted with someone. Finn had even seen him pick up a woman at a funeral. According to Alex, anyone with a great rack and a full set of teeth was fair game. Finn made a point of being more discerning with his tastes.
“What?” Alex asked innocently. “I’m watching my carb intake.”
Stella grinned and flipped a pigtail over her shoulder. “Wedge salad it is.” She turned away from the table.
“Hey, wait!” Alex called. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t have a ring on that finger before.”
Stella glanced down and twisted a ring around the fourth finger on her left hand. It was a silver band with a large, oval-shaped ruby in the center, flanked by two smaller round diamonds.
“Yeah, my boyfriend—I mean, fiancé—proposed a couple of days ago.” She shook a few rogue strands of hair from her eyes and chuckled. “Gosh, it feels weird saying that.”
“Congratulations!” Alex crowed. He turned to Finn. “Looks like another fine specimen is off the market.”
Stella reddened again. “Thanks… Well, I’m going to go put this in for you guys.”
As she walked away, Alex leaned out of the booth to get a better look at her. He turned back to Finn and playfully kicked his shin. “You have a thing for redheads, don’t you? When was the last time you even went on a date?”
Finn drummed the table absently, the pendant light above the table catching the engraved signet ring on his pinkie. He looked Alex squarely in the eye. “I don’t have time for dates. Right now I’m focused on the job.”
Finn was more than focused on the job—he was married to it. He hadn’t left his gr
andmother, his only remaining family member, in Florida so he could come to Las Vegas for shits and giggles. He’d had a rough time of it growing up, until one day Julian Beckham walked into his life and offered him the opportunity of a lifetime. Eleven years later, he was established in Las Vegas with an amazing condo, a sweet car, and more money coming in than he ever thought he’d see in his life. He owed everything to Julian, and he wasn’t going to screw up now. The way Finn saw it, dating led to relationships. Relationships led to distractions, and distractions led to mistakes. Neither he nor Julian took mistakes lightly.
Alex rolled his eyes. “You have fun with that. Life is way too short, man. Just remember, all work and no play makes Finn a dull boy.”
“Now you sound like your brother.”
“Speak of the devil,” Alex said, looking over Finn’s shoulder.
Finn turned around to see Billy Beckham, Alex’s younger sibling, making his way toward their table. Billy shared Alex’s dark brown hair and blue eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. Billy reminded Finn of a proud rooster with the way he kept his hair shaved on the sides and teased on the top of his head. His face still retained its youthful fullness, whereas Alex’s face was angular and looked as if it had been chiseled from marble.
“Hey, guys! Thanks for the invite!” Billy sneered as he slid his scrawny frame in next to Finn. “Have we figured out how things are going down tonight?”
“‘How things are going down’ is that you are parking around the corner from the mansion and keeping your eye on the door. You text us the minute you see anything, and when we’ve got the chalice, you drive the getaway car,” Finn said.
Billy crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. “I don’t see why I can’t help with the actual heist. I’m twenty-four, but you guys still treat me like a kid.”
“You certainly act like one,” Alex muttered.
“Cut it out, you two. Driving the getaway car is a vital part of the mission,” Finn said. “I don’t know about Alex, but I’m not going to run all the way back to Julian’s—especially with something as valuable as that chalice.”
“Who the hell even wants a chalice?” Billy asked. “Can we just call it what it is—a glorified pimp cup?”
“It’s about more than just the chalice. It’s the fact that von Rothschild stole it out from under us. You know he and Dad used to be really tight back in the day,” Alex said.
Billy tapped his chin and directed his next comment at the ceiling. “Hmmm, did that have anything to do with you dating Claudia?” he asked innocently. “Who dumped you for our lovely friend sitting next to me.”
Finn narrowed his eyes at Billy as Alex scowled. Von Rothschild’s daughter, Claudia, was still a sore subject between Alex and Finn. Alex, the man born with a silver spoon in his mouth and given anything he ever hinted at wanting, had been kicked to the side for Finn, a troublemaker from the streets. Yet another reason Finn had sworn off relationships: they were nothing but trouble.
Finn cleared his throat and scrubbed a hand over his face. “We’re off topic. Besides, it’s not our job to ask motive, Billy. We just procure and deliver.”
Billy pursed his lips. “Whatever you say, Boss.”
Finn spread the blueprint over the table again and bent low over it. He was determined to commit every inch of it to memory.
“Hey, look over there,” Alex said. He angled his head in the direction of the bar’s entrance. A teenage girl with shaggy blonde hair, sporting a flannel shirt, ratty jean shorts over tights, and unlaced combat boots was seating herself at the bar. Their waitress, Stella, made a beeline toward her. After they talked for a moment, the teenager lazily got down from the barstool and planted herself at a table for two. The waitress glanced around quickly, then ducked into the seat across from her.
Finn turned back to the table. “Enough distractions.” He tapped the blueprint. “Focus.”
“I wonder what they’re arguing about. The waitress is really pissed.” Billy was practically vibrating with excitement.
And this is why you’re stuck driving the getaway car, Finn thought. He glanced at Alex, who was also watching the argument, and cleared his throat. Alex’s eyes flickered to him, then back to the front of the bar. Was he trying to prove he didn’t answer to Finn? It was a silent, never-ending power struggle between the two of them. Finn swallowed hard and fought the urge to snap. There was no point in starting a fight when they all needed to be on the same page tonight.
Billy’s head whipped around as the teenage girl walked toward the bathrooms just behind their booth. When she passed by the table, her walk slowed. She made eye contact with Alex and gave him a coy smile before continuing to the bathroom.
Billy nodded appreciatively. “She’s cute.”
“She’s clearly jailbait, little brother. Don’t even think about it.”
“Definitely jailbait. Thank God I don’t have a sister,” Finn said. “I’d be too worried about keeping her away from guys like you to do anything else.”
“Hey! What’s wrong with me?” Alex asked, raising a hand to his chest. He tried to frown, but the corners of his mouth kept quirking up. “You should be worried about keeping her away from guys like Billy!”
“You know what? Screw you guys.” Billy’s brow furrowed as he lifted his chin.
“Oh, Billy, did we hurt your feelings?” Finn asked in a syrupy tone. Alex leaned over the table and pinched one of Billy’s cheeks. Billy slapped his hand away and rubbed his face. Finn placed him in a chokehold and gave him a rough noogie. Billy pushed him away and stood up. He ran his hands through his faux hawk.
“I hate you guys,” he grumbled, sitting down.
The girl passed by the table again and glanced over her shoulder to eye Alex. Stella, approaching with a tray of food, nearly barreled into her and almost lost control of the tray. Stella glared, but before she could say anything the girl flounced past.
“Sorry about that; my kid sister is kind of a brat.” Stella’s cheeks flushed. She placed the food in front of Finn and Alex.
“Younger siblings are such a pain, aren’t they?” Alex asked. He stared pointedly at Billy.
“That they are.” Stella turned to Billy. “Would you like to see a menu?”
“No, thanks. What I want isn’t on the menu,” Billy said. He made a show of assessing Stella from head to toe.
Stella quickly made an exit, and Alex glared at Billy. “Could you not be a jackass for once in your life?”
Billy shrugged and stole a fry from Finn’s plate.
Finn sighed and shook his head. It was going to be a long night with these two. “Eat up, boys, we’re gonna need our strength. We’ve got an important job ahead of us.”
STELLA, 7:46 P.M.
Stella Carstens carried her empty tray back to the bar. She set it on the counter and wiped her perspiring forehead. Her best friend and fellow waitress, Valerie Cheng, leaned against the counter, chin in hand, admiring the guys in the back corner booth. Despite having an on-again, off-again boyfriend, Valerie was boy-crazy. She could always be found admiring (or more likely flirting with) the male gender. With her easy, natural beauty, Valerie got just as much attention as she gave. Stella envied her friend’s short, sleek bob, high cheekbones, and almond-shaped eyes. She bumped Valerie’s hip with her own to get her attention.
“God, those guys are gorgeous. Remember, I call dibs on Mr. Hot Stuff,” Valerie said.
Stella glanced over at the guys. They were huddled suspiciously over the table. “Which one’s Mr. Hot Stuff again?”
“The dark-haired one. I’m pretty sure he and Faux Hawk are brothers. But seriously, I call dibs. You can have Blondie. He’s not too hard on the eyes either.”
“They’re definitely attractive, but they look like bad news with a capital B. Every time I go near the table they hide whatever it is they’re looking at.” Stella lifted her left hand and wiggled it. “Besides, I’m engaged. And what about you? What happened to Paul? I thought you sa
id you all made up.”
Valerie sighed with her normal theatrical flair and turned her attention back to Stella. “We broke up again last night. This time it’s for good. Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with flirting.” Valerie glanced back at the booth, and Alex looked up, catching her eye. He lifted his chin in acknowledgement. “Ugh, he is so gorgeous.”
“Val, I swear you’re drooling.”
Bert Robinson, owner of the Leaky Stein, walked up behind the two women. He was a squat, balding man with a fuzzy caterpillar of a mustache resting above his top lip. He was cranky and known to run a tight ship, but he had a soft spot for Stella.
“This ain’t no dating service, ladies. Besides, you’ve got a fiancé now, Stella. Get out there and get those people their food,” Bert said gruffly. Before he ambled away, he caught Stella’s eye and winked.
Valerie waited until he was out of earshot before saying anything. “He’s such a slave driver.”
“Give the guy a break, Val. This place is all he has.”
“And this place is all you have, besides Mr. Fiancé. Maybe that’s why you’re Bert’s favorite—you’re here almost as much as he is!”
“Don’t start that tonight.” Stella wasn’t in the mood for another lecture about her workaholic tendencies. She grabbed a rag and helped Valerie wipe down the bar.
“Fine. We can talk about something else.” Valerie paused her cleaning to give Stella a sly smile. “What did Phoebe want this time? And can we talk about that outfit? Early ’90s Seattle grunge, am I right?”
Stella groaned. “Can we not talk about my bratty half sister either?”
Phoebe was a thorn in her side. Stella didn’t know why she’d agreed to let her half sister stay with her for the summer when she was already stressed enough about planning her wedding and handling Derek’s mother. Despite any attempts on Stella’s part, Phoebe didn’t show any interest in bonding; she just wanted to smoke and traipse around the city.
