I sigh and run my hand down my face. “I haven’t made it that far, Sally. I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do with them.”
“Will Richard take care of them eventually?”
She’s asking a question that I don’t have the answer to. “That’s the plan as of right now.”
I don’t tell her that the plan all went to shit when I discovered one of the girls was Claire. The coffee is ready and I pour myself a cup. I wonder how Claire takes her coffee, and I start to leave the room to ask. I stop in the doorframe and turn back to Sally. “Just make sure the Sarah girl is okay. I’ve got my eye on Claire, but Sarah is a friend of hers. Plus, she doesn’t look a day older than eighteen. Just…keep an eye on her for me.”
Sally nods as she sips her coffee. I’ve never asked her to take care of a woman before, and she’s probably wondering where on earth this soft spot in my heart is originating. I walk back into the room and see Claire lying on the bed, one arm chained to the bedpost. It breaks my heart to tie her up, but I still feel I have no other option.
“Hey.” I sit down on the side of the bed, but she doesn’t even acknowledge me. “I made coffee. Would you like any? Or any breakfast?”
“I need the bathroom and a shower.”
She answers me but never takes her gaze off the wall. I feel the hatred oozing from her, and it makes me hate myself even more.
“Sure.” I unlock her handcuffs and show her the door to the bathroom. I walk in behind her and hand her a towel. I close the door to give her some privacy and walk back to sit on the bed.
About twenty minutes later, she walks out, back in her same clothes. “I’m sending Sally to the store to get you and Sarah some clothes,” I say. “She’ll be asking you what size you wear.”
“Do you have a brush and a toothbrush?” She asks, this time staring at the floor, and it kills me knowing I’m the cause of this hate.
“Yeah. Hold on.” I leave her in the room and walk into my bathroom. I bring her my own brush and an extra toothbrush. She takes them without saying thanks. She removes the towel from her hair and starts to brush her long blonde locks. I find myself distracted, watching her, wishing she were mine.
This kidnapping plan is really going to backfire. Not only will I have another strike on my record, but I’ve kidnapped a girl I have feelings for, but cannot touch. Not unless I force myself on her. I might be a bad guy, but I’d never do that.
I notice her eyes wandering around the room, and they stop at my bookshelf. She sees the twenty plus John Grisham books and walks over to the shelf. “So that part about you was true. You like to read.”
I run my hand down my face because she sounds like she thinks I’m a total liar. “Claire, I never really lied to you.”
“You said you were an intern…and you weren’t.”
Okay, she’s got me there. “Claire, please sit on the bed and let me tell you the story.” She walks back over and sits on the end of the bed as far away from me as possible. I divert my eyes to the floor because I hate this feeling. “That’s the only thing I’ve ever lied to you about. I was in there for some business, and I was seriously distracted by you. I had seen your picture online and thought you were hot, but then when I saw you in person…I don’t know, I lost my head. Without thinking, I asked you to lunch. Then once we got to lunch, you were so easy to talk to…I’ve never felt that way about anyone before.”
I breathe deep, trying to figure out the best way to tell her what I need to say. “And then, it all came crashing down. I realized what an idiot I was to ever think I could have a girl like you. Once I realized that, I clammed up and sent you home.”
I pause to run my hand down my face, and I turn back to face her. She’s totally still, looking at me with those mesmerizing blue eyes. “My cousin staged the whole kidnapping scheme. Your dad and I…we go pretty far back and this was in retaliation for something he did to me. I swear, I never knew you were his daughter.”
She doesn’t say anything as she continues brushing her hair. After a few seconds of silence, I look back at her and see the troubled look on her face. “Brandon,” she starts and the look on her face is sad. “It doesn’t matter if I am or am not Philip Birch’s daughter. What matters is that you kidnapped two people with two different lives and two different souls. We are both daughters, aunts, cousins, and more. Doesn’t the human life mean anything to you at all? You spoke of your brothers at lunch. What if someone did this to them?”
I freeze and forget how to breathe. She’s hit me right in my Achilles tendon. If anyone did this to my brothers, I would cut out their tongues and watch them suffer. The rage pounds through my system when I think about someone hurting my brothers. Claire has a point, although I’m too prideful to admit it.
I think of Claire, Sarah, and even more recently, Nick, whom Richard made disappear. He was a father, husband, and son. Guilt slowly eases its way into my system, a remote feeling I haven’t felt in years. I look at the ground and swallow a few times. What is it about this girl that does this to me? She’s only been here 24 hours, and already I’m falling under her spell. No, that’s not right. I was seriously under her spell way before the kidnapping.
“Do you like John Grisham?” I desperately need to change the subject. Although Claire has successfully gotten me to feel guilty, it doesn’t change anything. I nod towards my bookshelf.
“Yeah. I’ve read some of his books,” she says, glancing at the sea of novels behind her.
“Feel free to help yourself to any of them. They’re yours while you’re here. I can have Sally get you some others if you like different authors.”
“No, John Grisham is fine,” she says, her voice small. She must be upset that I changed the subject, but I can’t let her have this effect on me. I can’t.
“Are you ready for breakfast?”
She nods and I grab the cuffs to put them back on.
“I hate to do this to you, but I have to.”
“Okay.”
I open the door to let us outside. We walk into the kitchen to find Sally still cooking. She asks Claire what she would like as she makes our breakfast.
“Claire, what size clothes do you wear? I’m going to the store today, and I’ll pick something out,” Sally says while pouring our drinks. Claire tells Sally her size, and we eat breakfast in silence. Sally fixes a plate I’m assuming is for Sarah. Then she leaves the kitchen.
“Does she know what you do for a living?” Claire asks under her breath.
“Yes.”
“Do you kidnap people all the time?”
“No. You and Sarah are the first.” I want to promise her they’re going to be the last, but in the business I’m in, you just can’t make promises like that.
She doesn’t ask any more questions. I decide from this point forward, I’ll be open and honest. What have I got to lose anyway? I’d already lost any chance I’d had with Claire before I even got started.
A WEEK HAS passed and I’m pretty much back on my old routine. The only change is that I don’t venture out with Marcus anymore to steal cars. I send Sean in my place. He’s an eighteen-year-old who is quick on his feet. I stay back so I can watch Claire, but make up some lame excuse to the other guys. The truth is, I don’t trust these guys to treat her right if I leave her here by herself.
Carlos is getting agitated. He knows the real reason why I won’t leave Claire alone, although I’ve never told him. He says I’m “babysitting.”
Claire’s in a fragile state and needs me. At least I feel she needs me nearby. Or maybe I’m the one causing all her problems. Whatever it is, I don’t want her out of my sight. I have huge urge to protect her, not only because she reminds me of an angel, but because of what I’ve done to her, the pain I’ve caused.
The kidnapping of Claire and Sarah is the top story covered on the Atlanta news. There is a massive manhunt for them both, requiring them to remain indoors at all hours of the day. Sarah mostly stays upstairs with Tommy and Sally while I k
eep Claire by my side. I have instilled the fear of God in her to remain with me at all times. I’ve done the same with Sarah. I can’t guarantee their safety if they venture away.
Richard’s tactic has worked. Birch and Hamilton are off my case for the time being, and I’m pulling three to four nights a week. We’re getting larger and faster while banking money. A few years back, I had Richard set up a bank account for me under a pseudonym, funneling all my cash into investments. One day I will have enough to quit this job and move out of the country. That is, if I don’t get caught before then.
The night starts out as a normal one. I am barking orders and Claire sits on the sofa, hands cuffed together, reading one of my John Grisham books. I think this is her second book and it’s only been one week. I will have to purchase her something else once she goes through my entire Grisham stash.
The ball is rolling with the cars so I walk over to Claire. I glance at her book and then notice her wrists. They are red and chapped from the cuffs. It’s been a week. Surely I can trust her without the cuffs?
An internal debate runs through my head as I wonder what I should do. She’s cried almost every morning when we’ve been lying in bed, and I know she would like the cuffs removed. She is sitting across the couch with her feet tucked inside the second cushion. I sit down beside her with my back to her knees.
“How’s The Client?” I ask, referencing the book she’s reading.
“Good.”
It’s the only word I receive from her, but I didn’t expect more. She hasn’t had much to say since I brought her here, and the only thing keeping me from giving up is the guilt that I have put her in this situation.
“If I take the cuffs off you tonight, will I have to worry about you?” I ask her this question to put the ball in her court. I don’t know if I’m being kind or an idiot. Her amazing blue eyes look into mine.
“Really?” Her words are soft and I see gratitude on her face.
“Really. But don’t give me a reason to doubt you.” My voice is firm, but nothing like how I speak to my employees. Claire deserves to be spoken to with much more respect and therefore, I’m much gentler with her in all my mannerisms. Carlos says she’s making me soft, but I don’t see it that way. I’m not going soft. Claire brings out a lost and stolen side of me; a side that had been dismissed and forgotten. A side I thought had died along with my past.
I remove the cuffs and she rubs her wrists. She flexes them back and forth. I take them in my hands and see how chapped and swollen they’ve become. I take my phone and call Sally.
“Sally. You got any of that lotion stuff upstairs? Have someone bring it to me. Claire needs it.” Sally says she’ll bring it down, and I look Claire in the eyes. She still hates me but can I blame her? I don’t know what to say except that I’m sorry, and I’ve already said that at least a thousand times. So I grab her head and kiss her forehead. She looks taken aback, but so am I. I’m not even sure of my motives. It’s just that she’s so beautiful and sweet I can’t resist.
Why am I going around kissing girls who hate me when I could have any girl I want? I squeeze her hands. “Sally is bringing you some lotion. We’ll keep the cuffs off as long as you don’t give me a reason to put them back on.”
She nods, looking confused, and I return to work. I see Sally venture downstairs from the apartment, and I call Simon to check on the other warehouse. Everything and everyone is running according to schedule. Claire sits on the couch the entire night reading. I keep my eye on her more than usual since she could technically walk out at any moment.
She doesn’t. She’s too consumed by The Client to notice anyone, and when dawn breaks through, the book is open on her chest while she sleeps. Her head is resting on the back of the couch and for the first time in a while, she looks peaceful. I make sure everyone has been paid and then Marcus and I walk over to her. I mark her place in the book and pick her up in my arms. We walk to the door and Marcus swings it wide for me to follow through. I start up the stairs when Marcus tells me to stop. He locks the door behind him and walks up the steps to where I am. He seems reluctant to tell me what’s on his mind. I watch him become nervous. This is in no way his character.
“Listen, Brandon. The guys are talking, and I want you to know what they’re saying.” I know instantly what he’s about to speak. It’s about Claire and how I’ve gone soft.
“Look, I know what they’re saying, and I really couldn’t care less.” I continue walking up the stairs, and I feel Marcus’s hand on my shoulder.
“It’s not what you think.” He pauses and looks the other way. This is a man of few words, so when he speaks, it’s important. I shouldn’t have blown him off the first time.
“Marcus, tell me what’s up.”
“Just watch your back, okay? I’ve got your back, but the other guys, they…we never thought there was a crack in you. I thought you were all hard. But we are all seeing a different side of you now. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just they now know Superman’s kryptonite. They didn’t think there was anything that would destroy you, and now they do. The guys are talking. I just want you to be aware and to watch your back.”
I look down at the girl sleeping in my arms. They’re right. She has become my kryptonite. I shouldn’t have let it get this far, but I have.
“You’re right, Marcus. I should pass her off to someone else. Let someone else babysit. She’s getting to my head.”
Marcus nods like it’s a good idea.
“Who will do this without screwing her or beating her?”
He thinks for a minute and suggests Tommy. He’s right. Tommy’s the only man for the job. I nod in agreement.
“Starting tomorrow, she’s with Tommy. I’m going to owe him and Sally a shitload of money for all this babysitting.” We continue to walk up the stairs and into the apartment. I start to take Claire to my bedroom and then decide differently. I’ve got to let this girl go. She’ll be the death of me.
“Tommy.” He’s sitting at the table, having a cup of coffee. “I’m putting you in charge of Claire. I’ll pay you extra. Just make sure Sarah and Claire aren’t put together. I can’t have them both planning an escape.” I lay Claire down on the sofa, wishing I could put her in the bed with me, but I know this way is best.
Tommy agrees pretty fast once I mention the money, and I toss the handcuffs at him. “Once she wakes up, you might want to put these back on.”
I cover her with a blanket so she won’t get cold. I will worry about her for the remainder of the morning, but I can’t have this girl getting into my head. If the guys find a crack in me, they will tear me wide open and throw me to the dogs. I want to kiss her on her head, but I don’t. I walk over to Tommy and quietly, so no one can hear, I whisper, “Take good care of her.” He understands and he gives me a silent nod.
I walk to my room and shut the door. I’ve got to start separating myself from Claire. Our “relationship” is all an illusion anyway. She will never love me. She will never see me like I see her. This is for the best. I can watch her from a distance and make sure she’s being treated right.
Until I hand her over to Richard who will silence her angel’s voice forever. The thought depresses me and I strip down to my boxers. I haven’t slept in my normal attire in a week. I climb under the covers and instantly miss Claire’s warm body. Although I never touched her, I could always feel her presence in the bed with me.
I drift off into a turbulent sleep and dream of an angel with penetrating blue eyes.
SINCE SALLY HAS an eye on Claire, I decide to venture out with Marcus again. After all, we’re the best tag team around here.
We load up in the vans and are dropped off in twos in various locations. That’s the deal with this type of business; you’re dropped off in pairs and there’s no return ticket home unless you hijack a car. If you don’t find a car, don’t worry about coming back. And if you don’t come back, you answer to me. We have a 99.9% return rate.
Marcus and I
are dropped off in a parking garage in the elite Buckhead area. I know we can easily have a Beamer, Lexus or Porsche in this lot. We discretely walk around, checking the surroundings and looking for surveillance cameras. Once we find the vehicle we want, a Lexus GS, Marcus and I dismantle the surveillance equipment and start to work our magic. Marcus breaks in and I have fifteen seconds to dismantle the alarm. We are in the car in less than forty seconds and speeding back towards the warehouse.
This is almost becoming too easy.
We have a forty-five minute drive home and I decide to ask Marcus the never-ending question. If there’s anyone I can speak with about my past, it’s Marcus.
“Do you think I’ll ever see my brothers again?”
He grunts and shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know, boss. You had the opportunity to look in their file, and you threw it away for that girl.”
“Yeah. Don’t remind me,” I say, looking out the window. Leave it to Marcus not to beat around the bush. He just reminded me of one of my many idiot moves over the past month.
“I’ll find them one day.” I say this more to myself than Marcus. He nods his head slowly.
“Was she worth it?” he asks, and I look over at him. I watch him driving the car, his massive frame almost too large for the interior.
“It was nice to talk with her. I felt like I had known her my entire life. I don’t know…it’s hard to explain. Now, of course, she hates me and thinks I’m evil.” I don’t mention that she’s correct and that I am indeed evil. I’ve done so many horrible things in my life that it’s hard to see the light anymore.
“I’m not so sure she thinks that, boss,” Marcus says, but I don’t reply. Of course she hates me. Why am I even worried about what she thinks now anyway? By the end of this whole affair, she’s going to think I’m the devil himself.
The Thief Redeemer Page 6