Bound to the Bounty Hunter (12 page)

Time to get back on track and the reason I’m here
.

Panting and with her head in a spin, she moved to the railing housing the equipment and leaned against it. She waved her hand at Harlan. “I’m sitting this one out, but go and make Maude’s day.” She gestured with her head toward a fit-looking woman, a paper label on her checked dress announcing her name. Harlan shook his head and stood next to Sophie.

Sophie’s heart thumped into her throat. Her fingers curled around the smooth wood. The bet was about to have a winner.

Her.

No more Harlan in her house on the pretense of being here for the bet. No more Harlan screwing with her mind and her body.

No more Harlan, period.

Swallowing became a chore. Her hand probed the wood while she kept her head forward, her eyes on the dancers, a plastic smile curling her lips.

The tiny lump of modeling clay where she’d left it.

Excellent.

Slow and steady.

She worked at keeping her breathing even, her body seemingly relaxed.

A bubble of clay started to loosen and slip through her fingers.

Yes
.

Harlan’s hand encased hers.

No.

“This is mine,” she said, anguish underscoring the words.

She’d fought for this. It wasn’t just the bet, it was trying to figure out if her whole life had been a lie.

He looked down at her, his face thoughtful, not releasing his control on her fingers.

“We’ll listen to it together.”

Whoa
.

This wasn’t the Harlan Franco she knew. The Harlan Franco who did
not
compromise, especially with her,
especially
on bringing in a prize.

“What’s the catch? You’ve never given me a break.
Ever.
”

His jaw worked. “I think we can call this a draw.”

Her mouth dropped open. “But you don’t compromise.”

He dug his hand through his hair. “For you that’s all I seem to do.”

Confused, she stared at him, her mouth open. She clamped her mouth shut when Harlan guided her through clapping couples doing the Hokey Pokey.

In a daze, she walked to his car, then slipped into the passenger seat and hugged her knees to her chest.

He connected the recorder to his car stereo. Static filled the car, then Babic’s voice started commanding his slaves at Hostage. The beat of the music didn’t drown out the slurping sounds.

She stared in fascination at the dashboard, her face hot.

Oh God, please let this be over soon
.

She sneaked a glance at Harlan, who looked like he’d eaten a toad.

Sophie squirmed in her seat as the recording progressed and more commands, grunts, and groans of pleasure filled the enclosed space of the car.

“What is this woman doing here?” A voice she didn’t recognize, the man who sat down at Babic’s table. The sound of skin on skin halted momentarily then started up again. A gagging sound and Babic’s voice.

“Relax.” Babic replied. “I have already told Petrov about her. Everything is going according to plan.”

A murmur of protest from a Barbie was followed by a barked command for her to sit and stay.

Babic, forever the charmer
.

Sophie stared out the window worrying her bottom lip.

What woman were they talking about
?

She’d only been there on Friday nights; there were probably a whole range of people turning up at his table during the week.

Babic’s voice, stronger and filled with bone-freezing venom, reeled her mind back to the conversation.

“Sophie Callaghan will get what she deserves.”

Chapter Eleven

Sophie’s head snapped back and her blood froze in her veins, Babic’s words echoing in her head.

Sophie Callaghan will get what she deserves.

Winded, she couldn’t pull a breath.

Babic knew about her father’s cons?

Is this why her father had a detailed journal on Petrov and his movements, because her father had conned the man?

“Sophie?”

Cold sweat coated her body. She couldn’t look at Harlan. She could only concentrate on one thing at a time.

It fit. Her father had conned Petrov, who was now out for revenge, which is why her father had kept the journal.

She stared out at a group of children hanging upside down on monkey bars, their faces stained red with laughter and exertion. She’d vowed to pay back every last creditor. True, she hadn’t anticipated this level of debt, but one buck or ten thousand, she owed.

“Look at me.” Harlan’s warm hand cupped her jaw. His touch, his gentle voice, had the ability to dissolve her and leave her exposed and more alone than she’d ever been.

And she’d been alone all of her life.

I can’t do this
.

She turned in her seat, one hand on the door. “I have to go.” She sprinted to her car, which, sensing her mood, started on the first try.

She drove around Denver, concentrating on driving, letting her mind wander. If her father had conned Petrov, she was screwed. She didn’t have the kind of money it took to pay back a man like Petrov, and robbing banks wasn’t in her future.

The ping of an incoming text distracted her. She pulled over and read the reminder from Annie, who’d texted her address again. There were four texts from Harlan and two missed calls.

She rubbed the throb in her temple.

For the first time in her life she’d found a home. Leaving Titus and Sally? Starting her profession again in another state? Knocking on doors day after day, handing out flyers, hoping someone would take one. Taking low-paying jobs, sitting in dirty bars and strip joints photographing cheating partners.

She couldn’t think about this now. She needed a distraction, to do normal stuff, like shopping. She drove home and parked in her driveway next to one of Harlan’s cars.

She walked to the passenger side window of the SUV, which opened on her approach.

“Hey, Thor. I’ve got a few things to do between now and heading out. I’m giving you a heads-up. I’ve got a girls’ night out and I’ll be hitting Safeway, a liquor shop, a pharmacy, and a sex shop that sells male appendages.” Thor blinked and rubbed his hand across his chin, scowling when she said “appendages.” “I’m not sure how long I’ll be shopping for male appendages, having never shopped for male appendages before.”

She held back the flush that heated her chest. Just saying the words, she expected something heavy and hard to drop on her head, possibly in the form of a bible.

“Jesus, Sophie, stop saying the word ‘appendages.’ You know I’ve got my orders. I have to stay with you at all times.”

She leaned in to the window. “I’d check your phone. All bets are off between your boss and me, who isn’t my boss.” She smiled. “If you feel the need to shop for male appendages, please feel free to come along. What do you think—vibrating or not?”

“Jesus, Sophie, you’re going to fucking kill me.” He stared at her, brows drawn together over eyes that looked black, but were a deep, inky blue. His dark-blond hair messy.

“I realize stepping into a sex shop for ‘man power’ might give your street cred a bit of a hit, but looking like you do, I think you’ll survive.”

The suffocation of always being followed, coupled with nerves about the night ahead and the knowledge that she might have a debt she couldn’t pay left her jumpy, freaked out, and pissed that Harlan still had men trailing her.

Keep it together, Buttercup.

She bit down the hysterical bubble of laughter that her father would wander into her head right at this moment when she was thinking of vibrators.

After a stop in the kitchen for a quick Diet Coke, she took a moment to scratch Pongo’s stomach—his second favorite thing in the world behind food. Knowing there’d be no time for soul-soothing TV later, she’d already Googled the spoiler alerts on the drama surrounding the good folk of Genoa City.

Normality achieved, Sophie walked to her car. She considered whether she should have brought the car in like Pipe said, as the engine debated whether or not it felt like starting. Finally, she pulled into traffic. Thor trailed her two cars back.

“Damn it,” she said under her breath.

She threw in a tight left turn and heard a squeal of brakes behind her. At the next intersection, when the light turned green, she threw on her indicator and swerved right, apologizing to the bus she cut off.

Freedom.
No Harlan, no tail, just herself.

At an unfamiliar Safeway, she picked up Pringles, sour cream, and French onion soup for dip. She added carrots and celery sticks in case anyone was eating healthy. She couldn’t afford expensive snacks, so she picked her favorite ones and hoped they would be okay. She grabbed a bottle of chardonnay and a merlot, hoping that covered all bases.

On the way to her next stop, in her rearview mirror she noted that a brown sedan had sat three cars behind her for a while. She took the next left, ignoring Nancy telling her to turn around when possible. Instead, Sophie gripped the wheel tighter, her gaze flicking from the car to the road ahead. She took a right, pulled over, and pretended to go through her handbag, her eyes on the car that sailed past. She pulled back into the traffic, noting a dark pickup that turned out of a side street she’d passed and sat behind her, one lane to her left.

She pulled into a parking lot a block from the sex shop, one hand on her bag with the Taser, another gripping her phone. She had a clear view if the pickup went left or right. When the pickup turned left and disappeared from view, she let out a long breath and parked the car.

She’d walked into Spanky’s not knowing what to expect, but standing in front of a wall of vibrators, her face flaming, did her best to summon an “I have so many I can’t decide” expression, until she imagined Harlan’s mouth in soft places, and a river of warmth headed between her legs. She tried to picture Thor’s blue eyes, blond hair, and panty-melting smile, but Harlan materialized in her mind and slayed Thor.

“Can I help you?” Sophie stuffed a vibrating silver bullet back on the shelf and ran her hands across her hair.

A woman about her age wearing jeans and a T-shirt covered in skulls walked to her.

“She doesn’t need any help.” Harlan moved into her line of sight, eyes flashing.

She stared at the floor and willed it to open and swallow her whole, but her pleas went unanswered.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

She went back to studying the description of the silver bullet.

His hand landed on her shoulder. “I’m here because you’re out in the open and unprotected.”

She put the silver bullet into her basket and added a “lick me ten times” vibrator.

“Please take your hand off me or I’ll tase you.”

His lips twitched, and his eyes sparkled. “Don’t make me laugh, babe, because I’m kind of pissed and that’s funny.”

“Bet’s off, Harlan. Our arrangement is done. You can take small, blond, and submissive back to your place.” She took a step and grabbed lube from the shelf before heading for the register.

“What are you talking about?”

“Want to tell me about the job you were
working
last night?” She hated the stab of jealousy she heard in her own voice.

“If he’s bothering you, I can call the police.” The shop assistant arrived to stand beside her. Sophie silently thanked her for her “girls looking out for girls” solidarity.

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” She handed the girl the basket with a smile, ignoring Harlan. “Which would you recommend?” she asked the shop assistant. “Out of these two.”

The woman’s gaze shifted between the two. “I’m on my own at the moment, and the bullet is working for me.”

“Well, I’m on my own at the moment, so that will do it for me.” She added a jar of lube, swiped her card, and punched in her PIN.

Sophie walked out of the shop and threw her purchase onto the passenger seat. Without a backward glance at Harlan, she jumped into the driver’s seat and headed home, not bothering to check her rearview mirror.

She pulled into her driveway. Titus stood in his driveway, his hand raised in greeting. She grabbed her stuff and went to meet him. Harlan pulled his car in behind hers.

“Hey Titus, what have you got here?” she said, eyeing a brown box in his hands.

“This came for you, about half an hour after you left. A man on a very loud motorbike that had the word “Master” painted in flames left the box. Said his name was Mick. Could have used a shower, quite frankly.”

Mick’s face flashed into Sophie’s mind. After she’d had him on the ground, she could feel the hatred that had risen through his body on a stench. She had no doubt that he would have attacked her physically. He’d been banned from the bar, maybe it was his way of apologizing. She’d tell Pipe, and he’d be back in his favorite bar. She reached out to take the box, but before she could, Harlan grabbed it from her.

She opened her mouth then closed it.

How would Mick know where I live?

Harlan turned the box over in his hands. Using the knife on his key ring, he slit through the brown paper, flicked open a lid, and pulled a snow globe from the box.

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed, momentarily lost in its beauty. She took the dome from him and shook it. “It’s an overwater bungalow in Tahiti. Look, instead of snow it’s little fish.” She read
Bora Bora
on the metal strip then tipped the heavy dome.

A smile started in her stomach, expanded until it spread across her face. A warm feeling settled in her bones. She became lost in a memory. “My father gave me my first snow globe. Dorothy and her ruby slippers.”

She blinked.

How had that snippet floated out of her mouth?

She turned the globe over, the cool Lucite warmed by her hands. She righted the globe, and the glittery fish settled on the bottom in a carpet of tinsel.

“This is high-end stuff in the world of snow globes.”

The question of how Mick would know she collected snow globes raced around her head like a Chihuahua. Had he crept around her house and seen her collection through a window? Had he found her address at Pipe’s somehow? Had he followed her?

Blood trudged through her veins like slush. She’d have a quiet word with Cope about how Mick could have her address—the bar being their only connection. She took a small comfort that if Mick had followed her here, Harlan or one of his crew would have seen him.

“You look lost in thought. Want to share?” Harlan’s voice pulled her out of her head. She gave him a tight smile. There was no way she was discussing her internal thoughts with Mr. Control Freak; she’d be handcuffed to the man twenty-four-seven. She squirmed when one part of her anatomy thought that was a fabulous idea.

“I’ll get one of the boys to check it out.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Something about the snow globe flashed a memory she couldn’t catch. A fragment lost in a sea of images. She closed her eyes trying to capture it, but it disappeared. An unsettling feeling of walking into cobwebs crept across her skin.

Titus’s hand landed on her shoulder.

She shrugged off the unsettled feeling and quick-smiled at her neighbor. “Is everything okay with you and Sally? Do you have enough bread? I’ve picked up a spare loaf at Safeway, that fruit and nut loaf that Sally loves. I’ll bring it over.”

Titus’s head swung between her and Harlan. “Please tell me you two young things are off on a date tonight. That would make an old man’s day.”

“I am going on a date tonight, but it isn’t with Harlan.” She leaned forward, kissed Titus on his leathery cheek, inhaling his pine aftershave, and semi-relaxed. Stepping to the door, she punched in the alarm code, unlocked the door, and walked in.

She’d no sooner thrown her Spanky’s bag on the couch than Harlan stood in front of her.

“How do you know Babic?”

“I thought I told you to get out.”

Harlan’s eyes flashed but he said nothing.

She took a deep breath. “I don’t know Babic. At all. He’s probably got me mixed up with someone else.”

Half an hour later, she pulled up outside a stylish condo and checked the address against her phone. Harlan’s car came to a stop behind hers.

Yep, right address.

She kept the motor running.

Annie’s words floated through her brain.
You only get so many shots at a sideshow alley game.

It would be so much easier to walk away.

If worse came to worst she’d stay for ten minutes then make an excuse. She turned off the engine, grabbed the bags, took a deep breath, and exited the car.

“Hey girlfriend.” Gemma swung bags, shutting an old VW door with her hip. “I brought ‘Hello Handsome.’ Who needs a man when we have all eight vibrating inches of him? We also have devils on horseback and enough margarita mix to subdue the mighty Buffalo Bills.” Gemma stumbled and stopped. “Whoa.”

Harlan lounged against the driver’s side door of the Viper. Arms and ankles crossed, mirrored sunglasses on his face, his head swiveled in Sophie’s direction. He’d stayed directly behind her the whole way here. She’d gunned her car at a couple of orange lights, hoping he’d hit the reds, but no such luck.

Sophie stared at him, wishing he’d combust.

“Is he with you?”

Her hands twisted. “Yes. No. It’s a short, bullet point conversation.”

Gemma held up a bag. “Lucky I have ‘Come to Mamma’ margarita.” Her eyes slid to Harlan then back to her. “That’s not a bullet point conversation.”

“I’ve got Pringles,” she said, hoping to steer the conversation away.

Gemma waved to Harlan. “Honey, that’s going to need more than Pringles.”

Half an hour later, Gemma moved her blinds. “We have a change of shift. A gorgeous blond man with a body that could turn a celibate has exited his car, walked around it, and sat back in the driver’s seat, looking like he wants to club someone to death.”