Bound to the Bounty Hunter (21 page)

Sophie fought a massive lip wobble and failed.

“Always,” Harlan said gently squeezing his shoulder. “When you’re ready to leave, call me and I’ll arrange for Arabella to pick you up.”

Titus nodded once, his eyes misty.

Sophie stood and kissed Titus’s forehead. “Get some rest. I’ll see you later.”

“No visitors for twenty-four hours. Complete rest and no excitement,” the doctor said.

Sophie said nothing when Harlan pulled her in to his side and walked to the car. The trip back to her place was choked with heavy silence. The car purred into her driveway and came to a halt. Harlan turned in his seat.

“What happened in Vegas—”

Sophie turned. She’d been caught up in worrying about Titus and Annie. “What?”

“Vegas, Soph, what happened in Vegas.”

Oh hell no
.

No way were they going near that now, or maybe never
.

“Nothing.”

Life kept throwing curve balls. One more curve ball to the head and she’d collapse, and she couldn’t afford that.

She made it to her living room and the familiar scent of her candles, the gentle hum of the fridge, her dog.

She rubbed her chilled arms.

God, I can’t do this
.

She maneuvered around the coffee table and held up her hand when Harlan walked toward her, a determined look on his face. “Please don’t.”

“Don’t what?” She made it to the snow globes and stopped, having run out of room.

“Get too close.”

Damn. Even she heard the catch in her voice. She turned her head away.

His warm hand cupped her chin. For a moment she melted in to his hand, loving his strength, his warmth, his everything.

“We’ve been closer than this all weekend. What happened? What changed?” His voice slid down her spine.

She clamped her mouth shut.

It didn’t appear he’d be taking no for an answer and, because for once Karma stood in her corner, her phone pinged. She swiped her finger across the cool glass.

Annie:
Can you come over? I need to see you.

Sophie tapped out that she was leaving now.

She turned to Harlan. “I’m going to see Annie.”

She picked up her bag, and with legs that felt like they were melting with every step, she grabbed the car keys off the rack.

Harlan’s hand curled around her shoulder, bringing her to a halt.

“I’ll follow you to Annie’s. Israel will take over. Zeb and I will be sitting down and working out a plan to end why people close to you are getting hurt.”

She stilled.

Wait. Your plan?

I don’t think so.

She took a breath, turned, and faced him.

“You want to fill me in on your plan?”

He glanced at his watch, looking impatient.

“It’s on a need-to-know basis.”

Wow.

Wow
.

“And you’re saying I don’t need to know?” Her voice rose.

His eyes flashed, and his mouth tightened. “When the time is right we’ll talk.”

“Sure we will.” She turned away.

This was her mess to clean up. Not Harlan or any of his crew. Hers and hers alone.

She made it to Annie’s house without remembering the drive. She should have pulled herself over and written herself a ticket, but she wanted away from the vehicle following her and the man inside.

One look at the welts on Annie’s neck and Sophie’s knees buckled.

“I brought enough margarita mix to free the world of its woes,” Gemma said, walking through Annie’s front door, dragging a cooler behind her. “I’ve also got Pringles for Soph, and ice cream and crackers for Annie, which is the most disgusting snack on the planet.”

Annie stopped loading wine into the fridge. “Did you get the Cheez-Its?”

“Yesssss.”

Sophie had collapsed on Annie’s sofa, her hand running over the fur of an ancient cat that had claimed her lap the moment she sat down.

Old-style jazz played on a turntable in the background.

“There’re two reasons we’re here. One is the utter devastation on Sophie’s face when she got out of her car and looked at, I’m guessing, Harlan Franco in a sexy Viper,” Annie said, sitting across from Sophie.

Sophie blinked.

“Two is finding out who this creep is looking for, because Zeb doesn’t want to play, which makes him tailing me about as much fun as having a rash. The man thinks I’m a postage stamp and he’s an envelope, except there’s no licking involved.”

“But that’s good, isn’t it?” Gemma stared at Annie, frowning. “Wait, no it’s not.”

“If any man approaches me, Zeb growls and they turn away mid-stride.” Annie shook her head. “The man has made it perfectly clear he isn’t interested in me, at all, but no other man on the planet can approach. He is driving me insane.”

Sophie took a sip of margarita, forcing it down her throat.

“We need to figure this out, so Zeb Carmichael will be gone from my life and I can walk this earth a free woman.”

“Why didn’t you call the police?” Sophie asked.

Annie looked at Sophie. “Where I’m from, you
never
call the police, you take care of your own business, which is why you’re here.”

“There’s something I haven’t told you.” Gemma twisted the hem of her shirt.

“What?” Annie and Sophie said in unison.

“I received a phone call. A guy barked ‘Where is she?’ I was so shocked I just didn’t answer. The guy went on to say if I wanted easy money, to ring or text back with the information, and an envelope of money would turn up in my car. They phoned back a couple of times, more agitated. The last time, I let the number go to voicemail. They asked if I knew where
you
were.”

Now Sophie could add Gemma to the list of people hurt or about to be hurt because of her. Sophie caught the flash of pain and desperation on Annie’s face. This situation had to end, and only she could end it.

“I…” she trailed, not sure if she wanted to do this or, if she did, how to have the conversation.

“Annie and I are your friends,” Gemma said, her eyes serious. “You can tell us anything.”

Annie turned to her. “Do you want to tell us what’s going on?”

She didn’t. She so didn’t, but people she cared about were getting hurt. Good people. People like Annie and Titus and, somehow, it all linked back to her father and his cons.

Friends… I never thought I’d have friends, but Gemma’s right.

She took a deep, shuddering breath that hurt her lungs.

These
were
her friends; they’d wormed into her heart, and she wanted them to stay. Wanted it so much she ached. Trusting one another was something friends would do.

Unexpected tears blurred Sophie’s eyes.

Annie gripped her hand. “We don’t judge, Soph. You can tell us, and it will go to our graves.” One of Annie’s hands moved to the welts on her neck.

Watching Annie’s fingers drift along the bruises and seeing bright, strong Titus with a bandage on his head, small and vulnerable in the hospital bed caused something inside Sophie to splinter.

In stuttering sentences, she told them about her life with her father, finding out he’d been nothing but a con man who fleeced the needy. The fear that somehow her own daddy had used her, played her. The paying back to all the people her father had stolen from. The fear of losing Titus, Annie being hurt, and how it all looped back to her father.

“Oh, Sophie.” Gemma pulled her into a hug, tears sliding down her face.

After letting the warmth of Gemma seep into her, their tears mixing, she pulled back. “Another thing. Now I’ve made you cry.” She sniffed.

“Don’t worry about her, she cries at Super Bowl commercials.” Annie waved her hand, her eyes glossy. “I’m sorry, Soph. You’ve had some shit thrown at you. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever known, and where I come from women are born with a set of balls.”

“You’re going to pay everyone back?” Gemma said, finally releasing her hand.

“Every single one,” she whispered.

“How are you going to stop whoever is doing this?” Annie asked.

An idea had germinated in her head.

“Gemma, the person who phoned you, do you have the number?”

Gemma dug through her handbag for her phone. With her face screwed up in concentration, she eventually handed the phone to Sophie. “This is the number.”

Sophie took the phone, punched in the number on her phone, and sat back, her body vibrating.

“You’ve got a look on your face, Soph. A look I don’t like.” Annie leaned forward. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” she lied, knowing exactly what she was going to do.

“Have you talked to Harlan about what’s happening?” Gemma asked, looking worried.

Sophie shook her head. “He won’t talk to me. Besides I’ve got my own game plan, and it doesn’t involve anyone else getting hurt.” Sophie squeezed Gemma’s hand.

“If you need us for anything, call. I mean
anything
,” Gemma said.

Emotion rippled up Sophie’s throat. She nodded, unable to speak.

“Girl, we’ve got your back.” Annie dipped her cracker into a bowl, scooped out vanilla ice cream, and popped it into her mouth.

“I think you should talk to Harlan. I have a good feeling in my bones.” Gemma nibbled salt from her margarita glass.

Annie widened her eyes. “She should absolutely
not
talk to him.”

A smile drifted across Gemma’s face. “Let yourself fall for him, Soph. Love is beautiful and, if you let it, it will fill you with joy.”

Annie turned in her seat, a brow arched. “Says the woman who’s never been in love.”

“Says the woman who loves with her soul.” Gemma countered. “I don’t think you should give up on him, Soph. He’s searching for a connection, he just doesn’t know it.” Gemma popped Pringles into her mouth.

“It’s too much of an emotional risk.” Annie leaned back in her seat.

She’d have to side with Annie. It was way too much of an emotional risk with a bleak outlook. She couldn’t tell them, couldn’t tell anyone, about the humiliation of losing herself to three previous lovers and almost losing herself to Harlan in Vegas.

“By the way…” Gemma raised her eyebrows repeatedly. “Dug has been asking after you. A lot. I didn’t tell him you were in Vegas with Mr. Broody, but the man is keen, Soph.”

“Go for it, girl. I approve of that one. Dug materialized out of nowhere and tore that man off me like a Band-Aid.” Annie scraped the bottom of the bowl of ice cream with crackers.

Sophie caught the tremble in Annie’s hand. The woman was tough, but this had rattled her.

“We need a distraction, and I’ve got the solution.” Annie stood and walked to the DVD player. “What we need is to critique terrible porn, and that’s an order.”

An out-of-focus logo filled the television screen.

The warmth of friendship and feeling mentally and physically exhausted stole over Sophie like a gentle, summer rain. The last thing she remembered was Gemma laughing at Megatron’s not so mega tron.

Sophie woke to Annie shaking her.

“Honey, your phone’s going off every couple of minutes.”

“What?” Sophie struggled to a sitting position.

“You fell asleep an hour ago and now your phone is ringing constantly.”

Adrenaline pushed the margarita haze aside. She grabbed her phone as it started ringing, Pongo’s face on the screen. Only one person would be calling every few minutes. Sure enough, his name appeared on the bottom of the screen in big, ominous letters.

“Hello,” she rasped.

Harlan’s clipped tone filled her ear. “I’m standing outside to take you back to your place.” He paused. “And tomorrow, Sophie, you’re going to talk to me.”

Her hand tightened around her phone. “No, Harlan, tomorrow
you’re
going to talk to me.”

…

“So we’re going to talk, right?” Sophie spooned oatmeal into her mouth the next morning. She’d checked in with the nurse looking after Titus, who was fine, but Sally hadn’t slept well and the nurse wanted them both to have a quiet day. Today was the day they talked about
her
plan.

“I can’t, Sophie. I have to go.”

Harlan stood across from her, not looking happy, stuffing his phone back into his jeans. Lines hugged the corners of his eyes, which were underscored by faint bruising. He hadn’t slept well, nor had she. The second she moved away from him, he hauled her back. She’d gone to the bathroom sometime during the night to find him waiting by the bathroom door. He’d said nothing when he followed her back to bed. Something was up, but he wasn’t going to share it with her.

“Really…” Sophie said with a long breath.

“I have to make this meeting.”

She counted to five before replying. “Of course you do.”

He leaned in and kissed her jaw. She kept her face neutral, while her heart played pinball on her ribcage.

“I’ll be back in one hour, then we talk about Vegas.”

“Vegas?” The word shot out of her mouth.

“Yeah, Vegas.”

She put the bowl on the countertop instead of throwing it at him. “Not about who hurt Titus and Annie?”

“No.” His answer was swift and brutal.

She pushed up on the balls of her feet, her body tense. “It’s me they are after. It’s my life we’re talking about. People are getting hurt because of me.”

Yet again, another stare off.

“One hour,” Harlan said.

She let out her breath. “You’re such an ass.”

He laughed and headed out the door.

Nothing had changed. Nothing
would
change.

He’d spoon-feed her what he wanted her to know.

Enough
.

No sooner had the locks flipped than Sophie ran to her bedroom. She changed into jeans and her lucky Kansas City Chiefs shirt. She pulled on a gray sweatshirt and tucked her hair into a baseball cap. She sent Gemma’s mystery caller a text that said to meet her in one hour at the Starbucks at Cherry Creek Mall and Titus a text that she’d see him later. She grabbed a can of dog food on the way out the door.

I hope Fang’s hungry
.

An hour later, she paid the cabbie. Nerves executing dive rolls in her stomach, she forced her feet forward toward the suburban shopping mall.