Rising Bounty (4 page)

Roxanne gathered her belongings and set the club’s alarm. Then Abe walked her outside and around the corner. Neither of them spoke as she opened the door. He came inside and went from room to room making sure everything was secure. He was careful not to wake her mother and daughter. She was amazed at how quiet someone his size could be. He frowned when he noticed the flimsy locks on the door.

“You need better locks.”

“Vic said he was sending someone out tomorrow to replace the locks and to install an alarm.”

“Good. I’ll have Isaac forward the response to your alarm to my phone in case someone tries to break in. I’ll also ask Vic to use some of our new hires to do surveillance and protect ye. They need the practice.”

“Thanks, Abe.” She walked him to the door and stopped while he turned toward her.

“Don’t run Roxanne. Just give me a little time to see what I can do.”

“Okay.” Just as she was about to shut the door, he stopped her and pulled her into his arms. He gave her a firm kiss, his teeth nibbled her bottom lip before he let her go.

“What was that for?” She felt a little dazed.

“I wanted to give ye something to dream about.” Then he turned and walked away.

She closed the door and locked it, then leaned her head against the door and sighed. “That man is dangerous.” At least, he was to her heart. He had her feeling hope again. Could he really help her out of this mess? Was it possible that she could get her life back? She rubbed her lips. Was there something more going on between her and Abe than simple attraction? She didn’t know, but for once, she wanted to stay around long enough to find out.

Chapter 6

Abe waited outside the apartment to make sure that Roxanne set the locks. He hated leaving her in such an unsecure apartment. He took his phone out and called Vic.

“Do you know what time it is?” Vic growled.

He didn’t apologize. “We have a situation that needs immediate discussion.”

“Is this about Roxanne?” Vic asked. In the background, Abe could hear Lexi’s voice asking, “What about Roxanne?”

Abe cringed at the thought of Vic having to explain how Abe had investigated her friend. “Let’s meet at the office in an hour to discuss the situation. Right now I need two of the new trainees here to watch over the apartment.”

“I’ll call the trainees in and have Jagger meet us there.”

“I’ll stay here until they arrive. One more thing, we need to bring in our lawyer, Lauren.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Aye, and I’m afraid it’s going to get a lot worse before it’s over.”

“I’ll call Lauren to meet us at the office. See you in an hour.”

Abe hung up and leaned against his car. He turned toward where he knew that Isaac had installed one of the new cameras. “Isaac, I know ye are watching and listening. Meet us at the office in an hour.” The camera lights flashed on and off so he knew that the message was received. Now he just needed to wait for the trainees to come and relieve him from his watch.

*****

“Sir, we’ve found her residence.”

“You’re sure that it’s her? Did you see my daughter?” Darryl asked, sitting up in his bed, his cell phone pressed to his ear. His wife had humiliated him and he was desperate to give her payback. He had used all his connections and made some illegal deals to get the resources he needed to keep the search going for four years. He was running out of time and supporters but would do whatever he had to — consequences be damned.

“Yes to both. I even got a picture of them for you. The grandmother is also with them.”

Darryl could care less about Roseanne’s mother, but he could use her to help manipulate his wife. “I think it’s time we say hello.”

“Do you want us to grab them?”

“Not yet, I’m coming there. Just keep a watch on them for me.”

“Will do. Sir.”

“Yes Wes, my men expect to be paid.”

“Of course. I’ll take over it when I get there.”

“Thank you sir.”

Darryl hung up the phone. He got up and went to the closet to grab his suitcase. Finally, he was going to show his wife that no one runs from him without paying for it.

*****

Abe stood in the war room waiting for the others to come in. Jagger was the first to arrive, then Isaac. The lawyer, Lauren, showed up looking like a million bucks, and then Vic strolled in with an angry Lexi following behind him.

“Why did ye bring Lexi?”

Lexi glared at Abe. “Because if he didn’t bring me, he was going to have to deal with no sex for a month.”

Isaac chuckled, the lawyer rolled her eyes, and Jagger looked at his cousin with sympathy. “Wise decision, cousin.”

“What’s this about Abe?” Lexi wasn’t pleased and her tone let him know that there would be retribution if she didn’t like what she heard.

“After the break in at the club, things seemed off with Roxanne, so I investigated her.”

“You did what?” Lexi was furious. She looked from Abe to her boyfriend Vic. “You knew about this didn’t you?”

“I asked he keep the investigation quiet. I wanted to protect you, honey.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly not happy. “Continue, Abe.”

“With Isaac’s help,” Abe continued, “I discovered that Roxanne Stone is really Sarah Rosanne Wall Hadley, ex-wife to New Earth’s Governor Darryl Hadley. She has a warrant out for her arrest for kidnapping their daughter Cecelia Hadley four years ago.”

“Shit. I knew she was in a lot of trouble, but this is really bad.” Lexi made her way to a chair and plopped down.

“So we’re going to turn her over to the authority, right?” Lauren asked with a hopeful expression.

“Hell, no!” Lexi launched to her feet as though she wanted to go after the lawyer, but Vic pulled her back against his chest with one arm wrapped around her waist.

“Honey, no one is doing anything right now. We’re just talking.”

Abe ran a hand through his hair as he paced. “We need to find out what our options are here.”

“Did she kidnap her daughter?” Lauren asked, keeping a professional, unemotional voice.

“Yes, but there were extenuating circumstances.”

“There always are extenuating circumstances.” Lauren rolled her eyes and sounded bored.

Abe growled. “He was an abusive asshole who hit Roxanne repeatedly and then he turned his aggression on his two-year-old locking her up in a closet!”

Everyone in the room grew silent as they processed Abe’s words. He was breathing hard and had to work to get his anger under control.

Lauren held up her hands in attempt to show that she wasn’t the enemy. “No offense, I need to know everything. It would be best if I could actually talk to Miss Wall.”

Abe shook his head. “I don’t know. She’s pretty scared that her ex has more than likely found her again.”

Lauren sighed. “Fine, just tell me everything you know about this case.”

Abe nodded. “Her husband hit her. She didn’t have a job so she was waiting until she was able to afford to move out with her daughter. She came home one day to find that he ex had locked up their daughter Cici in the closet. She packed up that night and moved out. She filed for divorce and for sole custody, but the judge was on Hadley’s payroll and he had his friends snowball her by lending false testimony against her. She got the divorce but lost Cici to her ex.”

“Why didn’t she protest the ruling?” Jagger asked.

Lauren shook her head. “It’s really hard to get a custody ruling overturned. It could take years.” She gazed directly at Abe. “So, she feared for her daughter’s safety and took her and ran?”

Abe nodded his head, “Aye, they’ve been on the run ever since.”

“What happened to Miss Wall’s witnesses for herself?”

“We believe they were threatened. One person we know ended up in the hospital. So when the ruling came, she had no one to support her except her mother who wasn’t able to make it to testify.”

“Why not?”

“She was suddenly sick and bedridden from what I could find out.”

“That sounds way too convenient and suspicious.” Vic offered. He had finally released his mate and they stood side by side.

“This whole thing stinks if you ask me.” Isaac typed something in his laptop.

Lauren nodded her agreement with their suspicions. “Let me see what I can find out. When can I talk to Miss Wall?”

“I’ll tell her to expect ye to drop by her apartment at lunch time. That way Cici will be in school and ye can interview both Roxanne and her mother.”

“Give me her address. I’ve got to make some calls to a federal judge I know.”

“Wait, Lauren, I want one of my bounty hunters to go with you just in case you encounter trouble.”

“I don’t need a watchdog.”

“I insist.” Vic narrowed his eyes.

“Fine, but tell them they better be at my house by four because I am booking a flight to New Earth as soon as possible. It’s going to take a few days before I have any viable options available to give you.”

“Thanks, Lauren.”

She paused by the door, “By the way, my fee just went up about fifteen percent.” She turned to leave.

“I’ll pay the fifteen percent difference,” Abe offered.

“No, I will. She’s my friend,” Lexi said stubbornly.

“Enough, I’ll take care of the fee. Abe, go home and get some rest if you plan to be there when Lauren questions Roxanne. Isaac, get some surveillance equipment together that will be easy to set up. I’d like to monitor the Governor’s place too. I’ll send several of our bounty hunters to work on that while guarding over Lauren on New Earth.”

“Do you really think the break in has anything to do with Hadley?” Lexi looked over at Abe.

“Aye. I think either Hadley himself is here looking to grab Roxanne and her daughter, or he hired some muscle to do it.”

She looked at Vic with concern, who immediately wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. “We’ll protect them. I promise, honey.”

“You better. Roxanne has been nothing but kind and helpful. She’s the sweetest person I know. She’s a great mother and I don’t blame her one bit for taking Cici and running for the hills. I would have done the same exact thing.”

“We’ll find the truth and bring it to light while protecting Roxanne and her family,” Abe promised.

“Why do
you
care so much?” Roxanne narrowed her eyes at Abe.

“I don’t know. At first, I admit that I found it irritating that she would lie to me. It was a challenge for me to figure her out. After observing her and the way she is with others, I can’t believe the crap her ex was spewing about her. She just brings the protective instinct out in me.”

“You’re attracted to her?” Lexi frowned when he nodded.

“Yes, any male would be. She’s a bonnie lass with a gentle quality about her.”

“We’re messing with her life right now. I won’t have her heart broken too.” Roxanne crossed her arms over her chest.

“Look, my first goal is to see to her safety, then we have to clear her of these charges. Whatever personal feelings I have for her will have to wait.” Vic and Lexi didn’t look convinced. He didn’t believe all he claimed either. There was something about Roxanne that got to him. He had never felt this yearning for anyone before. He wasn’t sure if he liked it or if it was real, but he knew that he would have to figure it out eventually. For now, her safety had to come first.

Chapter 7

The next morning

Roxanne felt like shit from tossing and turning all night. She got up and checked the locks several times before finally lying back down. It took another hour before she finally fell asleep. She had to drag herself out of the bed when it was time to take Cici to school.

She got a call from Abe letting her know that a lawyer was coming by to talk to her and her mother about what happened. She had her doubts that anyone could help her. The lawyer she had hired for the divorce told her to give up. She just accepted that she would have to deal with everything on her own. There was no way around the fact that she had broken the law by taking Cici and running. Roxanne was going to have to pay for the decision to run one day, sooner or later.

Every instinct in her told her to run again, to take her mom and Cici and find a new place. It was all she had known for four years now. It was hard, especially for Cici, who didn’t understand at all. She only knew they were staying away from her father because he was mean. Maybe she should stay and see what Abe could do. It was worth a try to be able to leave Cici in school with her friends.

Downstairs in the club, Roxanne walked into the office. Lexi was already there, preparing the day’s bank deposit.

“Hey Lexi, you’re in early,” Roxanne said, trying to sound cheerful.

“I know you have an important lunch date, so I wanted to come in a little early.”

“Thanks.” Roxanne didn’t look her friend in the eyes. She felt bad for having to lie all the time. She felt a touch on her shoulder and turned to face Lexi.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m just—so sorry for everything, for getting you involved in my mess.” She worried when Lexi had cornered her a while ago insisting on helping them. She was careful with what she told Lexi, but as time past she opened up little by little. She was relieved to have someone other than her mother to confide in. Now everything was out in the open.

Lexi wasn’t much of a hugger but she took Roxanne in her arms and patted her back. “We’ve all had shit to deal with. My shit got you blown up.”

“That was not your fault, Lexi.”

“Ditto. This mess is your ex’s fault. You have done nothing but try to protect your daughter. I would have done the exact same thing. I think you’re amazing to have been able to make it for four years on your own like that. I can’t even imagine the hell you’ve been through.” Lexi released her and stepped back.

“It’s not been easy for sure. I have been running so long now, I don’t know what else to do. Working for you has been the longest I’ve ever been around anyone.”

“You’ve been supporting the three of you all on just your wages. I wish you had told me more. I would have found opportunities for you to make a bigger salary.”

“You’ve done so much for me, I have no complaints. Mom watches over Cici so I can work and you have given me such a flexible work schedule. No one else would have been able to do that for me. We get by just fine and I keep us on a tight budget and save everything that I can. Plus, your friend next door with the restaurant lets me have anything I want at a third of the price. She has offered meals for free but I always insist on paying her.”

“Yeah, Daniela is cool and her food is out of this world. I’m glad that Abe and Vic are helping you, though. Let them.”

Roxanne nodded her head. “I don’t know what they can do. I’m in a world of trouble.”

“We’ll help you figure it out. Trust us.”

“Roxanne, are ye ready?” Abe called from the doorway.

She turned to look at him. He was wearing a different color tartan today with a tight black t-shirt. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Abe was stunning.

“Yeah, call me Lexi if you need anything.”

“I’ve got this. Let me know what’s going on.”

Roxanne walked past Abe, brushing against his body. His heat made her shiver and her nipples harden. When he placed his hand on the small on her back she had to fight not to lean into him.

“Are ye okay?” He held the door open for her to walk out of the club.

“I’m just worried. What if this lawyer can’t do anything to help me?” She was biting her lip.

“We’ll do whatever we have to.”

“I can’t go to jail and I can’t allow Cici go back to Darryl.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“You can’t promise me that.” She shook her head. She knew he meant well, but even Abe couldn’t keep the authority from taking her away if they caught her.

They didn’t say anything else as they went up the stairs to the apartment. She opened the unlocked door. “Mom?”

“We’re in the kitchen!”

Roxanne quickly walked to the kitchen. For a moment, she feared the worst. She felt relief at seeing her mother sitting at the kitchen table with a red-haired woman.

The red-haired woman stood up and offered her hand to shake. “I’m Lauren Clay, attorney for the Inter-Galactic Bounty Hunter Bail Bond Company.”

“I’m Roxanne—I mean—Roseanne Wall Hadley.”

The lawyer looked over at Abe and winked. “Hi, Abe.”

“Lauren.”

Roxanne felt jealous at the familiar tone the two had. She sat down next to her mother who was giving Abe a once over, lingering on his bare legs. She was embarrassed that her mother was being so open about her appreciation. She leaned over and whispered, “Stop staring at him.”

Her mother whispered back, “That man is very macho for someone wearing a skirt.”

“It’s a kilt, actually.” Abe winked at her mother and took the seat next to Lauren. The lawyer turned to Roxanne.

“Mrs. Hadley—”

“Call me Roxanne.” She never wanted to be called Mrs. Hadley again.

“Roxanne, tell me how you first met Darryl Hadley.”

It was a slow start. She hesitated, unsure what the lawyer was looking for. As Roxanne told her story, Lauren took notes and asked a lot of personal questions. An hour later, she stood up.

“I think I have enough to go on. I’m traveling to New Earth and will be questioning the witnesses that testified, and I will also seek out those who were supposed to testify on your behalf. Traveling will take about two days and then I’ll need a few more before I can figure out our best option. Give me a good week. I have connections with a federal judge so it’s possible we can get this whole case reopened.”

“I can’t lose my daughter.”

Abe reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it to give her comfort. She looked at him. Their eyes met and she felt an immediate connection with him. For some reason, she felt like everything was going to be okay.

“I’ll do everything I can.” Lauren started to leave.

“Let me see ye out.” Abe stood up and left the apartment with Lauren.

Roxanne turned to her mother. “What do you think?”

Her mother reached over and grasped her hand in hers. “I think that we have done all that we can do and now we need to put our trust in others.”

“What if this draws attention to us here and Darryl comes and tries to take Cici?”

“Then we’ll leave again.”

She sighed. “I don’t want to keep putting you guys through that.”

“Then let’s give this Lauren a chance to fix it and send Darryl where he belongs—hell.”

Roxanne couldn’t help but snort. “She’s a lawyer, not a miracle worker.”

“She seems to know what she’s talking about and Abe trusts her.”

The mention of Abe’s connection with Lauren had Roxanne looking toward the door. He hadn’t come back yet. “What’s taking them so long?”

“You sound a little possessive, dear.” Her mother gave her a knowing look.

“I’m…not.”

“Honey, you can’t fool me. The way you look at that man…you have never looked at any man that way before. Reminds me of how I felt about your father. I couldn’t keep my hands off that man.”

She started to protest that she didn’t feel anything like that for Abe but her mother stood up. “I’ll make you a sandwich for lunch.”

The door opened and Abe came back inside. She felt relief to see him again.

“Abe, I’m making us sandwiches. Would you like one?”

“Aye, I would love that ma’am.”

“None of that ma’am nonsense. Call me Sandy.”

“Sandy, I would love a sandwich.” He sat back down at the table.

“Did Lauren say anything else? What did you guys talk about?” Roxanne asked, trying not to sound like she was trying to pry into things.

“I wanted to make sure she didn’t leave for New Earth without the bounty hunters we are sending with her for protection.”

“Is she in danger? I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” Roxanne worried.

“She’ll be protected and I’ll make sure that ye and yer family are safe.” Abe rubbed her hand in a comforting way. She couldn’t help but respond to his touch.

Her mother cleared her throat behind her. “I’ve got the sandwiches ready.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

The three of them sat and ate their lunch, keeping their conversation light. She liked watching him interact with her mother. He was definitely a charmer. He teased and winked and even had her mother blushing at times. Whenever he looked Roxanne’s way, her heart rate picked up and she shifted in her seat. The time flew by. Abe suddenly looked at his watch.

“I’ve got to go to the office for a few hours to clear out some of my paperwork. Do ye need me for anything?”

“No thank you. I’m going to do a few things to get the club ready for tonight since I’m off. Then I’ll go pick up Cici from school.”

“Isaac will be by later to install the alarm for your apartment. Call me if ye need me.”

“Thanks, Abe.”