Bounty's End (Bounty for Hire) by AJ Wiliams Read Free Book Online Page B

that he could. Watching as she nodded in understanding that the assholes only decimated the front of her house. Thomas let her go back into the living room. He watched from the front room as she walked to the back door to let Peaches back in the house. Probably not the best idea, seeing how messy the house was, but he knew that Peaches offered some security to Wen.
    Pulling out his phone, Thomas called Anthony to find out his ETA.

 
     
    Chapter 9
     
     
    Thomas stayed with Wen as Anthony and the other cops surveyed the house and asked her questions. Thomas had to run some errands, but did not want to leave her alone. So once Anthony and everyone left, he marched over to where Wen stood on her back deck.
    “You know why I rented this house?”
    “No,” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close to his chest.
    “The deck. I know, odd right? But I knew I could spend hours out here on this deck. I know I’m in the city, but there is just something about this deck and the fact that I have actual trees in my backyard that offers more.”
    “Yeah, I can see that.”
    “But I…”
    Thomas could hear her getting choked up. So instead of saying anything, he just held on a little tighter, letting his body do the talking for him.
    “Let’s get out of here, Wen. Pack a bag, grab Peaches. You guys are staying with me ’till this blows over.”
    “I don’t know, Thomas.”
    “Wen, don’t argue with me. Get it taken care of, babe, because once we get your stuff over to my place, you and I are having the dinner you promised me. Besides, half the day is gone and I have some places I need to be before dinner even gets here. So hop to it,” he said as he kissed her on the head.
     
    * * *
     
    They got her bag and Peaches moved over to his house. Then, Thomas took her to his bank where she waited in the lobby while he talked to his loan officer. He received the good news that his loan was approved. Even though Wen asked about the reasoning behind the bank visit, he was just not ready to tell her. He had yet to tell the two most important people in his life that things were going to be changing.
    Honestly, to him it felt as though they should be the first to know. So he simply said it was business and left it at that with a smile still playing on his face.
    Since the bank visit had taken awhile and Thomas’s stomach was making its presence known, he decided that even though it was four in the afternoon, it was a great time to eat dinner. So they went for Mexican food. Thomas could tell that Wen was putting up a brave front, but she was still visibly upset. He couldn’t blame her; hell, he was pissed off for her. It made him more mad thinking that if she hadn’t been with him or called him, the chances of her coming out of this alive were slim. There was still a small chance that this could all blow over, but every instinct in his body was telling him a different story.
    They did not talk much until the chips and white cheese dip was placed in front of them. It was then that Wen opened up about her childhood and her love of all things old. Thomas told her about being adopted at the age of seven, unlike her age of six months. He told her that he remembered his biological mother, and though he recalled her beauty, it was the ugliness that she brought with her that stuck with him the most.
    He told her about his first year with the Anders, and being a dick and working really hard to make them angry. But no matter what happened, they sat him down told him they loved him and dished out the punishment. The stories he told had Wen laughing so hard at times, that neighboring table’s occupants would turn heads just to see what was taking place.
    It was the first time in a long time that he felt this relaxed. After dinner, he took her back to his home. As they entered the house, Thomas stopped when he felt Wen take his hand and squeeze. He turned and noticed that she was staring at her house