A.J missed Lee. She missed him terribly.
It was about a week since they’d last seen each other or spoken, yet it felt like several months. Unfortunately, whenever she tried to call him, he didn’t answer the phone. In fact, the only communication they’d had in five days was a text he’d sent telling her that his trip had been unexpectedly extended.
Staying out of town a bit longer was okay, but why wasn’t he picking up her calls? If she were an optimist, A.J would’ve pretended that he was so busy with work that he didn’t have time to talk on the phone. But she’d always been a realist. Even if he was busy, he had to eat, sleep and take a break sometime. He could’ve called her any one of those times. Even a one minute call would’ve been enough to ease her. But oh no, he was too busy.
No one was that busy.
Hell, it wasn’t like she was sitting in her room, twiddling her thumbs and waiting for him to call. Her store had been ridiculously busy this last week. A columnist for the local paper had visited Warehouse 17 then written up a piece extolling the store’s unique pieces. The column had generated so much new business that A.J, Pete and Ten had barely had a moment to themselves the whole week. Yet A.J had found a moment every one of those days to call Lee, to no answer.
Bastard!
If A.J wasn’t so disappointed, she would’ve been angry. After how fervently and single-mindedly he’d pursued her, one would’ve thought that he’d be the one looking for her not the other way round. Was their honeymoon period over? Was he done with her now that they’d slept together? Was he tired of her and now looking for something new and fresh to chase? If that was the case, she wished he’d just call her and tell her straight out instead of playing this hide and dodge game. At least that way she could stop thinking about him.
With a sigh, A.J climbed the last few stairs that led up to the Nolascos’ floor. This was the third envelope she was delivering to them. Hopefully, the next time she dropped by it would be with all the money Casper owed them. After looking left and right to make sure no one was coming down the hallway, she silently made her way to their door. She slipped the thick envelope through the crack below their door, knocked once, then rushed away to hide in her usual corner.
The door opened and Denise, the daughter, emerged. She looked healthier than she’d looked when A.J had dropped the first envelope and her clothes looked brand new. Frowning, Denise looked up and down the hallway then at the floor. When she saw the thick envelope there, her face burst into a wide grin.
“Ma,” she shouted. “Santa struck again.”
“What?” Rita called back.
“Santa sent us some more…” Denise’s words faded when she closed the door behind her.
Santa? Is that what they were calling her? A.J grinned as she descended the stairs. It wasn’t the worst name out there. If she had her way, they’d be receiving an even bigger gift from ‘Santa’ next time. Once she got out of the building, she headed to the subway station.
But she never got there.
She was about to cross the street when a suited man stopped right next to her. A.J immediately recognized the man as Mr. White, the minion who’d been with Casper on the night she’d stolen the painting. Before she could react, she felt something circular and hard dig into the side of her body.
The barrel of a gun. She immediately stiffened.
“Let’s not make a commotion,” Mr. White said through the side of his mouth. Keeping his gun pressed to her side, he slung his free arm around her shoulders. “Casper wants to see you.”
A less-experienced person would’ve made a move then, tried to escape. But A.J knew that any movement might lead to a gunshot to her spleen, and she liked her spleen very much. Besides, all she needed to do was wait until Mr. White wasn’t so alert then she’d get rid of his gun and show him what she thought of people who ambushed her on the street.
Without a word, she let him lead her down the street. They didn’t go far. A few feet away, a limo waited. When they stopped beside the limo, Mr. White shifted behind her and shoved his gun into her back. “Get in.”
Oh, she’d make him and Casper pay for this. Her nonchalant expression showing none of the anger roiling within her, A.J grabbed the handle and opened the car door. She was unsurprised when she found Casper seated in there, looking smug as you please while pointing his gold-plated pistol at her.
“Hello, daughter.” He smirked as he waved for her to get in. “Been a minute, hasn’t it?”
“I would have loved it if it was even longer,” A.J said as she settled in the seat adjacent to his.
Mr. White settled right beside her. His gun still tucked into her side.
“What is this?” A.J eyed her father. “Now you’re doing broad daylight kidnappings?”
Casper shrugged. “If I thought you’d come on your own, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“Okay, I’m here.” Her tone nonchalant, she asked, “Do you have my money?”
If looks could kill, she would’ve been six-feet under. Casper’s glare was so heated with fury, A.J was surprised he didn’t explode. A lesser woman would’ve started trembling right at that moment. A.J just glared back at him.
Given his anger, Casper’s voice was surprisingly even as he said, “This space is a little cramped to be having this conversation.”
“I’m comfortable,” A.J said even as she leveled a cold look at Mr. White whose gun was still digging into her ribs.
“Nah.” Casper shook his head and smiled slowly. “Let’s go somewhere with more free space.”
Maybe she was getting slow because she didn’t react fast enough when Casper traded looks with Mr. White. One minute she was staring at Casper and the next he was moving towards her. The car was too small for her to escape him. When he gripped her upper body, she kicked out her legs, but he deftly escaped her. His arms were like steel bands holding her in place as Mr. White drew a full syringe from his jacket pocket. A.J tried to get away from the needle, but no matter how hard she jerked, Casper’s hold was too tight.
“If you don’t move, it won’t hurt,” Casper huffed while Mr. White aimed for her nape. The needle sunk into her skin with a painful bite that left A.J hissing.
The effect of whatever was in that syringe was almost immediate. One second she was fighting, trying to get away from Casper’s strong hold and the next a bout of dizziness struck her. Soon her thoughts became muddy, and she lost control of her limbs. She blinked, trying to clear her suddenly cloudy eyesight, but it was no use.
Slowly but surely, the darkness seeped in.
A.J had no idea how long she was knocked out. When she came to, she found herself facing Casper again. Only this time she was tied to a wooden chair while her father sat directly in front of her, with Mr. White standing next to him.
Casper offered her one of his smarmy grins. “Took you long enough to wake up.”
“What can I say?” A.J pushed through her cottony mouth. She cleared a throat. “A woman needs her beauty sleep.”
“I like that.” Her father laughed. “How you keep your humor despite the situation.”
“What am I doing here, Casper?” she asked as she looked around.
She immediately recognized the place as a chop-shop. Cars in various stages of dismantling, car parts and chopping equipment were strewn all around them. Oddly enough, the only people around were she, Casper and Mr. White.
“Casper?” His eyebrows shot up “I prefer when you call me Dad.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you prefer,” she retorted caustically. “What am I doing?”
“As if you don’t know!” His expression transformed from smug to angry. His eyes flashing scarily, he barked, “You brat! Why did you take someone else’s stuff and make us go through all this?”
“As if you don’t know,” she mimicked with a small smile.
Anyone would’ve been scared in this situation, and she was too. But to her, fear wasn’t an enemy. It was a friend, a catalyst… her motivation. Fear had forced her to accomplish outstanding feats in the past. It had forced her to get creative so she wouldn’t get caught or die too many times to count. Her fear would get her through this dilemma too. But she’d be damned if she showed Casper even one glimpse of it.
“Where’s my painting?” Casper barked. “Tell me and I’ll let you go right this instant.”
“I thought you sent Ten to get it from me.” A.J raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Tired of waiting?”
“Don’t even talk to me about that girl.” Casper’s top lip lifted in disgust. “She hasn’t reported to me in over a week. I heard she’s working for you now.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that I’m a better boss than you,” A.J taunted even as she tested the ropes holding her. Unfortunately, the ropes were tied so tight that they chaffed at her wrist painfully with every move she made. Her expression betraying none of that pain, she asked, “Speaking of employees, where is Mr. Black? Isn’t he supposed to be following you around and wagging his tail like the good little puppy he is?”
“He’s busy,” Casper said shortly. His eyes shooting fire, he glared at her. “It’s not enough that you took my painting, now you stole my best thief too?” He pulled his gold-plated pistol and pointed it at her. “I have half a mind to get rid of you right now.”
“Put that toy away.” She scoffed. “We both know you won’t use it.”
“I wouldn’t be that confident if I were you.” Casper tucked the gun back into its holster. Sounding almost tired, he asked, “Where’s my painting, A.J?”
“I’ll tell you-” A.J started. When she saw the hopeful light that flickered in his gaze, she quickly quashed it. “- if you give me the money you owe me.”
“That again.” Casper actually rolled his eyes.
“I don’t understand why you won’t pay the Nolascos their money.” She huffed, “It’s not like you can’t afford it.”
“It’s the principal, my dear.” Casper picked at his manicured nail. “Those people don’t deserve to get rich off an accident. They were poor in the first place and I just helped them get rid of one mouth to feed. They should be thanking me, not trying to swindle me of my hard-earned money.”
“Do you hear yourself?” A.J stared at her father in wide-eyed shock. “You killed a person. You killed a man, and you’re trying to spin it like you did a good deed. There is something really wrong with you.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Her father waved his hand dismissively. “Give me my painting.”
“And if I don’t?” She glanced downwards at the ropes bunched around her torso. “We both know that this whole nonsense is a waste of time. It doesn’t work on me.”
“No, it doesn’t, does it?” Casper should’ve been angry but instead he smiled.
That smile sent unease spiraling through her.
“But this might.” Casper turned in his seat and called out, “Bring him in.”
A.J’s blood froze in her veins when Mr. Black emerged. She barely noticed that the minion had a bandage around his nose. All her attention was on the person he’d just dragged in.
“Lee!” Terror, pure and cold, rushed up and down A.J’s spine as she took him in.
It was quite obvious that Casper or one of his minions had worked him over by the cut above his eye, his swollen eye and his purpling jaw. But none of that shocked A.J as much as the gun Mr. Black was holding to Lee’s head.
Lee’s eyes met A.J’s. Instead of the fear she expected there, all she found was anger, wild anger.
“A.J?” He called out as he took in the ropes holding her captive. “What are you doing here?”
Her voice shaky with fear, A.J started. “How did they-”
“Enough with the reunion,” Casper cut into her words. He was grinning like a cat that had found its cream. “I caught your attention, didn’t I, A.J?”
“Why is he here?” A.J barely managed to keep herself from shrieking. “Let him go.”
“I don’t think so.” Casper rose from his seat and stalked towards Lee. “I told you that you and I would have a private meeting soon.”
“Bastard!” Lee spat out. “If you were any kind of man, you would’ve come at me al- Oomph!”
Lee’s pained grunt echoed in the room as Casper’s fist sunk into his stomach. An instinctive scream rose in A.J’s throat. That scream turned into a yell when Casper landed another punch in Lee’s stomach. “Casper, stop. Casper, Casper. Dad, stop.”
“What?” Her father turned to face her.
“I’ll give you the painting,” A.J said. Panic and worry raced through her as she watched Lee hold his free arm to his stomach in obvious pain. She pleaded, “Just let Lee go.”
“Well, that was easy.” Casper frowned. “Kind of disappointing actually.”
“Let him go and you can have your painting back,” A.J cajoled. No amount of money was worth watching Lee getting hurt.
“Don’t.” Lee’s mumble was so low she almost didn’t hear it. His voice tight with his pain, he added, “Don’t give him the painting. Those people deserve their money.”
“You still have the energy to talk?” Casper guffawed as he turned to glare at Lee. “You’re stronger than you look.”
But Lee wasn’t even looking at him. His full attention was on A.J. “Don’t give him the paint-”
Casper cut off his words with another hard punch that left Lee doubled over. That punch seared right into A.J until it almost felt like she was the one being punched.
Casper grabbed Lee’s hair and jerked it so that Lee was looking him in the eyes. “Mind your own damn business.”
“That ship sailed a long time ago.” Lee smiled. How he managed that smile was a mystery to A.J given the pain he was likely in. “I’m deep in this. And so are several other people.”
“What are you blubbering about?” Casper frowned in confusion.
Lee lifted one eyebrow. “You really didn’t listen to me last time, did you?”
“What the hell are you going on about?” the older man spat out.
“I told you I wouldn’t welcome you on my own when you came back. That I’d have other people waiting next time.” In case anyone in the room didn’t get his meaning, Lee clarified, “Cops!”
“You didn’t go to the cops.” Casper guffawed. Pointing at A.J, he said, “She’d never let you.”
Lee’s mouth twisted in a cruel smile. “Who said I asked her?”
His tone, the look in his eyes, the smile… it was enough to give A.J doubts. Had he gone to the cops even after she’d told him that they were as likely to arrest her as they were to arrest Casper? Or was he just bluffing?
The troubled light in Casper’s eyes as his gaze switched between A.J and Lee said that he wasn’t sure if Lee was bluffing either. His tone dripped with doubt as he repeated, “You didn’t go to the cops.”
“I did.” Lee glared at Casper. “And if anything happens to A.J or me, who do you think they’ll come for first? Do you think they’ll leave you alone?” He taunted, “Go on. Do something. See if it won’t boomerang back to you.”
My God! If he was bluffing, then he was damn good at it. Even A.J couldn’t tell. His words were disturbing enough that they sent fresh tension spurting through the room.
Mr. White was the first to speak. Fear in his eyes, he asked, “Boss, do you think he went to the cops? If he did, we’ll all be in deep trou-”
“Shut up,” Casper shut him down. But the way he paced in front of Lee as he watched him said that he was scared too. Turning his gaze to Mr. Black, Casper said, “Lock this bastard somewhere else. I need time to think.”
“Don’t,” A.J yelled out, but Mr. Black was already dragging Lee away.