His Runaway Queen

Chapter 6

Tate's POV

I never did go back to sleep after last night and now I was pulling up to Smith's house. He had a wife but no kids. We would make sure she was taken care of. We may not run legal business, but we made sure our own were taken care of and that meant their family. She was told last night of his death by Wolf but now Reign and I would let her know that we would handle the funeral expenses and help her financially.

I pulled into her apartment complex. They lived on concrete row but on the edge of it. This was what was known as the transition spot. This area was for people who could afford nicer than down in the middle of concrete row but couldn't afford to be out of it completely or in their case didn’t want to leave.

We walked up the three flights of stairs and knocked on her door. A teary-eyed young girl opened the door. She couldn't have been older than twenty. Her eyes were red from crying, and she looked terrified when she saw us.

"We're sorry to disturb you but we were your husbands' bosses. Can we bother you for a minute of time?"

She nodded her head and opened the door for us to come in. The apartment was in immaculate shape and extremely clean.

"Please have a seat, can I get you something to drink?" She asked us.

"No thank you. My name is Tate, and this is Reign. We wanted to come by and offer you, our condolences."

"Thank you."

"We aren't sure how much you knew about his line of work." I was saying but she cut me off.

"I knew all of it. We've been together for a long time."

"We want to help you out during this difficult time. We will take care of the funeral expenses and while we don't offer any type of life insurance, we will make sure that you are taken care of and will continue to live here."

"Thank you but I can't accept that."

"Please we like to make sure that our family is taken care of."

"Then give me a job. I won't do what he does but I need a job. I didn't work. He took care of everything. He didn't want me working and said he would take care of me."

"I am sure we can come up with something. Give us a few days and we'll be in touch. Also please let us know when you would like to have the services," Reign said and we both stood up and gave her our cards to reach out to us.

"Well, that's a first," Reign said as soon as we got into the car.

"Ya most take the money and run. Don't know that we've ever had someone ask for a job."

My phone beeped with a text from Wolf. He had someone in custody for me.

"Pool hall."

"Why?" Reign asked.

"Wolf has someone for us."

He flipped around quickly and made the three-minute drive to the pool hall. We both grabbed our guns before getting out of the car. Walking inside all of Wolf's guys were sitting around. They were all waiting for something. Someone to go after but so far, we didn't have anything.

We walked straight to Wolf's office. The door was open, and he was watching something on his laptop. I'm sure I knew what it was. The same thing I did all night.

"Where is he?" I growled and Wolf snapped his head up and stood up.

"They're in the back room," he said, and I turned and stormed out of his office not letting him finish.

"Wait, Tate. It's not what you're expecting." He yelled just as I had my hand on the doorknob.

"What the f**k do you mean?"

"It's the only person I could find. She is young." He said. I ignored him and opened the door and instantly saw red. We may have been bad men, but we didn't let teenagers, especially teenage girls work for us, and I would have never tied her up. I slammed the door closed because I could hear Reign start yelling at Wolf and I didn't need to make this worse.

"What's your name?" I asked approaching her.

"Sadie," she sobbed out.

"How old are you?"

"Sssixteen." This girl had no clue what she had gotten herself into and by the looks of her she was just trying to survive. She was thin with dark circles under her eyes. She should be in school, worried about grades and the upcoming dance. Not whatever she is having to deal with.

I walked over and untied her from the chair. She instantly rubbed her wrist and just sat there crying. She looked terrified.

"Who do you work for?"

"I don't know sir."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I get a text from random people at random times. They give me a place to meet. I show up, they give me a product and then I go to the place they give me to sell it and once it's done and all is clear someone else shows up and takes their cut and then they leave. It's always someone different."

What she explained didn't make sense. That seemed like a weird practice to sell. A lot of footwork for them but it could be to learn if they could trust them.

"What did they look like?"

"I don't know. They always wore baggy clothes with hats and sunglasses and hid their faces. They never looked at me."

Tattoos?"

"I never say any, but they also wore gloves. Please, you have to let me go."

"Why are you selling? You should be in high school."

"I had to drop out. I need a job, and no one wants to hire me because I am young."

"Where are your parents?"

"Dad was never around and my mom split about six months ago. I have to feed my brother and daughter and keep a roof over their heads."

"Babys father?"

"He um, he isn't around." She said and that was pretty normal for guys this age but the way she said it made me think there was something else about him not being around.

"Let's go," I growled at her. I didn't mean to sound so rough, but I was at my max for the day, and it was only ten am. She got up and followed me out. Reign was standing in the hallway waiting for me. Wolf was completely gone but I would deal with him later. I'm sure I didn't need to do anything, because Reign would have taken care of it for me.

Reign gave me a questioning look, but I didn't say a word. The three of us walked out of the pool hall and straight to his car. I opened the back door for the girl to get into. She silently slid in while Reign got in and started the car.

"Where's your place?"

"You don't have take me there. I can walk."

"It's not an option. Right now, you are going to help us, and we are going to help you."

She nodded and gave her address and Reign went straight there. It was the worst apartment complex there was. It’s a miracle that the building hadn’t collapsed, and I knew it had reputation for being infested with bugs. I also knew it barely had heat in the winter and no AC in the summer. She got out followed by Reign and me. We followed her into her apartment, and it was bare. The only furniture in it was a mattress on the floor and a couch.

"Sadie," a young boy came running to her and hugged her.

"Hey, Lance. Everything go, OK?"

"Yes. London cried last night but not for that long. I gave her the bottle you told me to, and she went back to sleep."

"Thanks buddy. Why don't you go do something in the kitchen." She told him and he went into the kitchen leaving us alone.

I couldn't leave her here. Hell, I am pretty sure there is no food in this house and my guess is she hadn't eaten in a few days either. If Snow knows that we have been in contact with her as well, they might come after her. She wasn't safe here.

"Pack your s**t, you're coming with us." I said and Reign looked at me like I had lost my damn marbles and maybe I had but I had made up my mind.

"I can't do that."

"You don't have a choice."

"My daughter doesn't have a car seat." She said as she went and looked at her lying on the couch. You could tell that she was embarrassed by that fact. It had to be a hard pill to swallow. Admitting that you couldn’t provide for your child.

"I'll go." Reign said and went out the door instantly.

"Pack whatever you need but you aren't staying here. It was never safe, but it really isn't safe now."

Thirty minutes later Reign came back inside with a car seat in his hands. Sadie and Lance packed what little clothing they had and the few baby items they had.

"Where too?" Reign asked and I honestly didn't know where to take them.

"Garden way. I'll post Dave outside her room for now."

He just nodded and took off driving. I just wasn't sure what I was going to do with her, but I would figure it out.

Reign pulled up to the hotel and I went and got a room and Dave was there waiting for us. We all went up to the room and sat on the bed.

"Sadie, I'm going to need your phone for now. You will stay here until I figure out what to do. If you need anything at all you can tell Dave. He will be outside your room keeping guard."

"Thank you, sir."

Reign and I left, and Dave followed us out. I told him to order food from room service for her and to call us if there were any issues. I suspect there wouldn't be. She wasn't in any position to do anything.

"I have to go to my office for a few hours. Want me to drop you off at home?"

"Yes."

He pulled up to my house and I got out without a word. I unlocked my house and went inside and put my gun on the counter and went straight to the fridge. I was starving and needed to either sleep or workout. I was afraid if I went to sleep now, I wouldn't get up all damn day. So, the gym it was.

I grabbed an apple just as my phone rang with Dominic's name.

"Hey."

"Look, I have that friend in real estate."

"Ya so."

"Well, Ellie's dad's house is being put up for sale and being cleaned out."

"Anyone seen her?" I asked now that he has my full attention. Apple long forgotten.

"My friend said that the girl that has the listing is working with the daughter but that's it. I don't know if she is in town." He said. It was like my world was coming crashing down around me. She could be in town. After all these years I had a lead, and I knew exactly what I needed to do.

"I want the name of the realtor."

"Michelle Sanders."

I hung up on him and went straight to my office and opened my laptop. I googled the realtor and found her information. It wasn't that hard to find her. I quickly ran Ellie's information through the system that Ace had shown me to use. I still got no hits on anything. If she was in town, she would have to be using another name.

While that was running, I dialed the realtor's number, and it rang a few times before she picked up.

"This is Michelle."

"Hi Michelle. I heard that you recently acquired a listing in the hills. I would like to view it today."

"I am sorry, I didn't catch your name. Can I get that again?"

"Nathaniel." I told her. It wasn't my first name but my middle name and no one knew that. I couldn't risk her knowing who I was and tipping Ellie off if she was really here.

"Well, I am sorry Nathaniel but that isn't officially listed, and I can't show it yet. Everything should be ready in two weeks' time and then I am happy to show you. Are you working with a realtor yet?"

"No, I'm not and honestly I am only interested in that house, and I don't care if it is done yet or not. I would like to see it. Ask the owner if they would be willing to show me. It would be a cash offer if I like it."

"I'm sorry but I can't do that. The seller doesn't want anyone there until it's been properly prepped. I will be happy to show you in two weeks' time."

I hung up the phone and turned back to my laptop and still nothing on Ellie. God damn she was good at whatever she was doing.

I called Mark and told him I wanted him on guard duty at Ellie's house. If she showed up there, I would know it.