Free Taken: A Kept Novella by Sally Bradley

back, feeling it a bit this time. “When will I see you again?” she asked, remembering now what she was worrying about. That they’d share a special evening together and then she wouldn’t hear from him for days—the way Matt had treated her for so long.
    “Tomorrow night? My goal is to see if you get sick of me or not.”
    “It’s going to take a lot more than one night to figure that out.”
    He winked at her. “We’ll do a thorough test.”
    How quickly she was falling in love with this man. “Okay then. It’s a date.”
    His gaze dipped, then flew back to her eyes. “Yes, a date.”
    ****
    “Nice work, Thomas.”
    It was, actually. Tracking Hannah down had been one of his tougher jobs in recent years. “My pleasure. I’ll send you my final bill in the morning.”
    “Not yet. Something’s come up, and I’m not going to be able to get there tomorrow. I’ll need you to stay a little longer, keep an eye on things for me.”
    “What things?”
    “Just make sure she doesn’t run away, that she’s still in that house, that everything’s normal. That kind of thing.”
    “I’m happy to do it, but I’ll need to charge you—”
    “That’s fine. Whatever it costs. All right?”
    If finding Hannah had been so stinking important, why now was the guy getting cold feet about coming out to talk to her? Hadn’t that been Peterson’s goal the whole time? What could be keeping him from coming?
    “Thomas?”
    “I’ll do it.”
    “And don’t send me a bill. Just—What do I owe you? Right now? I’ll send you some cash right away.”
    Something suddenly didn’t feel right about this. “Let me figure it out and get back to you in the morning.”
    “Okay. Just call me with the number. Don’t send a bill. Not yet.”
    No, things weren’t right at all.

Chapter Nine
    On Tuesday evening, Cam took Jordan to the hospital to meet Sophie, eager to show off the little girl who’d changed his life.
    He’d told Jordan how loving and giving Sophie was despite everything she was going through. But in the hospital room, it was clear it had been a rough day.
    Sophie slept in her bed, and Anna dozed in a nearby recliner, eyes closed until they entered, while Logan and Avery read by the window.
    Anna pushed herself out of the chair and held a finger to her lips. She looked exhausted, the circles under her eyes almost matching the dark circles beneath Sophie’s closed eyes.
    Cam gave Anna a quick hug, then held her at arm’s length to study her face. “Rough day?”
    She nodded. “Worst one in a while. They gave her the wrong breakfast, then had to give her a new PICC line.”
    Sophie’d probably thrown a fit over it all and worn herself out. Worn Anna out too. “Sorry to hear that. How are you holding up?”
    Anna flashed them a smile that said it all. That she was beyond frazzled, was close to falling apart. “I’m fine.”
    He hugged her tightly. “You are such a liar.”
    Beside him, Jordan chuckled.
    Anna pushed herself back and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry we’re all such a mess, Jordan.”
    “It’s fine, Anna. You’re allowed.”
    She glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping girl. “I’d hoped you’d get to see her on a normal day. A good day.”
    “Is she asleep for the night?” Cam asked.
    “No. She’ll probably wake up soon.”
    Cam walked to Avery and Logan and ruffled Avery’s hair, then tried to close Logan’s book on him.
    Still reading, Logan grinned and fought to keep the pages spread.
    Cam let him win.
    While Jordan and Anna whispered together, he crossed to Sophie’s bed and squatted beside her, his arms folded on her blankets, watching her while she slept.
    A soft brown knit cap, the same color as her missing hair, sat askew on her bald head. She looked so pale today. Worn out. Weary. His throat closed. God, please. She needs a donor.
    He and Anna would hear soon if they were a match for Sophie. He hadn’t been holding his breath on that one; they weren’t related after