An Act of Redemption

by K. C. Lynn

  “Maybe.” Actually, I just want her to kiss me again, and if she doesn’t hurry the hell up I’m going to take it.

  “You never have to barter with me for a kiss.” Leaning in, she gives me what I want, what I constantly ache for.

  At the sound of Jaxson’s growl, I realize I’m pushing it. I slowly drop her back to her feet but keep kissing her until she reaches the ground. “What are you doing tonight?” I ask, hoping she says me.

  “I have a shift at St. Mary’s that ends at ten, then nothing.”

  “How about I pick you up?”

  She smiles, clearly liking the idea as much as me. “Yeah, okay.”

  “Okay.” I go to give her one more kiss but end up getting shoved to the side before I can make contact.

  “What the hell are you doing? Get back in the fucking ring,” Jaxson growls, looking ready to bury me.

  With a smirk I dodge his hand that tries to connect with the side of my head. I hear Anna giggle as I make my way back to the ring and turn back to wink at her. “See you tonight, baby.”

  “Bye.” She waves shyly.

  Jaxson mutters something that has Anna laughing. She launches herself at him and kisses his cheek. “Oh stop being such a grouch.”

  He grunts but wraps his arms around her before pointedly looking at me. It’s a warning, letting me know I won’t ever come between them. It’s unnecessary. I’ll give him his time with her, I always will, because in the end Anna will always be mine. Nothing or no one will ever change that.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Anna

  Standing outside St. Mary’s, I check my watch again to see it’s seven minutes after ten and concern begins to plague me. Logan is never late, at least he never used to be and he always called if he was.

  I’m just about to send him a text when the sound of footsteps draws my attention to the left. In the dark night I spot a silhouette in the distance, walking my way. Something about the set of his shoulders and purposeful strides has alarm screaming inside of me. I’m always one to listen to my gut instinct. Since St. Mary’s is closed and Nancy has the keys, I cross the street and head toward a café that’s close by. My heart kicks into overdrive when I glance back to see the guy cross too, and he’s headed right for me, his pace increasing to an alarming speed.

  Shit. Keep calm, Anna.

  As I give myself the internal pep talk I run through every scenario Jaxson taught me for self-defense. Just as I’m about to reach in my purse for my pepper spray my cell phone vibrates in my trembling hand. I’m thankful when I see it’s Logan’s number. I hit answer and he doesn’t give me a chance to speak. “I’m so sorry, I’m on my way. I got—”

  “Logan,” I whisper, my heart in my throat at the sound of fast approaching footsteps getting closer and closer.

  “Anna, what’s wrong?”

  “I think someone’s following me. I—”

  My words are cut off on a scream when an arm snakes around my waist. I hear Logan shout my name just before the phone is knocked out of my hand and I’m thrown up against the cement wall with brutal force. The air knocks from my lungs, but even as I struggle to breathe I still fight with everything I possess. I bring my knee up into my attacker’s groin but he anticipates it. He blocks it and smashes my head into the wall, making black spots dance along my vision. It stuns me long enough that he gets the advantage. I start screaming, praying someone hears me, but he slams his gloved hand over my mouth. A sharp blade bites into the tender skin of my neck and a whimper of fear locks in my throat as icy terror grips me.

  My attacker brings his hooded face only inches from mine and I stare back into a pair of dark, malicious eyes. “Listen to me carefully. You’re going to tell your boyfriend to throw the fight. Do you hear me?” I tense as realization dawns on me that he’s talking about Logan. His pressure over my mouth turns painful. “Answer me, bitch! Do you understand?” I nod. “Good, make sure he listens, because if he doesn’t it will end badly, and I’ll deliver his body to you piece by piece.” The threat has a sob escaping me.

  His head tilts to the side as he stares at me, his eyes turning soft and a little crazy. “You really are very pretty.” Bile rises in my throat and my fear escalates to a whole new level. Leaning in closer he drags his nose along my cheek, bringing his mouth to my ear. “But as much as I’d love to stay and play, I’ve gotta run.” Shoving away from me he takes off faster than he did coming in.

  Frustratingly, my legs give out from beneath me, and I drop to the ground when all I want to do is run. I pull my knees into my trembling body and sob, crying harder than I have in years. Panic overtakes me as long-buried memories from seven years ago resurface. I feel completely helpless against them as they pull me into a full-blown panic attack.

  “Breathe, Anna, everything is okay. Please, baby, breathe.” The words penetrate through my hysteria and my heart rate starts to settle at the familiar, soothing voice. I begin to register the warm embrace wrapped around me, and the comforting scent surrounding me. I snap back into myself and realize Logan is on the ground, holding me with my face buried in his neck—the same position he always used to hold me in when I had panic attacks from all those years ago. “Good girl. Just breathe, I got you.”

  I cling to him and soak in the safety of his arms as my erratic heartbeat tries to steady itself. Minutes later he grabs hold of my face and brings my gaze to his concerned one. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  Am I hurt? I take a moment to see if I feel pain anywhere, but all I can feel is Logan’s warmth.

  “Anna, please fucking answer me.”

  “I don’t think so,” I croak out through the rawness of my throat. “He just scared me more than anything.” I think about the man’s threat to Logan and it brings a fresh wave of fear to soar through me. “He said…He told me.” I can’t even get the words out.

  “I heard what he said,” he grinds out, fury lacing his voice. Before I can question him on what the hell is going on, a car pulls up next to us and a man in a suit gets out of the passenger side. “What the fuck took you guys so long?”

  The man doesn’t answer Logan’s question. He looks down at me regretfully before opening the back door. “Not here. Get in.”

  I tense, not wanting to go anywhere with them.

  “It’s okay, baby, I know them. We’re going back to my place.” Logan stands with me in his arms and carries me into the back of the car with him. I curl into his body, needing his strength, something that I haven’t needed in years, something that I thought I would never need again.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Logan

  Fury pumps through my body as I hold a still-trembling Anna on my lap. The fear that I felt when I heard her scream still has me feeling like I’m going to be sick. I look across the living room at the special agents, wondering what the next move will be, hating that she was targeted because of me.

  “Miss Roberts, did you get a good look at your attacker? Could you describe him?”

  “I know who the fuck it was!” I snap and feel like shit when Anna flinches. I pull her closer and take a breath, trying to calm the rage hammering through me. “It was Ricketts. He saw me with her yesterday.”

  Anna tenses then turns to me, her face pinched with confusion. “What? When?”

  “Outside of the gym, after the diner.”

  Recognition registers in her gaze as she realizes the reason for my sudden change of mood. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Before I can explain, my door flies open and in charges Jaxson with Cooper following close on his heels. “Anna!” He storms over and rips her from me, pulling her in close. “Jesus, are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m okay.” I can tell she is lying, her voice is still shaking with fear. Her eyes are haunted with memories from all those years ago and I fucking hate it. “I tried to remember everything you taught me but he anticipated it, and then I became so frightened I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t move. I froze, Jaxson.”

&nbs
p; Her fear and frustration has my rage reaching a whole new level. I’m going to kill that motherfucker when the time comes.

  “It’s okay, kid. Don’t beat yourself up, it happens, we’ll work on it.” Irritation mixes with my rage as Jaxson’s hands rub up and down her back. I hate that he’s the one comforting her right now. “Come on, I’m taking you home with me.”

  The thought of him taking her from me right now has panic rearing inside of me. I stand up and pull Anna back from him. “Not happening, Jaxson.”

  His eyes turn lethal and he takes a threatening step toward me. “You have no fucking say in the matter. She’s coming with me whether you like it or not.”

  “No, she isn’t.”

  “You guys, stop it right now!”

  We ignore Anna’s fearful order and match each other stance for stance, the air around us thick with dangerous tension. “This is your goddamn fault.” He accuses.

  “You think I don’t fucking know that! That’s why she stays with me. I will fix this. We don’t need you interfering like a goddamn hero.”

  He grabs me by my shirt and gets in my face. “You listen to me, you little punk—”

  Finally, my control snaps and all the violence and frustration I’m feeling erupts. I shove him away from me then go after him, primed and ready for a fight. As soon as I slam into him we both go to the ground.

  “No! Stop, please!” Anna’s desperate plea rips through the room while we roll around, trying to pin each other. Our struggle to one up the other doesn’t go on for long before we’re broken up.

  “Both of you knock it the fuck off.” Cooper breaks us apart and Agent Davis pulls me back.

  Jaxson and I glare each other down, our chests heaving with the same determination. At the sound of a hitching breath I glance over at Anna to see her crying, heartache twisting her delicate features. It makes me feel like shit. I close the distance between us and pull her against me. “I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry.”

  She buries her face in my chest and wraps her arms around me. “What the hell is going on, Logan?”

  Guilt tears through me at how lost and scared she sounds, all because of me and this fucking case.

  Before I can say anything Agent Brooks speaks, “I’m sorry, Miss Roberts, but we can’t delve into information about—”

  “Like hell we can’t,” I argue. “She has a right to know after what just happened.”

  “He’s right, she does,” Cooper says, backing me up. “She’s in the middle of this now whether we like it or not.”

  Brooks’s eyes narrow, not wanting anyone to go against him, but in the end he reluctantly agrees with a nod.

  “Come sit down and I’ll explain everything.” I take a seat on the couch and make sure to bring her back down on my lap, needing to hold her. With a deep breath I tell her everything, right down from the moment the agents and Cooper came to me, offering me the plea bargain if I went undercover for them. I explain the fights and rules then tell her Ricketts is my last one before the final, but I make sure to leave out the details about that round. “I caught him watching us yesterday outside the gym. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure it was him. When it was confirmed I figured he was just scoping out where I was training, and I didn’t want to frighten you.”

  I give her a moment to absorb everything. I try to gauge her reaction but can’t, and her silent turmoil makes me fucking anxious. Instead of asking me anything she turns to the agents, her gaze narrowing. “Why him?”

  “What do you mean?” Brooks asks in confusion.

  “I mean, why did you choose him to do this? I don’t understand why you wouldn’t put an undercover agent in. Out of all the people you could have chosen, why him?”

  He shifts uncomfortably before answering. “We have our reasons.”

  Anna catches on quickly, because one thing she is not is stupid. “You are unbelievable.” Her words are low and laced with a fury I’ve never heard from her before.

  “Look, Miss Roberts, I understand what you may be thinking but—”

  She jumps to her feet in a flash. “Don’t you dare try to feed me your bullshit!” Everyone rears back at her outburst, especially me. “Who the hell do you think you are? You get an ex-convict to do your dirty work because his life is less important to you than one of your agents?”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Yes, it is! That’s exactly what this is about, but you’re wrong, he does matter. His life matters to us, to the people who love and care about him, and now his life is in danger because of your goddamn self-worth. Well fuck you and your case!”

  Stunned silence consumes the room, her words shocking the hell out of me, but it also has something shifting in my chest. I’m not going to deny that I’ve thought the very same thing, but to hear her call them out, to tell them that I matter to her makes me want to kiss the shit out of her.

  I glance at Jaxson to see him looking as shocked as I feel, but also proud. Cooper looking pretty much the same.

  Agent Davis is the one to break the quiet. “You’re right, we asked an ex-convict for a reason but it isn’t for the one you think. We lost an agent in there because he was found out. No one is going to suspect Logan to be working with the police. He also knows someone on the inside so it made it easier to get him in, and his fighting ability makes him much more qualified than any of our own. This case is important to us. Many lives have been lost in that final death round and we don’t want any more.”

  I watch her visibly tense. “Final death round?”

  Shit!

  “The tenth round is an event held for a private group of people. I’m not sure who yet, that’s what we need to find out. That round they fight to the death,” Davis explains, not realizing he’s not helping his case with her. “Do you understand now why this is so important? Why we need him?”

  “No, what I understand is you need to find someone else because he’s not doing it. Not any more.”

  “I’m sorry, but we can’t do that, he’s almost done. Only one more round to go until that final one.”

  “I don’t care about any of that. I care about him!” she yells. “That man just told me he was going to deliver my boyfriend’s body to me in pieces if he continued to do this. Do you understand that?” Her words come out strangled and cracks my fucking heart in half.

  I pull her back down on top of me. “It will be okay, baby, I promise. I can take care of myself.”

  “No, it’s not. None of this is okay.” She turns to me, her gaze pleading. “Please, Logan, don’t do this, I’m begging you. It’s not worth risking your life.”

  I wish I could promise her that. I would do anything to have her not hurt like this, but I can’t. “I’m sorry, but I gave them my word.” She’s about to argue but I don’t let her. I cup her face and stare back into her warm eyes that I’ve missed so fucking much and tell her the truth. I keep my voice low so only she can hear me. “I need to do this, Anna, I don’t want to go back there.” I hate admitting that to her, to sound so weak, but I need her to understand. I’d rather die than go back to that place.

  My words register. A stark pain hits her eyes just before she drops her forehead on mine with a sob and it fucking guts me.

  “Shh, it’s okay.” I brush my lips across her wet cheek, catching her falling tears. “I promise nothing will happen to me. I can do this, Anna, and that motherfucker will pay for what he did to you tonight.”

  “I want to know what you have in place to secure his safety.” My head snaps over to Jaxson as he questions the agents.

  “Don’t worry about that, we got it covered,” Davis says, his tone holding annoyance.

  I catch Jaxson’s jaw clench at the agent’s brush-off, fury igniting his eyes. It’s a look I know well. Davis is treading into unknown territory. If I was nicer I would warn him but I decide not to, he needs to be taken down a notch.

  “That’s not what I asked you.”

  “I don’t answer to you, SEAL
boy, so mind your own damn business.”

  “Uh oh,” Anna whispers, knowing what’s about to come.

  In a flash Jaxson has the agent by the throat and against the wall. Cooper steps in front of Brooks when he advances to save his partner.

  “You listen to me, you arrogant prick. These kids are my business so you answer my fucking questions and bury your self-righteous bullshit or I will bury you, got it?”

  I feel like stating we are far from being kids, but decide to save it for another time because I’m quite enjoying Davis being put in his place. The guy can be a real asshole sometimes.

  “All right, Jaxson, that’s enough. Lay off now.” Jaxson drops Davis to his feet and allows Cooper to pull him away.

  “Are you fucking crazy?” Davis sputters.

  “You had it coming and you know it.” Cooper’s right, he did, and the agent knows it, too.

  With a glare, Davis stands and points at Jaxson. “That’s your only free pass, next time I lock your ass up.”

  Jaxson grunts. “You don’t scare me, you little shit. Take your power trip and shove it up your ass.”

  “Jesus, Jaxson, will you shut up.” Cooper pinches the bridge of his nose. Something I’ve seen him do often when he’s stressed.

  “This is a federal case that doesn’t involve you. You have no right to demand answers.”

  Tired of this pissing match, I decide now is a good time to cut in. “He has every right to ask questions. It’s his sister who was just attacked, and he’s the one who’s been helping me live through these fights so I can get the information you need. So instead of measuring who has the bigger dick let’s focus on what’s important here, and that’s Ricketts. He took this to an entirely new level by involving Anna, and he needs to fucking pay for it.”

  “Agreed,” Cooper says, backing me up as usual, which I appreciate.

  Davis and Brooks finally pull their heads out of their asses. “Listen, we can’t do anything yet, the fight is in a week. After it’s done we’ll make sure he’s dealt with, but not before then. We can’t, it would jeopardize everything. In the meantime we’ll put someone on Miss Roberts, just to be safe.”