Penance and Promises: A Chastity Falls Novella

by L A Cotton

  My fingers dug deep into my jean pockets for my key when I noticed it. “What the fuck?” I grumbled, slipping my head into the gap in the door. “Cara?” I called out, my heart ratcheting in my chest. I hadn’t left the door open when I left for the gym. I was careful about that kind of thing; a habit picked up from my time inside, I guess. “Cara?” I called out again, careful not to touch the door handle as I entered the apartment.

  Everything looked the same. Cara’s textbooks piled up on the small table, and our breakfast dishes remained on the counter.

  “Cara?”

  Nothing.

  I yanked out my cell and dialed her number. No answer. My fingers hovered over the screen when it bleeped.

  I’m in class.

  You’re okay? I replied

  No, I’m pissed.

  I love you.

  She didn’t reply, but I didn’t expect her to. Cara needed time to cool off, and I needed to figure out why in the hell our apartment door was ajar. And all I could think was I was glad she was safe at college and away from here. Because despite the rational part of me wanting to believe it was nothing more than an oversight—that Cara must have forgotten to close the door—I hadn’t been rational for a long time, and suspicion boiled in my blood.

  I moved through our small place, from room to room, working meticulously to find anything missing or out of place.

  There was nothing.

  Until I doubled back from the bedroom and something caught my eye from the hallway as I passed the bathroom. I hadn’t seen it upon first inspection. My eyes had focused on everything but the mirrored cabinet hanging on the wall.

  An eye for an eye …

  and I’m coming for yours

  My blood ran cold. My mind worked double time, recalling enemies of my past. The list was long. Guys back in Chastity Falls that I’d had a beef with. Guys I’d run into inside Oregon State Pen. Not to mention any number of guys who worked with Jack Doyle, the head of the organization who had wanted to remove Cara’s father, Frankie O’Connor, from power in Seattle.

  Fuck. Fists clenched, I felt a low growl form in my throat. Frankie had moved us out here to get away from the family business, but it looked like my past had caught up with me. Maybe a guy with a track record like mine was never supposed to live out a quiet life.

  I’d been afforded redemption once, but maybe I’d be forever paying penance.

  Chapter 4

  ~ ANA ~

  “Are you going to get that?” I asked Jackson as he watched the wall-mounted television, clutching my hand in his as if I would disappear. It was sweet … and a little suffocating.

  “It’s probably just Max. He’ll live.”

  “Jax,” I warned at the same time his cell bleeped for umpteenth time. He couldn’t just drop everything because my body couldn’t do the very thing it was built for.

  “Sorry.” He let go of my hand to fumble with the screen. “I’ll switch it off.”

  “No, you won’t. Go answer it, and while you’re out there, get me something to eat.”

  He regarded me for a second, his argument on the tip of his tongue, but when I narrowed my eyes, Jackson leaned over and kissed me. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”

  I nodded, feeling myself relax just a little bit as he disappeared into the hallway. I’d only been in the hospital for a few hours, and I was already going stir-crazy. Jackson having me on house arrest was looking a damn sight nicer than this.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” I cooed to my sheet-covered bump. “Mommy promises to do better.”

  When I’d felt the first twinge, I instantly knew something wasn’t right. My heart had stopped as my mind rushed to every bad place, every possible tragic ending. It was irrational, but the further I got in the pregnancy, the more fearful I’d become. Scared that everything would be ripped out from under me, I didn’t tell Jackson how I felt. I didn’t want him to worry any more than he already was. It would be a long six weeks, assuming I got that far. Dr. Benns could make no promises, and I didn’t want him to. All I could do was take each day as it came, hoping—praying—that my body could carry far enough to give her the best possible start in life.

  “Hey.” Jackson slipped back into the room, and I immediately noticed the change in him.

  “What’s wrong?” I sat up straight, and he approached, running a brisk hand over his head. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Just some stuff at work.”

  “Do you need to go?”

  “I—” He dropped onto the chair beside me and took my hand in his. “I could do with going to take care of this. I’m sorry.” His eyes shuttered, irritation rolling off him.

  “Jackson, go. This is your work. Your business. I am fine. I’m in the best place. Besides, Cara said she’d stop by after school.” I squeezed his hand, coaxing him back. “Hey, everything is going to be fine.”

  But as he rose from the chair and pressed a kiss to my forehead, leaving me lying there in the hospital bed, I couldn’t help but think that everything would not be okay. This was only the beginning of everything turning to shit.

  ~ JACKSON ~

  “It was open?” I ran my hand up the doorjamb, looking for any signs of tampering.

  Braiden nodded, arms folded over his chest. “I already checked. Nothing. No forced entry. No interference with the locks. I even asked the super. He hasn’t seen anyone come or go.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Like he was paying attention. The guy is fat and lazy and doesn’t give two shits about what goes on here.”

  It was the truth. When Braiden had first brought me here, I’d wanted to pack up their shit and move them into our place, but I knew I couldn’t ask that of Ana. Besides, Cara had tried her best to make it homely. Turned out her father’s help only extended so far.

  “And nothing was touched? Taken?”

  “Not as far as I can tell. Just the message on the mirror.”

  “Show me,” I said, motioning for him to lead the way.

  I inspected the message and wasn’t surprised that Braiden had missed it the first time around. The cabinet was above the sink to the right of the door and whatever was used to write it was iridescent, barely visible against the glass.

  “Any idea who it could be?”

  Braiden huffed, agitation radiating from him. “Let’s just say the list is long and then some.”

  “But the move here was need to know, right?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, Frankie and Annie knew. Maybe some of his top-level guys. But all information is available at a price, right?”

  He was right. Everyone had their price. But it made no sense that Frankie would sell out his own daughter, not when he’d gone to the trouble of getting them as far away from Seattle as possible. I met Braiden’s steely gaze with my own. “So are you making the call, or am I?”

  ~ BRAIDEN ~

  Jackson looked at me as if I held the answer to the fucking universe. I had no plan—besides finding out who the hell was in my apartment, beating the shit out of them, and then sending them running back to whatever hole they’d crawled out of.

  “I’ll handle it,” I snapped.

  His mouth turned down at the corners, and I could see the disagreement in his eyes. “Not the right call.”

  “Well, it’s my call, and I don’t want this anywhere near Frankie O’Connor.”

  He could take Cara away from me, make her see what he knew all along—that I was the wrong guy for her. That she could do much better than some fuck-up like me!

  “And Cara?”

  “Doesn’t catch so much as a sniff of this. Got it?”

  “Brai—”

  I stormed out of the hallway and into the kitchen, my blood boiling again. If Frankie got wind of this … I could only imagine his smug grin when he boasted that he’d known I’d screw things up. That my past wouldn’t stay buried.

  Fuck. My fist collided with the wall, pain splintering through my wrist and into my arm. I grimaced, biting back the agony. But at least I still knew I
had it—the rage that had once burned in me. I’d need it for the shit storm headed our way.

  “I don’t like this.” Jackson’s voice was a damn sight calmer than the vortex churning up my insides.

  “I said I’d handle it.”

  “How? You have no idea who’s behind this. We should—”

  My head snapped over to his, and I barked, “I said I’ll handle it. This is my fight, not yours.”

  Jackson’s eyes narrowed, and I saw a flash of something—pity, sadness … regret—but he could keep his attempt at playing friend. I could handle this myself.

  “That’s the thing, though. It is my fight. You’re here, Braiden, in my city. My life. If this is real—if there’s even a slight chance that this could blow up and hurt the people I care about and bring down the life I’ve built for myself—then that makes it my shit. So don’t stand there giving me the big me, myself, and I bullshit.”

  My head dropped, and I gripped the back of my neck with a heavy sigh. Jackson was right. I’d come here and brought this to his doorstep. So as long as I stuck around, everyone was in harm’s way. Jackson. Ana … Cara.

  “Forty-eight hours,” Jackson said, and I swallowed hard, still unable to look him in the eyes. Because when all things were said and done, I was still the guy ruining his life. “I’ll give you forty-eight hours to figure something out, and then I’m making the call. Cara should come stay at the house with me after you tell her the truth.”

  My pulse spiked, and I lifted my head, my wide eyes landing on Jackson’s. “No.”

  “Yes. If someone knows you’re here, then chances are they know she’s here too. Are you really prepared to risk her because of your stubborn-ass pride?”

  “Okay.” The word almost choked me. I didn’t want her at Jackson’s; I wanted her here with me where I could keep my eye on her—protect her. But he was right. Forty-eight hours was nothing, not when you had no leads and no one to help.

  “Don’t do anything stupid, Donohue. I know you; I know how you work and what you’re thinking. You’ve come too far to throw everything away. She loves you; you know she does. If it means swallowing your pride and asking for help, then do it. For her. I’m here. Frankie will be here. Prove to her you have changed. Forty-eight hours. Call me when Cara’s on her way to the house, and I’ll be there. I have to get back to Ana.”

  I watched him leave, anger coursing through my veins. It wasn’t directed at Jackson; every word he’d spoken was the truth. But that only made it harder to swallow. He was the good guy. The guy with his head screwed on right and who had the answers to everything. It was like staring into the eyes of the person I could have been if only I’d chosen a better path. I envied him. I always had. He did what was necessary, but only ever for those around him. Not out of selfishness or spite. Back in Chastity Falls, he was always cleaning up my shit. My mistakes. Six years later, he was still doing it.

  Maybe coming here was a mistake.

  I was a selfish bastard. I’d let Cara follow me out here, for what? A life on the run? I knew better than most that you couldn’t outrun your demons. They always had a way of catching up with you. It was just a matter of time.

  And my time was up.

  Chapter 5

  ~ BRAIDEN ~

  “I’m not going.” Cara folded her arms over her chest, her icy glare cutting through me.

  “Yes, you are,” I ground out. “If I have to drug you and carry you there myself, you’re going.”

  “Braiden!” She tried to feign shock, but Cara knew me. Darkest secrets and all. And she knew I wasn’t fooling around. I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.

  I stepped forward. She stepped back. I went left. She went right. And for the next couple of minutes, we danced a game of cat and mouse until I ran to her, tackling her into my arms. “I need you safe,” I whispered against her hair.

  “And I’m safest here with you.” Her arms went around my neck as I pulled her to me.

  “Cara, don’t fight me on this. It’s not permanent. I just need to figure this shit out. And I can’t do that while I’m worried about you.”

  I’d seen the flash of surprise that quickly morphed to fear when I had told her about the message. I never wanted to see that look again. And knowing it was my fault burned. It burned real fucking bad.

  Her eyes softened as she stared at me. “And what about you, huh? Who looks out for you, Braiden?”

  I closed the distance, slipping my free hand into her hair and kissing her hungrily. When I pulled back, she inhaled a sharp breath; her eyes glazed over with lust. Dammit. I wanted to take her back to our place and kiss every inch of her—seal my silent promise never to let anyone lay a hand on her—but the clock was ticking.

  “Time’s up, beautiful,” I said.

  “Braide—”

  Her words turned into shrieks as I hoisted her up and over my shoulder, carrying her to the car.

  ~ CARA ~

  “Is this really necessary?” I watched Braiden pull away. Everything about this felt wrong. Every damn thing. But he’d insisted I stay at Jackson’s while he tried to smoke out whoever had broken into our apartment and left the threat.

  Maybe I should have cared that someone had been in our apartment—the place we lived. I could have been home. What would have happened then? I knew about the guys my father and Braiden worked with, and I’d witnessed enough to know how they solved problems. Revenge was a powerful motivator. Someone consumed with the need for vengeance wouldn’t care who got hurt. Collateral damage was a given, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care, too blinded by my concern for Braiden.

  “You’ll be safe here,” Jackson said in a tone that did little to ease my discomfort.

  “Will I?” I let the curtain slip through my fingers and glanced over my shoulder. “And what about Braiden?”

  I wasn’t angry with Jackson because I knew how stubborn Braiden could be. After all, he’d walked away from me once in the name of doing the right thing. But this was different. Someone out there wanted to hurt him. Someone who wasn’t even supposed to know where he was.

  Jackson’s lips pressed together in a flat line. He felt it too. Everything about this was wrong.

  “I should call my father.”

  Five words I didn’t think I’d ever hear myself say. Of course, he called occasionally, but Mom mainly acted as a conduit for our strained relationship. As dysfunctional as it made us, he’d done the best thing he could for me when he’d let me go. He’d given me a shot at a life away from his life. His business … or, at least, we thought he had.

  Jackson dragged a hand down his face. “Braiden said—”

  “I don’t give a shit what Braiden said. He’s blinded by his own guilt, Jackson. Can’t you see that? What’s he going to do? Run around town calling out whoever the hell this is?”

  “Two days.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I gave him two days. And then I’m making the call.”

  A lot could happen in two days.

  “No.”

  “Cara, you’ve known Braiden, what? A few months? I’ve known him my whole life. He needs to do this. He needs to exorcise his demons. Even if it leads him back to us to ask for help. Just give him this.”

  It was too much to ask. I’d almost lost him once. I didn’t plan to lose him again.

  “Jackson, I—”

  “You love him. I get it, I do. But Braiden isn’t used to having someone look out for him.”

  The fight left my body, and my arms hung limply at my sides. I hated this. Hated that he felt he needed to do this alone. Didn’t he know how much I loved him? I’d given up everything—school, my family, my friends—for him. Wasn’t that enough?

  “Do you want to come to the hospital with me? I know Ana would love to see you.”

  I nodded.

  What else could I do?

  ~

  We drove in silence. What was there to say? Braiden was off on some personal crusade, and we had to go
on pretending everything was fine. When we reached Ana’s floor, Jackson said, “Tell Ana I’ll give the two of you some time alone.” He lingered back as I reached the door to her room.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

  Jackson smiled. “She’ll be pleased to see you. She’s already going stir-crazy.”

  “I bet.”

  “I’ll hang around in the cafeteria and come up in a bit. Listen, Cara, I don’t want to worry her—”

  “You want to keep it a secret?”

  “She doesn’t need any more stress, not with everything.”

  I didn’t like keeping this from her, but he was right. Ana needed to find her calm, not go off the deep end with what was happening outside the hospital.

  “Okay.” I slipped into Ana’s room and closed the door behind me, shutting out Braiden and Jackson and locking away the panic churning in my stomach.

  ~ ANA ~

  “Oh, thank god! I’m going out of my damn mind.” I smiled at Cara as she came and sat on the chair next to the bed.

  “How are you?”

  “Tired. Bored …” My voice dropped. “Scared.”

  “Everything is going to be okay, Ana.” She smiled, reaching for my hand and clasping it in hers. “Jackson said hopefully you can come home in a couple of days.”

  “Hopefully,” I replied, narrowing my eyes at her. Something wasn’t right. “Cara?”

  “Hmm, yeah?” Her eyes dropped away. Only for a second, but I caught it.

  “Is everything okay?”

  She flashed me an overzealous smile. “Of course, it is. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Okay.” I lifted my head. She was lying. I could see it written all over her face, but I didn’t push. Changing the subject, I said, “How was school?”