Redemption

by Alla Kar

  I grabbed my burger and avoided eye contact. Every part of me wanted to know this person and what happened so close to our home. But I nodded and nibbled on a piece of burger to look indifferent. “Sure.”

  “Cooper is going to come over daily and take care of him.”

  “Oh. Joy.”

  Dad lifted a brow. “That’s all you have to say about that? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I know you two—,”

  I held up my free hand. “Don’t worry about it, Dad. That was a long time ago, and I’m not ready for anything right now. I mean—my fiancée did just cheat on me.”

  Dad reached across the table and patted my hand. “I’m sorry, baby girl.”

  I smiled over at him. “I’m not. Hurry and eat. There are a bunch of boys out there beating the crap out of each other.”

  Dad groaned and stood up. “The life of a coach.”

  “Dad?”

  He glanced down at me. “What’s up?”

  “When I came home the other night, a man at the gas station said that a gang had beat a guy to death in Dallas. Do you think the same people did that to—,” I glanced down at the driver’s license—“Declan?” Declan? He didn’t look like a Declan at all.

  Dad frowned. “What did I tell you about stopping at that Texaco late at night? Only weirdoes are out that late.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Topic, please.”

  He grinned and grabbed a pair of sparring gloves from underneath his desk. “Possibly. But whoever did it probably thought they’d killed ‘em. We found a tire iron close by, and he said that’s what they used but wouldn’t tell us who.”

  Chills fluttered through my body. Tire iron? Had that been what Lucy was growling at? Did she know they were out there? “Don’t worry about it, Nev. We’re going to get him cleaned up and on his way.”

  I gave him a careful grin. “How do you know he won’t turn on us?”

  “I had Michael do a background check. He’s just a recent college graduate with no record. Which reminds me to tell you to call your Aunt Shelly. She’s so excited your home.”

  I took a bite of my burger. “Why does that remind you of Aunt Shelly?”

  Dad rolled his eyes. “She went on a date with Michael, and she’s all he talks about.”

  I lifted a brow. “The cop? You know she’ll never go out with him again. She’s not a ‘long-term’ relationship kind of girl.”

  Dad swayed on his feet. “This isn’t news to me. I’ll let him find out for himself. I just needed a background check.”

  Typical man. “I’ll give her a call today.”

  Dad bent down and kissed my forehead. “Eat, and then you can go ahead and head home if you want. You look exhausted. Coopers staying at the house tonight just to make sure Declan’s okay.”

  Just great. “Okay.”

  Dad stopped at the door and threw me a smartass grin over his shoulder. “Plus, I hate to see the man that tries to hurt you, you’d kick their ass.”

  I straightened my shoulders. “Damn straight.”

  Chapter Four

  Rage

  The hot summer air was doing nothing for my mood.

  The butter I’d been asked to get from the store had already melted in the bag. I’d hoped Mom cooked something good with that butter. I’d lost my Call of Duty match online because of it.

  I’d walked six blocks to the store since I was out of gas, and I didn’t get paid at my after school grocery bagging job until Friday. I’d made it to the house with the German Shepard when I smelled the smoke.

  At first I thought someone was burning leaves. Then I heard all the screams, and my heart dropped into my stomach. I clutched the bag in my hand and ran. There wasn’t any way of me knowing who it was, but I had a gut feeling that told me I was about to live my worst nightmare.

  The voices around me deafened, and I focused on the house across from our own. Hannah stood outside with Stephanie. Her dad held Hannah close to his side, and I knew. I felt it in my bones.

  I drug my eyes from her to our house. Red flames flickered up from our roof. Panic clogged my throat. Even though I knew, I searched the crowd for my parents. But they weren’t there. I knew where they were and it wasn’t alive.

  They’d burned in the fire, and it was all my fault.

  I didn’t know how long I’d been asleep when I woke in a sweat. I couldn’t tell if it’d been hours or minutes since they drug me to safety. A dull ache had taken over my body, and the only relief I’d felt was that I was no longer wet or dirty but clean in some stranger’s bed.

  I really need to start thinking my plans through.

  Cooper and Wes had thankfully went along with my wishes not to go to the hospital. What would happen if they found out I wasn’t who I said I was? Or if the police were called. I couldn’t risk getting into any trouble because I had to find my sister. Every time I tried to move a part of me screamed for me to stop moving.

  I wiped a bead of sweat from my upper lip. The damn place was hot as balls, but I wasn’t really in any kind of predicament to complain. This random person gave me their guest house to sleep in and didn’t ask for anything.

  Thanks to the woman that found me near death, I could rest knowing I would get better. For a moment I’d hope I would die so that I could escape the pain, but Neveah had given me a second chance to find my sister.

  I’d thought I was going into the light when I heard her voice and saw those moss green eyes staring down at me. She dripped with sweat from her run, and if her dog hadn’t found me, I would have been pushing daisies. Despite the agonizing pain there was something warm and light that hit my chest when I saw her. She was undeniably beautiful, and I did not like the way it made me feel. Or that it made me feel at all. I made a note to ignore the fact that her name was Heaven spelled backwards.

  My prayer …

  Coincidence.

  I shook my head, stretched my neck and groaned when I felt it in my fucking ribs.

  “Wow there.”

  My eyes flew opened. Wes stood at the cabin door with a bowl of food in his hands. Thank God. I was getting hungry. “Fuck, you scared me,” I whispered. I was too jumpy, and I knew he knew something was wrong. He hadn’t asked when Cooper bandaged me up early, and I assumed he’d be back to talk about my situation. There was only so much I could truthfully tell him.

  He chuckled and shut the door behind him. “Sorry about that. I brought you some soup, and I wanted to talk to you about some things.”

  Uh oh. I was right. Hopefully, it didn’t mean he was kicking me out. He sat in the chair next to my bed and laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not kicking you out in the street. I just wanted to talk to you about your—situation.”

  My situation was fucked up. “Okay, that’s fair.”

  He handed me my bowl and even though it was just soup because that’s all I could tolerate, my mouth began to water. I started eating, and he watched through worried eyes. “You’re in trouble, right?”

  I shrugged. “Not really. I guess it depends on how you look at it. Most likely, the guys that did this think I’m dead.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Will they come looking to make sure you’re dead?”

  “Probably not. Dallas is big—,”

  “You’re from Dallas?”

  I looked up over my food. “Is this not Dallas?” I thought I was on the outskirts of Dallas somewhere in the country.

  He slowly shook his head and leaned forward to press his elbows against his knees. “No, this is Huntsville.”

  God, they’d taken me a long way. “Well then I would say it’s safe that they won’t come looking for me then.”

  He nodded and leaned backwards. “My predicament would be different if my daughter wasn’t here for the summer.”

  Ah, the angel is his daughter.

  I swallowed. “I understand.”

  “Do you?” he asked, standing up and running his fingers through his hair. “She means the world to me. It’s just me and her. I can’t let
your demons come along and hurt my daughter.”

  A man that put his family before himself was someone I admired. Even though I had nowhere to go, and this was a chance to start over, I knew his predicament. And I’d have the same things running through my head. “I do understand, Wes.”

  He closed his eyes. “I don’t want to regret giving you a chance, but you can stay here, on the down low for right now. If you need a job you’ve got one at my gym.”

  Goddamn. I had to bite my cheek to keep from crying like a fucking girl. “I can’t explain how much I appreciate this, sir. I know you don’t know me from Adam, but I won’t let you down. I would love a job.” A job that would obviously pay shit but would give me some change in my pocket to live. To actually have a job was great. Getting a job after being in prison was almost impossible. Who wants to hire a criminal?

  He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I have two conditions.”

  Finishing my soup, I placed the bowl in my lap and met his gaze. “Anything.”

  “If anything happens to my daughter I’ll make sure you don’t pull through next time. She’s my life, and her safety is my number one priority—always.”

  I nodded. “Done.”

  “And you have to leave my daughter alone. You can be friends but there will be nothing more than that. She’s been through a lot lately, and even though she seems strong, she doesn’t need any more complications in her life.”

  Something twisted in my stomach, but I ignored it. I smiled over at him. “I can promise you that nothing will happen between the two of us.”

  He sighed and looked down in relief. “Thank you. Now, get some rest. You’ll start work as soon as you’re feeling better. I’ll be back later with some supper, and Cooper will be over later to check those bandages. Do you need anything else?”

  I shook my head. “No, sir. Wait, yes. Have you seen my cell phone?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I’ll ask my daughter, she may have it.”

  There wasn’t anything in it, and that’s what scared me. What kind of person didn’t have something in their phone? A person with a hell of a lot to hide. I smiled. “Thank you for being kind.”

  He nodded. “I’d want someone to do the same for me or my kid. I’m going to the gym,” he dug into his pocket. “I’m leaving my cell phone here for you, and the number is logged in there already.”

  I took the phone and sat it beside me. “I appreciate it.”

  He disappeared through the doorway. The promise I’d made settled over me. I can resist the Angel. I have to resist her.

  Chapter Five

  Neveah

  Lucy and I decided to stay at the gym until Dad closed. I hadn’t wanted to spend an awkward day with Cooper. Lucy beat me to the house and bounced like a rabbit on the front porch waiting for me.

  My laugh was short lived when I noticed Cooper’s truck in the driveway. I guess I’d hoped he’d go home tonight, but obviously that prayer had gone unanswered.

  Cooper sat at our bar with his head in his hands when we walked in.

  “How is he?” Dad asked from behind me.

  Cooper lifted his head, and his gaze landed on mine. That gaze had once sent jolts of adrenaline through me. “He’s better. He’s eating, and I changed out all of his bandages. He’ll be able to walk normally in a couple of days.”

  Dad nodded and walked over to the phone. “I’m ordering pizza. What kind do y’all want?”

  Cooper waved him off. “I’ll eat anything.” His eyes cast back toward mine. “What about you, Neveah? Still like meat lovers?”

  The way he said my name pissed me off. “Dad knows what I like,” I said, patting Lucy’s head.

  “How is Phoenix,” he asked, leaning against the bar. His eyes were all over me, and I tried my best not to squirm underneath his gaze.

  “I love it. The best place in the world.” Liar.

  Cooper narrowed his gaze and gave me a smartass smirk. “What about that fiancée?”

  I gave Dad a dirty glance over my shoulder which he ignored. Why would he tell my business to Cooper? “I don’t have a fiancée anymore.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  Yeah, you look really sorry. I shrugged. “It’s fine.” Suddenly I didn’t feel like company. “I’m going to my room. Let me know when the pizza gets here.”

  ***

  I ate in my room like a sulky teenage girl, because I was too embarrassed to face Cooper. The smartass smile on his face when I told him I didn’t have a fiancée anymore told me he knew something went wrong. And that’s what he told me would happen if I moved off by myself.

  And the number one assumption is cheating, and that was it. I was cheated on. I hoped Cooper was happy. Dumb bastard.

  My fingertips wrapped tightly around my windowsill. Cooper went to check on Declan an hour before and was already snoring from our spare bedroom across the hallway.

  I knew it wasn’t a good idea to go look but some invisible force pushed me forward. Groaning, I shoved my window up, the humid breeze nearly sucked the breath from me.

  Lucy sat at my side, but I didn’t want to risk her barking and waking up the house so I put my finger up. “Stay.”

  She whined but didn’t move as I slid through the window to the muggy ground. The lights were off in the guest house, but I could see the nightstand lamp was dimly lit.

  Adrenaline soared through me. I had no idea why I needed to take a look at him, but I did. The window blinds were pulled up a couple of inches, and it gave me enough space to see into the room.

  The room was quiet but the hammering of my heart beat loudly in my eardrums. It took my eyes a minute to adjust but when they did I saw him. The way my heart jumped to my throat sent waves to no man’s land. Good God. He was lying on his back in the small twin size bed. His arms and legs hung loosely over the sides since the bed was way too small for him.

  The lamp gave me enough light to see his glistening skin. He had to be hot because that damn guest house only had one small window unit. The ridges in his stomach tightened with every breath. The waves down below had suddenly turned into a raging fire. He was so real and raw that it made me ache to get closer. I needed to see him.

  Biting my lip, I grabbed the windowsill when Lucy let out a loud bark from my bedroom window a few yards away. I froze and tossed her a don’t you dare do it again look. When I glanced back inside, Declan stared at me from his bed.

  The fire erupted inside of me. I was so embarrassed that he’d caught me looking but couldn’t make myself turn away from him, our eyes were focused on one another. A low steady hum of electricity burned bright in the pit of my stomach. He was beautiful. His square jaw was locked tight, and his hands clutched the sheets beneath him. Lucy barked again, and I jumped back and sprinted into a run toward the window. God how stupid could I get?

  I climbed back into the window, locked it and turned to glare at Lucy. She lowered her head and avoided eye contact. Damn dog. Aggravated, I slipped back into my bed and screwed my eyes shut, pretending none of it even happened.

  ***

  “Do I have to?”

  My dad glanced over the rim of his glass of orange juice. “Yes. I’m late to open the gym, and the guy needs to eat. Just bring it out to him, Neveah.”

  Dammit it all to hell. I bit the inside of my lip and pulled at my bright pink yoga pants. He’d seen me peeking in his window the night before, and I did not want to relive that embarrassment. I had hoped we could avoid each other until he was gone.

  “Whatever,” I mumbled.

  Dad sighed and ruffled his hair. “You’ve got to get used to him because I offered him a job at the gym when he gets better.”

  “You what!” I yelled.

  Dad frowned. “I thought you were all for helping this kid out? You’re the one that didn’t want to take him to the hospital because he asked you not to.”

  Yes, I had. That was before he’d caught me watching him like a creepy sixteen-year-old. �
��Okay, Dad. I’ll freaking do it.”

  Dad gave me a bored look. “Are we going to do the whole teenage whiny bullshit again? I thought you’d grown out of that.”

  I rolled my eyes, then eyed the bowl of soup for Declan. “Aren’t you late?”

  He smiled. “I’ll see you later. Call your Aunt Shelly today.”

  “I will.”

  Dad kissed my forehead, grabbed his things and then hurried out the front door. The silence that fell over me was the loudest silence I’d ever heard. All I could think about was his food getting cold. I palmed my forehead and sighed.

  Better get it over with.

  Lucy and I walked the short distance to the guest house and stood at the door. The soup burned my hand but my feet were still stuck to the porch. I pressed my ear to the door, but I couldn’t hear anything.

  Lucy whined while pawing the welcome mat. I hurried and knocked before she decided to start barking like the night before. How embarrassing.

  “Come in.”

  The door felt heavy against my palm, but I used everything I had and shoved it opened. Greedily, my eyes searched the room. I found him lying in his bed, the cover thrown on the floor, in nothing but a pair of my dad’s red Underarmour underwear which looked completely different on him than my dad.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. He’s looking at me.

  “Oh,” he said, like he was shocked to see me. But he didn’t grab for the covers, he stayed sprawled in front of me, his thick thighs wide and his chest sweaty from the heat. I was hardly winning the battle with my eyes to look at the bulge lying between those said thick thighs. “I thought you were Wes.”

  My fingers tightened around the bowl, and my gaze traveled down the ridges of his taut stomach.

  “Stop that,” he growled.

  I jumped backwards and hit my head against the wooden door with a thump. “Stop what?”

  The way his eyes swept me from head to toe had my body burning from the inside out. “Stop staring at me.”