Redemption

by Alla Kar

  Who could blame her? She’d promised to marry a guy that’d tried to kill her brother. Not to mention the whole drug lord of the south thing. Shelly rolled her eyes. “Well, I can promise you that Chase isn’t in any gangs and hasn’t been to prison.”

  I shot her a dirty look. “What are you trying to say? You talk a lot of shit for someone that’s single, Aunt Shelly.”

  She flipped me off but smiled. “I’m just waiting for the right guy, Neveah. Not everyone rescues their dying prince charming in the woods. Sorry!”

  I bit the inside of my lip and watched as the ref announced Chase the winner. Sweat trickled down his face but his eyes were glued to Hannah. “Oh shit,” I whispered, smiling over at her. “He’s looking at you.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “He is not!” she shouted.

  Aunt Shelly nodded. “Is so.”

  Hannah pretended to look at her phone, her eyes never strayed from the blank screen. Chase winked at me, and I knew he’d get her. There was something about the way he stared at her that made me think of how Rage looked at me.

  “He’s up! He’s up!” Aunt Shelly elbowed me. “He’s up!”

  I couldn’t help my giddy laugh. I searched the ring for him, and there he was. He stood in the corner, his eyes on me and a smile that told me he was mine. “Fighters to the center of the ring.”

  His opponent was huge. The kind of muscle that looked like he’d gotten from a bottle. Rage didn’t look too worried about it, since he hadn’t taken his eyes off of me. “My brother loves you,” Hannah whispered, her hand on my knee. “I can see it in his eyes.”

  My heart swelled in my chest. I knew he loved me, and hell if I wasn’t in love with him. But hearing the person that grew up with him tell me, made it all the more real.

  “Son,” the ref snapped his fingers in front of his face. The crowd roared with laughter but Rage only winked my way.

  “Bitch,” Aunt Shelly mumbled.

  I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as they touched gloves. His opponent bounced around the ring, his gloves blocking his face. Rage gave me long sideways glance. I motioned for him to pay attention but he blew me a kiss.

  “Rage! Pay attention. Swing!” Dad called out. I could see the frustrated line in his forehead from our seats. Rage drove him crazy with his devil-may-care attitude. “Swing, son!”

  Rage grinned right before sending him a right uppercut. The man stumbled backwards, shock written heavily on his face. Rage was on him before he could blink. A double-punch to the ribs, one left uppercut and then a right hook. He fell like a sack of potatoes.

  The entire arena stood up, and I jumped up with them, my hands above my head in applause. The ref lifted Rage’s arm and shouted his victory over the roaring crowd. Rage pulled his hand and jumped the ropes, his eyes settled on my shaking body. When he stopped, a grin lifted from the corner of his mouth. “That one was for you, Angel.”

  Aunt Shelly waved her hand in front of his face. “The last one was for her too, why can’t you do one for me?”

  Rage laughed and my stomach tightened at the sound. “Sorry, Shelly. My fights are only for one girl. I couldn’t handle you anyway.”

  She flipped her blonde hair. “That’s right.”

  Dad slapped Rage’s shoulder. “Stop eyeing my daughter. You could have had him a lot sooner.”

  Rage lifted a brow. “Well, I have to make sure no one’s flirting with her.”

  Dad rolled his eyes. “Since when can’t Neveah handle herself? The last time I checked, she’d whoop most of the guy’s asses in this building.”

  “He’s right,” I said. “Even yours.”

  Rage grabbed my waist and drug me toward him, letting his mouth rest against my ear. “You won’t be saying that tonight, will ya? Cat got your tongue, Angel?”

  I pushed against his chest and stared up into his eyes. “Go get changed. Because when we get home I need to talk to you about something.”

  “What’s wrong?” he lowered his head. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said. “But I’m ready to go as soon as you are.”

  He didn’t pry but nodded. He raced off to the locker rooms while I tried to gather my thoughts.

  Aunt Shelly leaned in toward my ear. “You’re going to tell him tonight, aren’t you?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I am.”

  She grinned at me. “He’s going to be excited. Don’t freak out. Just tell him.”

  Easy for her to say.

  ***

  We’d moved out of the guest house when August hit with Dante. I’d transferred to the local college, and I’d finished my degree there. Moving back to Phoenix wasn’t in the question. My home was in Huntsville, and it always would be.

  We’d used Rage’s winnings from boxing and my refund checks from school to get us a condo. It wasn’t the largest condo but it had enough space for us.

  The soft carpet squished between my toes when I opened the door and the smell of the vanilla candle I’d lit warmed me.

  Rage locked the door and pressed his mouth against my neck. “What do you want to talk about?”

  He was anxious. I could see it in the way his shoulders tensed and because he’d only asked eight times on the way home. I turned to face him, his black upright hair had fallen into his grey eyes. I could swim in them for hours. They were the only ones I wanted to see each morning and night.

  I glanced at Dante’s shut door. “Maybe we should check on Dante?”

  Rage frowned. “I know him and he’s not ready to talk. Let him heal, Angel.”

  I bit my bottom lip. “Um, let’s go make some hot chocolate. I’m kind of thir—,”

  He sighed. “Bullshit, you’re not thirsty, just tell me. Here.” He reached down and tossed me over his shoulder.

  “Put me down, Rage Cohen!”

  He grunted and carried me to our bedroom, tossing me on the bed before covering me with his body. “Now, tell me what the hell is going on. I was about to die on the way home. Who knew you were so good at keeping secrets?”

  I gave him a weak smile and played with the collar of his shirt. “Actually,” I whispered. “Let me up. I’ll go get it.”

  “Get what?” he begged. “Please, Angel, tell me.” I laughed when he poked his lip out. “Angel, I’m not a patient man. Don’t push my boundaries.”

  I shoved against his chest until he let me up. I walked to the bathroom and grabbed the positive pregnancy test from the cabinet. It felt like a brick in my hand when I walked back out.

  Rage sat with his thighs spread wide and his hands holding himself upright. “Come here,” he said.

  I shook my head when he tried to grab for me. “Do you love me?”

  He lifted a brow. “Didn’t me saving you prove that I love you, girl? What’s going on? I’m starting to get nervous.”

  I grinned. “You being nervous makes you all the more attractive, you know that right?”

  Rage smirked. “Topic, please?”

  I shook my head and before I lost my nerve, I handed him the test. His eyes lowered and then widened. He opened his mouth twice but then shut it. Carefully, he took the test in his hand and stared at it.

  Nerves swarmed my insides. I wasn’t sure about the look on his face or the way his shoulders tensed. “Rage,” I said. “If you’re not ready—,”

  He cut me off with his mouth. He dropped the test and curled his fingers around my nape, dragging me closer to him, not stopping until I was pressed against his erection. “We’re going to have a fucking baby,” he whispered. “A fucking baby. Oh my God, a baby!”

  “We need to work on your potty mouth for the next nine months.”

  His grin widened.

  “You’re happy?” I asked.

  He furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn’t I be, Angel? You’re going to have my baby. My baby, nobody else’s. Mine.”

  I nodded. “I mean, I haven’t had sex with anybody else in the last few days so—,”

  He grabb
ed me and tossed me on the bed while I laughed. “Last few days, huh? Did he make you scream like I do?”

  I bit my lower lip, watching the beautiful man on top of me. “No one has ever made me feel so full. No pun intended,” I whispered through a smile. “No one has ever made me feel so alive.”

  He closed his eyes and sighed. “My life has never been this right before, Nev. Not before my parents died or after. Nothing made sense in my life until you. Now everything is falling into place.”

  Rage sat up and pulled my shirt up to my ribs. So gently, he rubbed his open palm against my stomach, over my curves and ridges. “There isn’t one place in this goddamn world I’d rather be than here with you. And now with him. He’s going to have everything he needs and wants. I want him to turn out like you. You’re so perfect,” he said.

  “Well, let’s hope he or she gets your good looks.”

  Rage grinned and dipped a finger into my belly-button. “It’s going to be a boy, just so you know.”

  I lifted a brow. “Oh yeah? What if it’s not? Would you be disappointed?”

  He shook his head furiously. “No, Neveah. I’ll love our baby no matter what but never as much as I love you.” He brought the hand that’s rubbed my stomach to my jaw. “Never as much as I love you. I can’t wait to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you. Do you know I thought I’d never say that to anyone? Now it’s the only thing I think about.”

  Tears slipped down my face and he kissed them away. “Don’t cry, Angel. I’ve got you.”

  I nodded. “And I’ve got you.”

  The End

  Thank you for reading.

  Book #2 will release in April 2015. It’s Chase and Hannah’s story. “Salvation.”

  Alla loves to hear from her fans.

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/allakarbooks

  Twitter: @allakar1

  Instagram: @allakarbooks

  Email: allakarbooks@gmail.com

  Other works by Alla Kar

  Make Me Yours (Forever #1)

  You Are Mine (Forever #2)

  Forever Yours (Forever #3)

  Play Me

  Rock Me

  Ranch Hand

  Covert Ops: Shifting Pleasures

  Where You Are (Together Series #1)

  Here With You (Together Series #2)

  There We’ll Be (Together Series #3) Coming Soon

  Wrecked