The Redemption Series

by Melynda Price

  “Come here, Olivia,” Liam held her stare. His hand stretched out toward her, waiting for her to take it.

  “Who…who are you?” she demanded. “And what were they? What did they want with me, Liam? And don’t tell me you don’t know, because you obviously do!”

  “I know you have a lot of questions. But unfortunately, I can’t give you the answers you’re looking for.” The sincerity and regret in his eyes did nothing to assuage her panic.

  “Can’t or won’t?” she shot back.

  “Both.”

  “Well then,” she said, straightening herself up from against the rail, taking a tentative step toward him. “If you think this,” she paused, waving her hand in between Liam and herself, “is going to go anywhere, I strongly encourage you to reconsider. I hate secrets, Liam, and quite honestly, after what I just saw, I’m completely freaked out.”

  Liam stepped forward and closed the distance between him and Olivia. His outstretched hand gently grasped her wrist. Any remnants of fear she’d been holding onto instantly vanished with his touch and filled with a numbing calmness.

  “I know what just happened must be very frightening and confusing for you, but I need you to believe that I want nothing more than to keep you safe. I need you to trust that I will never do anything to harm you, and believe that this,” he paused, mimicking her hand gesture between them, “is real…”

  “I don’t understand how you can care so much for me. You’re willing to kill for me—to die protecting me—from what, I don’t even know, but you do! And you know why they’re after me, don’t you?”

  Olivia’s pulse quickened when he reached up to brush an errant lock of hair out of her face. “You’re very special, Olivia—gifted, and that gift must be protected, at all cost.”

  “Even if the cost is your life?” she challenged.

  “Yes,” he answered without hesitation.

  She had no idea what he was talking about—gifted how? What did he know about her that she didn’t know about herself? What could be so special that it was worth dying for? She didn’t bother asking him, because she knew he had no intention of telling her. Honestly, she was no different from anyone else. Maybe they had the wrong person?

  “Liam, I think there’s been some mistake. I’m not whatever it is you think I am. I have no gift. I’m just regular—normal.”

  He reached up and caught her face in his hands. “I am not mistaken. And I promise you, you are anything but regular. I know exactly who and what you are Olivia.”

  “Then tell me!” she pleaded.

  Liam sighed in frustration and raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t, Olivia!”

  Olivia took a brave step closer to him, cupped the side of his cheek, and forced him to look at her. “Then who are you? Surely you can tell me that. And don’t you dare lie to me either, cuz you’re not normal. I’ve never met anyone like you before. Normal guys don’t act like you. Normal guys don’t look like you, and if they do, they’re usually more like…”

  “More like what?” His eyebrow arched curiously.

  “More like Max, I guess.”

  “Well, I can promise you that I am nothing like Max. Probably the exact opposite, to tell you the truth.”

  “Why do you dislike him so much? At first, I thought it was because he was my boyfriend, and you were just jealous or something. But it’s more than that…”

  “There’s a darkness in him, Olivia. Can’t you feel it?”

  “I’m not sure how I feel when I’m with Max anymore. I used to feel…carefree—wild and reckless, you know? But lately, I’m starting to just feel…afraid. Like I’m walking on a tightrope and I’m about ready to fall.”

  “I’ll catch you…” he whispered. His fingers trailed down the side of her neck. Her pulse beat erratically beneath his touch. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. Instead, she moistened her lower lip with the tip of her tongue.

  Olivia felt Liam’s resolve snap as a wave of desire blasted into her. A soft groan of defeat rumbled in his chest as he lowered his head to capture her lips in a tender embrace. His kiss tore through her like fire. What started out as tentative and sweet quickly escalated to urgent and demanding as a rush of adrenaline flooded her veins. She melted into his arms, her lips fitting perfectly against his, like she was made just for him.

  He tasted exactly like he smelled—rich and spicy. She parted her lips, aching for more. He responded to her request as if she’d spoken it. Drawing the kiss deeper, his tongue brushed against hers. The longer he kissed her, the more hungry she became.

  She wound her arms up around his neck and pulled him closer. She’d never felt as starved and yet completely satisfied as she did at that very moment. He wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her up against him.

  Time stood still. She had no idea how long they stood there in each other’s arms. The floor of the boat rocked beneath their feet as it changed courses, taking them back toward the harbor. The captain’s voice crackled over the speaker, announcing the end of their tour. A reluctant groan escaped Liam’s lip as he broke their kiss and released her. Olivia stumbled when her feet touched ground. Liam’s hand shot out to steady her.

  “Careful…” he chuckled. His hand gently grasped her arm.

  Olivia looked up into his dark blue eyes, currently watching her with a hint of amusement. “Your eyes are beautiful,” she whispered. “They’re the deepest blue I’ve ever seen. Did I do that to you?” It was hard to believe that she could affect him so strongly—could draw such emotion out of him.

  “Yeah, I guess you did. You okay to walk?” he teased, changing the subject back to her.

  “Of course I am. I just need a little more time to get my sea legs—that’s all.”

  “I’m sure that’s it,” he teased, smiling down at her. She playfully bumped him with her elbow, eliciting a soft chuckle as they stepped onto the pier.

  “It’s getting late. I should probably be getting you home.”

  Olivia looked toward the sun, hanging low in the afternoon sky. Its intensity faded as streaks of pink, orange and lavender began to cover the western canvas. “I wish we could stay for the sunset. It’s going to be beautiful.”

  “Me too, but that will just give us another excuse to come back another time.”

  Olivia slid her hand into his, their fingers intertwining. “I’d really like that.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The drive back to Evercrest went much too quickly. With each approaching mile, the weight of today’s event and unexpected revelation that she was “gifted” weighed down on her like a suffocating blanket. Her mind overflowed with unanswered question, and to make matters worse, the one who held all the answers wasn’t sharing. Liam asked her to trust him, and she did, but it wasn’t exactly an easy thing to do, knowing her life was in danger. If she had any doubt about the current threat to her longevity, last night’s attack and today’s ambush had proven that much.

  Liam must have sensed her brooding. He looked over at her with an understanding that went beyond words. He gave her a reassuring smile and covered her hand with his, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Everything is going to be all right, Olivia.” His words were reassuring—for about a whole two minutes.

  They pulled into her driveway, and an audible gasp escaped her lips when she saw the black Harley parked in between her parents’ cars. She glanced over at Liam. His handsome face was pinched into a dark scowl.

  “You want me to come in with you?”

  “No, that’s all right. He’s probably just here for family night. He comes over often, his parents aren’t living anymore.”

  “Is that what he told you?”

  “Yes. You mean they’re not dead?”

  “Max’s father is alive and well.”

  Olivia shot him a questioningly look. There must be some mistake. Who would lie about their parents dying? That’s just sick.

  She was about to press him further on the subject whe
n the curtain in the living room moved to the side. Olivia couldn’t see who stood behind the window, but she had a pretty good guess. “I’d better get inside.” No use delaying the inevitable. “Thanks for taking me with you today. I had a great time.”

  Liam grabbed her hand as she started to climb out of the car. “Olivia?”

  She turned back to look at him. “Yeah?”

  “I had a great day with you too. Please, be careful in there.” Her stomach lurched like she’d been riding an elevator. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

  Of course she wasn’t, but if she walked in there right now with Liam at her side, Max would have a complete meltdown. Her parents didn’t need that kind of stress, and she didn’t need the drama.

  “I’m sure. He probably just wants to talk. He hasn’t been handling the breakup very well.” Olivia gave him a less-than-confident smile and pulled her hand away. She closed the door and waved good-bye, then turned to run up to the house. She said a prayer and painted a smile on her face as she opened the front door to step inside.

  “Hi, I’m home,” she called, keeping her voice light and casual.

  “Hi, honey. I’m in the kitchen,” her mother called.

  “Well, it’s about time,” Max drawled, walking around the corner with a false smile on his face. “You’re late for family night.” Olivia didn’t miss the edge of sarcasm in his tone.

  “I’m not late,” she denied, purposefully avoiding his gaze. She walked over to the closet, stalling as she hung up her coat. Her heart raced, he stood so close to her she could smell his light smoky, sulfurous odor. The heat of his body blasted against her back. She didn’t dare turn around, or she’d find herself face to face with him.

  “Where have you been?” he asked, failing miserably at his attempt to sound casual. “I thought you were going to call me today. You said we’d get together and talk.”

  Olivia tried to keep her voice calm. “I took a holiday and spent the day at the ocean.” Max’s glare bore into her back, sending a shudder of dread up her spine.

  “Where’s Mom and Dad?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

  “Your mom’s finishing supper and your dad’s watching the news.”

  “Ok, well, I’m going to go get washed up. I’ll be right back.” She turned away before he could stop her and ran up the stairs. She hurried into the bathroom and quickly shut the door behind her. She rested her head against the door and took a few slow, deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. When that didn’t work, she walked over to the sink and splashed cool water on her face.

  “Calm down, Olivia. Pull yourself together.” She looked at her reflection in the mirror. A fresh smattering of freckles decorated her cheeks and nose. Her vibrant green eyes nearly glowed against the backdrop of her glossy black hair.

  Olivia flushed the toilet, pretending she had a reason to be in the bathroom so long, and darted into her bedroom. She headed over to the rectangular floor-length window and cranked it all the way open. She held her face up to the screen, craving the fresh air. She was suffocating in here—her heart slammed so hard inside her chest, surely Max could hear it all the way downstairs.

  “Something the matter?”

  Olivia let out a startled squawk and spun around. Max walked into her bedroom and silently closed the door behind him. The latch of the door clicked softly into place. His falsetto warm voice sent another chill through her body. Cold black eyes bore into her with a contempt she’d never seen before. His presence seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the room. A wave of dizziness washed over her. Do not pass out!

  “You’re kinda jumpy, Liv. Something happen today you want to tell me about?”

  “No, nothing’s wrong, but we’d better get downstairs.” Max stood between her and freedom. She walked purposefully toward the door, praying he would let her pass. His hand shot out with lightning speed and caught her wrist before she could dodge his grasp. He firmly pulled her back several steps so he could look directly at her, leaned in, and inhaled deeply. Olivia had all she could do not to jerk her arm out of his biting grip and run for the stairs.

  “Who were you with today?” His low menacing growl sent goose bumps up her arms. His hand tightened, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

  “Just a friend,” she replied. Maybe he wouldn’t see through the lie.

  “A friend, huh?” he echoed her answer skeptically.

  Olivia tried to force a smile. “Yeah, what did you do today?”

  “Waited for you,” Max growled, jerking Olivia’s arm toward him. She stumbled up against his rock-hard chest. Before she could register what was happening, his lips came crashing down on hers. His kiss was nothing like Liam’s. It was angry and controlling—suffocating. Max tasted stale and smoky as his tongue pressed past Olivia’s lips and brushed against hers. The intent in his kiss sent a jolt of panic through her.

  She let out a startled yelp when Max suddenly broke their kiss and shoved her away from him. She stumbled back a few steps before his hand shot out again and grabbed her tender wrist, jerking her back like a yo-yo.

  “You lying cheating little bitch!” he growled. “You’ve been kissing him! Don’t even bother trying to deny it. I can taste him on your mouth!”

  Olivia stared at Max, completely speechless as a wave of terror tore through her.

  “Max,” she said, trying to sound more calm and brave than she felt. “I’m not denying anything, and I think it would be best if you left. I have no interest in continuing our relationship any further. We’re done.”

  “The hell we are!” Max hissed drawing his hand back to strike her.

  Everything happened so fast, all she remembered was squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself for the blow that didn’t come. Her eyes were closed tightly when Max’s hold on her wrist was suddenly ripped away. Olivia’s eyes flew open in time to see Liam’s elbow smash into the side of Max’s jaw.

  A loud crack filled her room. His head snapped back, and he would have flown across her room if not for Liam hanging onto the front of his shirt. Max’s head recoiled and he looked back at Liam with a feral grin that made her blood run cold. His lower lip was split open and bleeding. Max’s tongue snaked out to taste the thick dark blood oozing down the corner of his mouth. He gave Liam a sardonic “it’s on” smile, wrapped his hands around Liam’s neck for leverage, and drove his knee into Liam’s stomach.

  Max moved so fast, she only saw a swift blur before a thud filled the room. Liam brought his hands up hard and fast, breaking Max’s hold around his neck. As Max stumbled back, Liam sent a side-kick into his chest, propelling him across the bedroom. He landed against her bed. The impact sent it sliding across the floor.

  Liam jumped on top of Max before her eyes could track his movement. When she blinked again, Max was back up, his fist connecting with Liam’s cheek, splitting an inch-long gash across his face.

  A ferocious snarl tore from Liam’s lips that sounded anything but human. He drove his shoulder into Max’s chest, driving him back. They flew across the bedroom and crashed through the open window.

  “Liam!” she screamed, running to the window. Panic squeezed her throat, threatening to choke her as she imagined what she’d find on the grass below. Olivia stuck her head through the open window and gasped—they were gone. Something was terribly wrong here. Normal people didn’t fight like that—normal people couldn’t move that fast, or fall from a two-story window and disappear!

  “Olivia, are you all right? What’s going on up there?”

  She spun around to answer her mom and took in a quick survey of the damage. It looked like a tornado blew through her room. Her bed was shoved into the corner, the mattress hung half off the box spring—covers strewn on the ground. Her desk no longer sat against the wall. The corner of it imbedded into the sheet rock. Books, pictures, pens and paper lay scattered across the desktop and on the floor. Holy shit!

  “I’m fine, Mom. I’ll be down in a mi
nute!” she called, scrambling to pick up the mess. Olivia grabbed the picture frame lying face down and turned it over. The fractured glass spidered between the images of Max and her. “Fitting…” she mumbled sarcastically and walked over to the garbage. She dropped the frame inside, and it landed with a satisfying glass-shattering crunch.

  She turned back to the window, still in disbelief over what just happened. The torn screen flapped like a flag, waving to her in the breeze. The curtain rod was bent, hanging at a crooked angle across the top of the window, drapes dragging unevenly across the floor.

  Where to even begin…her wrist throbbed, sending a dull ache all the way up her arm. Black and blue bruises already started to spot her soft delicate skin. She walked over to the closet and grabbed an oversized sweatshirt that used to be her dad’s. The sleeves hung down to her fingertips, easily covering the bruises.

  She pulled the door closed behind her and hurried downstairs before her parents got curious and came up. She didn’t want to even try to explain what just happened in here. How could she, when she didn’t even understand it herself?

  Olivia walked numbly down the stairs, still in shock. She wanted to call Ashley, needing to confide in her best friend, but she was pretty sure if she told her everything, she’d think she was muy loca. Too bad that word wasn’t on my Spanish final.

  “Where’s Max?” Kim asked when she sat down at the dinner table alone.

  “He left. We had a fight.”

  “That’s too bad. Are you all right, honey? You look upset.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I officially broke up with him tonight, and he’s pretty upset about it.”

  Kim reached over and patted Olivia’s wrist comfortingly. “I’m sorry, but you did the right thing, honey, especially if you want to keep spending time with Liam.”

  A jolt of pain shot up her arm. She winced and jerked her hand away.

  A worried frown creased her mother’s brow. “What’s wrong?”