The Redemption Series

by Melynda Price

  “She can’t help it, Olivia. I have something she wants.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you do,” she countered. “And she’s being very obvious about wanting your something.”

  He chuckled. Despite her ire, the smooth, deep cadence of his voice made her pulse quicken.

  “It’s not that.”

  Her brows arched doubtfully, and he laughed harder. “All right, maybe it’s that, too. But really, it’s my light. The lost are drawn to it.” He studied her a moment. “Why won’t you just admit you’re jealous? You can’t lie to me, Olivia. I feel your emotions, remember?” When she didn’t answer, he asked pointedly, “How do you think I’ve felt for the last three years?”

  Surprised, she opened her mouth to reply and gasped when words failed her. How could she possibly respond to that? She wasn’t used to him being so…direct. Before she could speak, he said, “I’m sorry, Olivia. It wasn’t fair of me to say that to you. I’m supposed to be above all this…above these human emotions.”

  Reaching up, she grasped the heart-shaped stone that hung around her neck, something she often did when she was nervous or upset. “You don’t have to apologize,” she murmured softly. “It’s not like I haven’t thought about it a million times.”

  “Still, it was uncalled for. I apologize—”

  “Please don’t,” she interrupted, feeling even worse than she already did.

  They ate in silence, neither of them making the first move to break the awkward tension hanging between them. Shit, this was a first.

  Finally, Liam cleared his throat and said, “We’d better get going. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

  The waitress was back and handed Liam the bill. “Thanks for stopping by.”

  She turned to leave, and Liam called after her, sliding out of the booth. The girl stopped and waited for him to approach. On his feet, he towered over her small willowy frame. A warm smile touched her face as she tipped her head back to look up at him.

  Olivia watched as Liam dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He took the girl’s hand and pressed the money into her palm. “For you and the baby,” she heard him say softly. “It’ll help you get started. God has not forgotten you, Aimee.”

  The young girl looked up at Liam in surprise and then broke into tears, throwing herself into his arms. He held her a moment, as a parent might comfort their child, letting her cry. Tears began to fill Olivia’s eyes as she watched the young girl start to glow with a radiant light only she was gifted to see. After a moment, the girl released Liam and wiped her eyes, thanking him before she walked into the back room.

  As Liam returned to the table and sat down, Olivia stared at him in awe. “You’re amazing, you know that, right? No wonder I love you so much.” The words spilled from her lips before she realized what she’d said.

  Liam’s dark violet gaze locked on her—hard and unwavering.

  “What?” she grumbled defensively. “Why do you look so surprised? You know I love you. You can feel my emotions, remember?”

  “Feeling it and hearing you say it, are two different things.”

  The scrutiny of his gaze made her uncomfortable. She broke eye contact, fidgeting with the napkin in her lap. “Yeah, well, I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance to say it again, either. After so many years one begins to give up hope.” If he could feel her emotions, and there was no doubt that he could, then he fully knew she was more than ready for this conversation to be over. The only thing that could come from laying her heart out here like some sacrificial lamb was to get it torched in the flames of regret.

  Liam nodded curtly. Apparently, he wasn’t in any hurry to go there, either. “Are you ready to go?” he asked, changing the subject. “We’ve got a lot of miles to cover.”

  “Yeah, just a minute,” Olivia said, fighting back tears as she slid out of the booth. “I’m going to use the ladies’ room before we leave.” She got up and walked down the narrow hall leading to the restrooms. As she passed the supply room, the waitress walked out and nearly ran into her.

  “Hey,” she said, grabbing Olivia’s arm to stop her. “You’ve got an amazing guy there. Don’t let that one out of your sight.”

  “Thanks,” Olivia said, caught a little off-guard. “I don’t intend to.”

  ***

  Damn, he needed some fresh air. Hearing Olivia admit that she still loved him had released an unexpected tide of emotions he’d been fighting like hell to hold back. Her confession had flowed from her lips liquid smooth and sweet as her honey-flavored kisses.

  Liam stepped outside to wait, letting the screen door slam shut behind him. Resting his palms against his thighs, he pulled in a deep breath of air that wasn’t so fresh, after all. The pungent stench of sulfur burned his nostrils and jacked his senses online as his body tensed, instincts heightened—they were close.

  The warrior in him itched for a fight, but wisdom told him to run with Olivia while he still could. This wasn’t the time or the place for Heaven and Hell to collide—that would come soon enough.

  Spinning around, he charged back inside. He knocked briefly on the bathroom door, announcing his intention to bust inside. Commanding the lock to disengage, he shoved the door open. Olivia jumped, water splashing on the floor where she stood at the sink, washing her hands. The instant she looked at him, her fear slammed into his chest with wrecking force.

  “We’ve gotta go. Right now!” he ordered.

  Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along with him. Olivia stumbled to keep up as they exited the diner and jumped into the passenger seat as soon as they reached the car. “Are they here?” she asked, her voice tight with panic.

  “They will be any minute.” Hopping in the driver’s seat, Liam punched the accelerator, sending the Camaro into a fishtail. The car tore out of the parking lot, and he took a hard left, leaving a layer of burnt rubber on the asphalt.

  After he’d put a good several miles between them and his instincts simmered with the passing threat, he glanced over to find Olivia watching the cars behind them in the side mirror, anxiously chewing her bottom hip. It was a nervous habit she’d yet to break, even after all these years.

  “You shouldn’t do that, you know.”

  “Do what?” she asked, casting him a quick glance before staring back at the mirror.

  “Your lip. You’re biting it. I’m sorry I scared you, Olivia. We just needed to go. Once I get you hidden, I’ll neutralize this threat and you can go home.”

  “I understand. It’s just… I’m not used to this anymore. I honestly thought they’d given up, or forgotten about me.”

  “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re not very forgettable.”

  “Lucky me…” she commented dryly.

  He let out a humorless chuckle. “Yeah, lucky you.”

  Chapter Seven

  The moment the brown Buick pulled into the diner, Haden jumped out of the car, anxious to get some distance between himself and these assholes. He worked alone—always—and didn’t appreciate being assigned to this bunch of fuck-ups. Gahn must be laughing his ass off right about now, a little payback for his insubordination, no doubt.

  You’d think if the girl was so damn special, they could have found a better legion than this one to get the job done. But then again, maybe this was the only crew stupid enough to take on the warrior. Hell, if he had to spend much more time with them, he might just flip to “Team Liam” and take a couple of the bastards out himself.

  Walking in ahead of the others, he hadn’t taken two steps before abruptly stopping. Holy shit! They’ve been here. He scanned the small diner, looking for any sign of the girl. The place was empty except for an elderly couple that walked in right ahead of him. The old man stood hunched beside the table, helping his wife get settled in her chair.

  “Can I help you?” an airy, feminine voice asked. Haden turned to see the waif of a girl standing behind him. He gave her a falsetto smile he hoped would pass for sincere. Guess it must not have wo
rked, because she visibly shivered. Smart girl... Her smile fell as she looked over his shoulder to the three ass-wipes walking in behind him.

  “Thank you,” Haden greeted, pretending not to notice the sudden shift in the young female’s demeanor. “A table for four, please.”

  As he spoke, he could see the fine hairs on her arms rise. Forcing a smile on her comely face, she escorted them to a table. As he followed behind her, he caught the faintest hint of the warrior’s scent.

  Well, I’ll be damned… Stepping closer, he inhaled sharply. The waitress’ spine stiffened, her shoulder’s straightened, and she accelerated to a brisk clip toward their table.

  “I’ll get you gentlemen some coffee,” she offered, avoiding all eye contact with them as she handed out menus before hastily taking her leave.

  He watched the female hurry away, perplexed to discover the warrior’s scent clinging to her. Admittedly, he didn’t know a lot about the Ronnin, but he knew warriors—angelic or fallen—and none of them were the touchy-feely type.

  “What’s your problem?” Rowen’s gravelly voice grated against his nerves. “Now’s not the time to be cruising for a piece of ass.”

  “Shut up,” Haden snarled under his breath. “The woman and the warrior were here, and that girl knows something. I can smell him on her.”

  Rowen let out a snort of laughter. “I think your nose is high.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said, ‘I think your fucking nose is high.’ There ain’t no way that warrior’s been with the girl. His dick gets hard for one female and it ain’t that skittish waitress. I’m tellin’ ya, she don’t know shit.”

  “Says you. I never said he fucked her. I’m just saying his scent is on her!” The urge to jump across the table and bust Rowen right in the mouth was a temptation he wasn’t likely to resist if he had to sit here much longer.

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” Cale asked. “Why don’t you go talk to her?”

  “Because she’s spooked by the looks of you morons.”

  “She ain’t gonna talk to you because she ain’t stupid! It has nothing to do with any of us,” Rowen growled. “In case you haven’t looked in the mirror lately, your puss doesn’t exactly say ‘I’m not gonna eat your liver with a bottle of Chianti and fava beans!’”

  Haden glowered at him. Their gazes were still locked in a standoff when the waitress came back over, pot of coffee in hand. She poured each of their cups full and pulled out a pen and paper. “Are you ready to order?” Her clipped tone told him she’d rather be anywhere but here.

  “Yes,” Haden said, breaking Rowen’s stink-eye glare to smile up at her. “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Aimee,” she answered, pointing to where her name tag should have been, but wasn’t.

  Haden’s brow quirked up in amusement. “Well, Aimee, thanks for that visual. I doubt I’ll ever forget your name now.”

  Her face reddened when she looked down and realized she was pointing at her boob. He chuckled, taking far too much pleasure in the girl’s discomfort. Damn, he must be hard up for entertainment. Of course, looking at his company, it was easy to tell why.

  “Was there something you wanted to order?” she snapped impatiently.

  Clearly, she didn’t find this as amusing as he did.

  “I’ll have a number two.”

  The others placed their orders, and the girl nearly broke her ankle trying to get away from them.

  It didn’t take long for their food to arrive. She’d probably put a rush on it, anxious for them all to get the hell out of here. He didn’t mind, he wasn’t here to socialize with the little half-wit. Once he got what he wanted, he’d be outta here. They ate their breakfast in silence—all eyes watching him watch the female.

  The warrior’s scent had sent his senses on high alert. His predatory instincts zeroed in on the waitress as he visually stalked her, waiting for his opportunity to strike. When the girl walked down a back hallway, ducking out of his sight, he shoved his plate away and leapt up. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he growled, taking off after her.

  “Excuse me,” Haden called, rushing up to her.

  The waitress stopped abruptly and spun around. Looking like a cornered mouse, her eyes darted left then right, no doubt puzzling out an escape plan. “Can I help you?” she asked nervously. The bitter tang of her fear spiked the air. The rapid tick of her pulse fluttered in the little divot of her throat, giving away her rising panic.

  “I certainly hope so. There was a couple that came in here not too long ago. A big guy, I guess women would say was good-looking. He was here with a black-haired beauty—bright green eyes…ring any bells?”

  Aimee frowned, looking as if she was trying really hard to remember. He wasn’t buying it. Hope her memory improved real quick. It wasn’t that he was opposed to getting what he wanted out of the female. Hell, he’d rather enjoy a round of “Cat and Mouse” with her. But she was pregnant, he could sense the second life force inside her, and that was the only thing saving the bitch’s life. He might be a heartless bastard, but killing the unborn was a low not even he would stoop to.

  Especially not after…

  Oh, hell no, he was not going there again. Not now—not ever.

  “I’m not sure who you’re talking about.” The female lied like a pro. “I just got here myself.”

  “Now, Aimee,” Haden drawled, moving a step closer and forcing her to take one back unless she wanted that nameless rack of hers crushed against his chest. “See, I know that you know exactly who I’m talking about, because you’ve been in physical contact with the guy I’m lookin’ for.” He bent to her neck and inhaled deeply, enjoying the startled catch of her breath. “Now, all I want is for you to tell me which direction they went and how long ago they left.”

  “They left about ten minutes ago,” she squeaked, fear constricting her throat. “I… I heard him say something to the woman about stopping at the motel to check out.”

  “And what motel would that be?”

  “The o…only one in town,” she managed. “Just a few blocks up the road. Please,” she begged, “let me go.” She turned to the side, pressing her back against the wall as she tried to slide past him.

  “Certainly,” Haden replied, taking a gallant step back, allowing her to pass. “Hey, Aimee,” he called after her.

  She froze, stumbling to a halt, but didn’t turn back to look at him.

  “You’d better not be lying to me.”

  “Why would I? I don’t even know who they were,” she replied before rushing into the kitchen.

  Haden marched down the hall and found The Three Stooges still sitting at the table. “They headed back to the motel to check out,” he said, kicking the side of Cale’s boot. “Let’s go, time’s a wastin’.”

  Haden was already in the car, not so patiently waiting, when Rowen and the others walked out. He punched the gas a few times, revving the old Buick’s engine, telling them to hurry the hell up. Cale grumbled something to Rowen, and he briefly considered taking off, leaving them all behind. A tempting thought, for sure, but as much as he hated to admit it, he needed those assholes to distract the warrior. The three climbed into the car, and Rowen barely got the door shut before Haden gunned it. The Buick lurched forward, pelting the diner with gravel.

  “You know, you could make a bigger effort not to draw so much attention to yourself,” Rowen growled. “Are you trying to get us pulled over? ‘Cause that’s gonna end real well.” His heated glare bore into Haden from the passenger seat. “In case you haven’t figured it out, I don’t like you. You’re a hothead and you’re intolerant to authority. Make no mistake, Haden, I’m the leader of this little mission, and if you continue to act like such an ass, you and I are going to have a little ‘Come to Jesus meeting,’ if you get my drift.”

  Haden looked straight ahead, trying to keep the smile off his face. This stupid bastard really has no idea who he was dealing with. Someone should clue him in before
he gets himself killed.

  “I’m not one of your posse’, Rowen,” Haden replied in a dead calm voice. “And before you go around threatening people, I’d suggest you take the time to know exactly who you’re threatening.” Haden took his eyes off the road and leveled him with a cold hard stare.

  The tension in the car was tactile, and Cale shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Hey, there’s a motel. I bet that’s the place,” he said, pointing to the small run-down shithole on their left.

  Reluctantly, Haden fixed his eyes back on the road, unwilling to forfeit their pissing contest.

  “It looks pretty skanky, though,” Cale continued, a pathetic attempt to distract Haden from ripping Rowen’s head off. “I’m not sure he’d bring her here.”

  “That’s exactly why he’d bring her here,” Haden grumbled, jerking the wheel hard and to the left, jumping the curb of the parking lot.

  ***

  Holy shit, was Rowen trying to get them all killed? Was playing let’s-see-who-has-the-biggest-balls really worth getting them lopped off? He didn’t know about Rowen, but Cale preferred his right where they belonged—between his legs. He kept his distance as Haden hopped out of the car and strode up to the motel. The guy moved with menacing grace and an air of entitlement he’d no doubt earned from blood, sweat, and tears—of his victims.

  The door chimed as Haden walked inside. He and the others followed behind.

  “Can I help you?” the old man asked from behind the desk, not bothering to look up.

  “Yes, you can,” Haden said, leaning against the counter. “You had a couple check out of here a little bit ago. Registered under the first name of Liam, perhaps? I need you to tell me the make and model of the car he was driving, along with the plate number.”

  The clerk slowly lifted his head at Haden’s arrogant request, his already wrinkled face puckered into a surly scowl. Shooting a wary glance past Haden to Rowen, Rhen and finally himself, the man tensed.