The Redemption Series

by Melynda Price

  As he walked through the living room, the crying grew louder. Reluctance warred with the urgency to see her—to make sure she was all right. When he entered the kitchen, Haden’s feet abruptly stopped. His chest constricted, squeezing his heart when he saw Olivia sitting at the table. Her face was buried in her folded arms, her fragile shoulders shook, racked with grief.

  “Olivia…?” Her name left his throat in a parched whisper before he even realized he’d spoken her name.

  Her startled gasp rent the air as her head shot up. The bitter almond tang of her fear teased his senses, courting his predatory instincts to life. A rush of adrenaline flooded his veins, heading south. His exhaled groan sounded more like a growl, and her eyes grew wide with fright.

  Aw hell… Her fear was going to bring Liam running faster than Pavlov’s dog. As much as he wanted the angel to return so he could get about his business, some remote part of him craved a few minutes alone with her before all hell broke loose.

  The seconds ticked by in a wordless stand-off. He didn’t know what to say as he stood there, watching her curiously, and waiting for her warrior to appear. So beautiful…her jet-black hair hung in wild disarray. Red-rimmed eyes returned his stare, vibrant green, glistening like emeralds through her unshed tears.

  “Who are you?”

  Wait, what? His top lip curled arrogantly. “Seriously, Olivia? You’re breaking my heart. Is that any way to talk to the guy who saved your life?”

  She gave him a questioning look one might perceive as hopeful. “Liam?”

  “What? Fuck no! Olivia, what in the hell is wrong with you?”

  Fear flashed in her eyes, yet it was clear something wasn’t right with her. An act?—possibly…and a wise one, at that.

  “How stupid do you think I am?”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid. I don’t even know who you are.”

  Oh, give this girl an Emmy… Okay, I’ll play…

  “The name Haden isn’t ringing any bells?” He watched her closely for that flicker of recognition to light her verdant eyes. Nothing. Huh… “You really don’t know who I am?”

  Her brows scrunched hard in concentration. Head to toe, her gaze swept over him as if she were trying hard to remember. Unexpectedly, the blood in his veins slowly heated at her unabashed stare. What the fuck was that all about?

  “I’ve seen you—watching me. But my family, my friends, they can’t see you. Are you an angel?”

  A bitter laugh tore from his throat before he could hold it back. Oh, she was good… “First time anyone’s ever asked me that. No, I’m not an angel. Guess again, sweetheart.”

  She watched him closely, pretending to puzzle him out, and then feigned a startled gasp. “Oh Lord! You’re a demon!”

  Close enough… “Winner, winner, chicken dinner.”

  Genuine panic suddenly filled her eyes. Instead of that satisfied rush he always felt when his prey realized they were trapped, a niggling of guilt constricted his chest, crushing his high and pissing him off.

  “You’re here to kill me!”

  “I’m not going to kill you, Olivia. Not unless I have to. So stop fucking with me, and tell me where the goddamn stone is!”

  She tensed in her chair, getting ready to bolt. Where was her guardian? He should have been here by now.

  “What stone?”

  “Do you really want to push me?” he snapped, his patience wearing thin.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied with artful deception.

  “Unfortunately for you, I’m afraid we’re going to have to test that claim.” His voice dropped to a low warning growl. “If you’re lying, I will break you, Olivia.”

  Like a shot, she bolted from the chair and tore down the hall. She was a fast little thing, but he was faster. Darting around the corner, she raced for the stairs.

  “Help me!” she cried.

  The fact Liam had yet to do just that, made him wonder if, by some chance in hell, Olivia was telling him the truth. Either way, he couldn’t have her screaming like this and attracting attention from the neighbors.

  “Somebody hel—”

  He lunged for her, catching Olivia around the waist as her foot hit the stairs. His other hand clamped tightly over her mouth, cutting off her desperate plea as they hit the ground—hard. He didn’t have time to roll and take the hit to the hardwood floor. The best he could manage was to brace the bulk of his weight on his forearm as they came down. Air rushed from her lungs, blasting hot against his hand. His hard body connected with her soft one, wringing a strangled groan from his throat. She felt so fragile beneath him, caged in his arms—

  Olivia cried out in pain. Haden winced, wondering just how badly he’d hurt her. He hadn’t intended on coming into this close of contact with the female and hoped like hell she couldn’t feel his erection digging into her ass.

  His body’s response to her was swift and unforgiving. His lack of self-control infuriated him. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go down. Over the centuries, he’d taken many women, all of them willing, but never did his body betray him as it did now—not even with Anya…

  Recalling the precious memory of the only female he’d ever loved blessedly cooled his heels. His body’s involuntary response to Olivia ceased, his mind sharpened, objectives cleared—get the stone and claim his revenge. Anya deserved justice for the crimes committed against her, and Gahn deserved to die. Right now, the only thing standing between him and his long-awaited vengeance was this female trapped on the floor, squirming beneath him.

  “Now, that was stupid,” he growled beside her ear. “Did you really think you could outrun me?”

  Olivia whipped her head back and forth, trying to knock free the hand muffling her scream. She began to thrash beneath him, wiggling and bucking in a futile attempt to displace his weight. She only succeeded in grinding her backside against his hips—stirring his body back to life.

  “Stop moving!” he hissed.

  Perhaps she got the gist of what she was doing to him, because her paltry efforts abruptly ceased.

  “Where’s Liam?” he demanded. If the female didn’t know where the stone was, then that angel certainly did—either way, she was the key.

  She tried to speak, but couldn’t. He lifted two fingers from her mouth, preparing to slam them back down if she tried to scream again.

  “I don’t know,” she wheezed beneath him. “I lost my memory two months ago.”

  He shifted his weight so she could draw a deeper breath.

  “Well, that’s mighty damn inconvenient,” he heard himself growl.

  “So sorry for you,” she snapped.

  In spite of himself, his top lip tugged into a grin. Despite everything she’d been through, clearly her strong spirit had come through unscathed.

  “I hardly remember the last four years of my life!”

  Moisture stung his fingers like acid. The briny burn of her tears arrowed into his chest. Snatching his hand away, Haden wiped his palm dry on the leg of his jeans and flipped the female onto her back so he could see her face—see the truth. Was it possible? Were her memories really gone?

  He used his body to pin her down. She tensed, as if preparing to flail again, and then as if remembering his earlier warning, thought better of it and held perfectly still. The heavy sawing of her breath crushed her chest against his, the friction sparking a burn of desire that quickly coiled deep in his loins.

  Frustration rolled through him and he fisted his hand in Olivia’s hair, holding her down. With deliberate effort, he turned off his emotions. Steeling his black heart against the flood of desire and other feelings she provoked in him, he raised his hand, preparing to strike the truth from the stubborn female. “Dammit, Olivia! Where is Liam?”

  She tensed beneath him and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing to take the blow. Tears ran freely, disappearing into the silky jet-black hair at her temples. Fuck… He couldn’t do it. Fingers curling into his palm, he drove his fist into th
e wood floor beside her head. The oak boards cracked beneath the force, splinters cutting into his knuckles.

  Startled by the crash, she flinched, her terrified yelp piercing his heart, ripping a frustrated snarl from his throat.

  “Whoever this Liam is…Wherever he is… He’s gone!” she cried.

  At that moment, Haden wasn’t sure who he hated more, Liam, for leaving her vulnerable to him like this, or himself for being the bastard who’d hurt her. Rolling off Olivia, he came to his feet in one swift, fluid motion. “He’ll be back.”

  She could deny it all she wanted, but one thing he was absolutely certain of, there was no way in hell that warrior was letting this female go without a fight.

  Chapter Three

  He sounded so sure, she almost believed him. Instead of leaving her sprawled on the floor, the demon grabbed her wrist and, none-too-gently, jerked her to her feet. Olivia put on her brakes to keep from crashing into him. She’d had quite enough up close and personal time with the guy—too much, actually. When she’d felt his erection digging intimately against her bottom, she was certain he’d intended to take more than information from her.

  The way he watched her, even now, sent a surge of dread rippling up her spine. Although his handsome face remained expressionless, a melee of emotions seemed to pass through those haunting sea-green eyes, each unable to bank the smoldering undercurrent of desire. She didn’t need to know him to see there was a startling depth in those windows to the soul—a depth born from years of pain and sorrow, and a coldness that left Olivia unsure if he intended to rape her, comfort her, or kill her—perhaps all of the above.

  Snarling a foul oath, he spun away from her. “Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped. “If I intended to fuck you, I’ve have done it long before now. God knows I’ve had plenty of opportunities.”

  Was that declaration intended to comfort her?—and a poor attempt, at that. The way he used her name with such familiarity told her this demon knew her far better than she wanted him to. Heat infused her cheeks at his vulgar words. She cast her eyes to the floor, embarrassed to meet his heated gaze. Given the inclination, he’d looked as if he could pounce on her at any moment. And considering the way he’d taken her down a few minutes ago, there wouldn’t be anything she could do to stop him.

  He seemed to be waiting for something—or someone. She glanced up to see him dragging his fingers through his tawny hair. It stood on end in a boyish disarray, deceptively softening his harsh, handsome features. He made a restless prowl from the living room to the foyer. Dare she hope he’d keep on walking? No such luck. He spun back around and gave her a surly glare as he advanced on her like a predator stalking its prey.

  “Seriously?” he growled.

  “Seriously, what? If you’re waiting for this Liam to magically appear, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. I don’t know where your precious stone is or why you’re so convinced that I do. And if that’s the reason Liam took my memory, then he sure as hell isn’t going to tell you either.”

  It was only a guess, and an unlikely one at that, considering what Tate had told her. But it sounded like a convincing enough argument right now—and just where was Tate, anyway? Great guardian he was turning out to be.

  Haden stopped in front of her and gave her a sweeping glance. “You’d be surprised what he’ll do once I’ve touched his circumstances.”

  Why did that sound like a threat? Oh, right, because it was.

  He chucked her under the chin with his knuckle in a patronizing display of affection and said, “Let’s just hope it doesn’t get to that.”

  Then, seeming to drop his guard, he studied her a moment. His hand lifted a little higher to cradle the side of her face. His touch was surprisingly gentle, almost tender, which made her head spin with confusion at the Jekyll and Hyde reaction she seemed to invoke in him. His thumb brushed her cheek, sweeping dangerously close to her bottom lip. Her breath sawed past her parted lips, chest heaving as she fought against the panic rising up inside her.

  When Haden spoke, his voice was husky, intimately gentle. “You know, Olivia, I don’t want to be the bad guy here. But I will, if that’s the way we’re gonna play this out. If Liam forces my hand, I will hurt you to get what I want. Nothing will stop me from getting my revenge. But, not to fret, little one. Your angel loves you too much to let you die.”

  Dropping his hand, he turned and walked away. Thank God, this time he didn’t stop when he reached the door.

  Olivia’s heart was still pounding, her hands shaking, when a few minutes later Ashley blew in like the hurricane she was.

  “There you are! Why aren’t you answering your phone? I’ve been worried sick.” Kicking the door shut, she dropped her purse and keys on the floor and charged over to her. “Why didn’t you show for coffee? Oh… Hey, you don’t look so hot. You feelin’ all right, Liv?”

  Bless her best friend’s heart, but Olivia didn’t think she had it in her to deal with Ashley right now. Not when she was barely holding herself together. “Actually, I’ve felt better. I had my phone off when I went in for my therapy appointment this afternoon. I must have forgotten to turn it back on. I’m sorry I worried you.”

  “How was therapy?”

  “Enlightening.”

  Ashley gave her a wary look. “Are you starting to remember?”

  Maybe it was the paranoia setting in again, but she didn’t exactly portray the excitement one’s best friend should. “Not really. It’s just… I’m starting to think I’m wasting my time. Maybe I don’t have amnesia after all.”

  “Well, you can’t remember shit. If it’s not amnesia, I don’t know what else you’d call it.”

  Mind fuck sounded pretty accurate. “Ashley, do I have a stone of any significance or value?”

  Her friend shrugged and dropped her gaze. She’d always been a terrible liar. “I don’t know,” she answered blithely. “Why do you ask?”

  Wariness infected her friend’s voice. For a brief moment, Olivia considered telling her about the demon that had just broken into her house, assaulted her, and ruthlessly threatened to kill her if she didn’t give him the stone he was convinced she had. But then she’d sound crazier than she already felt.

  Ashley hesitated to reply, a contemplative scowl settling on her face.

  “Look, Ash, you’ve been avoiding my questions for weeks. I know you know more than you’re telling me. I just don’t know why you’re keeping my past a secret. You’re my best friend. I’ve always told you everything—”

  Sighing, Ashley cut in, “I promised your parents, Olivia.”

  “My parents? What do my parents have to do with this?”

  “They asked me not to talk about him—Liam. They said you’ve had your heart broken by him once, and that was enough. They thought maybe it was better if you just didn’t remember.”

  The sting of betrayal lashed her heart like a whip. How could her parents do this to her? How could she trust them, knowing they held lies of omission and kept secrets from her, manipulating her memories? “That wasn’t their decision to make,” she replied with more calm than she felt.

  “Olivia, your parents love you. They just want you to be happy. You don’t remember what it was like when he left. You were miserable.”

  “I’m miserable now! My heart aches for someone I can’t even remember. And now I’ve got this creep threatening me over some stone he thinks I have!”

  Ashley’s hazel eyes locked on her sharply. “Who’s threatening you?”

  “How in the hell would I know? I can’t remember shit!”

  Her friend appeared thoughtful a moment before hesitantly answering, “You have a necklace. It’s a heart-shaped stone. You never took it off. You were wearing it the last time I saw you, but when you came home, it was gone. Maybe that’s what you’re talking about.”

  “Where did I get it?”

  “Liam gave it to you for your eighteenth birthday.”

  Liam gave it to her? Then perhaps there
was something special about this stone. But the more concerning question was, where was it now? “Tell me about Liam.”

  Ashley broke her stare, casting a sheepish glance to the floor. Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, cocking her chin defiantly. “If you won’t help me with something as important as regaining my memory, then you clearly aren’t the friend I thought you were. I think I need to rethink this friendship if this is how it’s going to be.”

  Her best friend gasped, looking mortified that she’d dare say such a thing. Arrowing her with an indignant glare, Ashley snapped, “That’s low, Olivia. I made a promise. But if you insist on putting yourself through more heartache, then fine. I’ll tell you what I know. But you better sit down first, and I suggest you open a bottle of wine. Lord knows, I could use it.”

  Olivia expected to feel more relieved than she did at discovering she wasn’t crazy. Then again, learning she could see angels and demons was a less than favorable alternative. Given the choice, she’d pick nuts any day of the week—at least there was medication for that. Aside from poking her eyes out with a stick, she was pretty much screwed.

  If she’d doubted Tate’s claim to her abilities, Ashley had confirmed them—all of them. Turns out, her friend was a wealth of knowledge, and after a bottle of wine, she was singing like a canary. She told Olivia that Liam was her guardian angel—had been since she was a child. Until a little over three years ago, she’d never known he existed. Toward the end of her senior year in high school, she’d met and fallen for a guy who wasn’t what he’d seemed.

  To save her life, Liam had put his own on the line by coming to Earth to win her heart away from a fallen angel who was trying to kill her. According to Ashley’s flair for dramatics, she and Liam quickly fell madly in love, but Olivia knew herself and suspected it hadn’t been that sweet and instantaneous. In the end, despite Liam’s feelings for her, he’d gone back to where he came from. It seemed too janky, too unbelievable, to say Heaven, though she supposed that’s where he lived—where he was right now.