Mercy's Angels Box Set (Mercy's Angel #1-3)

by Kirsty Dallas

  “Why are pirates called pirates?” Eli asked out of the blue.

  This was his latest thing—telling jokes. It was his attempt to get me to smile. Apparently I had forgotten how, and it had subsequently become Eli’s job to remind me.

  “No idea,” I murmured.

  “Because they Arrrrrrrr,” he said, with rolling emphasis on the ‘r’. A smile tried to tug at my lips, and for a moment I thought he had won on the first lame joke. My muscles still weren’t accustomed to smiling, so it felt foreign and unusual.

  Eli sighed. “How do you repair a broken tomato?”

  “No idea,” I said again.

  “Tomato paste.”

  Larz snickered from his chair at the kitchen table. Larz, my shadow. I guess he was my bodyguard, but at some point, he had also become my friend. He loved Eli’s childish jokes which encouraged Eli all the more. I guess after a few weeks of enduring the endless supply of puns, I was beginning to enjoy them a little, too.

  “Okay,” Eli grumbled loudly. He paused the game and swung around to face me, his face as serious as a seven-year-old’s face could be. “What happened to the blind skunk? He fell in love with a fart.” He didn’t even give me a chance to speak. “Why did Tigger stick his head in the toilet? Cause he was looking for Pooh. You wanna know what’s really brave?” I nodded, my lips twitching. “Farting when you have diarrhea.”

  “Eli,” Larz chuckled, trying hard to chastise Eli over the flatulence and feces jokes, but failing miserably.

  My head and mouth were at war with each other, my head shaking, disappointed in the silly jokes, but one corner of my mouth had rebelled against my sullen reign. Eli smiled, and his little dimples made me want to sigh. He really was adorable with his big brown doe eyes, curly brown hair, and smooth skin. And he was smart, too smart.

  “Who told you that one?” Larz asked.

  “Dillon,” Eli said, no hesitation in giving up his source.

  “Your mom is going to skin him alive when she hears what he’s been telling you,” said Larz, the ever responsible father figure.

  “Nu-huh. She doesn’t know, and I’m not going to tell her.”

  “What makes you think Em and I won’t tell her?”

  Eli rolled his eyes. “Cause Em doesn’t talk, and you like to drive Braiden’s car too much. If you snitch, Mom will get angry with Dillon, and when Dillon finds out you snitched, he won’t let you drive Braiden’s car anymore.”

  Wow, he had really thought that through.

  “Speaking of Mom...” The lock on the door rattled and soon after pushed open. I had no idea how Larz knew she was about to enter. I swear the guy could hear a fly buzzing a room away.

  “MOM!” Eli shouted. He jumped off the couch and ran into his mom’s waiting arms.

  The unfolding scene sent a pang of yearning straight to my heart. The love between a mother and child was something I would never get to experience. Seeing Eli and his mom together made that realization all the more real. Being a mother had never even entered into my thoughts, but as I’d grown closer to Eli and was exposed to his relationship with Annie, it hit, hard. Abruptly, I stood and grabbed my coat off the back of the couch. Sensing my unease, Larz stood, too.

  “You two want to stay for dinner?” Annie asked, Eli’s arms still wrapped securely around her waist.

  She was a beautiful woman. She had recently turned thirty, however, she looked much younger. Her skin was soft with barely a wrinkle, and there was a splattering of freckles across her nose. Her eyes were a honey gold, and her shoulder length hair was a dark chocolate brown. She had that girl girl-next-door beauty that men were drawn to. I wasn’t jealous of her looks though. I was jealous of what she had with Eli.

  “No, Rebecca and Charlie are double dating with Jax and Ella tonight. I promised Rebecca we would drop by Bouquets before they went out. She wanted to see Em for something.”

  It was the first I had heard about this, but I didn’t stomp my feet and throw a hissy fit for being the last to be informed. Oh, I wanted to, but I hadn’t earned the right. I could barely keep my shit together long enough to appear normal and I needed a great deal of help in the organizational department of my life. I was grateful for Larz and B, who seemed to keep things flowing in an almost flawless fashion.

  After we said our quick goodbyes, I slid into the passenger seat of Larz’s Jeep. It was snowing outside. It was November and the holidays were quickly approaching. This would be my first real Christmas in ten years. I say first, because the ones that I had spent with Jonas were best forgotten.

  “You think you will marry again and have more kids, Larz?” I found myself asking.

  “Nope,” he said frankly.

  “Why not?” Well, wasn’t I just in a chatty mood.

  Larz raised a brow obviously just as curious about my conversational skills today as I was. I rarely uttered more than I had to.

  “It’s just unlikely. Plus I’m already forty-five, and these days they put you out to pasture at forty.” We slipped into a comfortable silence and glancing Larz’s way, I could almost see the cogs turning in his brain. “What about you? You think about marriage? Family?”

  I had no intention of delving into the whole explanation of why I was barren. “Do you honestly think there is a man alive that is capable of dealing with the fucked up life that is mine?” I replied vacantly.

  “Your life won’t always be fucked up, Em, and you are young. There is plenty of time for you to have all that.”

  I snorted, unladylike and rude. Jonas would be horrified and the thought almost made me smile. “I assure you, Larz, I won’t live a long life.”

  He blanched and gave me a hard stare. “Why on earth would you say that?”

  I shrugged. “Jonas had me whipped and raped, then he gifted me to his drug addicted, woman beating son, and that was just for biting one of his VIP clients on the dick. I’ve spent hours, if not weeks talking to the FBI, they are methodically destroying his empire because of me. Do you honestly think that he will allow me to get away with destroying his dirty, perverted, kingdom?”

  Larz’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white and I sighed. Upsetting Larz was the last thing I wanted to do, he had been the tower of strength I had leaned on so many times I’d lost count. He didn’t deserve me unloading that kind of shit on him.

  “Finished with the pity party?” He finally murmured. It was my turn to blanch. “You were handed a rough deal, Em, more than a rough deal. Words can’t express how shitty your deal was. No human being should ever have to endure what you went through. But you’re here, you’re alive. You are strong, a hell of a lot stronger than Jonas Levier. And when you finally come to accept that, you’ll realize he has no hold on you anymore. You can be whoever you want to be, and if that is a wife and a mother, then more power to you.” He gave me a quick glance before turning his ever watchful gaze back out the windshield. “I may not have known you your whole life, Em, but you are like a daughter to me. I wasn’t there for my girls. I chose my career over fatherhood, and I’ve paid for that mistake. But I am not leaving you. You have my protection and friendship, always. I will forever be honest with you, honey, and trust me when I say, the only person who has the power to truly defeat Jonas is you. Whether he dies or not, you are responsible for how far that son-of-a-bitch can reach. You can allow him to direct and rule every decision you make from here on out, or you can lay those demons to rest and take charge of your life.”

  I swallowed the harsh truth Larz had just dished out. “I want to kill him,” I finally breathed, my fists clenched. It wasn’t a rhetorical statement. It was the pure, God’s honest truth. Killing Jonas was not simply a want, but a need. I needed Jonas Levier powerless, for him to break before me. Jonas needed to see the strength that Larz saw in me, because once Jonas had broken me, he gloried in it like a gluttonous pig. Power needed to shift, and Jonas Levier on his knees before me was something I needed for my life to be able to move forward.r />
  “I get that, honey, but you might never get the chance. You can’t live the remainder of your life hungering for something that might never come.”

  It had to come though, because right now it was the only thing I lived for.

  ***

  As we pushed through the doors that led into the small complex that housed Annie’s coffee house and Bouquets, I immediately located Rebecca sitting with Charlie, Jax and Ella. They sat on one of the cozy lounges in the cafe, laughing loudly and easily. It reminded me of the TV sitcom, Friends, which as a teenager was without a doubt my favorite show ever. The couples sitting around chatting didn’t resemble any of the characters from that show though. Jaxon Carter was huge and intimidating, but his personality was a total contradiction. He was gentle and sweet, his smile genuine and warm. He sat with his girlfriend, Ella, drawn under the comforting warmth of his arm. Ella was the polar opposite of Jax as far as looks were concerned. Her hair was long, black and dead straight, her eyes were accented with a hint of what I thought was Asian ancestry, and her skin was soft and pale. She was tiny, like a little doll you wanted to slip in your pocket and keep safe. I knew Ella had a past that sometimes echoed in the depths of her dark eyes, and the faint scars on her arms told stories that I wasn’t entitled to know yet. I might never know, but I didn’t need to. Just seeing her scars made me empathetic towards her. Rebecca leaned forward and placed her hands on Ella’s small protruding belly. The action squeezed at my heart. Ella was four months pregnant and just beginning to show. Even if she wasn’t showing, the glow in her cheeks and pride in her man’s eyes was sign enough that this couple was headed for the adventure of a lifetime. Seeing Rebecca’s easy relationship with Ella sent a pang of jealousy straight into my heart. I wanted that ease with my sister, but I felt I wasn’t entitled to that either. When I left Claymont, I had also left Rebecca. In leaving, I brought the Levier men’s hate into our lives. I couldn’t help but think Rebecca must be disappointed in me.

  Charlie turned to say something to Rebecca and saw me standing there, staring at them. Larz had disappeared to a table in the corner where another of the Montgomery staff sat sipping coffee. Drew was a big son-of-a-bitch, his face scarred in a way that made him look menacing. I noticed the big warrior’s eyes settle on Lola, who was sitting at the Bouquets counter, her attention completely focused on a newspaper. Lola did that a lot. In fact, Rebecca mentioned it was a daily ritual for her. She spent hours poring over the paper as if searching for something special, which she never seemed to find. There was a story there, in the girl whose entire wardrobe was dipped in the color emo. Her gaze was always cautious, she looked over her shoulder often, and perused the paper with manic intent. If I could notice her nervous ticks, there was no doubt Drew had picked up on them as well. His eyes always lingered on the sullen girl as if trying to work out a curious puzzle. Glancing back at Charlie he gave me his token goofball smile before tapping Rebecca on the shoulder. As soon as my sister noticed me she jumped to her feet, her smile flawless, her beauty radiant. Taking my hand she pulled me to a table and chairs on the far side of the café, close to Larz and Drew. At one time, such an innocent touch would send me into a panic attack. Not anymore though. I didn’t enjoy being touched, but I could handle something small like this. The first time B had reached out to take my hand, and I had willingly clasped her fingers in mine, she cried. Having felt the comfort of Braiden’s hand, I knew how much the simple gesture meant. Rebecca slid into a chair, and I sat in the one opposite her.

  “How was your day?” she began.

  I shrugged. “It was okay. I hung out with Eli this afternoon.”

  “Annie told me you and Larz were over there. He’s a good kid. I think she’s worried he might be a little jealous over Ella’s pregnancy though. He’s been the only kid on the block and gets all the attention. Baby Carter isn’t even here yet, and he’s already beginning to steal some of the limelight.” My sister was rambling. She only did this if she was nervous.

  “What’s wrong?”

  B sighed and glanced toward Larz and Drew. It was a comical sight; the two big powerful men sipping coffee in silence.

  “Braiden is back,” she finally offered.

  The air was sucked out of my lungs, and my heart flipped over and thumped loudly in my chest. A thousand different thoughts and emotions bombarded me all at once, the most prominent being Jonas.

  “They found him?” I managed to squeeze through my lips.

  B shook her head. “No, I’m sorry Em, they haven’t. Dillon says they need to stop pushing and wait for him to come out of his hole, wherever that is. When he does, they’ll make a move on him.”

  I kept my hands still, years of practice hiding my emotions behind a wall of indifference held firmly in place. On the inside I was fuming. Braiden had left me to take out Jonas, to make my life safe. When I needed him most, he left me under the guise he was going to finish Jonas. And it was all for nothing. They couldn’t find him. If it wasn’t so serious it would have been laughable, I could have told them Jonas wouldn’t be found. As soon as the FBI started asking questions a few months ago, Jonas would have vanished faster than a virgin on prom night. He had the money and power to do so. While his legit clubs were still paying the bills, his underground illegal clubs that provided unwilling, young girls and women for men who liked to hurt and dominate, would have vanished along with the man himself.

  “You okay Em?”

  My eyes settled over her shoulder, not really seeing anything, and my thoughts were a thousand miles away. “I’m fine, B,” I murmured. “It was a long day at the shelter. I’m looking forward to going home.”

  “Why don’t you come out have dinner with us? Larz can even pretend to be your date. I’ll make him buy you flowers and everything.”

  She was worried for me, yet again. B had spent enough long hours worrying about me. She and Charlie hadn’t had a night out since I returned home from the psychiatric facility. They needed this. I allowed my lips to lift into a smile, albeit slight.

  “No, thank you. Larz and I have a date with a deck of cards tonight.” Larz had me playing poker like a seasoned professional. Outside of Xbox games, it was my second love.

  Rebecca nodded and I stood. With only a moment’s hesitation, she leaned forward and gave me a firm hug. It was over before it began, but it was enough to provide me with some of the starved affection I needed, but was too afraid to take.

  “We won’t be home late.”

  “It’s not like you have curfew anymore, B. Go have fun. I promise I won’t fall apart in your absence.” Rebecca tried to give me a comforting smile but it didn’t reach her eyes. Before she could change her mind about her already planned date night, I turned for the front doors. Larz was already there waiting. He was always a step ahead, always prepared, and he never hovered. As far as protection went, he was by far the best I had ever encountered. With Jonas, my protection had been forced upon Nate, who hated me for it. He’d also always been a step ahead of me, but he hovered, with his judgmental eyes that radiated with menace and distrust. He didn’t like that Jonas had made me into his pet. He saw me as a weakness, a liability. I guess, all things considered, I was.

  Chapter 14

  BRAIDEN

  Perhaps it was sheer stupidity, or perhaps it was hunting one man for too long that had warped my senses and sent my mind into a catatonic state of shock, but I ended up parked on the street in front of Rebecca and Emily’s house. Larz knew I was here; he had already checked the window by the front door to confirm it. I guess he was now wondering if I had the balls to knock. The fact remained that even if I was too big of a pussy to confront the blue eyed beauty, I needed to speak to her about her attempt to contact Jonas. Following a long suffering sigh, I manned up and approached the door. I barely had a chance to knock before it swung open. Larz stood there with an ugly scowl on his face.

  “Good to see you too, old man.” I grinned.

  Larz’s face softened, only marginall
y, and he stepped aside for me to enter. Emily was nowhere in sight.

  “She’s taking a shower. She worked at the shelter this morning then spent the afternoon with Eli. She’s beat.”

  Again the possessive need I felt for Emily made my body tense with jealousy over Larz’s relationship with her. Not that it was anything sexual or untoward, but he had a friendship with her that I didn’t.

  “She made me stop by the library after we left the shelter today,” Larz went on, oblivious to the inner turmoil I was battling.

  “Samuel already contacted Dillon to let him know. She sent another email, but so far there has been no reply.”

  Larz grunted as he strolled into the kitchen and helped himself to a peanut butter sandwich. He held the jar up to me, and I shook my head.

  “I ate at Benny’s this afternoon. I’m not eating again until I run at least five miles to work that grease off.”

  Larz turned to face me, the sandwich frozen in his hands just shy of his lips. He was looking at something, or someone, over my shoulder. Game time, I thought.

  Turning slowly, I allowed a small smile to tug at my lips. Holy shit, she looked...heavenly. There was no other word for it. She’d put on a little weight, her cheeks no longer sunken, her breasts a little larger, and her hips held a gentle feminine curve. Her wet hair hung almost to her shoulders. Her cheeks were a rosy pink, most likely from the hot shower she had just stepped from. She wore a baggy pair of flannel pajama bottoms with a long sleeved thermal top. Her feet were bare, her toenails painted pink. She looked youthful, fresh.