All The Right Reasons (The Seduced Series)

All the Right Reasons

Book Two of the Seduced Series

By Jackie McMahon

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Text Copyright ©2013 All rights reserved

Published by Hot Ink Press

Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing, LLC.

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.

Cover by Rue Volley

Everything in life happens for a reason, no matter how hard or how unfair it may sound at first; something bet
ter will always come out of it, without the experience of trouble, calamity, grief and adversity, no one would not have the courage, strength, joy and patience to move forward in this crazy world, someday everything will make perfect sense. So for now laugh at the confusion that life brings, smile through the tears of sorrow and pain, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason…

Chapter One

I could feel the darkness pulling me under
its heavy spell as a powerful surged flowed throughout my body. I couldn’t control it. Fighting the darkness to regain control over my body was nearly impossible but I had to do it. If I let the darkness engulf me, I would die and I knew it and I just couldn’t end my life like this. I had to fight the darkness; not just for me but for mother, for my sister Jenifer and for my whole family. I had to fight it for Carmella, for Amber…for Dennis. Dennis was my one true love, my reason for being…my reason for breathing. I had to overcome this for him, because I know my death would eat him alive. He would blame himself for not being able to protect me, but it was I who ended up protecting him and he would never know that if I didn’t make it.

I
fought off the darkness before it consumed all of me; I started to slowly regain my senses. I could feel, smell and hear everything around me but I still couldn’t make my body move on my own. Even as I heard Dennis’s anguished screams for me to wake up. I couldn’t make anything move to let him know I was okay. My body was completely incapacitated. The amount of power I transferred onto Benny was too much for me to sustain on my own. I couldn’t stop myself, watching him shoot Dennis sent me over the edge. I cared about nothing but making him suffer the worse possible pain that he inflicted on the man I loved. Even as I felt the power draining out of me, I came to the conclusion what if I can reversed the process? Instead of transferring it out I should convert it inwardly to give myself strength. Instead of inflicting pain, I use the energy to heal. I could save my own life, either way I had to try.

I
focused my energy within myself, I didn’t know what I was doing but I was trying to remember what I did to Benny and trying to reverse it. I thought about inflicting harm and I felt so much hate when I used my powers on Benny. So maybe thinking about healing myself, and the pain I’m feeling, and the sorrow that I have for myself. I thought long and hard, focusing on what I wanted, it seemed to working because I could feel and move my hands and legs now. I tried even harder so I could have full control over body again. Seconds went by as I gasped while opening my eyes, to see Dennis hovering by me and a paramedic about to give me CPR.

“Angie? Can you hear me?” Dennis asked frantically.

“Dennis?” I asked. I was kinda relieved that nothing felt out of place in me. His facial expression turned to disbelief, then joy and finally relief in mere seconds.

“Thank heavens,” he said leaning down and kissing my forehead. “Don’t do that to me again,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t control it…”

“Shh, it
’s okay. As long as you’re okay,” he said wrapping me in his arms.

“Um sir, try to take it easy. I want to check her vitals and maybe have her get check in at the hospital for further testing,” the young look
ing paramedic said to Dennis. Dennis didn’t look too happy about it but it was for my own good. I mean shit, I practically died from my own power from within me. Who would’ve guessed?

“Okay,” Dennis agreed.

“I heard you say that you loved me,” I whispered, only just realizing that it was actually true.

“Of course I
love you. I’ve loved you since day one. I felt pain like no other when I thought I lost you,” he shook his head. “I can’t live without you Angelina.”

“I’m glad
because I can’t live without you too,” I said and he let out a little laugh. I turned my head to see Carmella and Amber both looking like they too were in hell at the thought of me dying. I tried get up but was stopped by the paramedic.

“Miss, please stay still till we get a stretcher.”

“Careful beautiful. Maybe you should listen to the man. I mean, it is his job,” Dennis said cautiously but I shook my head at the both of them.

“I’m fine
,” I said as I stood up and I walked over to Carmella and hugged her.

“Oh Angelina,
” she cried.

“I’m sorry Carmella
,” I said as she nodded and touched my face.

“I’m glad you’re okay. That’s all that matters,” she said
. I walk over to Amber and hugged her too.

“You’re in so much trouble for that
little stunt missy,” Amber teased.

“I’m sorry,” I said bowing
my head and she kissed my forehead. That’s when I noticed Dennis’s leg.

“
Holy shit! Dennis, are you okay?” I rushed back to him and into his arms.

“I’m fine. The paramedics will take care of it,” he said. T
hen I noticed that all of Benny’s men that were killed were being taking away in body bags.

“Where’s Benny?” I asked.

“The coroner just took his body a little while ago. He’s dead, it’s all over,” he said.

“What about you? Y
ou’re in pain,” I said frowning.

“I’m a big boy.
I can handle it. I had worse,” he said.

The paramedics came in with a stretcher. They wanted me to lie down but I refused. I felt fine…better than ever. But Dennis gave me the look to listen to them, so I did. It was for my own good anyway. As they wheeled me out of the kitchen I glanced into to living room and seen Colin
, I think that was his name, sitting on one of the couches. I wonder why he is here, maybe for Benny or for me. Just before I was wheeled out, I glanced over my shoulder and seen Colin walk over to Dennis. The paramedics pushed me inside of the ambulance and put on a blood pressure cuff on my arm and check my vitals. As they finished up they instructed me that they were indeed bringing me to the hospital only because of the shook I was subdued to. Just as they were shutting the ambulance doors, Dennis hobbled his way inside.

“They want to take me to the hospital,” I said to Dennis
with a frown.

“Well, I guess I’ll be joining you,” he said as he motioned towards his leg.

We both sat in the back of the ambulance in silence till I remembered; if I was able to sustain myself couldn’t I heal Dennis’s leg? I leaned forward to Dennis; he looked at me with slight confusion etched on his face.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“I’m going to try and heal your leg.”

“I don’t know about that…” he said but I stopped him.
I grabbed his leg with both of my hands and tried to focus like I did earlier, I noticed my ring glow red. It was hard to focus knowing the ring was giving me this power, but I knew deep down inside that I could take the bullet out and heal him. I heard him groan in pain as the bullet came out of his leg and dropped to the floor as the bullet wound mended itself closed.

“Holy shit!” The paramedic exclaimed
as he looked at me in shock as to what I just did.

“Are you okay?” I asked
Dennis and ignoring the young paramedic, not sure if I did the right thing.

“Yes
,” Dennis said moving his leg back and forth while flexing his calf. “It’s completely healed,” he said looking at me. “How the hell did you do that?”

“The same way
I did earlier. I just focused on healing you instead of hurting you,” I said smiling that I removed the bullet and stopped his pain.

“Remind me
to never to mess with you,” he said as we both laughed. Once we arrived at the emergency entrance of the hospital there were three black SUV’s parked waiting for us. The man I recalled as to Colin walked up to us as we were being taking out of the ambulance.

“I’m so sorry.
Benny tricked us, all of us. That crazy son of a bitch!”

“Is he really dead
?” I asked.

“
Yes, it’s finally over,” he gave Dennis a hug. “Good to see you both are still in one peace. Are they admitting you both?” Colin asked as Dennis shook his head no. Colin raised an eyebrow not quite understanding.

“No. Angelina just took the bullet out and healed my leg,” Dennis said as Colin’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

“Really?”

“Yeah, so it’s just Angelina that is being admitted. They want to make sure that she is fine,
due to the circumstances,” Dennis said as he shook his head. I know what he is thinking and he is right. Why the hell am I being admitted when I just healed him, if anything he should be the one who should be admitted into the hospital?

“Okay. I think we have it under control here now Dennis. Go home and I’ll talk to you later,” Colin instructed him.

“Sure,” Dennis said but his voice sounded strained.

When I looked at his face,
he smiled at me but it didn’t look right. He came in with me as the nurses told me to sit in one of the empty wheelchairs. They pushed me towards the elevators and up to the third floor. Once inside the room, they instructed me to get undressed and put on a hospital gown and wait for the attending doctor to come. I quickly stripped out of my clothes as Dennis had his back turned away from me. I finished and sat on the bed. Damn, I hate hospitals and I hate these fucking gowns. Why do they have to have my ass hang out? There’s nothing wrong with my ass.

“W
hat happened back there?” I asked Dennis as he turned his gaze back towards me and shuddered at the thought of what happened.

“I’m not
exactly sure. All I know is that your ring started to glow a crazy red demonic color and your eyes turned charcoal black.”

“Black? Like all
over?” I asked shocked. Nothing felt abnormal except the power that surged throughout my body.

“You looked like you were in
a trance or something, which was weird because when you healed my leg none of those things happened, only your ring made the same glowing red.”

“Huh, so
I guess black eyes signify trouble,” I nodded to myself and he let out a low chuckle and then his demeanor turned solemn.

“I’m going to mis
s you,” he whispered to himself while touching my cheek.

“What?” I asked. Why would he
miss me? I was here and I was not going anywhere. He shook his head. Just then a young man in blue scrubs, probably in his early twenties approached us with two men dressed in black suits like Colin, accompanied him into the room. I’m guessing that he is the doctor and those are CIA agents.

“Well Miss Moore, I’m Doctor Matthews and I will be your attending doctor for the mean time,” he said as he flipped through the sheets of my chart.
“If you’ll excuse us Mister…”

“Evers, and I’ll be leaving anyway.”

“Agent Evers, a car is ready for you outside sir,” one of the black suited men said to Dennis and he nodded back to him.

“Just give us a minute
,” Dennis said in a sad voice. The two men and the doctor nodded and turned towards the door. Dennis turned back to look at me.

“I have to leave
with them Ang,” he said.

“What?” I asked. W
hat was he saying? He really was leaving me this time and for good?

“I have to go but they will keep you safe here till your ready to go back to your old life
. It’s not safe for you to be with me,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “My world is too dangerous for you.”

“No,
you’re not doing this to me again,” I said grabbing his arm. “I don’t care about being safe, I care about being with you. Please don’t do this to me,” I begged.

“I canno
t risk your life. You heard what Benny said. Bastards like him are going to want to kill you, just because I love you. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you,” he said squeezing my hand. “And especially if they ever found out about your gift.”

“Dennis
please, I love you. We can’t be apart, I can’t be without you,” I whispered. I can’t believe that after everything that has happened between us I was still going to lose him.

“Y
ou will be just fine. Trust me,” he said in a soft voice as he bent down to kiss me ever so softly on my lips. My hands involuntary went in his hair and held him to me. I didn’t want to end this kiss.

“Don’t I have a choice?
” I murmured against his lips. “I choose you. I need you,” I said as tears started to form in my eyes. He grabbed both sides of my face in his hands and gave me a sincere look.

“You deserve a happy, normal
, and stress free life. I want that for you which is why I have to let you go. Put yourself in my shoes, if you knew for sure that I was going to be okay without you, would you try to hold me back for your own selfish reasons?” He asked.

“No, not if you chose it. Not if you knew you wouldn’t be able to survive a day without me,” I said shaking my head.

“Keep yourself safe, for me?” He asked.

His words
hitting me in my weakest spot, I would do anything for him even if it hurt me in the process and if that was what he really wanted then I would leave. ‘I’ve been looking for Dennis’s weakness for years,’ Benny’s voice came back to me from earlier. That was it, I was a weakness to him; I would be the one thing holding him back from doing what he loved to do. If I stayed with him, he would always need to look over his shoulder for me, always trying to protect me. And if I got hurt, he would blame himself. If he had the strength and unselfishness to let me go, then I should too. I slowly nodded as the tears streamed down my face.