Redemption (21 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Neveah.

An entire week passed before I stepped another foot into the gym. Dad had done a great job at avoiding me all week. I was way past grumpy when Chase cornered me.

“You okay?”

His wide blue eyes were thoughtful, and his smile sweet. Chase had seen the entire thing and hadn’t said a word to anyone. “Better.”

He gave my dad a sideways glance before touching my cheek. “Want to spar for a bit? You can take out that built-up frustration on me.”

“That actually sounds like a really good idea.”

Chase handed me a pair of gloves. “Well then, follow me.” We made our way to the punching bag in the corner of the gym. The same punching bag Rage had used the day we were almost caught.

We fell into a rhythm.
Jab, jab, hook. Jab, jab, hook.

“So, are you really okay? You talked to your dad about what happened yet?”

I sighed. “No, he’s been avoiding me.” I swung my arm, meeting Chase’s gaze from across the bag. “Thank you for your help the other day. It wasn’t pretty.”

Chase gave me a small smirk. “Your dad loves you, Neveah. Hell, I love your crazy ass, but I can also see that Declan loves you. I see it on his face. Where’d he end up going?”

“Aunt Shelly’s. We’re keeping it on the DL until my dad calms down. I’m not sure how soon that’ll happen. He doesn’t look like he’s budging.”

Chase steadied the bag as I assaulted it, letting all my frustrations out. “Maybe you should try talking to him. Tell him everything you know. We all know Declan’s hiding something.”

It’d crossed my mind. Hell, it was all I had been thinking about.
But how do you tell your father you’re in love with a person he swears isn’t right for you? How do you tell the person that raised you that you’re going against everything they’ve asked?

Chase swung the bag to the left and caught my wrist. “Grow some balls, Nev. I know there is something special between the two of you. Don’t miss your chance because you’re scared to hurt Wes’ feelings. He’s a grown man that will get the hell over it.”

Grinning, I grabbed the bag and swung it at him. “You know Chase—you’re okay.”

He barked out a laugh that any girl would be lucky to be the cause of. “It only took you eleven years to figure it out. About fucking time.”

***

I miss you.

The text sent my heart soaring. Maybe I looked too much into it, but I didn’t care. Rage had texted me every day and it meant he thought about me as much as I thought about him.

I miss you too.

I shoved my phone into my back pocket and turned the stove off. The chicken and rice casserole smelled great, and I hoped it’d play in my favor since it’s my dad’s favorite.

The door clicked shut, and Dad’s footsteps drew closer. I met him in the dining room. Just one look at him and I could tell he’d lost plenty of sleep this week. Dark half-circles hung beneath both eyes that were narrowed in exhaustion. “Smells good in here.”

I nodded. “It’s the casserole you like. You staying to eat?”

He drew his chair out and plopped down. “I’m starved. I haven’t had a good meal in a few days.”

Whose fault is that?

Dad scooped a helping onto his plate and dug in. His fork scraped against the plate several times before he made eye contact. My stomach tightened at the sadness in his eyes. “Look, Neveah—I’m sorry about the other day. I shouldn’t have fought Declan.”

I took a cautious bite. I needed to watch what I said
.
“I’m not sure what to say Dad.”

He interlocked his fingers on the table. “There isn’t anything else to say. I’m sorry for how I handled the situation but we all three had a deal. You promised me you wouldn’t get too close to him, and he promised to stay away from you. Those rules were for your own good, kid. Everything I do is for you.”

I swallowed the angry scream in my throat. “Dad, I’m not sixteen-years-old anymore. We didn’t mean for anything to happen. Hell, you basically left us alone all the time. What did you expect?”

“For adults to keep their word, Neveah, that’s what I expected. You basically shot that idea to shit. I trusted you, and I trusted him.”

My hands shook against my thighs, anger boiling under my skin. “Tell me why we can’t just be together, Dad? It happened. We’re sorry we went behind your back. But what do you want us to do now? Just forget about each other? How selfish can you be? I love him, Dad. More than I’ve ever loved a boy. You’ve got to understand it. Please.”

I knew he saw the desperation in my face.
How could he have missed it?
There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have said or done to make him understand. “You don’t love him. This is what I wanted to keep you from. He isn’t the right person for you, baby. You deserve someone else. Someone that doesn’t have secrets. We found him near death, Nevaeh! Someone tried to kill him for God knows what? You’re making poor choices.”

No. No. No.
I grinded my teeth to keep back the tears. “No,” I rasped. “I do care about him. And I don’t have to stay here. I can go stay at Aunt Shelly’s for the rest of the summer. Or get myself a place—,”

Dad flew upright, his chair slinging backwards. “You’re already doing it, Nev. What about Phoenix? You’d give up your schooling to date him?”

I hadn’t even thought about Phoenix. Everything back there hurt deep. The internship, Heath and our place together. But I’d put in three years of school, and that’s all that ever mattered to me—until then. Until Rage.

Dad’s gaze was heated. “Where is the smart girl I know? The one that’s strong and makes good decisions.”

The taste of blood filled my mouth. “She fell in love, Dad. She’s still here, but she’s in love.”

Dad ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t let you throw your life away. He’s got too many things he’s hiding.”

From you
. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to find the energy to argue with him but it all drifted away. What Dad said didn’t matter, and it hurt that it didn’t. He’d been my best-friend, my rock, for years. What he said always made sense to me, but this time it didn’t.

“I’m finished eating,” I whispered.

“Neveah,” Dad whispered. “Please don’t do anything crazy. Give it a day or two. Think about your future and about what you want with your life.”

I already had. “Okay, Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m going to head to bed. Can you clean the kitchen?”

Dad’s face fell but he nodded. “Go ahead.”

I nearly raced to my room and locked the door. Lucy’s tail thumped against the floor, and I was thankful for her company. I stripped out of my clothes and took a warm shower, trying to rinse all the bad vibes off of my skin.

My phone lit up as I exited the shower in a long T-shirt. “Hello.”

“Angel. You didn’t text me back. I was worried.”

I smiled at no one and slipped underneath my covers, relaxing into the sound of his voice. “I haven’t check my phone since earlier. I had dinner with Dad.”

He hesitated. “What happened?”

I sighed, pressing my cheek against my pillow. “It didn’t go very well. He thinks I’m being naïve and that we don’t truly love one another. He doesn’t want me to throw my life away in Phoenix.”

A door slammed on his end, and I listened to his footsteps down Aunt Shelly’s porch. “Where are you going?”

“Just outside. Your aunt is watching some bullshit Lifetime movie, and I’m not going to get suckered in to watching it with her. I’ll take my chances with the wildlife.”

I giggled.

“What do you think about what your dad said? Had you thought about Phoenix? What’s gonna happen when you move back there?”

Tugging on my comforter, I watched the stars from my bedroom window. “I’m not sure. I was going to ask you what would happen.”

“Angel,” he whispered. “I’d do anything to be with you. If that meant packing up and moving to Phoenix, or you transferring closer to home and me driving every goddamn day to see you. No distance can keep us apart.”

I sniffled a cry. Knowing he’d follow me, comforted me but something still weight heavy on my shoulders. “What about my dad? I can’t not see him again, Rage .He’s all the family I have.”

Rage cleared his throat, and I could tell he was thinking. If I had to bet his brows were furrowed and his teeth gnawed on his bottom lip. “Your dad will come around. We’ll both talk to him soon. He loves you and once he knows I’m trustworthy and dedicated to you, he’ll understand.”

I hoped. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For sticking through this with me. If this hasn’t showed my dad how amazing you are, I’m not sure anything will. You haven’t turned your back on me, or gave up, I’ll always remember that.”

“You’re getting mushy on me, Champ. What happened to that smartass mouth of yours?”

I heard the smile in his voice. “She’s here wondering why you’re not living up to your promises of fulfilling me sexually. I mean—I’d hate to go find Cooper to handle my lady bits.”

Rage groaned into the phone. “Didn’t I tell you no one else would ever be between those legs again?”

I grinned into my pillow. “He could always hit it form the back, and then technically he wouldn’t be between my legs.”

“Thin ice, Champ. Thin ice.”

I laughed. “He’d never make me feel the way you do,” I said. “I can’t wait for you to hold me again. I miss seeing you.”

“Hold on.”

The silence on the other end stretched on for a few minutes before I heard my phone buzz in my ear. I checked my new message and my panties dampened at the picture staring back at me. Rage was shirtless in my Aunt’s shower, water dripped down his shoulders, and his hair dipped low over his forehead.

“Holy shit,” I whispered.

“You like that?” his voice awakened on the other end. “Now imagine me over you, kissing your mouth and neck. My fingers tugging on your hair and zipper. Can you feel it?”

Oh holy shit.
I’d never done this before. “Yes,” I whispered, my fingers sinking down my belly to the drenched folds. “I can feel it.”

Rage groaned into the phone, and I could imagine him touching himself, his huge palm stroking his cock. I wanted to scream at the pain of not touching him. “Tell me what you’re doing.”

I bit my lip and screwed my eyes closed. “I’m fingering myself, imagining it’s you inside of me.” Adrenaline soared through my body. Despite the heat surfacing on my cheeks, I increased my pace.

“Goddamn, Angel. I can’t wait to be inside you. Inside that tight pink pussy, stretching you as wide as you can go. I want to eat and suck you until my jaw breaks.”

Oh my …

Warmth engulfed my body, and my stomach clenched. His filthy mouth sent me soaring over the edge, and I didn’t even care about the unladylike sounds coming from my mouth.

“That’s it, Angel. Come for me,” he cooed, right before his voice hitched, and I knew he released.

“I’ve never done that before,” I whispered into the phone.

“Well, you’re not alone. It was my first time too.”

“You did a good job to be your first time. Are you bad at anything, Rage Cohen?”

He chuckled. “Obviously making good impressions on fathers. I haven’t figured that one out yet.”

I snorted. “You’ll get there. We all have our faults, and mine is blushing while having phone sex.”

“I imagined you blushing just now. I knew those cheeks were pink.”

I relaxed my head, and stared at the ceiling. “Come home quick to me, okay?”

He groaned. “I love you Neveah.”

“I love you.”

***

A
thump
woke me up.

I sat straight up in my bed, my head dizzy and my eyes blurry from sleep. The darkened room slowly came into focus, and the first thing I noticed was the opened bedroom window.

A humid breeze blew into the room and despite the sweat trickling down my face, I shivered with fear. I clutched my covers and whistled for Lucy but she didn’t come.

Carefully, I sat up and my heart stopped. Lucy laid beside my bed, her chest still moving but clearly unconscious. “Oh God,” I whispered.

“God can’t help you now.”

I whipped around, coming face to face with a man I’d never seen before. His eyes were so dark that I saw the evil. He wore a black beanie and gloves. I went to scream, but he pressed a handkerchief to my mouth, and everything became hazy. His chuckle was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

Twenty-Five

Rage

I didn’t sleep the night before. I couldn’t after all Neveah had said. After hearing her come over the phone, and knowing how much she trusted and loved me. I had to fix our situation. I had to grow some balls and take control.

“You’re going over there?” Shelly asked from the kitchen table.

I grabbed an apple and plopped down a fifty dollar bill. I didn’t have much from working for Wes but enough to show some appreciation for her help. “Here is some money to get some food. If I’m staying here, I need to contribute.”

Shelly eyed the money. “I don’t need your money.”

I narrowed my gaze. “But you’ll take it.”

She smiled and watched as I slid into my boots. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

I lifted a brow while lacing up my boots. “Yes, I’m going over there. I can’t sit around and not see her.”

Shelly smiled over her cereal. “You really love her, huh?”

I didn’t answer. It was obvious that I did. I was acting like a little pansy ass bitch, because I was so scared to lose her. But something clicked the night before. Neveah needed a strong man, and I’d be that for her. I’d make her father understand that I loved her.

“I’ll see you later.”

Shelly frowned and rolled her eyes. “You don’t talk much. I thought having a roomie would be more fun than this.”

I grinned. “I’m not watching movies or gossiping with you. But if you need a helpful hand that involves something manly—I’m your guy.”

She laughed, and shook her head. “Be careful. Wes isn’t the nicest of guys when his family is at stake.” I could relate.

“Thanks, Shelly. I’ll be back.”

“If he doesn’t murder you.”

I walked toward the door. “Thanks for the reassurance. I’ll be sure to haunt your ass when he does.”

***

The house was virtually quiet when I walked onto the porch. The only sound was the porch swing creaking in the wind.

Grow some balls, Rage. Get it together.

I knocked three times on the door and waited. Several minutes later, Wes came to the door without a shirt. It was seven-ish, but he was normally up and ready for work.

“What are you doing here?”

I swallowed and lifted my chin. “I’m here to tell you that I’m in love with your daughter, and I’m not going to back down, sir.”

Wes closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose. “I haven’t changed my mind, son. I still don’t want you anywhere near my daugh—,”

“No disrespect, but it’s her life and she’s the one living it. I would never let anything happen to her. I’m so in love with her that I hurt. These past four days have been eating away at me. I need to see her, please.”

Wes gripped the doorframe. “I shouldn’t have trusted you. I knew my daughter would fall for you, I knew it. She’s weak because of her breakup and she needs time—,”

“This isn’t some bullshit game to me! She’s anything but weak! She’s strong and beautiful. She’s the only person in the fucking world that’s meant for me, and I saw it the moment I laid eyes on her. I shouldn’t even have made that stupid ass promise. Please don’t make this harder for us. I’d give my life for her.”

“It’s easy to say that,” Wes said. “You’ve done nothing but lie to us. I know you’re in some shit now and hiding. I’m not an idiot. I won’t let you take my daughter down—,” he trailed off. Something clicked over his face. “Where is Lucy?” He searched the yard. “Lucy!” he called.

I glanced over my shoulder, frustrated that I’d sat and taken so much shit from him. “Lucy!” he called again.

She didn’t come.

He turned around and raced through the house. I followed his heavy footsteps toward Neveah’s room and stopped in the doorjamb.

Lucy paced in front of the window, whining and pawing at her face.
Oh no …
a lamp was knocked over beside her bed. But that wasn’t what scared me. It was that the bed was empty and the sheets were torn off.

Wes reached for a note on the bed and his shoulders tensed. He stared at the paper until I reached forward and snatched it from his hands, he didn’t move.

We’ve got your Angel, Rage.

Come and get her or we’ll start sending body parts.

Christ
. Vomit crawled up my throat, forcing me toward the bathroom where I threw up my dinner. My fingertips clutched the toilet, and the cool porcelain felt like Heaven against my burning skin.

“Who has her?” Wes said, the venom in his voice set me on edge. “Who the fuck has my daughter!”

I shot up from the ground and clutched my hands to keep from slamming his head against the wall. “Denver Ford has her. He’s the biggest drug dealer in Dallas. They have her at his house, I know they do. That’s where my sister is.”

Wes’s lip turned up into a sneer. “You better hope I find my daughter because if I don’t, I’m going to kill you.”

The burning in my eyes threatened to unleash tears. “If we don’t find Neveah, I’d kill myself.”

The door burst opened. Cooper raced in holding a manila folder in his hands. “Wes, I found—,” his voice dropped when he noticed me but a smile replaced it. “I found out that Declan Samuels isn’t who he says he is. Isn’t that right, Rage Cohen?”

I didn’t even give a fuck anymore. Wes slapped the folder down and grabbed Cooper’s shirt. “Don’t act like you brought that here to help me out. The only intention you have is getting Neveah back. Now get the fuck out of here before I beat your ass.”

Cooper’s mouth fell opened. “Where is Neveah—,”

“Out!” Wes screamed. “Now!”

Cooper dropped his head but disappeared. The front door slammed shut a second later. “Don’t think that this means you’re for Neveah, because you’re not. This means I’m keeping you here because you’re the only one that can take me to my daughter.”

I hadn’t thought any different. Taking a deep breath, I pushed aside the fear growing in my chest. I needed to leave. Pain and frustration fought to take over my head. “We need to leave now. My inside connection won’t answer the phone but we’re going to need help.”

A tear fell down Wes’ cheek, and I felt the desperation he had. Neveah was his only family left, and I’d taken that away. “We can ask Chase.”

I frowned. I didn’t want to ask the little prick anything but beggars can’t be choosers. “These guys aren’t some silly little gang. They’re the biggest drug dealers in Texas. I don’t want to risk anyone else’s life with this.”

Wes let out a bitter laugh. “Well it’s to fucking late for that, kid. We’re all fucking dead if I don’t get Neveah back. I’m calling Chase.”

***

I stared at the phone after my sixth call to Dante. Straight to voicemail. Hurt piled on my heart and was slowly suffocating me.

The bastard would not take her away from me. I’d have her in my hands by nightfall and no one would be able to pry her away.

I braced my elbows on my knees and let my head hang.
How had I fucked up so badly?
I should have taken my own advice and left her alone. But part of me was addicted to her, and I knew that part was the real me. The
me
that was there before my parents’ death and before Denver. Before my sister said ‘yes’ to the man that tried to take my life.

The front door shut, then Chase stood in front of me. I half expected him to start hitting me but he didn’t. He offered me his hand. “You ready to go get our girl back?”

Despite wanting to knock him out for the ‘our girl’ statement, I took his hand and stood upright. This guy didn’t know me from Adam, and he was willingly trusting me to save his friend—my true love. “I’m ready to murder this prick. I’m gonna rip him apart.”

Chase grinned. “I’ll hold the garbage bag open for you.”

Wes knocked against Neveah’s door. “Are we ready?” It didn’t take long to notice the handgun in his palm, but I didn’t say anything. He’d probably need the damn thing. Compared to what we were up against, it was a needle against a sword. “I have two more in the truck.”

Wes searched Chase’s face and then turned to mine. “You better hope we find her alive or it’ll be your last day on this earth, son.”

Chase palmed my shoulder when Wes turned around and left. “We’ll get her back, man. I know you love her. And I know you’ll do everything you can to get her back. I’ve got you.”

I just hoped that my everything was fucking good enough this time.

***

Being the middle of the day, it limited our options of saving Neveah. Guards stood in the front of the house, no guns visible, but I knew they were tucked into their belts.

“We’ve got to get to the back side of the house and sneak in. We’ll have to go through the woods.” I pointed toward the forest surrounding the house.

Chase cracked his knuckles. “Can these guys fight?”

I gave him a long sideways glance. “Yes, but they let their guns do the work. So we don’t need to get caught. We’ve got to stay alive.”

Wes snorted, running his palms over his face. “Says the ex-con, right? That’s what the folder Cooper brought over said.”

I couldn’t blame him for reading it. Fuck, I was sleeping with his daughter and my criminal record did nothing to help my situation. “Yeah, I’ve been in prison,” I said, sitting back in Wes’ truck. “The guy behind those doors set-me-up on a drug deal. I’d started dealing to pay for my sister’s college after my parents died when I was eighteen. I’ve had a fucked up life and made fucked up decisions, but I’m not going to fuck this up. My entire world is being held against her will in that fucking house, and I’ll do anything to protect her.”

We stared at each other for a few seconds.

“So, is that the only advice you’ve got,” Chase said from the backseat. “I mean—it’s not very good. Don’t get killed? Don’t get caught? What the fuck, man?”

Wes shot Chase a dirty look. “You’re more than welcomed to stay in the car, Chase. I’ll go get you some tampons at the store later.”

I couldn’t help the smile on my face.

“Hey,” Chase barked out. “I’m here, aren’t I? Forgive a guy for thinking twice about his life.”

Wes opened his mouth, but I cut him off. “Are we going to pull on each other’s dicks all day, or are we going in? I can’t stand another minute of this.”

Wes and Chase both nodded my way and despite the rushing sound of fear in my eardrums, I opened my door and sat off into the woods.

The house was huge, but there weren’t any guards around back. A large swimming pool sat inside a fence that was big enough for a small third-world country. No movement come from the outside, but I had a feeling they weren’t far.

“I’m going to go in the side window—there.” I pointed toward the window closest to us. “I’ll do a quick sweep and wave you in afterwards. Stay here.”

Wes grabbed my forearm, tears coated his eyes and for the first time in a week I felt bad for him. “Bring my baby back to me.”

I nodded, not knowing what to say and started toward the window. The wind blew against my heated skin and soothed the feeling convulsing through me. I crouched down and half-crawled toward the house.

Through the heavy sound of my heart-beat, I made out voices coming from the back. The door slammed and then the water splashed in the pool. My sister’s laugh echoed through the air, and my heart hammered in my throat. I wanted to go find her—to kill Denver right then a there, but I had to find Neveah first.

My sister loved the life she had here, although after today I figured she’d leave, I had no reason to blow my cover and save her first.

A light flickered from the woods, and I gave them a small nod to let them know I was going in. I’d snuck into multiple houses before, stripped people blind of money and jewelry, but I’d never been the good guy. The guy that risked his life to save someone. The pressure ate at my insides.

Turning, I shoved the window up and searched the darkened room. An office. I slipped inside, the air conditioner felt like a blanket over my sweaty skin. The room was bare, only a computer and a few filing cabinets sat against the walls.

Light filtered underneath the door and footsteps thudded against the floor. Once they passed, I walked toward the door and stuck my head out slowly. The gun Wes gave me was tucked into the back of my jeans, but I didn’t plan to use it, not until I had it to Denver’s skull.

The door creaked when I opened it, my foot-steps sounded like bricks to glass. Even my heartbeat sounded loud enough to draw attention. The hallway was long and several doors lined each wall.

Fucking shit, there is another floor to check.
I closed my eyes and thought of where she would be.
Basement? Attic?
There wasn’t anything outside to hold her in, so she had to be in the house somewhere.

I started checking the rooms, my hand latched onto the gun in my jeans, my heart thudding in my eardrums. Most were bedrooms and game rooms.
Nothing.

The staircase stood across the living room. I listened by the edge of the hallway but heard nothing. Pulling my gun out, I crept across the room, my gun ready. I took the staircase two at a time until I stood at the beginning of another long hallway.