An Act of Redemption (15 page)

Our eyes instantly connect and I stop what I’m doing, right in the middle of an instruction from Jaxson. Anna’s gaze is hesitant as she stares back at me, unsure of my response to her being here. She bites that lip of hers nervously and my eyes drop to her mouth, a mouth that I’ve been aching to taste since leaving her this morning. I glance around to see all the other assholes in the place looking at her with interest and it drives me fucking mad.

“Knight, are you even fucking listening to me?” Jaxson shouts, getting into my face, but I ignore him. Without a word, I move around him and jump down from the ring to head for my girl.

My Anna.

Her eyes widen as I stalk toward her. “Hey, um, I just came to—” Her words die on a gasp when I pick her up off her feet and claim her mouth in a hot fucking kiss. I should feel bad that I’m soaked with sweat and getting it all over her, but nope, I don’t give a flying shit. I want to brand her—mark her with my own scent so everyone knows who she belongs to.

It turns out she doesn’t care either because her slender fingers thread through my sweaty hair, giving as good as she gets. My cock grows hard against her stomach, a growl escaping me as her sweet flavor floods my mouth and rushes through my veins.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Jaxson’s heated words remind me of the spectators we have. Usually, I wouldn’t care, but since the guy is trying to be cool about this I decide it’s best not to push my luck. At least not right away.

Reluctantly, I pull back but keep Anna in my arms and off her feet. It takes her a bit to open her eyes but I wait patiently, taking the moment to watch her sweet expression. Once she opens them, those warm eyes of hers penetrate me like a punch to the chest.

“What was that for?” she asks, her breathless voice jacking my dick harder.

“I couldn’t go another second without tasting you.” Her swollen lips from my kiss tilt into a soft smile. “And to make sure every motherfucker in this place knows exactly who you belong to.”

She gives me one of her sweet giggles and wraps her arms around my neck. “You’re awful sure of yourself, Knight.”

“Yeah, baby, I’ve always been sure when it comes to you.”

Her smile vanishes and she drops her forehead on mine, vulnerability shining bright in her gaze. I hate it, but I know she’s still hurt. I will get her to trust me again.

“Can we please get the fuck back to what you’re supposed to be doing?” Jaxson bellows from the ring, bringing a smile back to Anna’s face.

“You better put me down before he turns into the Hulk and smashes you around.”

“Every blow would be worth it,” I tell her honestly, and it’s the truth, nothing hurts more than not having this girl in my life. I lived with that pain before and barely survived. “Give me one more kiss and I’ll put you down.”

She quirks a brow. “Are you bartering with me?”

“Maybe.” Actually, I just want her to kiss me again, and if she doesn’t hurry the hell up I’m going to take it.

“You never have to barter with me for a kiss.” Leaning in, she gives me what I want, what I constantly ache for.

At the sound of Jaxson’s growl, I realize I’m pushing it. I slowly drop her back to her feet but keep kissing her until she reaches the ground. “What are you doing tonight?” I ask, hoping she says me.

“I have a shift at St. Mary’s that ends at ten, then nothing.”

“How about I pick you up?”

She smiles, clearly liking the idea as much as me. “Yeah, okay.”

“Okay.” I go to give her one more kiss but end up getting shoved to the side before I can make contact.

“What the hell are you doing? Get back in the fucking ring,” Jaxson growls, looking ready to bury me.

With a smirk I dodge his hand that tries to connect with the side of my head. I hear Anna giggle as I make my way back to the ring and turn back to wink at her. “See you tonight, baby.”

“Bye.” She waves shyly.

Jaxson mutters something that has Anna laughing. She launches herself at him and kisses his cheek. “Oh stop being such a grouch.”

He grunts but wraps his arms around her before pointedly looking at me. It’s a warning, letting me know I won’t ever come between them. It’s unnecessary. I’ll give him his time with her, I always will, because in the end Anna will always be mine. Nothing or no one will ever change that.

Anna

S
tanding outside St. Mary’s, I check my watch again to see it’s seven minutes after ten and concern begins to plague me. Logan is never late, at least he never used to be and he always called if he was.

I’m just about to send him a text when the sound of footsteps draws my attention to the left. In the dark night I spot a silhouette in the distance, walking my way. Something about the set of his shoulders and purposeful strides has alarm screaming inside of me. I’m always one to listen to my gut instinct. Since St. Mary’s is closed and Nancy has the keys, I cross the street and head toward a café that’s close by. My heart kicks into overdrive when I glance back to see the guy cross too, and he’s headed right for me, his pace increasing to an alarming speed.

Shit. Keep calm, Anna.

As I give myself the internal pep talk I run through every scenario Jaxson taught me for self-defense. Just as I’m about to reach in my purse for my pepper spray my cell phone vibrates in my trembling hand. I’m thankful when I see it’s Logan’s number. I hit answer and he doesn’t give me a chance to speak. “I’m so sorry, I’m on my way. I got—”

“Logan,” I whisper, my heart in my throat at the sound of fast approaching footsteps getting closer and closer.

“Anna, what’s wrong?”

“I think someone’s following me. I—”

My words are cut off on a scream when an arm snakes around my waist. I hear Logan shout my name just before the phone is knocked out of my hand and I’m thrown up against the cement wall with brutal force. The air knocks from my lungs, but even as I struggle to breathe I still fight with everything I possess. I bring my knee up into my attacker’s groin but he anticipates it. He blocks it and smashes my head into the wall, making black spots dance along my vision. It stuns me long enough that he gets the advantage. I start screaming, praying someone hears me, but he slams his gloved hand over my mouth. A sharp blade bites into the tender skin of my neck and a whimper of fear locks in my throat as icy terror grips me.

My attacker brings his hooded face only inches from mine and I stare back into a pair of dark, malicious eyes. “Listen to me carefully. You’re going to tell your boyfriend to throw the fight. Do you hear me?” I tense as realization dawns on me that he’s talking about Logan. His pressure over my mouth turns painful. “Answer me, bitch! Do you understand?” I nod. “Good, make sure he listens, because if he doesn’t it will end badly, and I’ll deliver his body to you piece by piece.” The threat has a sob escaping me.

His head tilts to the side as he stares at me, his eyes turning soft and a little crazy. “You really are very pretty.” Bile rises in my throat and my fear escalates to a whole new level. Leaning in closer he drags his nose along my cheek, bringing his mouth to my ear. “But as much as I’d love to stay and play, I’ve gotta run.” Shoving away from me he takes off faster than he did coming in.

Frustratingly, my legs give out from beneath me, and I drop to the ground when all I want to do is run. I pull my knees into my trembling body and sob, crying harder than I have in years. Panic overtakes me as long-buried memories from seven years ago resurface. I feel completely helpless against them as they pull me into a full-blown panic attack.

“Breathe, Anna, everything is okay. Please, baby, breathe.” The words penetrate through my hysteria and my heart rate starts to settle at the familiar, soothing voice. I begin to register the warm embrace wrapped around me, and the comforting scent surrounding me. I snap back into myself and realize Logan is on the ground, holding me with my face buried in his neck—the same position he always used to hold me in when I had panic attacks from all those years ago. “Good girl. Just breathe, I got you.”

I cling to him and soak in the safety of his arms as my erratic heartbeat tries to steady itself. Minutes later he grabs hold of my face and brings my gaze to his concerned one. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Am I hurt? I take a moment to see if I feel pain anywhere, but all I can feel is Logan’s warmth.

“Anna, please fucking answer me.”

“I don’t think so,” I croak out through the rawness of my throat. “He just scared me more than anything.” I think about the man’s threat to Logan and it brings a fresh wave of fear to soar through me. “He said…He told me.” I can’t even get the words out.

“I heard what he said,” he grinds out, fury lacing his voice. Before I can question him on what the hell is going on, a car pulls up next to us and a man in a suit gets out of the passenger side. “What the fuck took you guys so long?”

The man doesn’t answer Logan’s question. He looks down at me regretfully before opening the back door. “Not here. Get in.”

I tense, not wanting to go anywhere with them.

“It’s okay, baby, I know them. We’re going back to my place.” Logan stands with me in his arms and carries me into the back of the car with him. I curl into his body, needing his strength, something that I haven’t needed in years, something that I thought I would never need again.

Logan

F
ury pumps through my body as I hold a still-trembling Anna on my lap. The fear that I felt when I heard her scream still has me feeling like I’m going to be sick. I look across the living room at the special agents, wondering what the next move will be, hating that she was targeted because of me.

“Miss Roberts, did you get a good look at your attacker? Could you describe him?”

“I know who the fuck it was!” I snap and feel like shit when Anna flinches. I pull her closer and take a breath, trying to calm the rage hammering through me. “It was Ricketts. He saw me with her yesterday.”

Anna tenses then turns to me, her face pinched with confusion. “What? When?”

“Outside of the gym, after the diner.”

Recognition registers in her gaze as she realizes the reason for my sudden change of mood. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Before I can explain, my door flies open and in charges Jaxson with Cooper following close on his heels. “Anna!” He storms over and rips her from me, pulling her in close. “Jesus, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay.” I can tell she is lying, her voice is still shaking with fear. Her eyes are haunted with memories from all those years ago and I fucking hate it. “I tried to remember everything you taught me but he anticipated it, and then I became so frightened I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t move. I froze, Jaxson.”

Her fear and frustration has my rage reaching a whole new level. I’m going to kill that motherfucker when the time comes.

“It’s okay, kid. Don’t beat yourself up, it happens, we’ll work on it.” Irritation mixes with my rage as Jaxson’s hands rub up and down her back. I hate that he’s the one comforting her right now. “Come on, I’m taking you home with me.”

The thought of him taking her from me right now has panic rearing inside of me. I stand up and pull Anna back from him. “Not happening, Jaxson.”

His eyes turn lethal and he takes a threatening step toward me. “You have no fucking say in the matter. She’s coming with me whether you like it or not.”

“No, she isn’t.”

“You guys, stop it right now!”

We ignore Anna’s fearful order and match each other stance for stance, the air around us thick with dangerous tension. “This is your goddamn fault.” He accuses.

“You think I don’t fucking know that! That’s why she stays with me. I will fix this. We don’t need you interfering like a goddamn hero.”

He grabs me by my shirt and gets in my face. “You listen to me, you little punk—”

Finally, my control snaps and all the violence and frustration I’m feeling erupts. I shove him away from me then go after him, primed and ready for a fight. As soon as I slam into him we both go to the ground.

“No! Stop, please!” Anna’s desperate plea rips through the room while we roll around, trying to pin each other. Our struggle to one up the other doesn’t go on for long before we’re broken up.

“Both of you knock it the fuck off.” Cooper breaks us apart and Agent Davis pulls me back.

Jaxson and I glare each other down, our chests heaving with the same determination. At the sound of a hitching breath I glance over at Anna to see her crying, heartache twisting her delicate features. It makes me feel like shit. I close the distance between us and pull her against me. “I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry.”

She buries her face in my chest and wraps her arms around me. “What the hell is going on, Logan?”

Guilt tears through me at how lost and scared she sounds, all because of me and this fucking case.

Before I can say anything Agent Brooks speaks, “I’m sorry, Miss Roberts, but we can’t delve into information about—”

“Like hell we can’t,” I argue. “She has a right to know after what just happened.”

“He’s right, she does,” Cooper says, backing me up. “She’s in the middle of this now whether we like it or not.”

Brooks’s eyes narrow, not wanting anyone to go against him, but in the end he reluctantly agrees with a nod.

“Come sit down and I’ll explain everything.” I take a seat on the couch and make sure to bring her back down on my lap, needing to hold her. With a deep breath I tell her everything, right down from the moment the agents and Cooper came to me, offering me the plea bargain if I went undercover for them. I explain the fights and rules then tell her Ricketts is my last one before the final, but I make sure to leave out the details about that round. “I caught him watching us yesterday outside the gym. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure it was him. When it was confirmed I figured he was just scoping out where I was training, and I didn’t want to frighten you.”

I give her a moment to absorb everything. I try to gauge her reaction but can’t, and her silent turmoil makes me fucking anxious. Instead of asking me anything she turns to the agents, her gaze narrowing. “Why him?”