An Act of Redemption (16 page)

“What do you mean?” Brooks asks in confusion.

“I mean, why did you choose him to do this? I don’t understand why you wouldn’t put an undercover agent in. Out of all the people you could have chosen, why him?”

He shifts uncomfortably before answering. “We have our reasons.”

Anna catches on quickly, because one thing she is not is stupid. “You are unbelievable.” Her words are low and laced with a fury I’ve never heard from her before.

“Look, Miss Roberts, I understand what you may be thinking but—”

She jumps to her feet in a flash. “Don’t you dare try to feed me your bullshit!” Everyone rears back at her outburst, especially me. “Who the hell do you think you are? You get an ex-convict to do your dirty work because his life is less important to you than one of your agents?”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is! That’s exactly what this is about, but you’re wrong, he does matter. His life matters to us, to the people who love and care about him, and now his life is in danger because of your goddamn self-worth. Well fuck you and your case!”

Stunned silence consumes the room, her words shocking the hell out of me, but it also has something shifting in my chest. I’m not going to deny that I’ve thought the very same thing, but to hear her call them out, to tell them that I matter to her makes me want to kiss the shit out of her.

I glance at Jaxson to see him looking as shocked as I feel, but also proud. Cooper looking pretty much the same.

Agent Davis is the one to break the quiet. “You’re right, we asked an ex-convict for a reason but it isn’t for the one you think. We lost an agent in there because he was found out. No one is going to suspect Logan to be working with the police. He also knows someone on the inside so it made it easier to get him in, and his fighting ability makes him much more qualified than any of our own. This case is important to us. Many lives have been lost in that final death round and we don’t want any more.”

I watch her visibly tense. “Final death round?”

Shit!

“The tenth round is an event held for a private group of people. I’m not sure who yet, that’s what we need to find out. That round they fight to the death,” Davis explains, not realizing he’s not helping his case with her. “Do you understand now why this is so important? Why we need him?”

“No, what I understand is you need to find someone else because he’s not doing it. Not any more.”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t do that, he’s almost done. Only one more round to go until that final one.”

“I don’t care about any of that. I care about him!” she yells. “That man just told me he was going to deliver my boyfriend’s body to me in pieces if he continued to do this. Do you understand that?” Her words come out strangled and cracks my fucking heart in half.

I pull her back down on top of me. “It will be okay, baby, I promise. I can take care of myself.”

“No, it’s not. None of this is okay.” She turns to me, her gaze pleading. “Please, Logan, don’t do this, I’m begging you. It’s not worth risking your life.”

I wish I could promise her that. I would do anything to have her not hurt like this, but I can’t. “I’m sorry, but I gave them my word.” She’s about to argue but I don’t let her. I cup her face and stare back into her warm eyes that I’ve missed so fucking much and tell her the truth. I keep my voice low so only she can hear me. “I need to do this, Anna, I don’t want to go back there.” I hate admitting that to her, to sound so weak, but I need her to understand. I’d rather die than go back to that place.

My words register. A stark pain hits her eyes just before she drops her forehead on mine with a sob and it fucking guts me.

“Shh, it’s okay.” I brush my lips across her wet cheek, catching her falling tears. “I promise nothing will happen to me. I can do this, Anna, and that motherfucker will pay for what he did to you tonight.”

“I want to know what you have in place to secure his safety.” My head snaps over to Jaxson as he questions the agents.

“Don’t worry about that, we got it covered,” Davis says, his tone holding annoyance.

I catch Jaxson’s jaw clench at the agent’s brush-off, fury igniting his eyes. It’s a look I know well. Davis is treading into unknown territory. If I was nicer I would warn him but I decide not to, he needs to be taken down a notch.

“That’s not what I asked you.”

“I don’t answer to you, SEAL boy, so mind your own damn business.”

“Uh oh,” Anna whispers, knowing what’s about to come.

In a flash Jaxson has the agent by the throat and against the wall. Cooper steps in front of Brooks when he advances to save his partner.

“You listen to me, you arrogant prick. These kids are my business so you answer my fucking questions and bury your self-righteous bullshit or I will
bury
you, got it?”

I feel like stating we are far from being
kids
, but decide to save it for another time because I’m quite enjoying Davis being put in his place. The guy can be a real asshole sometimes.

“All right, Jaxson, that’s enough. Lay off now.” Jaxson drops Davis to his feet and allows Cooper to pull him away.

“Are you fucking crazy?” Davis sputters.

“You had it coming and you know it.” Cooper’s right, he did, and the agent knows it, too.

With a glare, Davis stands and points at Jaxson. “That’s your only free pass, next time I lock your ass up.”

Jaxson grunts. “You don’t scare me, you little shit. Take your power trip and shove it up your ass.”

“Jesus, Jaxson, will you shut up.” Cooper pinches the bridge of his nose. Something I’ve seen him do often when he’s stressed.

“This is a federal case that doesn’t involve you. You have no right to demand answers.”

Tired of this pissing match, I decide now is a good time to cut in. “He has every right to ask questions. It’s his sister who was just attacked, and he’s the one who’s been helping me live through these fights so I can get the information
you
need. So instead of measuring who has the bigger dick let’s focus on what’s important here, and that’s Ricketts. He took this to an entirely new level by involving Anna, and he needs to fucking pay for it.”

“Agreed,” Cooper says, backing me up as usual, which I appreciate.

Davis and Brooks finally pull their heads out of their asses. “Listen, we can’t do anything yet, the fight is in a week. After it’s done we’ll make sure he’s dealt with, but not before then. We can’t, it would jeopardize everything. In the meantime we’ll put someone on Miss Roberts, just to be safe.”

That has me feeling a little better.

“Me? What about Logan? He’s the one in danger.”

I shake my head at Anna’s concern. “I’m fine, baby, I can take care of myself and he knows it. It’s why he went to you and not me.”

“I agree,” Brooks says. “I don’t think she’s in danger. It was a scare tactic because Ricketts knows he’s going down. We stick to the plan for now, but like I said, after the fight he’ll be dealt with properly.”

If I don’t kill him first, but I keep that thought to myself.

“We’ll be in touch. Contact us if anything else happens,” Davis says. As the agents make their exit, Davis swings a final look of contempt in Jaxson’s direction.

“Jesus, I fucking hate feds. They’re nothing but a bunch of arrogant pricks,” Cooper mutters.

Jaxson’s eyes bore into mine and I hold his stare, bracing myself for the fight I’m sure is to come. “Both of you come home with me.”

I blink, not expecting him to say that and I reject the idea fast. “No way, I’m not going to your house. Not with Julia and Annabelle there.” Before he can argue I turn to Anna. “Maybe you should go, just to be safe. At least until the fight is over and the cops have Ricketts.” I hate every word that falls from my mouth, but I’m trying to do what’s best. I would protect Anna with my life, but if this isn’t a scare tactic and I’m a target she would be safer at Jaxson’s until this is over.

“No, I’m not leaving you.”

“Anna, it’s for the best,” Jaxson starts but she cuts him off.

“No, I’m not leaving him.” She turns to me, determination igniting her gaze. “I’m serious, Logan, don’t push me away—not again.” Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, bringing me back to that day four years ago at the prison. “Please,” she whispers, “don’t do that to me again.”

I blow out a heavy breath and nod. “I won’t, it was just a suggestion. If you want to stay with me then we’ll make it work.”

She drops her head on mine with relief. “Thank you.”

“Fuck’s sake!” Jaxson curses, clearly not pleased with the decision, like I knew he wouldn’t be.

Anna goes to him and wraps her arms around his waist. “Please try to understand, I can’t leave him and I don’t want to. You know how hard this has been on me, Jaxson. I need to be with him.”

Her soft words hit me like a punch to the gut. To know she needs me as much as I do her has something breaking free inside of me. Something that was locked up tight but now has me breathing easier.

“I’m just worried, kid, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

I’m just about to tell him I wouldn’t let it but she beats me to it. “Logan won’t let anything happen to me.”

The conviction of that statement causes another shift inside of me. Not only am I glad she trusts me enough to take care of her, but also choosing me to do it instead of Jaxson. As much as I try to be understanding of their relationship I want to be the one she goes to, the one she trusts to protect her. For once I want to be her hero, not him.

“If it makes you feel better how about when I’m not with Logan or at school I’ll come to the gym or your house.”

That’s exactly what I would have had her do anyway, but she’ll be glued to my fucking side every possible moment.

I can tell Jaxson is close to giving in but he tries one more time to persuade her. “I have guns at my house.”

I grunt. “So do I.”

“What? How the hell do you have a gun?” Cooper asks, but doesn’t give me a chance to speak. “You know what, don’t answer that, I don’t want to know. Jesus, I got one who has illegal fucking guns, the other is tossing out threats to the fucking feds. I swear, you assholes give me heartburn.”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t have something to protect myself with the shit they have me involved in? And how do you know it’s illegal, maybe it’s not.”

He gives me a you-have-got-to-be-shittin’-me look. I shrug, it was worth a try. Truth be told I knew it would take too long, and I figured my chances of getting approved for one were slim to none. I did what I had to do, no way would I be taken off guard unprotected.

Never again.

“Whenever you can’t be with him I want you with me. Got it?” Jaxson says to Anna, his demand breaking me from where my thoughts were just about to go.

“I promise.”

Cooper walks over to me. “I get that you’re helping the feds and you need to follow the plan, but remember, nothing is more important than your life, especially not this case. If something doesn’t feel right, you break that plan. Don’t put yourself in a position you can’t get out of.” I nod and he sticks out his hand to me. “You have my number if you need me.”

“Thanks.” I’m not used to people having my back. I’ve always been the one to shoulder all the responsibility and usually I like it that way, but right now I appreciate his help. I trust him a hell of a lot more than the agents I’m working for.

With a final goodbye they both walk out the door, leaving Anna and me alone. She watches me hesitantly, her eyes looking tired and haunted from tonight’s events.

“You okay?” I blurt out, before I realize how stupid the question is.

“Yeah, I think so. Just tired.” She clears her throat. “Um, I just realized we both don’t have our vehicles here and I don’t have anything for tonight.”

“We’ll worry about all that in the morning. I have a spare toothbrush you can use and you can borrow something of mine to wear.”

She nods. “Okay, thanks. Um, do you mind if I have a shower?”

My cock instantly swells at the thought of her in my shower, but I try to tamp it down, knowing now’s not the time after everything that’s happened. “Yeah.” My voice is rough, betraying my good intentions. I go grab her a pair of sweats and one of my shirts then a towel before showing her to the bathroom. Once she closes the door and I hear the shower turn on, my already hard dick throbs like a motherfucker.

Shaking my head, I walk out onto the balcony to have a smoke, needing to ease the tension coiling inside of me. This is going to be a long fucking night.

Anna

I
walk out of the bathroom feeling a little more refreshed, though no less disturbed from tonight’s events. I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around everything.

I enter the living room to find it empty but notice the balcony door is open. Walking over, I tentatively peek my head out to see Logan sitting on a chair having a cigarette, lost in thought. I use this moment to take him in, from his rumpled, messy hair to his troubled expression, he looks lost rather than the sure, confident guy I’ve always known. I also notice his back is against the building as he stares out at the world in front of him. In the years he’s been gone something has changed in him. I still see his old self, and he was always guarded, but now he’s…harder? I don’t know the right word for it, but it hurts my heart.

As if sensing the weight of my stare he looks at me, and his troubled expression softens. “Hey, did you find everything okay?”

“Yes, I did, thank you,” I reply quietly, still having only my head peeking around the door.

“Come out here, Anna. It’s a nice night and I’m enjoying the fresh air.”

“The air you’re having is hardly fresh.” Although I say it in a teasing manner I do really hate that he started smoking again.

He gets that sexy smirk of his that makes my heart flutter in my chest. “Touché.” Taking one last drag of the cigarette he puts it out. “There, now come out here.”

Even though his balcony is mostly private by the half-wall wrapping around it, I still check to make sure no one is around before tentatively stepping out. Logan’s smirk vanishes and his gaze turns to fire as it roams down my half-naked body. I shift under his heated stare and clear my throat. “Uh, your pants didn’t fit. Even when I did the drawstring up as tight as it would go they still fell off.”