Page 3 of Jared's Redemption

“You are miles away, Goliath.” Isabelle whispers next to me, startling me as Amelia’s green eyes peek up at me, squinting against the bright lights. I hand her back to her mother, even as she and my heart protest. This was something I had to do.

We had gone over this plan a dozen times, yet Alec still said he had a bad feeling. I just wanted to get this done, so that Steffen was no longer a threat and screwing this up wasn’t an option. If this rat scurried back underground, there would be a slim chance of us getting this opportunity again. My gut was telling me he was up to something, and it was going to end tonight.

Alec checks the rearview mirrors, both of us on high alert as we travel the winding back roads just a little over a mile from Steffen’s hideout. Without a word, he pulls the car over to the side of the street and I leap out to run into the woods. Sacrificing stealth for speed, my boots crunch through the snow that covers the ground as I follow the map I had memorized earlier. The pine trees offer sporadic cover as I duck under and around branches and fallen logs.

I take just under five minutes to get where I need to be. My steps slow and I crouch low to peer through the thinning tree line and set my eyes on the building shrouded in darkness. The cold seeps through my thick black tracksuit pants, making my knees ache, but I push that aside as I peer through binoculars. My eyes skim over every window, each of them barricaded off by the paranoid man and his team of lackeys.

The wind whips up, making my jaw clench against the cold, but I still don’t flinch from my position. After what feels like hours, my patience pays off and I hear the metal creak of an old door swinging open. My eyes cut to the back of the building as light streams through the opening and a figure steps through. I quickly drop my binoculars, pulling my rifle from where it’s strapped to my back, and peer through the scope. I hold my breath, my entire focus locked onto a shadow that hesitates in the doorway until he is waved forward.

Steffen creeps out into the illuminated patch of snow, tipping his head back as he breathes in the fresh night air with a cigarette hanging between his lips. I watch the bastard light his cigarette while I take a steadying breath and cock my gun, ready to take the shot. A split second too late, alarms ring in my head as the hairs raise up on the back of my neck.

A flash of silver and black careens into me, slapping a hand over my mouth as we tumble into the cold snow. My gun slams to the ground, going off and splintering the wood of a tree directly beside me. The sound immediately gives away my position and rage heats my entire body while I grip my assailant by the throat and roll both of us, slamming their back to the ground, using my much larger body to pin them down.

A breathy moan catches me off guard and my grip slips, allowing the person under me to shoot forward- and press their lips to mine. The soft heat of their wet lips against mine and the overwhelming scent of lavender twist my focus. My body jerks back as I shoot to my feet, finally snapping out of the trance I was in.

“If you fuck like you kiss, then I’m sure we would have a good time together.” A soft voice purrs. A woman lays in the snow, propped up on her elbows, looking me over as if I’m her last meal, or like she wants to cut me open just to see how I tick. Before I can stop myself, my eyes roam down her body and across every curve that is trapped under the silver and black fabric of her pants and thin jacket.

She smirks up at me, tilting her head as she watches me for a reaction.

“See something you like, big guy?” She purrs. The sound of men shouting, heading in our direction, makes my head whip to the side. At least ten men are heading towards where we are hidden amongst the trees. The gunshot gave away our exact location, and it was time to go.

“You fucked everything up.” I snarl, pointing down at the now empty trampled snow under me. “Oh, what the hell?” I snarl, realizing she also snatched my gun before taking off. I don’t have time to track her footprints in the snow, so I turn and sprint for the meeting spot where Alec planned to wait with the car. A two-mile run after kneeling in the snow makes my joints burn with every step, but I force myself to push forward, my feet slipping and nearly causing me to trip in my distracted state.

Finally breaking through the trees, I whip my head around and spot Alec’s car. Putting my head down, I cross the empty road and all but slam into the door before prying it open and ducking inside. He already has the car in reverse, kicking up stone and slush as he peels out, expertly steering us towards home.

“You will not believe this shit.” I hiss, my hands shaking with the urge to punch the dash.

“Put your damn seatbelt on and save it until we get home, so you don’t have to tell us twice. Markus is a nosy ass and would pout if we left him out.” Alec says, glancing over at me to see if I have any visible injuries. But my mind is racing faster than the car I’m trapped in. The moonlight lit up her hair, shadows blurring her beautiful features, but not enough to hide the nagging familiarity. She reminded me of somebody, but I couldn’t remember who, the thought slipped from my mind like sand between my fingers.

When we finally pulled into the driveway, the sun was rising again and my entire body was pissed at me. Before we make it through the gate, Markus is standing on the doorstep with two steaming mugs and a stone cold expression.

“You’re alive.” He says.

“So is Steffen.” I snap. Slamming the car door and brushing past him to walk inside. Alec follows behind, happily taking the cup from his brother and giving him a questioning look.

“They’re both sleeping. Isabelle wanted to wait up for you both, so I fucked her until she was too exhausted to move.” He grins, following us as we walk quietly down the hall to Alec’s office. I walk in first, heading straight to one of the leather chairs opposite the desk. Markus shoves a steaming mug into my hands, winking at me when I glare at him.

“Okay, before you say anything, why the fuck are you wearing lipstick? Did you try to seduce Steffen?” Markus asks, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“I should have killed her.” I snap, swiping at my mouth with the sleeve of my jacket and staring at the pink stain.

“What happened out there?” Alec asks, crossing his arms as he leans against his desk. I throw back the coffee, gulping the hot contents as if it could burn away the shame of failure.

“I had the shot. Just as I was ready to pull the trigger, I was ambushed. This woman slammed into me with enough force to roll the both of us. She knocked the gun from my hands and it went off. Then she fucking kissed me, grabbed my gun and bolted.” I sum up, realizing how insane I sound. Markus throws his head back in a booming laugh and jumps up, dodging me as I swing a fist at the side of his big ass head.

“Damn, she must have been a muscular bitch to take you down. Go get ‘em, tiger.” He chuckles, enjoying the anger seeping from me.

“She caught him off guard. Even Isabelle can throw her weight around when she needs to.” Alec says, walking around the desk to sit in his chair and sighing.

“Did you get a good look at her?” Alec asks me. My brows draw together as I sit forward.

“It was dark, but she had silvery blonde hair, and there was something familiar about her.” I say, deciding not to share that she was gorgeous and had the kind of curves that made me want to run my hands over every plump inch of her. But Markus catches on, tsking as he sits back down beside me.

“You got a hard on for a girl you just saw? That’ll get you into trouble.” He warns me, nodding his head in the direction of their bedroom where Isabelle is sleeping.

“Except I don’t plan on kidnapping her.” I retort. He just smiles and shakes his head.

“Be careful. She might kidnap you.” He says. Alec rubs his eyes, obviously fed up with our banter.

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