Page 23 of Jared's Redemption

Slinking out of the house unnoticed was easy when you could control the security guards with one look. I knew they would spill everything to Alec or Markus, whichever one of them realized I was gone first and held a gun to the poor guards heads. By then, the team I had thrown together would be knee deep in blood and bullets as we ended this war.

A black SUV was waiting for me at the end of the driveway, fresh snow rapidly falling and filling the footprints I left behind with each step. The snowman Amelia and I had built stared back at me with an emptiness I felt in my own chest as I climbed in and nodded for the driver to leave.

“The rest of our men are waiting at his location. Tracking him down was easier than I expected, and I didn’t want to risk him slipping away again. Aden really needs to show his mom how to protect her phone from being hacked.” Chris says from the front passenger seat, glancing at me over his shoulder. Everyone’s features were concealed under black tactical gear, which would make us nearly invisible once we cut the power to the building.

“Where was he hiding?” I ask, fidgeting in the cramped seat.

“He bought a damn hotel.” Chris grumbles, holding his phone out for me to look at. A photo of a hotel, taken during the day, is on the bright screen. I zoom in, trying to figure out where it is, but Chris answers for me.

“You know Lucian Kane, Isabelle’s father? Other side of his territory.” He says, and I curse under my breath as I hand his phone back.

“Any chance we can get through his territory before he notices us?” I ask, afraid of the answer. Chris sighs, throwing his hands up.

“I’ll disable his security cameras, try to cut off their line of communication, but if you could just ask Isabelle for a favor-” He starts, but I cut him off.

“We don’t involve her.” My voice is cold and sharp. Chris shakes his head. “Whatever you say, boss.”

Luna

I heard Jared leave, but I still stayed still and kept my breathing soft and even. I nearly fell asleep and screwed my entire plan up. Jared leaving just worked out even better. I try to tell myself I don’t care where he’s gone to, but it’s a hard lie to swallow. I stuff my feet into my sneakers, throwing on my puffy coat before forcing the bedroom window open and looking around the dark area.

Taking an extra second to appreciate that he doesn’t live on the second floor, I drop out and yank the window shut behind me before turning to run for the woods. I beg him to forgive me as I pat the gun tucked into my waistband that I snagged from his nightstand. What I was doing was for more than just a silly title in my family. It was about respect and finally feeling like I belonged somewhere.

The frigid winter air burns in my lungs as I peer at the phone my brother slipped me earlier today. Aden would be pissed if he knew I used it to text our mother, or more likely, he’d be angrier that she responded. Shoving the device back into my pocket, I focused on not slipping and breaking my damn neck.

My run through the woods is more unsettling and less fun than before. It struck me as funny, that a giant man wearing a skull mask and chasing me down was more comforting than scary. Part of me wished he was here now but I knew better, even so I glanced over my shoulder on occasion just to be sure. The snow falling through the bare branches overhead silenced the world around me and a weight had settled in my gut. Maybe it was intuition or guilt, I couldn’t be sure.

When I finally broke through the tree line and looked around, my teeth were chattering and snow had begun melting through my hair and down my neck. I was miserable by the time I finally found my mothers helicopter waiting, with her sitting in the back with an armed guard pacing.

I stood taller, uncrossing my arms and taking on the persona of the lady that she always demanded me to be. The classes on how to be proper, her punishments when I failed and the years of being berated for my weight and behavior flashed through my mind at a staggering speed. The numbness seeping into my toes became a distant feeling as my entire body followed suit. This was a mistake, but it was too late to turn back now.

The guard pointed his light in my direction, blinding me as I turned my face away before my mother swung the door open and gave me a once over.

“Get in before we are late.” Was all she said. Not a hello, no chance of hearing that she missed me. The same cold and cruel tone I had remembered from my childhood was all that met me. I climbed in, biting my tongue as the guard sat beside me and shut the door, signaling to the pilot to take off. My mothers blonde hair glowed in the light as the chopper started and a headset was handed to me.

“We don’t have time to do anything to make you more appealing, so just hope Steffen doesn’t change his mind.” She hisses the words, disappointment clear in her tone as she looks at me. I just nod, looking out the window and wishing I could see Jared one last time before throwing myself into chaos.

The chopper raises at a dizzying speed, turning and heading towards the future I had chosen. But I was determined to change it all. This wasn’t how my story ended.

The world under us was sleeping, except for a small line of black SUV’s speeding along the edge of town. I wondered where they were going, envying their freedom as the helicopter landed a short time later in a massive field.

“Felicity.” The guard says, holding his hand out to help my mother off once everything has settled. She takes his hand, stepping off and into the snow covered land around us. My first thoughts were how peaceful it was as we walked towards the hotel. Dread had curled its fingers inside me, but I was walking with my head held high.

Guards met us before we even walked through the door, wearing suits and staring at us as if we were a problem. Which I was planning to be, but they didn’t need to know that yet.

“Mr. Roth is expecting us.” My mother says, sweetness dripping in her tone. I fought the urge to roll my eyes, fidgeting in my wet shoes.

“What’s the matter, my dear fiancé?” A low voice coos, snapping my attention to the man who held my freedom in the beating of his heart. I would carve it out with my bare hands if that’s what it took.

“Cold feet.” I say, smirking up at him. He was tall and slim, with short blonde hair and striking blue eyes. They were so different from Jared’s, who had dark brown eyes that I could stare at for hours. Steffen threw his head back with a barking laugh, making me grit my teeth as I kept the fake smile plastered to my face.

“Oh this will be fun.” He says, holding his hand out for me to take. I did as he expected, folding myself into his side even as I wanted to kill him here and now.

“Felicity, I don’t like it when I’m betrayed.” He says as we walked inside. I kept my emotions cool and calm, acting as if I hadn’t heard him.

“I assure you, that won’t be a problem from Luna.” She says, tossing her hair back as she shamelessly flirted with him. Gross, maybe she could marry him instead. That was an amusing thought. Steffen gripped my chin tilting my head back as he slammed me to a wall.

“Is that true, pet?” He spits the words, his breath making me want to turn my face away.

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