Page 26 of Jared's Redemption

What is he planning to do to Isabelle? They wouldn’t leave her vulnerable, so I try to shake the worry and focus on keeping myself alive for right now. Steffen stares out at the gruesome scene with a twisted look in his eyes, one bordering on insanity.

“Let’s go. My day is just beginning.” He purrs in my ear and wrenches me from the window. I grip his wrist as I’m shoved down the hall and towards the stairs. Steffen uses my body to slam through the door of the staircase. Each step is more painful than the last as my adrenaline seeps away until he puppeteers me by my hair.

Steffen loses patience at the last staircase and throws me forward. I wrap my arms around my head, curling up as my mother cries my name. Each bounce is agony as I flail my arms out to stop my fall until my body lies motionless on the rough, carpeted floor.

“Get up.” Steffen says in a bored tone as he leisurely stops next to me, gripping my arm to wrench me up as the world tilts and spins. My ribs are screaming with each breath and my arm is shaking in agony. I nearly wish for death, the torture I’ve endured breaking my body and spirit.

But I hold on, gripping the pain and accepting it to keep my eyes open as I’m dragged through the back door. Steffen holds me in front of him as a shield, the coward dragging my feet until a shoe slips off. I guess that makes me a princess now, I think bitterly as we stand in the back parking lot where we first came.

The sporadic trees around us provide just enough cover in the fading light that my eyes struggle to pick out the dozens of men hiding amongst the shadows. A roar rips through the area around us as a large figure charges towards me, only to be surrounded by a dozen men wearing all black, bullet-proof vests and armed.

I know in my heart that it’s him, even from this distance. But he can’t be here. He shouldn’t be here, not when Amelia and Isabelle could be in danger.

“Don’t shoot! I’ll be the one to kill him.” Steffen tells his men. Rage curls in the pit of my stomach at his words.

“Protect Isabelle!” My voice cracks, sounding more like a screech as Steffen slaps a hand over my throat and squeezes.

“You stupid bitch.” He snarls. “Too late.” He whispers in my ear, making my heart pound.

“Luna.” Jared’s voice wraps around me, even while I gasp for air. I’ll die here, doing the right thing. Shouting picks up, the gunfire becoming more sporadic as what I can only hope is the Barone men retreating.

“Go.” I can mutter the word as I kick and fight against Steffen’s hold, sucking in a greedy breath when his hand loosens.

Jared turns, lifting his gun and firing at the slowly spinning blades of the helicopter that sits in the parking lot to our left.

I watch the sparks with amusement, black spots flittering my vision at the lack of oxygen. Steffen’s hands shake with rising anger. A tall figure runs up to the chopper, lobbing something into it with a cackling laugh. Steffen curses, ripping me to the ground with him as explosions wrack the surrounding air. Chunks of metal litter the frozen ground and my ears are ringing, but I can finally breathe.

“Markus, little warning next time!” Jared’s voice carries across the chaos, making my lips curl in the smallest smile.

Of course, it was Markus, running around blowing shit up. I don’t have time to celebrate their sabotage. I’m being wrenched up and dragged back towards the hotel while I kick and scream for Jared.

“I’m coming for you, Lunatic!” Jared cries out, pointing a finger at me while I reach for him. I shake my head no, pleading with him to stay away and stay alive, but the look in his eyes is full of promise.

Chapter 18- Jared

She was right there, just across from me. Steffen was a coward, dragging her around like a shield. I could have killed him, his smug face was in my scope. But his gun was pointed to her beautiful face, while multiple bruises and wounds stood out on her pale skin. My stomach was sick from seeing her hurt so badly, while I paced the woods in a restless rage. We had to pull back at his demand, or else Luna’s life was on the line.

“He wants us to give him our territory and Jared in exchange for Luna. Now that we’ve told him to go fuck himself, he’s going to go after those we hold closest.” Markus huffs, sounding more annoyed than worried.

“Isabelle is fine. I’m taking her and Amelia to her father’s house. They’ll both be safe.” Alec reassures Markus through the phone, his voice low as if he’s whispering. Relief rushes through me, but it doesn’t last.

The sound of glass breaking makes me whip my head up to see Luna staring through the broken window. Her body leans through the empty frame and her hair whips in the wind as she tries to escape.

I lunge forward with only the thought of her plummeting to the ground racing in my mind. Markus grabs the collar of my vest and stops my movement, pulling me back. Before I can shove him off, a hand reaches through the open window and yanks my girl back inside. A cry of rage rips from my lungs and I thrash against the men holding me in place.

I’m blind with anger at this point, consumed with the need to save her. Luna was strong, but I could see the look in her eyes. She was close, so close to giving up. But I couldn’t let her do that. I won’t live in a world without Luna.

“Jared, you need to stop.” Alec’s voice is distant, as a phone is shoved into my hand and I stare down at it. Alec is driving but still glances at the screen with worry for me. My attention falls to him as I stop struggling and catch my breath.

“You didn’t see her. He’s hurting her.” My voice doesn’t sound like my own, nearly robotic as I fight the pain swelling my chest. Markus flinches next to me, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

“I remember how it felt when we finally found Isabelle, beaten within an inch of her life. I can still feel that rage, the fear, but if you let it consume you, then you’re no good to her.” Alec reminds me, lifting some of the fog.

“Did you see what she was wearing?” I ask Markus. His lip curls in disgust, nodding. Of course, everyone saw what she had on with the way Steffen was throwing her around.

“The only thing they had that poor girl in was a strip of lace, her own blood, and her coat.” Markus says, holding something out to me. It was Luna’s sneaker, the one she had lost fighting against Steffen. I grip it, rubbing my thumb over the still wet spot of blood that smears over the laces. Holding my hand up, I stare at the crimson stain on the pad of my thumb and take a slow, deep breath.

“She was willing to put her life on the line to warn us that he was after Isabelle.” Markus says, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

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