Redemption (20 page)

“Okay,” I whispered. “But I need something to remember you by. Since I’m going to be lonely for a few days.”

He lifted a brow and sat back on his knees, dragging his T-shirt over his head and leaning down to kiss me. “Just wear this to bed, and think about how warm I make you feel.”

I could have drown in his mouth, but he pulled away too soon. “Lock your window, Neveah.”

Nodding, I watched as he walked back over and slid out. “Don’t scream my name when you dream of me, Angel.”

I rested my head against the pillow and smiled. “No promises.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rage

Mayday.

I blinked several time at my text from Dante. The sleepiness in my eyes vanished, and my heart rate tripled. I pushed the covers from my body and dialed his number. After seven rings his voicemail picked up.

“Fuck,” I whispered, my head reeling. I dialed his number again, and listened to my heartbeat until I got the voicemail.

Nerves flooded me.
What had happened?
Had Denver found out I was alive? Or had something happened to Hannah?
I pulled on a T-shirt and jeans, before heading out the door.

When I stepped onto the ground I heard the backdoor slam shut. Wes charged down the steps with Neveah on his heels. “Daddy, please. Just stop.”

Oh shit. Not now.

Tears streamed down Neveah’s face as she grabbed at her dad’s shirt. “Stop, don’t.”

Wes snatched from her grip, his eyes taking in the T-shirt she wore—my T-shirt.
Dammit.
“Wes,” I said calmly.

He jerked from Neveah and before I could counteract, he’d slugged me in the jaw.
Fucking shit that hurts.
“Don’t you fucking say a word,” he spit. “You promised me you’d stay away from my daughter and now she’s wearing your clothes? Do you think I’m fucking stupid? Come on and fight. I told you not to touch her.”

I clutched my hands into fists. I didn’t want to fight him. I didn’t want to hurt her, and fighting her father would do it. I wanted him to see that I was good for her. That I truly loved her. “Wes,” I held my palms outward. “Let’s just talk about it, please. I’m in love with your daugh—,”

I blocked his right hook and fire rose in his eyes. “Dad stop!” Neveah screamed. “Please, I’m so in love with him. You have to understand. You love Momma, you have to know how I feel. How we feel.”

He let out a hysterical laugh. “Sweetheart,” he said, grabbing her shoulders. “He doesn’t love you. He doesn’t deserve you.”

She screwed her eyes shut and shook her head. “He does. And I love him. Please don’t do this to me.”

The pain on Wes’ face crushed my chest. “You’ve brainwashed her,” he said, squaring off with me. “You’ve made her believe you love her. Tell her the truth. Tell her you’re just using her.”

“No,” I said. “Because I’m not. Your daughter saved my life, and I plan to spend the rest of it with her.”

Wes ran full speed toward me, his shoulder slamming into my chest and knocking me to the ground. He slugged me once and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I couldn’t let him beat me to death, but I didn’t want to hurt him. Slinging my leg over, I straddled his waist.

But it was no use trying to hold him down. “Dad get up! Stop it!” Neveah yelled, her voice hoarse from crying. Wes broke free, his eyes wide and his guard up. He wasn’t going to stop. I promised I’d leave his daughter alone. I promised I wouldn’t put her in danger, yet I had.

Neveah turned and ran into the house, and I hoped she was calling for help. I couldn’t keep him off without hurting him much longer. “I should have listened to my gut when I let you stay here,” he said, shaking his head. “How many times have you fucked my daughter, huh? How many times.” He swung and grazed my cheek.

There was no denying he’d been a great boxer. His jabs were quick and powerful. Each one stung like a bitch. “I’m not fucking her. I love her.”

He threw a two-punch combo to my jaw and eye. Stars danced along my vision, blocking out most of the sight. “Please,” I said. “I don’t want to fight you. I’m in love with your daughter. I’d never hurt her.”

Wes bounced on his feet, ignoring everything I said to him. In his eyes, I was fucking his daughter. I was going to hurt her, and he wasn’t going to sit by and watch. I admired and feared him all at once. Not that I couldn’t take him because I was sure I could but because I wouldn’t.

I wouldn’t hurt Neveah’s father, he was all she had left besides me. The back door slammed shut.

“Wes, fucking stop it!” Shelly screamed.

I wasn’t sure what calling Shelly would do but then I noticed Chase trailing behind them. “Coach,” he screamed. “Stop.”

“Get out of here Chase, I’m taking care of this.”

Chase closed his eyes briefly but wrapped his arms around Wes’ chest and pulled him back. “Let go!”

Sweat dripped down my eyes, but I didn’t blink. I watched as my hope of being with Neveah washed down the drain. “I want you out,” Wes barked. “You’ve got to leave.”

Shelly cleared her throat. “Wes, you’re overreacting. Neveah is a grown woman—,”

“Shut up! You’ve taught my daughter nothing but to party and be easy. And now look where that’s gotten her. She’s fucking a deadbeat that gets left for dead in the woods. She’s fucking the one person I wanted to keep her away from. And she got all of this from you! Rachel would have never raised her like this!”

Shelly lowered her gaze and pink flushed her cheeks. “No, she wouldn’t have. But she isn’t my child to raise. I was there to show her things a father shouldn’t have to. I was there to be her friend. I never wanted to replace Rachel, Wes. You need to get over her. It’s been nineteen years. Move on.”

Wes jerked from Chase’s grip and fell to the ground. The broken man in front of me sobbed like a child. Nothing but his cries filled the air. No one else said a word. “Get out,” he whispered. “Get out of this house.”

Neveah shook her head. “Dad no!”

“Shut up,” he snapped. “I want him out of this house.”

The only light in my heart flickered out. The emotions coursing through me felt like a landslide to end my life.

I only want her …

Shelly placed her hand on my shoulder. “You can come stay with me,” she said. “Get your things, we’re leaving.”

Wes didn’t respond, he sat with his face between his knees. Neveah’s tears broke my beaten heart. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

I shook my head, itching to step forward and touch her trembling mouth. “It’s okay, Angel. It’ll be okay.”

***

Shelly lived on the outskirts of Huntsville about ten minutes from the gym. Her house was two or three bedrooms and cozy. I didn’t necessary feel manly with pink and orange everywhere, but I’d take what I could get.

After my shower, I tried to call Dante again but it went straight to voicemail. “Dammit.” I had no idea what had happened or if he was still alive.

Shelly knocked on the door and leaned against the doorjamb. “You okay?”

I sighed. “Not at all. I want to fix this, but I don’t know how?”

She smiled. “You hungry?”

I nodded. “Actually yeah. I haven’t eaten today.”

“I ordered a pizza. It should be here soon. You want to come in the living room and talk? No one knows my brother better than me.”

I nodded and followed her toward the couch. My fingers itched to call Neveah, but I was scared of what she’d say. Of what Wes had done. “Wes was in love with Rachel. They’d dated for years before they married and had Neveah.”

Shelly propped her feet on the coffee table. “And when she died it took half of his heart away. I always thought that if Neveah hadn’t been born that he would have died without Rachel.”

I knew the feeling. It’d grabbed a hold of my heart in the woods that day, and I hadn’t been able to shake it since. Love is something not even the best of us can run from. Once it strikes it’s like a poison that slowly takes over your life.

“He promised that he’d take care of Neveah and protect her. That’s what he thinks he’s doing by keeping you away from her. You’re not what most dads want their daughters to end up with. They don’t trust you. You’re mysterious and have way too many secrets for him to completely trust you. But I know Neveah does. She loves you.”

Shelly watched my face, waiting for an answer. “And I love her.”

She smiled. “I know you do. It’ll take a little while, but Wes will calm down. I suggest you wait until then to talk to him. He needs some time.”

I bit my lip and took the water bottle she offered me. I chugged half of it when the doorbell rang. “It’s probably the pizza.”

Shelly opened the door, and Neveah stood behind it. She searched behind Shelly and when her eyes landed on mine she began to cry. I all but ran toward her and brought her to my chest. “Angel,” I whispered over and over, not knowing what to say to her.

How do we fix this fuck up shit?

“I’m so sorry. He came in my room and recognized your shirt. He never does that. It’s all my fault—,”

I silenced her with my mouth, prying her lips opened, not caring that Shelly was in the room. I needed to feel her. I had no idea how long it’d be before I got to do it again.

“I can’t take it,” she whispered, shoving against my chest. “I want him to understand so bad. Why can’t he just understand?”

Shelly cleared her throat and stepped beside me. “Sweetheart, he just wants what’s best for you. He’ll come around. Give him some time.”

Neveah frowned. “I don’t know if I can wait, Aunt Shelly. I hated today. I hated to see them fight.”

“Me too, sweetheart. But your dad loves you, and once he realizes how much Declan loves you, he’ll come around.”

I looked down at Shelly and smiled. “Remember all those secrets you were talking about?”

She lifted a blonde brow. “Yes.”

I stuck my hand out. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Rage.”

Shelly’s mouth flopped opened but a giggled popped out. “Jesus Christ.” She took my hand and shook her head. “Now that’s
not
going to help your case with Wes.”

I closed my eyes. “I’ll just have to prove my worth to him.”

Shelly grinned but backtracked out of the room when I turned to Neveah. “Have you heard from your sister,” she whispered.

I shook my head. “Dante text me this morning and said
mayday
but he won’t answer my phone calls now.”

Her face turned pale. “Do you think he found out?”

I guided Neveah toward the couch and sat her on my lap. “I don’t know. I’m going to give him a day to call me back and if I can’t get him, I’ll have to go to his house.”

She touched my cheek. “You can use my car when you need it.”

Lowering my forehead to hers, I took in her sweet scent, feeling high from her breath hitting my mouth. “We’re going to get through this, ya know. Your dad just needs some time. I’ll explain everything when it calms down and we can focus on us.”

“And your sister.”

A deep ache lit my chest. I wanted to find my sister. That’s what I had set out to do, but she’d made it difficult. I had to make her understand that I loved her and that it was an accident. I’d never let something like that happen to her. And I wanted to protect her like Wes wanted to protect Neveah.

“We’ll get my sister back. I don’t know how or when but we will.”

Neveah rested her head against my shoulder and relaxed into my arms. “No one at the gym knows. Chase hasn’t told anyone,” she whispered.

I chuckled. “Chase’s been knowing for a while. I’m surprised everyone didn’t know before.”

Neveah smiled into my neck. “He’s good people. We’ve been friends since we were ten.”

I pushed my fingers through her hair. “Any signs of anyone following you?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t seen the SUV since yesterday. Maybe it was just a coincidence.” We both knew that wasn’t true. I could see it in her eyes.

“Maybe,” I whispered. “But keep an eye out in case. I can’t lose you too, Angel.”

She pulled back to look in my eyes. “I’m sorry about the gym. You’re really good. You deserve to be there, and my dad knows that. I could get you a spot at another gym in town.”

“Boxing isn’t my main focus right now, Neveah. You are. Let’s get us on the right track before we think about boxing.”

She nodded. “I wish I could stay the night, but Dad will be back early in the morning. He took some of the boys to watch a match in Dallas.”

I pressed a kiss to her mouth. “It’s okay, you can call me. We can talk like teenagers all night long.”

She blushed. “Maybe I’ll send you some
sexy
pictures. If you promise to keep them to yourself.”

I rolled my eyes. “You obviously don’t know me well enough. I’d kill anyone that saw the pictures. You’re mine, Champ.”

Her face softened. “I’m yours.”

She stayed wrapped in my arms until the pizza came twenty minutes later. I had never wanted to keep someone in my arms as much as I wanted her. She left the house with a wave and disappeared down the dirt road.

I had to fix the mess I’d made. There wasn’t any going back. Neveah was my life and the reason I was living it. I’d survived death once and something told me I could do it again.