by Leaona Luxx
Absolution
Leaona Luxx
Contents
Letter To the Reader
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
The Salvation Society
Acknowledgments
Books By Leaona Luxx
About the Author
COPYRIGHT© 2020 Absolution by Leaona Luxx
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, or organizations, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or local locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or publisher.
Cover Design: Moonstruck Cover Design and Photography
Editing/Proofing: CG Edits
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
For my Mom and all of those left behind.
Your love and dedication to hold the fort down, kiss the boo-boo's, check under the bed, rush to practice and back home, wait for 'the call,' blow out the candles, video the missed moments, send all the cards and care packages, cry themselves to sleep, wake up and conquer the world while their loved one provides all of us a free one.
The wives, husbands, mothers and fathers, children, and pets holding their breaths and hearts until their favorite soldier comes home. Often the same, but sometimes different, yet always to arms willing to love and accept them and to be by their side... even to help fight another battle.
Letter To the Reader
Hey, y'all.
Thank you for picking up Absolution, I hope it’s everything you want in a book and more. When the opportunity presented itself to write within The Salvation Society, I knew I had to try.
And then the world went crazy!
I have to laugh because everything was crazy when I stumbled upon Corinne and this series in 2014. Yes! I found her days after she released my husband, Jackson's book, and I've stalked her since.
My children gifted me a Kindle, and I loaded up! When I came across Beloved, the navy stood out to me. My Dad was an officer in the navy, and he was dying. I needed this connection, and once I started reading, the reason becomes clear.
"Enough."
This word has stuck with me for years, offering me something I couldn't see in myself and the one thing my dad wanted me to learn. That I am enough.
In the following years, I would get lost in her words. Learning to love me and being imperfect is perfectly okay. It helped me to decide to begin writing in earnest again, never imagining I'd publish one day.
When my dad passed in mid-October 2015, Corinne was one of the first people to reach out to me, honoring his service by calling him a hero. He was in many ways, but most importantly, he was mine.
Before he left, we had a conversation about what I was doing. I explained I was writing a book to help occupy my mind. He then asked me to promise to publish, no matter the outcome.
In 2016, after many mistakes and lots of bumps in the road, I released my first book. Then I realized I wanted to continue with the tight-knit community I created, writing their stories full of hope.
My books are standalone and can be read in any order or in their order of release. The world is built around a family and their friends in Cherry Grove, SC. They live, love, and make a multitude of mistakes but always find redemption.
Absolution is the best of both worlds. Where my love of Jackson (because once you go, Jackson, you won't want any other action), and the incredible Salvation Society intertwines with my redeeming romance characters to bring you an angsty and heart-filled story with the hope of a great love. In this book, you'll visit your old favorites and maybe make a few new ones.
I chose the word absolution, which encompasses both worlds, salvation, and redemption. Absolution means forgiveness, and in this time of uncertainty, we need more for others and ourselves.
Thank you for being here, and welcome to Cherry Grove!
Lea~
Chapter One
Creed
"Are you with us, Hatchling?" My eyes snap to my buddy, Connor "Cupcake" Phillips, when he bumps my leg.
"I'm good, Cupcake."
"You better be," Dave Riggins, Big Rigg as we call him, growls. "no room for error."
"I got your six." I grind my jaw, hating to bite my tongue again. Riggins struts around like the biggest bad ass, he's more like a pain in the ass. Unlike Connor, who has been my best friend since buds.
"Heads up! Let's get ready to fly." Commander "Pretty Boy" Floyd Driver does as he says, standing and checking his gear. "In and out."
"Damn straight, Pretty Boy." Connor winks at Floyd. No matter how cocky you are when someone is built like a Greek God, you have to admit he is and makes Floyd's call sign perfect for him.
I elbow Floyd to get his attention. "So, Daisy? Like the gunslinger movie, I'm your daisy or because you prefer them on the first date? Asking for a friend."
"Hatch, ya little shit. Get the hell back there and get ready to go." Floyd shakes his head, chuckling. I'll never understand why missions need to be named after flowers.
I enlisted after getting my bachelor's in political science at North Carolina State, but only after my dad insisted, I graduate first. He served first and then went to work, so I understand his point of view.
Although I'm educated, my dad wanted me in law school, but it wasn't for me. He had big dreams of my cousin Boone and I forming a law firm. But I want to follow in my Dad’s footsteps. Well, at least these particular ones.
My dad is now our state senator, and I wouldn't do that job for all the money in the world. He says he's there to help his veteran brothers and sisters. He's always been my hero, more so now than ever before.
We have a killer team for this one. Well, Riggins is on this with us. He's been sour since being turned down for another job, but all the others are badasses. We work well together, just as a team should.
I slap Connor on the back, holding up my hand for a high five from another. "Don't you worry, Baby. Nobody is gonna put you in a corner."
"How's that for returning fire?" Patrick "Baby" Russell shakes his head as he sets my hand ablaze.
I cut my eyes at Riggins. "I can handle all you got."
"The Mighty Oak!" I fist bump Levi "The Mighty Oak" Underwood. "You ready to leave outta here?"
He grimaces. "You gonna keep stinking the place up with your shit jokes?"
"Probably."
"Then, yes. Let's haul ass." He shakes his head, bumping my fist.
I'm pushed forward with a jolt, only to find Dave Riggins behind me. "Let's move, Hatch. Or are you too busy pissing your pants?"
"Naw, old man. I borrowed your diapers." I slap him on the back, smirking. He knows damn well this is my third d
eployment, but with every mission, his smartass attitude sours. His disregard for the finer points makes me anxious. I purse my lips, banishing every other thought from my head.
"Earmuffs, Cupcake. Screw you, Hatcher." He flips me off before turning to ready for our jump.
Cupcake grins mischievously. "You're doing it wrong, Riggs; muffs don't sit on your ears."
"You can both fuck off!" Riggs grumbles, leaving us all laughing.
Connor holds his fist up for the manly bumps and shakes to ensue. I know, cliché, but we've done this since buds, and now, it's tradition. We bump fists, slap, and slide, hook thumbs, raise our hands before dropping them as they implode.
I know we're cool.
The crackle in our ears signals us before Floyd does. "Head in the game, and ready to roll."
We have just enough time for one last check of our gear before we hit the air. Once on the ground, there is no margin for error. They said in and out, no looking back. Execution isn't only critical, it's everything.
"You little boys watch and learn," Riggs smirks at us as he readies at the hatch.
I'm still the last in the pecking order. The thing is, I'm the youngest here, and no one will ever let me forget. Everyone else has a wife and children waiting on them, well almost, Connor's will soon be here.
I would love to have a go at this prick, but we have no time to tell the old fucker what he can do; we're prepped and ready to fly. This is one of the things I love most about being here, the free-falling until you have to maneuver yourself to hit your targeted landing.
When the hull light glows green, we haul ass out and set sail in an entirely different way. Although exhilarating, the flight is short, and we all hit our intended mark on the ground.
Now, the real work gets started. We're a mile and a half from the site, so we'll literally hit the ground running. This is supposed to be a simple mission, in and out, SR or Special Reconnaissance operation.
Floyd gives the hand commands, and we split into two teams. The intel focuses on two individuals being held hostage. No one has been in direct contact, but there’s a report of three missing.
The four minutes it takes to get to our target helps get the blood pumping, but the second Floyd's voice breaks through the silence, my racing heart is ready to roll.
"Second-floor window on the right." My eyes dart to the material, moving ever so slightly in the soft breeze. "Locked in."
The signal to move ahead. I turn my head from side to side, releasing my pent-up tension. According to the sign, they're here, and nothing is harder than finding your own but needing to wait to bring them out.
"Building three." Floyd's commands are specific and precise.
Simultaneously, we advance toward our objective’s last known vicinity. The cover of the night helps us to move quickly and virtually unseen. We observe radio silence as we make headway and are poised at the building next to our target.
We enter the structure, searching every nook and cranny. Connor glances at me just as the hair on the nape of my neck stands. I move my head from side to side, minutely.
I know he's thinking the same thing, we've been in tune like this from the first day of training. We need to get the hell out of here, and with every passing minute, the tension refuses to wane.
A heaviness settles in the pit of my belly, everything in me is screaming this isn't right. I continue to scan the area, my senses heightened. My training taught me to fight because there is no flight.
Floyd turns to us, three fingers up, and then points straight ahead. A nod of understanding and we advance on our goal. At some point, Floyd has to call this, we're in more profound than we ever should've been.
Two fingers up... one.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
My ears ring as Riggins and Floyd take the brunt of three blasts aimed to take us all out. The hall fills with debris as we fall victim to an ambush. A quick gaze over my shoulder, apparent to us, we're blocked off from the rest.
With our backs to the wall, I'm jolted into action as the crackle in my ear from Connor shouts through the headpiece. "Move!"
The sound of rapid-fire echoes around us, we fire back, giving as good as we get. We need a visual of our surroundings, but it's near impossible as dirt and dust fly around the hallway as thick as gunfire.
Connor and I stand back to back, moving simultaneously, trying to get the fuck out of this death trap. A rapid-fire of pops rains down, pinning us to the wall. Finally, he targets an opening. Connor signals, and then he rolls out.
He enters the room, blind, and I follow. This is the way we've always run our mission, and until today, it worked damn well. I'm pelted with cement and debris from the walls as I hurry through the opening. Soon, I'm met with darkness.
I trip, falling to the floor with a thud. For a split-second, I'm paralyzed with fear until my instincts kick in. I hit the floor, crawling my way through the hail of bullets to search for Connor.
A sharp pain rips through my thigh, followed by one to my ribs. I wince, forcing myself forward before I'm hit again. I roll to my back, pressing my shoulder injury into the floor.
My surroundings become blurry, a garbled mess of words and movement. I scramble to my knees and ready for my defense. A dense, vast sound at my back stuns me briefly and then a thud.
"Connor?" My best friend's name is the last words I utter as I fall face-first into the concrete floor. My head throbs with every pulse of my heart, there's a sharp sting in my leg and shoulder. I blink, and it fills my sight with darkness. Pain shoots through me, and I squeeze them shut. Again, I force my eyes open. The smallest amount of light is blinding. As both sound and light fade into the distance, the will to fight for consciousness follows.
"Look what I caught!" I scream, excited to show everyone my prize catch. I turn to the people behind me, holding up my fish but something’s off. I stumble back, trying to focus on their faces.
They have none. Nothing but a void of where their nose and mouth should be, nothing. Just a blurry palette of colors. I squeeze my eyes closed, shaking the image from my head.
"I-I'm looking for someone else. Where are they?" I thrash against something, hitting my shoulder hard and putting my body in agony.
"AHH! Fuck!" Bile rises in the back of my throat, making me aware I'm finally awake, as the pain from my arm sickens me. I roll to my side, and pain shoots through me like a sharp knife. My body contorts, throwing me into the wall behind me, as the hand of darkness drags me back to the hell of being shackled to my subconsciousness.
"Wake up!" I crumple over, face planting into the floor. The pain hardly registers at this point, I'm lightheaded and can't stay upright without leaning against the wall.
I hold my hand out, hoping they'll give me a minute to catch my breath, but I'm not afforded such luck. I sustain another kick to my ribs before they apply pressure to my thigh.
"Who are you?" A deep, rough voice cuts through the fog before I can answer, I'm being flipped over to my back. I lose my breath as my back smacks the floor.
My eyes are dry and swollen to the point, they're mere slits. I stiffen when I can barely make out the figures standing over me. "The place on his head is still seeping, I don't think he's with us enough to know who he is or anyone else."
Anyone else? Am I not alone? Is someone here with me? I swallow, hoping to wet my mouth enough that I can force my questions out. I need to know; I have to find out if Connor is alive. I'm not sure I can survive this alone.
The slightest move sends me spiraling into excruciating pain. My throat closes as I struggle for words, wrestling for nothing to come out. I push the tip of my tongue from my parched mouth, raking it over my rough and torn lips. Still, nothing sounds remotely like words come out.
I can hear a noise mimicking shuffling feet in the distance. Suddenly, something cold and wet drops on my forehead. By the time I figure out what they're doing, I'm drenched with water being poured over my face, and I gasp for air.
My body buckles, t
wisting into a pretzel from the pain of my injuries, and I gasp for air. I'm jerked up and dragged across the room as they push my head into more water. Held there, I can't move. I'm drowning. This time, my mind shuts itself down, sparing my body from the torture.
"Wait..." I narrow my eyes, hoping to get a better look at her. "come back." I reach for her as she fades into the darkness. "Please, don't leave again. Stay and talk to me."
I hold my hand out, playing with the vision in front of me. My sight runs together, mixing the picture like watercolors. Again, her face blurs beyond recognition. The image develops quickly and fades as fast. The internal tug deep within coaxes me to go with her.
I struggle to sit, yanking on the chain I'm tethered to for leniency. The clinking reminds me I'm not alone, and I'm not free. My ears ring from the deafening silence around me, dragging me down, but I refuse to go under.
Evoking the dream, I focus on the woman's voice, calling to me, but even now, I can't recall her words—light filters in from a small window about ten feet up a wall. I squint as I try to figure out the time of day. My concept of time is gone, and try as I might, I can't remember anything.
"I can’t concentrate with these constant migraines." I rub my temples softly. I'm pretty sure they're the only thing on me that doesn't hurt. I finally have the chance to do my daily body check, running my hands over myself.
My face isn't as puffy as before, but I'll be damned if I can take a deep breath or stretch. I shift, hoping to ease the ache in my side by switching positions.
