The Redemption Saga Box Set

by Kristen Banet

  Sure enough, they parked right next to Vincent and jumped out. Jasper came to her side and Zander stood next to Elijah.

  “We’re not going to let them drag you off,” Jasper whispered to her, and she nodded silently. She hoped not. She had grown to like the unruly bunch, even if she did want to stab all of them several dozen times on occasion. Like right now.

  “Don’t keep secrets from me,” she whispered back after a moment. “Ever again.”

  “We’ll talk about that later,” Jasper sighed. “It was Vincent’s idea.”

  “I figured as much.” Sawyer rolled her eyes.

  “Let’s go,” Vincent said loudly, interrupting the different conversations that had started up. Zander and Elijah looked like they had been plotting something. Sawyer didn’t ask. She knew it was going to be bad for her. Female intuition.

  She walked in the center of the little pack. They left the parking garage and went into a boring little office building on the other side of the street. She was crammed into the elevator with all of them, her back flush to Vincent’s chest.

  “Did we really need to all take the same elevator?” She growled, trying to push Jasper away from her front.

  “No,” Zander laughed, grinning at her. Elijah was snickering. Were they serious about this? Sawyer realized they just liked putting everyone in uncomfortable positions. How cute.

  “This is a serious meeting,” Vincent snapped. “Cut the shit.”

  “Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

  They got off the elevator without incident and Sawyer was ushered into a meeting room. Vincent sat her down next to him with Elijah on her other side. Quinn took a spot at the end, where his wolves lay down on the floor, out of the way. Jasper and Zander flanked Elijah and Vincent on either side.

  She met Jon’s stare and shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t like this. Something seemed off. She chalked it up to her lack of knowledge on the entire situation, but the moment she stepped off the elevator, a sense of foreboding hit her.

  “We’re here today to discuss the matter of Sawyer Matthews,” said a woman at the end of the table.

  “Let’s cut to the chase,” Jon sneered. “These kids aren’t in the place to be handling such a flight risk or this dangerous of an assignment. On top of that, two of them have a previous relationship with her. They aren’t going to be willing to use her for her purpose.”

  “And what’s her purpose?” Vincent snapped. “Bait? You going to drag her through the streets until Axel shows up and tries to kill her?”

  “And if that’s what is necessary?” Jon growled. “Is it a bad thing to do whatever is needed to bring him to justice?”

  “Axel would never fall for a ploy so childish,” Vincent said with disdain. Sawyer agreed with him. Axel would see that trap coming from miles away and would just undermine it or ignore it until a more opportune moment arose for him to get what he wanted.

  “Says Vinny,” Jon hissed. “The world’s ‘expert’ on Axel. I feel like you just say things to get your way.”

  “Both of you,” the woman tried to cut in, “please, allow me to continue.”

  Sawyer looked around at Jon’s team, all of whom were watching the exchange except one. He had brown hair and a reddish beard. He was moderately attractive and probably the youngest on Jon’s team, appearing nearly a decade younger than the rest of them. He wore a scarf and she raised an eyebrow at it.

  “Scarf in August in Georgia?” She inquired, making the table go silent.

  “Ah… hickies from my girlfriend.” He smiled sheepishly at her and she couldn’t stop a small smile. “I’m David… Special Agent Hamble.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She reached across the table and they shook hands. “I hear you are the nice one.”

  “Damn it, Sawyer,” Zander coughed, hiding a laugh.

  “You should sit down, thief, or I’ll request that you’re handcuffed to the chair,” Jon growled. She raised both her hands to appear non-threatening.

  “My apologies.” She smiled at Jon as she sat back down. “I was just trying to be nice.”

  “I think she should go to another room,” the mediator sighed. “She doesn’t need to be here for this right now.”

  “I don’t like that.” Vincent shook his head. “She’s required to stay under supervision at all times, and I won’t have it said that I bend the rules for her.”

  “Well, she likes David,” Jon waved a hand around. “Let him take her somewhere else.”

  “No.” Vincent’s tone was steel, and Sawyer shivered.

  “You are attached,” Jon chuckled. “Why’s that, Vinny? Don’t want big b-”

  “Jon, you need to correct yourself,” Vincent growled, “before I come across this table and correct you myself.”

  “I don’t need a Castello telling me to fix myself,” Jon growled. “Don’t think I forget who you are.”

  Sawyer went still. Castello. Castello. Rome. Axel. Vinny.

  “I have a younger brother, Vinny,” Axel chuckled, pulling her close. “Good guy, a few years older than you, but he’s a fucking stickler for the rules, the freak.”

  “Is that why I’ve never met him?” She nuzzled into Axel’s chest.

  “Hmmm, if you ever meet Vinny, run.” Axel kissed her forehead. “He’ll do his best to send you to prison. He’s on their side.”

  She turned to Vincent, hoping her face gave away nothing. How had she lived with them for weeks and not learned his last name? She didn’t know Quinn’s either, now that she thought about it.

  Olive-green eyes. Axel had said he got them from his father. Vinny must have too.

  Sawyer mentally backed up on what she had just learned. The Castello crime family had imploded on itself over a decade ago. The head of the family was found murdered in his office by one of his own family members. They had destroyed themselves in the fight for power when none of Giovanni’s children stepped up to take the reins. In the end, another family devoured and absorbed the Castello family, leaving it a footnote in criminal history.

  Axel had told her that he was a Castello who wanted to make it big on his own. He wanted to be bigger than the family. Vincent was his younger brother.

  Vincent was Axel’s younger brother.

  That single fact echoed in her mind for a long time, and she lost track of the conversation going on around her.

  “That’s rich, Jon,” Elijah growled. “You’re the one who harasses us every single opportunity you find.”

  “Look here, you fag-” Jon snarled.

  “Enough!” the mediator slammed her notepad down, jumping from her seat. It startled Sawyer. “For an hour, I have only heard insults from both sides, and I am done with it. I’m requesting that you both take some time to think about what’s at stake here other than your egos!”

  “We haven’t insulted Jon nor his team at all.” Vincent was glaring at the woman.

  “Your team’s existence is an insult. To the IMPO and the WMC,” Jon growled, and Sawyer saw all of his silent team members nodding in agreement, except David, who looked a bit guilty. No wonder Vincent told her to keep to Special Agent Hamble.

  A phone went off and Sawyer saw the woman answer. She didn’t say anything, only nodded and gave affirmatives.

  “Both handlers are here, and they apologize for being late. We’re going to take a fifteen-minute recess.” The mediator left the room, and Vincent stood up.

  “Let’s go to another room,” he told the team and they all started standing up.

  Sawyer didn’t know what to say. Vincent was Axel’s younger fucking brother.

  “Sawyer?” He frowned at her, and she stood up slowly. She followed him silently down the hall and into a different meeting room.

  She didn’t say anything as she took a seat. The team chatted quietly about how their handlers being in the room might change things.

  She looked out the large window and sighed. She was Axel’s ex. She couldn’t be a hypocrite and hold Vincent’s genetic relation t
o the man against him. If she were related to Axel, she wouldn’t want anyone to know either.

  Axel taught Vincent to play chess. She gasped, but quickly regained her composure, hoping the guys didn’t know.

  She used Axel’s own move against Vincent. God damn it.

  “Well, I hear you all have been having some fun.” An older voice filled the room and Sawyer looked over. She hadn’t heard the door open, lost in her own thoughts.

  “I wouldn’t call it fun, James,” Vincent sighed, reaching to shake the older gentleman’s hand. Sawyer looked James over for a moment as he turned to look at her. He had blonde hair that bordered on white and gray eyes. Small wrinkles stood out to her, laugh lines. He was a happy man.

  “You must be Sawyer.” He smiled at her and she shrugged.

  “That’s what I’ve been told.”

  “And you have a sense of humor.” James chuckled. “It’s nice to finally meet you. We’ll get this sorted out, so you can get back home soon.”

  “That’s also what I’ve been told,” she mumbled, standing up to shake his hand. He laughed, nodding at her.

  “Yes, I sure you have been. So, Jon’s handler, Ken, and I were speaking on the drive over.” James clapped his hands together. “He disagrees with Jon’s stance on this and is going to say that it would be best for Jon to back off. But, he needs a night with Jon to make that happen. You packed to stay the night?”

  “We did,” Vincent told him with a sharp nod.

  “Good. We’re going to convince the mediator to give us a day, then head out. I’ve booked us rooms at the Hilton.” James grinned and looked to Sawyer. “Great facilities there; you’ll like it.”

  “Goodie. Yay.” Sawyer did a fake cheer.

  “Is she always like this?” James pointed at her.

  In unison, all five of them said yes.

  “My sympathies,” James chuckled.

  Sawyer snorted. These guys didn’t need his sympathies. They drove her mad at every turn.

  “Come on.” James waved them all to follow. “Let’s go get this over with.”

  Sawyer followed dutifully, tense and somewhat unsure. She still felt like something was about to go horrifyingly wrong. She didn’t like how out in the open they were. She didn’t like how many agents were around. She didn’t like any of it.

  It took ten minutes for the mediator to agree with the handlers. Sawyer’s elbow was grabbed by Jasper and pulled slowly. She followed him back out of the room, rolling her eyes.

  “Fuck, I hate those guys,” he murmured. She raised an eyebrow.

  “You have the capability to hate someone?” She crossed her arms, leaning against the elevator wall.

  “Definitely,” Jasper chuckled as Vincent and Zander joined them on the elevator.

  “Do other teams treat you guys like this?” Sawyer frowned, looking to Vincent. Now everything about him reminded her of Axel, and yet, the differences were just as glaring. He wasn’t beautiful like Axel. He had that permanent five o’clock shadow, whereas Axel was always clean shaven. He had the same brow line as his brother, but different eyes and a different nose.

  “Eh…” Vincent looked thoughtful. “No. Lower-ranking teams don’t like me, but that’s because I tend to run them over. Other elite teams tend to ignore us. That’s more normal. We all ignore each other and go about our business. Jon’s just an ass, and he happens to be close by. It’s just a pain.”

  They stepped out of the building together, and she saw Jon’s team only ten feet in front of them. They were all stuck walking to the parking garage together.

  “Until tomorrow, Vinny,” Jon called, opening the door to his own truck. Sawyer got ballsy and flipped him off, making him glare.

  Then an explosion tossed her into a pillar.

  Sawyer groaned, trying to stand as another explosion rocked the building. She cursed, feeling around for anything to hold onto. The concrete pillar she hit was enough to help Sawyer stand up. Smoke filled the area, and she couldn’t see anything. She coughed as fire engulfed vehicles all around her. She tried to open her eyes more, to see anything, but the smoke stung, and they welled up with tears.

  Another explosion had her stumbling as wreckage flew around her. She staggered towards the stairs. Well, she hoped she was going towards the stairs.

  An arm grabbed her, and she couldn’t see who.

  “Come with me,” a male voice roared. In the moment, she couldn’t recognize it. “I’ve got you. We’re going to keep you alive, Sawyer. I promise.”

  She followed without complaint, coughing as she was nearly dragged. She stumbled on the stairs, and the arm wrapped around her waist. She blinked and saw David, looking serious, helping her down the stairs. David was good, she thought suddenly. The guys said he was the nice one.

  They broke out of the fire exit on the ground floor, coughing from the smoke. She was shoved into a car, and she realized something was off.

  She turned back towards David. The scarf was gone. He was grinning, and Sawyer’s eyes fell on a scar she hadn’t seen inside. From the left ear, down the jaw and then the neck. David transformed into a woman in a white suit. Her blonde hair was perfect. Her eyes danced with glee and violence.

  “Missy,” Sawyer hissed, scrambling to get out the other side. A gun met Sawyer, pointed at her forehead through the open car window.

  “Well.” Colt grinned at her. “Look at this. Shadow, so good to see you again.”

  Sawyer grabbed the gun and pushed it away, breaking Colt’s wrist in the process. He roared, and she pushed the door into him as Missy grabbed her ankle. Sawyer turned and sent her heel into Missy’s nose. Missy let go and Sawyer dove out of the car and started running. She didn’t know where she was going but it was going to be anywhere else.

  She should have been paying more attention. She should have known that Missy was using David’s form. Special Agent David Hamble was probably very much a dead man waiting to be found somewhere. Hickies. What a stupid fucking reason to wear a scarf in August.

  “Fucking Doppler,” Sawyer growled to herself as she turned to see both Missy and Colt on her tail. She picked up the speed, but without her magic, she was going to need to escape the hard way.

  “Talyn, now!” Colt screamed. She powered forward, only to see Talyn drop in front of her. She glared at him, but saw the fire on his hand, ready to go.

  “This time, Axel decided to share his powers.” Talyn grinned. She felt the air leave her lungs as the earth grabbed her feet and pulled her down. He let her breathe again when he was positive that she wasn’t getting out.

  Sawyer wanted to scream in frustration and anger. In heartbreak. Her guys were probably dead in that parking garage, thanks to Missy.

  Missy only had one power, the ability to change into a different human shape. Every Doppler could only do that and only Dopplers could do that. They were Legends for a reason though. Untrackable, incredibly strong, with above average speed, they were nightmares, and nearly all of them were criminals in some way or another. It was just too easy for them, and they weren’t Registered the way other Magi were. Most Magi would never meet a Doppler and know it. They were masters at living whatever lives they wanted to.

  Missy turned her lack of offensive magic into a passion for blowing everything up the conventional way, and she had a special hatred for Sawyer.

  Sawyer was the one who scarred her, ruining her ability to perfectly match whoever she was copying. She wondered if that added to Missy’s insanity, or if she was always just a really fucked-up freak.

  Sawyer groaned as someone kicked her back. She couldn’t fall forward though, with her legs pulled thigh-deep into the earth.

  “You’re lucky we aren’t killing you right now,” Missy hissed in her ear, pulling her head back by her hair. “Boss wants to see you. He’s quite upset.”

  “Go to hell,” Sawyer snarled. “And I’m amazed that Axel let you within ten feet of him, Talyn. He always found your kind disgusting.”

  Sawyer knew
she shouldn’t have said that. The earth tightened on her legs, threatening to crush them.

  “You never did know how to keep your mouth shut,” Colt laughed. “Please, keep pissing everyone off. We’re just looking for reasons to make this even more painful.”

  “Like you need reasons,” Sawyer scoffed.

  “Drug her,” Talyn snarled, “and let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  Sawyer hissed as a sharp pain stabbed into her shoulder.

  “We’ll wake you up when we get to the boss,” Missy giggled.

  Sawyer’s world went dark.

  23

  QUINN

  Quinn pushed a piece of twisted metal off his left leg before doing anything else. The parking garage was a disaster with fire, smoke, and debris everywhere. He coughed and heard another explosion.

  “ELIJAH!” He roared, hoping for any sort of answer. “VINCENT!” He spun and looked around. Where were Shade and Scout? He knew they were alive and uninjured, but they weren’t in the parking garage. He could only hope they ran into the office building or found a safe place to hide while he found all the humans he was worried about. “SAWYER! ZANDER! JASPER!”

  No one responded to him and he started to cough harder. He looked around again, hoping to see anything, even a body, but nothing was around him.

  “QUINN!” James’ voice cut through, and he spun towards it. “I have Vincent!”

  He ran for it, ignoring the pain shooting up his leg. He found James pulling Vincent out from under a car door and Quinn pulled the car door off his leader.

  “Fuck,” Vincent snarled. “What the hell!”

  “Someone blew up half the cars in the damn garage,” James groaned as he helped Vincent stand. “Injuries?”

  “Sore,” Vincent groaned. “Nothing bleeding or broken.”

  “Same,” Quinn growled, looking around. “We need to find everyone.”

  “Let’s get to it.” Vincent had begun to jog away when all of them jerked to a stop at Zander’s touch to their minds.

  “I have Jasper. He needs to be healed now or he’ll bleed out, so Elijah has to deal with the fire.”