The Redemption Saga Box Set

by Kristen Banet

  “I actually can’t,” he repeated. “You don’t have the insurance and cover from the IMPO in case you damage anything.”

  “I’ve been allowed before. By you. To the gym,” she retorted.

  “I wasn’t supposed to let you do that.” He mentally cursed himself. He had let her drive the rental when she shouldn’t have. He had actually forgotten, thinking it would just be easier for her to drive to the gym she knew by heart how to get to.

  “Fine,” Sawyer groaned. She turned in the seat and looked to the back. Jasper tried not to watch her, but he could see her out of the side of his eye. “How are you, Quinn?”

  “Ready to go home,” Quinn answered. “One more night.”

  “That’s right. We just need to have this meeting, pack up, and wait for our flights.”

  Jasper was excited about it too. New York sucked. He hated it here. This was definitely one of the worst trips they had been on, but it was never good. Zander was normally getting into trouble, or underhanded shit was done to Vincent. People tried to convince Jasper and Elijah to leave the team before the Castello took them down with him.

  It wasn’t a healthy place for any of them.

  Jasper got them parked with thirty minutes to spare for the meeting. Vincent, Elijah, and Zander had beaten them, but no one teased him for going slow. They had only been first because they pulled out of the hotel first.

  “We ready?” Vincent called out. “James says this is going to be a general rundown. We’re going to get rated for the bonus for the Texas job, then get a bit of real time off. He’s gotten us a three month break, that much he’s told me about. No cases unless it’s an emergency. Everyone will get vacation time.”

  “That sounds great. They threw us out to Texas without a chance to catch a fucking breath,” Elijah said, emphasizing it with a groan.

  “I know,” Vincent said, nodding to them all. He started walking towards the building, Kaar landing on his shoulder, and Jasper fell in with the team to follow. Vincent continued talking as they got closer to the WMC’s front door. “But we did well. Sawyer did well. He hasn’t heard anything about what went down yesterday…” Jasper and the other guys all looked at Sawyer, who rolled her eyes. “So he doesn’t think anything will come of it.”

  “Good. That asshole spit in my face first.”

  Jasper should have known she wasn’t going to feel very apologetic for it. He wished she would, but he could also understand why she didn’t. A stranger running up on her, already in a bad mood, spits in her face over things Sawyer was already doing her time for. Things she had no control over, not really. He might have started a scuffle too, if he’d seen it. He knew Zander would have, even Vincent or Elijah. Definitely Quinn. Quinn knew the insult of being spit on, without anyone having to explain it to him.

  They went to the assigned meeting room, Vincent pulling the door open and holding it for all of them.

  Everything was wrong.

  Jasper stumbled at the sight of several high ranking IMAS officers standing to one side of the room. Sawyer cursed, and Jasper looked over to see her glaring at Councilwoman D’Angelo. He grabbed Sawyer and pulled her to a stop. He couldn’t have her running over to get into the Councilwoman’s face.

  The building shook and Elijah grabbed Quinn, hauling him out of the room.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Vincent roared at James, waving at the guests in the room.

  “I didn’t win. They got here ten minutes ago, and I couldn’t warn you,” James answered. Jasper didn’t like the look on their handler’s face.

  “Special Agent Castello, bring your team to heel.”

  “I’ll give you a fucking heel, bitch. Straight up your fucking ass,” Sawyer snarled, and Jasper yanked her further away, Zander grabbing her other arm to help. Jasper was thankful one of them was retaining a bit of control. He wouldn’t have been able to stop both of them. He didn’t even want to think about how Elijah was doing with Quinn out in the hall.

  “Sawyer, sit down. We need to think,” Jasper whispered harshly in her ear. “Now is not the time to start a fight.”

  She relaxed immediately, and he didn’t like the cold mask that settled over her face. This was Shadow. This was calculating and calm. He’d gotten her to just redirect the temper and that terrified him.

  The room grew colder by the second.

  Zander led her to a seat and Jasper looked back out the door to see Quinn and Elijah whispering to each other.

  “Get in here. This looks bad,” he said quickly.

  Quinn growled, but Elijah nodded. “Let’s go,” he said sternly to their feral Magi.

  Jasper held the door for them. Once they were seated, he took his own. He threw a glance at Vincent and James, sitting next to each other. Vincent was just as cold as Sawyer, just as closed off. She sat on his other side.

  A Castello and Shadow, both cold and emotionless. It was an intimidating sight.

  “Now that everyone is calm,” Councilwoman D’Angelo began, calm and collected. “We’ll discuss why we’re here.”

  “We requested, nicely, to have Special Agent Quinn Judge come on a mission with us. We were rudely denied.”

  Jasper looked at the rank of the IMAS officer speaking. General. He was one of the three highest ranking members of the International Magi Armed Services. Jasper didn’t recognize his face, but his name badge read Kitchner. General Kitchner? Jasper knew the name. General Kitchner was in charge of the Spec Ops division of IMAS, which made him a very powerful man.

  “I’m not going to the Amazon. It’s a deathwish,” Quinn growled out. “If you were smart, you wouldn’t either.”

  “You don’t have a choice,” Councilwoman D’Angelo declared. “You will be going.”

  “Then I’ll quit the IMPO,” Quinn retorted.

  “Then I won’t feel bad at all for removing Sawyer Matthews from your team. You are the one with tracking, correct? If you aren’t in the IMPO, you would no longer be able to catch her if she runs.”

  Jasper held back a curse, but Zander couldn’t. This was bad. Sawyer was stronger than everyone on the team except Quinn. Having him gave them an easy answer to what would happen if she fought against them. They all knew she wouldn’t, but they needed the cover anyway.

  “I forgot you were using that to let us keep her.” Vincent sighed. “If Quinn goes to the Amazon and does the mission, she stays with us.”

  “With an inhibitor while he’s away,” D’Angelo added.

  “How about no?” Sawyer scoffed. “I’m not wearing one of those, Vincent. Quinn isn’t going to get himself killed for whoever the fuck this is either.” She gestured to the General and Jasper winced. They still hadn’t taught her the ranks. She had no idea how powerful General Kitchner was politically.

  “You might not have a choice if you want to stay out of a cell. He might not either.”

  “I’ll go to the Amazon.” Quinn cut in. “I’ll go without a fight. No inhibitor for Sawyer. She deserves her abilities to protect herself.”

  “You don’t have that option. While you are away, she will wear an inhibitor. If you quit to get out of this assignment, we will remove her from your team.” D’Angelo just smiled.

  Jasper just kept his eyes on her. Sawyer was angry, but that didn’t show. They could all just feel it. Then her eyebrows went up, and it sent a wave of confusion through him.

  “Send us all to the Amazon,” she declared. “Send the entire team, myself included.”

  “We don’t need all of you.” The General sounded bored.

  “You need bodies to throw at the Druids. We’re five decently powerful Magi who work well with Quinn. Your chances of success only go up,” Vincent corrected him. “He knows us and would know how to use us against the targets. Secondary to that, we’re IMPO and we can investigate and explore diplomatic options to lessen casualties or eliminate the need for them.”

  “No,” Quinn growled. “You’ll all be in danger.”

  “We’re all in d
anger anyway,” Sawyer told him. “It doesn’t matter. You aren’t going down there alone. Not under any circumstance.”

  “I don’t like this idea. There’s a chance you can disappear in the area and we’ll never be able to find you,” the Councilwoman said.

  Jasper ground his teeth. He didn’t like this idea either. It was stupidly dangerous. Staring hard at Vincent, he silently begged for what was going on in his head.

  “Roll with it,” Zander said suddenly. “I trust Sawyer and Vincent to know what they’re doing. Let’s hope they bring us in on it.”

  “We’ll make this easy for you, on one condition,” Vincent continued the conversation.

  “If we all live through it, you back off,” Sawyer finished.

  “Excuse me?” The Councilwoman looked shocked.

  “There’s a likelihood I’ll die on the mission, just like everyone else. Quinn, what’s the mortality rate for something like this?” Sawyer was smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  “At minimum? I would say half of those who go in and try to fight will die.”

  Jasper’s blood ran cold.

  “So for the odds worse than a coin toss, I’m going to make you a deal,” Sawyer said to the Councilwoman. “If I walk out of the jungle alive, you back the fuck off. If I die, you win. You get exactly what you want. Shadow out of your way.”

  Silence.

  The room grew colder.

  Jasper shivered at the sharp, cold edge of Sawyer’s magic. It was a wild cold, at that, like the tundra, thanks to Quinn’s temper simmering underneath Sawyer’s, even more dangerous than hers. Formidable. Jasper saw a few of the IMAS soldiers grow uncomfortable. They were rubbing their hands together, shifting around, trying to stay warm, even though the cold wasn’t real.

  Only Elijah seemed completely comfortable. Jasper would have guessed it was because his magic was so warm, thanks to his fire manipulation. The only thing that made him worried about Elijah was that he was a little pale. Sick-looking, but it couldn’t have been cold-induced. He didn’t know why.

  His eyes fell on Sawyer last.

  Jasper stared at her. She was willing to throw her life away to keep them together. It was a tough position. He didn’t want any of them in danger. None of them wanted Quinn dealing with Druids at all, much less alone.

  He loved her for the dangerous way she threw herself into protecting others. She was making sure they all made it or none of them did. Team and family, or nothing at all. Not a single one of them forgotten or left behind.

  This was what made her so good. Too bad no one else saw it outside the team. None of them had yet, or ever would, earn Sawyer’s unique brand of dangerous and deadly love.

  “We’ll need your answer, Councilwoman,” Vincent finally whispered.

  “Yes.” It was quiet. “If you all go on the mission with the IMAS team, you’ll be there on an investigatory and diplomatic mission. They will be assigned as your protection, and if need be, the extermination team. If Sawyer Matthews survives the mission, than I will no longer press to have her removed from the team and her contract with the WMC voided.”

  “No matter if the mission is a success or failure. If she lives to the point where the mission is over, you will no longer press to have her removed from the team and her contract with the WMC voided.” James’ tone was hard. He left no room for argument. “Because this could very well be a failure and it won’t be her fault.”

  “Put that in writing,” Sawyer commanded. “Now.”

  D’Angelo glared at her. Jasper swallowed his nerves.

  “Fine.”

  He wanted to curse at their luck. One simple trip they couldn’t screw up if they wanted to have some time off. Now they were going to the goddamn Amazon.

  The room emptied slowly, leaving the team to quietly accept their fate.

  “Quinn, can we do this?” Jasper asked softly.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Little lady, you’re lucky I love you,” Elijah whispered.

  “I’m lucky you all give a shit about me,” she replied. “Fuck. We’re going Druid hunting.”

  “It’s all we have,” Vincent reminded them. “She wanted us backed into a corner.”

  “Was that your idea or Sawyer’s?” Jasper asked.

  “It better be Vincent’s,” Zander snapped. “Sawyer wouldn’t-”

  “It was mine. Vincent asked if I had any idea how to maneuver around them. D’Angelo hates me. I gave her a way for me to die, and maybe you guys, since you all are traitors to the WMC in her mind for protecting me. But it comes at a price. If we go down there, we’ll be known for it. If we live, it’ll look bad for her to fuck with us anymore. She knows that.”

  “Jesus fuck, Sawyer!” Zander yelled. “You could get killed.”

  “So could Quinn!” she roared back. “He doesn’t fucking deserve to be used against me like that. He doesn’t deserve to have me used against him to make him go on a fucking suicide mission.”

  “So we’re all going!” Zander’s rage made Jasper’s ears hurt. “Did you even think to ask for us to have a few minutes to discuss this before it?”

  “Damn right we are!” she screamed. “We’re going to go down, fucking live through it, and fucking earn some goddamned peace. Did you stop and discuss threatening the WMC to keep me from being executed while I was practically in a coma? You could have all become criminals when you made that threat. We all do what we need to do to protect who we care about. Don’t fucking put me on some pedestal to be protected no matter what and let Quinn or anyone else fucking die for it. I won’t be with a man who does that.”

  Jasper coughed and sputtered.

  Vincent dropped the pen he was holding, the color fleeing his face.

  Elijah jumped up and pulled Zander back, who looked struck.

  Sawyer just stood there, her face set, her shoulders squared.

  “That’s…” Zander trailed off.

  “Hot tempers,” Elijah said quickly. “You both have hot tempers. Sawyer, he’s just worried about you. I don’t blame him. I’m worried about all of this. I’m personally glad we’re all going down there with Quinn.” Elijah continued quieter to Zander, “She’s not a princess. She doesn’t need to be protected, Zander. She needs equals. Be one of those. She did that for all of us. It’ll be dangerous for her, for us, but we’re doing it together instead of leaving someone out to hang, her or Quinn. Those were our options. Her or Quinn.”

  Jasper heard desperation in Elijah’s voice. Oh God, he hadn’t even thought about how hard this was on Elijah. His brother in his heart and the woman they all loved in their own ways, even Quinn, who was slowly walking to Sawyer. They didn’t say anything. Jasper watched them touch foreheads. They were all watching the two most dangerous people on the team have a tender moment of friendship and camaraderie. Both were ignoring the rest of them. He wondered when the tender friendship had gotten that deep.

  “I couldn’t choose,” Elijah whispered to Zander. Jasper barely heard it. “Don’t make them choose, either.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I thought we should have a team discussion. I’m trying to ask why we didn’t go the right way.”

  “You’ve done the same thing on us and we backed you up,” Elijah whispered fiercely. “Her quick thinking this time is going to hopefully keep Quinn alive.”

  “I don’t want Quinn to die, Elijah. Come on. I just…”

  “You love her and don’t want her hurt. I know. You two can hash it out later, but right now we need to focus on this shit storm.”

  Jasper watched Zander nod. He sank back into his chair next to Jasper and leaned on him.

  “We’re going to the Amazon.” Zander sighed.

  “We’re in for a bad fight,” Quinn declared. “We need to prepare.”

  “We’ll have Sawyer sign this deal with Councilwoman D’Angelo, then I’ll get someone to portal you all directly home,” James said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault.
” Sawyer sighed. “We were bound to lose a fight with the WMC eventually.”

  “Losing this one means we’re dead,” Jasper spoke up.

  “No, my old friend, it means I’m dead,” Sawyer corrected him. She looked peaceful for a moment. “She doesn’t really care about any of you past me.”

  By her expression, he guessed she wasn’t scared to die for them.

  He found that a hard bone to swallow.

  14

  Sawyer

  Sawyer signed the damn deal and watched Dina do the same. They didn’t shake over it. Sawyer wasn’t going to touch the bitch. She didn’t say anything until Dina and the rest of the assholes were gone again.

  The fucking Amazon rainforest. Of all the places they could be going, that was one she’d never expected.

  “How are you?” Quinn asked softly, staying close to her side.

  “I’m good,” she answered. He hadn’t left her side since he bumped foreheads with her. The gesture from him was as intimate as a kiss. She’d been touched. She knew in that moment she’d made the right decision about making sure they all went with him.

  “Thank you…for standing beside me through this.”

  “I would never let any of you sacrifice yourselves for me,” she reminded him. “Not when I’m capable of fighting with you.”

  He didn’t say anything else, just tentatively put an arm around her waist and held her for a moment. He was gone faster than she could blink.

  “Everyone ready to leave?” James was stiff, and Sawyer felt guilty.

  “I’m sorry about this,” she told him. “I really am.”

  “Just come back. All of you. I don’t want to lose another team.” James didn’t say anything else, just walked out of the room.

  “Do we follow him?” she asked, frowning at the team.

  “Yes.” Vincent went after him and they were all scrambling to catch up. “James. Wait. What’s the plan? You know more than we do.”

  “I’ll get you this portal home and back. Twenty-four hours is what I can buy you to prepare. It’s what they would give Quinn, and that’s not changing. You’ll fly out from here to Brasília. The mission is being run by the colonel you met, Quinn.” James stopped at the elevator and Sawyer nearly walked into Zander. She didn’t. She felt a little bad for threatening their relationship, but once again, they were being thrown into something that put their personal lives secondary. First they had to secure their actual ones.