The Redemption Saga Box Set

by Kristen Banet

  “Is there anyone available to portal us?” Elijah asked, but Sawyer was also interested. They loaded into the elevator and James hit a floor that she hadn’t gone to yet.

  “I have someone who will do it in a heartbeat, even if he isn’t cleared to do it,” James explained. “Sawyer, you taught someone some very bad habits.”

  “Excuse me?” She brought her eyebrows together.

  “You’ll see,” he sighed. “He’s still causing a bit of trouble. He failed a drug test only last week.”

  “Oh fuck, no way,” Sawyer gasped. “No! Travis?”

  “He’s on probation since he was caught with marijuana in his system, but he’ll do this for me,” he explained. “Since I got him this job when the team caught you. We didn’t want to leave a Magi who could make portals for you in an unsafe position. He was a potential target for Axel to exploit.”

  “I mean, I knew-”

  “He doesn’t know from me who you are,” James cut her off. “But with you in the city, I’m positive someone has told him. It’s why I didn’t mention it earlier. I wasn’t sure if you were ready or willing to see what his reaction could possibly be.”

  “He was the first person who saw me after Axel and I ran into each other in LA.” Sawyer rubbed her face. “He didn’t know. I never told him.”

  “Well, now it’s time to confront that,” he told her.

  The elevator’s ding startled her. They walked off and down a hallway into a room full of cubicles. James led them to one in the back corner and Sawyer felt like it was a small funeral procession.

  “Travis, I need you. Come with me,” James demanded. Sawyer met Travis’ eyes as he stood up. His eyes were clearer, more chocolate than mud. No sign of being bloodshot. His hair was still a little long, a little ragged, but it was healthier as well, fuller. He’d even put on weight, maybe a little too much.

  “Sawyer!” Travis seemed startled.

  “Hey, man,” she replied, smiling. Neither of them were following James, who was walking to another room.

  “You…I’ve heard some things.”

  “Most of them are probably true.”

  “So…you were Shadow. I was the Magi that made portals for an assassin everyone thought was dead.”

  “Yeah, I am Shadow. Yes, you were a Magi I paid to portal me around after everyone thought I was dead. No,” Sawyer dropped to a whisper. “I didn’t kill anyone while you worked for me. In case you were wondering. I stopped doing that sort of work a long time ago.”

  “I wasn’t wondering,” Travis whispered back. “I just…I mean, I know why you never would have told me. People here just look at me funny. When someone first told me, I freaked out. I didn’t know if you wanted to talk to me while you were in the city, so I didn’t ask James to let me see you. And it’s not like you were ever bad to me. If anything, you always helped me out, so I just ignore what others say about you.” He smiled. “Plus, I’m in trouble with or without you, it seems.”

  “I’ve heard. How’s being sober?” She grinned. “Should have realized they wouldn’t appreciate you smoking pot while working for them.”

  “It was a good weekend party with some old college friends. I had the week off too. I didn’t think they would drug test me the day I got back,” Travis grumbled, rolling his eyes.

  “You should have-”

  “Sawyer. Travis. Get moving,” James snapped, looking back at them from the room he’d gone into. Sawyer realized it was just her and Travis standing there still, and others in the office space were staring at them.

  “What’s going on?” Travis asked in a hushed tone as Sawyer walked with him to James.

  She heaved a sigh, her chest getting a little tight. “We’re going to need you to make a portal for us to get home and get ready for an IMAS mission we didn’t want. It’s political. You don’t want to get dragged in.”

  “I’ll do it,” Travis agreed softly. Once inside, he went into the professional mode that she was used to. “Have a photo for a location? I need to visualize where I’m putting this thing.”

  “Here,” Vincent spoke up. He handed his phone to Travis, who flipped through pictures on the screen.

  “Good enough. I’m feeling south Georgia? Not the farthest I’ve ever done,” Travis mumbled, nearly to himself. Sawyer raised her eyebrows.

  “It’s not nearly the farthest you’ve made,” she reminded him. “LA and New York were longer.”

  “Don’t tell anyone. They don’t believe I can make them that far.” Travis shrugged. “They normally keep me within a few hundred miles, nothing over a thousand and nothing over oceans.”

  “They underestimate you, and while that’s a topic we need to discuss, the team only has twenty-four hours.” James sounded annoyed. “Sorry, you and Sawyer need to catch up next time.”

  “Roger that,” Travis sighed. They could all feel his magic begin to fill the room and concentrate to one end. Sawyer looked around - there was nothing in the room, not even sockets for electricity.

  “What do you do in here?” she asked James.

  “Portals. This is a room just for portals to be made,” James answered. “This is where you would enter the building if they ever offer portals to you for travel, but they like making things hard on you and the team. Nearly every other team of Special Agents has one or two dedicated Magi who can make portals.”

  “No fucking way,” Sawyer mumbled, shaking her head. “They really do like shitting on us.”

  “It’s been like this since before we got you,” Elijah added from the back. “They’ve always loved dicking around with us. You being around just made them up their game.”

  “Portal is ready,” Travis called out. “Am I going in too?”

  “Yes, so you can portal them back tomorrow. Guys? Got a place for him to sleep?” James looked around. Sawyer shrugged.

  “He’ll be fine on a couch,” she answered. “Right, Travis?”

  “Sure,” he groaned. “Go on. You know the drill.”

  She chuckled and walked into the black abyss.

  In Georgia, she was happy with the heat. It was the first thing she noticed, that the sun was still warm in the South. On the other side of the cold trip through the portal, she moved out of the way so no one else staggered into her.

  Vincent was next, holding Kaar in his arms, and Sawyer couldn’t stop a chuckle as Elijah barreled into him when he didn’t move in time. This led to Zander and Jasper hitting them both.

  “Get out of the way for the wolves,” Sawyer told them quickly, pulling Jasper and Zander by their sleeves.

  Quinn held both wolves by their collars when he nearly fell out of the portal. Shade and Scout were tripped up and nearly fell themselves. Travis came through last and closed the portal quickly.

  There were some chuckles all around at the ridiculous trip.

  “Let’s get ready,” Vincent said. “We don’t have much time.”

  Sawyer felt the moment of humor at the team vanish, leaving them all sober and silent. They all walked inside together but split up quickly. Sawyer went straight up to her room. Weapons. She was going to weapon up first, then worry about other necessities for the mission.

  Inside her closet was a safe. Elijah had installed it once they had finished inventory of her gear. She opened it and sighed.

  So much black. So many blades.

  She pulled out her favorites first, the long, sharp twelve-inch daggers. She laid them out on her bed. Two, her standard weaponry. Next she grabbed her throwing knives. They would be good in a pinch.

  “Let me help,” Quinn said as he walked into her room. “I’m going to meet with everyone on the team to make sure you’re prepared. You are first.”

  “Why?” she asked. It didn’t hurt her pride for him to come in and help; she was just curious.

  “Because we haven’t finished your go-bag,” Quinn explained. “The bag for survival missions like this. I need to make sure you have the appropriate clothing, shoes, a fire-starting kit. I
know we covered some of this, but I need to make sure.”

  “Okay.” She held her hands up, a gesture that she wasn’t going to argue with him. She was out of her depth on this. She was only prepared mentally, but the rest…well, that’s why they were at home.

  “Weapons. Good. Bring all of them. You never know what might come in handy, and I’ll see that you always have something to use.” Quinn walked into her closet and grabbed more of her blades. She took the kukri from him and laid it out. That was one that could do serious damage. “You won’t need this.”

  Sawyer watched Quinn pick up and show her the black mask.

  “No, I won’t need that,” she agreed. “Put it back. It’ll stay in the safe where it belongs.”

  “This protected your identity when you worked as an assassin.”

  “Yeah. Let’s not go there.”

  He wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t willing to discuss it. Not when they had things to do.

  “Looser clothing is best,” Quinn continued. “Cargos, any color. Black might be too hot for where we are going, but the fit is more important than the color. The leathers you wear will be sweltering.”

  “Okay.” She went to her dressers and began pulling things out. T-shirts, tanks, cargos. Nothing overly tight that would cause sweat to sit on her skin or restrict air flow. She grabbed a duffel bag and began loading it up. “How much?”

  “We can’t go with too many bags. One bag, whatever you can fit in it for clothing. Your weapons will go in the second bag with survival gear. I haven’t taught you any rope work, but I’ll give you rope just in case. There’s some things we can cover on the trip with the entire team.” She didn’t like how harried his voice was. He was stressing out.

  “Quinn.” She reached out to him, where he was still making a walk between her bed and her closet, pulling things out and shoving them into a pack. When she touched his arm, he stopped immediately. “We have twenty-four hours. Then we have a long flight. We’ll be fine.”

  “We’re going in nearly blind.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time for me,” she told him.

  “This hunt is much more dangerous than ones you’ve ever been on,” he whispered, seeming scared.

  Quinn, stressed out? Scared? That fucking terrified her.

  “We can do this. As a team,” she promised him.

  “I wish you hadn’t agreed to this.” He sighed, shaking his head. “You’re right, we can do this as a team, but I…I agree with Zander. I don’t want you to get hurt. Not just you. Anyone here on the team. You’re my pack, and for you to be here and safe while I’m off in danger…It would have put me at ease, I think. As this draws closer, I’m…” He touched his heart but said nothing more.

  “Worried. You’re worried,” she whispered.

  “Yes. I know the word,” he growled softly, giving her a look as if she was stupid. “I’m learning to express my emotions better. I think it’s your fault.”

  “What else is my fault?” she smiled as she asked it. She had noticed he was expressing himself more. From his protective nature in Texas to asking her to celebrate reading, and now this. She noticed.

  “I didn’t kill a bitch like I would have used to,” Quinn said and then slammed his mouth shut.

  “What?” Sawyer sputtered.

  “There was a female in my meeting with IMAS. She wasn’t there today. She knew things about me. Before I met you, I would have just killed her for knowing those things, for just pissing me off. I didn’t. I think it’s your fault,” he explained in a growly tumble of words Sawyer almost couldn’t understand.

  “Good to know.” She nodded slowly. “Why?”

  “I don’t know,” Quinn answered honestly. “But you have changed everything here, so it must be your fault.”

  “I haven’t changed anything!” she huffed, crossing her arms. “I haven’t!”

  “Everything,” he repeated. “And not in a bad way, just one that confuses me sometimes. It’s okay.”

  “I didn’t mean for all of this to upset your life, Quinn. There was a time when all I wanted to do was leave, and now we’re doing all of this so I can stay.” She sighed and sat on the bed, watching him. She had changed everything. She’d upset his entire life. She was fucking his friends, in her own tangled mess with them. She had invaded his privacy and forced herself into his education.

  “There was a time I wanted you to,” he whispered. “Not anymore. You belong here. With us. You are a warrior like we are. An alpha female strong enough to take what we throw at you and what the world throws at all of us. I knew you were strong the moment we met. It took me those first couple weeks to see how you fit in and grow comfortable with it. Since then…you’re my packmate, Sawyer, and you prove that every chance you get by being my friend and supporter. Don’t feel bad for the changes that came with you. I don’t.”

  “That’s probably the most you’ve ever said to me at once,” she noted. And the nicest. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you.” He grabbed her packed bags and left the room.

  She stayed seated. That was interesting. He was changing, and in good ways. She loved that he talked to her more about how he felt. She wanted to know more about him. The mystery that surrounded him, his dangerous personality that fought and protected fiercely.

  Quinn was back before she knew it. She stood up, confused.

  “If we survive this, I want to take you hunting. Me and you. Not even the wolves.” He said it quickly, and she nodded.

  “Okay. We can do that.” She smiled and shrugged. She didn’t know what was wrong, or what had brought about the invitation, but she would accept. She would always accept an invitation to do something with one of the team in a heartbeat.

  He nodded as well, then tentatively wrapped her in a hug. She very gently wrapped her arms around him. It was awkward and tense, but Quinn was hugging her and that was crazy.

  “Good.” He released her and left again. She just stood in her bedroom, confused.

  Quinn just hugged her. Talk about change.

  She left her room, not trying to follow Quinn, but looking for something to eat. Checking the time on her phone, they still had twenty-three hours until they had to be back in New York. She could eat, get some sleep in her bed. Those would all help prepare her for this. She knew better than to help in any other way. Quinn was covering that, and he was the expert.

  In the kitchen, she ran into a shocked little old lady.

  “Estella,” Sawyer greeted her. “Sorry, we’re back early and only for the day. We have a thing.”

  “Well, Miss Matthews-”

  “Sawyer.” Estella, in the three times Sawyer had met her, had not once called Sawyer by her first name. She was going to keep trying.

  “Miss Matthews, it’s good to see you. I hope the boys haven’t given you too much trouble. I was just restocking the fridge and making sure there was nothing expired.”

  “Got any salads?”

  “I brought a few for you. Here you go.” Estella pulled out a boxed, premade salad and Sawyer took it slowly.

  “Not going to ask what’s going on?”

  “No. I’m not going to ask. It’s IMPO business and not mine. I just keep the house clean and make sure the boys have a nice place to come home to. I don’t need to know the rest.” Estelle just smiled and continued cleaning the fridge.

  Sawyer walked into the dining room. That was the longest interaction she’d had with Estella yet. The other three times were even less noteworthy.

  As she ate quietly, Zander sat down next to her. “Sorry,” he whispered.

  “Me too,” she sighed.

  “We’re so bad at this.” There was some humor and desperation in his words.

  “It’s okay not to be good at something,” she reminded him. “We’ll figure it out. I shouldn’t have lost my temper enough to threaten you like that. I would never leave you over something petty like just caring about me.”

  “You were right. I flew off the handle because o
f it. You made the right call. I just didn’t like not being a part of the discussion.”

  “We both did fly off the handle. As for a discussion, there wasn’t one, Zander. I’ll try not to make decisions like that often without the team. I just needed an answer right then and there. This is what I came up with,” Sawyer explained, shrugging.

  “It’s not a bad decision. This is the right call for the team.” Zander shrugged too. “I just…can’t imagine a world without you in it and that’s always a possibility. This just makes it even easier for me to lose you. I love you.”

  “I…” Sawyer opened her mouth, about to tell him how she felt, then decided against it. “I know.” She didn’t know what stopped her. She loved him, but something was stopping her. “We’ll keep working on this. We’ve argued like mad before. We always have, and we’ve argued when we’ve agreed. It never ruined our friendship and I don’t think it’ll ruin this. We’re working on it. This…relationship thing is new.”

  “I know. Still, I’ll keep apologizing. Don’t think I don’t know that I’m abrasive and loud about stuff.” Zander smiled, and she grinned, nodding in agreement.

  “I’ll keep apologizing too,” she promised him. “Plus, when we don’t want to argue, I can always kick your ass in COD instead of the gym.”

  “Bring it fucking on,” Zander taunted.

  “I’m glad to see you both are still talking,” Jasper cut in, walking into the dining room. He sat next to her and she quickly kissed his cheek.

  “Of course we are. Zander and I just like to yell at each other.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Jasper gave an exaggerated groan and Sawyer chuckled while Zander laughed from his seat across from them. “Hot tempers and not thinking before you speak. You both have it down to an art.”

  “I’m not as bad as him,” Sawyer pointed out. She would not be lumped in with Zander.