by Addison Jane
ADDISON JANE
K E OSBORN
Liberate
The Vindicated Series Book Two
ADDISON JANE and K E OSBORN
Copyright 2017 ADDISON JANE and K E OSBORN
All Rights Reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, real people, and real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the authors’ imagination and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, organizations or places is entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. This book is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author. All songs, song titles and lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.
ISBN: 978-0994609281
Book design by Swish Design & Editing
Editing by Swish Design & Editing
Proofing by Fiona Dreaming
Cover design by Kari at Cover to Cover Designs
Cover Model – Burton Hughes and Tessi Conquest
Photography – Eric David Battershell
Cover Image Copyright 2017
All rights reserved
Lies, deceit, betrayal—everything has changed from the life I had. From the life I knew. I lost my team. I lost my livelihood. I never thought it could come to this.
I vowed to protect her.
I failed.
But it’s not over yet.
The Agency made a mistake when they decided to take my life. Now I was free, and a man who answers to no one is a man who should be feared. I’m fueled by revenge, seeking justice for her, for me, and for the innocent lives I unknowingly destroyed.
Lily drew me from the shadows. She burned so brightly. She made me see clearly and filled me with warmth. But her flame was smothered and she was cast into the darkness.
I won’t let that be her end. I need retribution. I will take nothing less.
They may have won the battle, but I’m about to start a war.
Dedicated to Fiona Wilson.
Thanks for always having both our backs, supporting us and not complaining when we continually start conversations with "you know how much you love us..." lol
Blurb
Dedication
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Connect With Us Online
About the Authors – ADDISON JANE AND K E OSBORN
Firstly we would like to thank Kaylene Osborn for not only being our editor extraordinaire, but for being the person who introduced us to each other. Without Kaylene, this collaboration would never have been possible, and to have a world without Kace is just something we can’t even think about. Being introduced to each other was like finding a lost friend. We connected instantly, and it was all thanks to Kay. So thank you for that, and for your work on Deceit. We both appreciate it to no end.
To Kaci – Thank you for being an amazing BETA, PA, and friend to both of us. This process would never have been the same without you by our side, cheering us on and nagging us constantly - haha.
To Kim L – Thank you for all your help, guidance and support with not only being a BETA and PA but also an adopted sister and friend. You’re always there for us, whenever we need you, and we love your sense of humor and a friendly ear. You’re a true friend.
To our amazing set of BETA’s – Thank you for all your hard work and effort in making this first book of The Vindicated Series the best it can be. We love you guys hard!
To Eric Battershell – Wow what can we say? You have done nothing but support the both of us from the beginning of our journey together. Your efforts in making this series, and our stand-alone careers magical, makes you not only uber professional but an outstanding friend. We have no words to communicate our appreciation for you and how you have helped us. Thank you!
To Burton Hughes – When we envisage Kace Colt we only ever saw him as one man—that man was you. You’re everything Kace entails. Strength, power, confidence, and every picture we use depicting you as Kace exudes all of these things. Thank you for being our Kace Colt.
To Tessi Conquest – Thank you for being our Lily. Just as Burton was our Kace, you are our Lily. Thank you for being so utterly lovely in the photoshoot with Burton.
The crunch of gravel fills the air as I watch a dark car drive down the long path and pull to a stop. The breeze whips at my hair and clothing, the shelter of the trees that surround the small cabin doing nothing to protect me.
I take a step forward, my hand unconsciously moving to my chest to rub at the spot where the bullets had impacted my body. I’m still in a lot of pain, but all it does is fuel my anger and my need for retribution.
Ambling down the few small steps of the porch and onto the rough ground, I make my way slowly toward the car, the person inside still yet to climb out. I don’t have time to waste. This is what I’ve been waiting for, my patience is running thin and with every passing day I’ve become more restless, more agitated, as I try to control the vengeance that burns deep inside me.
Another ache forms in my chest, this one not one of physical pain but emotional—mental. It’s a feeling of guilt and regret, knowing that I was the one to drag Lily into this massive fucking mess which in the end has completely destroyed her. This is all my fault, and I desperately need to make it right.
My stomach churns with unease and resentment as I watch Luca step out from the driver’s seat. His eyes meet mine instantly and the both of us freeze. I’m twitchy and irritated, two feelings that aren’t uncommon for me to have when I’m in the presence of my cocky, smart-mouthed best friend. But this is different.
He clears his throat, cutting through the sparking atmosphere between us. “So are we gonna run through a field of daisies and French kiss like two lost lovers, or should we get this over with and you just punch me in the face?”
I wiggle my fingers as they hang at my side, trying to hold myself back. “Well, that would just be you getting off easy now wouldn’t it? Maybe I’ll just shoot you in the chest… twice.”
Luca visibly cringes as he slams the car door shut and walks over, but relief soon floods his face. He heaves in a long breath before he spits out, “Fuck, man.” His arms stretch out and he moves in to hug me, but this time I can’t restrain my body any longer. I pull back my arm and throw my fist directly at his face.
Luca’s fast, but he doesn’t even bother to try and move or deflect the harsh blow. It connects with his cheek bone, throwing his face to the side and causing him to stumble backward. His hand reaches up to cup his cheek, and he grits his teeth through the pain.
“Okay,” he mumbles awkwardly. “I deserved tha—”
He lets out a l
oud “oomph” as my fist connects again, this time with his stomach, making him double over and groan loudly. I shake out my hand, feeling only slightly better as I finally allow some of the malice inside me flow out.
“Now you’re just being a dick!” he wheezes in protest, holding one hand up in surrender as he cradles his body with the other.
I scoff. “God, you’re right. I’m turning into you.”
Luca flinches as he throws his arms up in the air dramatically. “You say that like it’s a bad thing?”
Flicking my head to the house, Luca follows silently as we climb the worn steps onto the porch and sit down on two weathered old wooden chairs that look like they’ve been made with old fence posts and railings. They’re uncomfortable and seriously beaten down, often creaking loudly under the weight of a person, but they’re also surprisingly solid.
Silence settles around us as I look at the man who for years has been my sidekick, the one person who knows me better than anyone else in the entire world. And now along with all that, he’s become something more.
He’s my replacement.
“Fuck,” Luca huffs as he eyes me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I lean forward, bracing my elbows on my knees and cupping my hands together, letting my head hang down. “Guess that’s thanks to you… a few seconds difference, and it could have so easily gone the other way.”
I stared into the eyes of my best friend, his gun aimed directly at my forehead, almost brushing against my skin. “Put it down, Luca,” I snapped but continued to remain still. His eyes were hard, dark and unemotional, but it was the light tremor in his hand that told me he was still with me, that this wasn’t over yet.
“Luca, stop! Please,” Lily pled. “This is enough!”
We continued to stare each other down, unmoving even, as the rest of my team filed into the house, moving around us as we formed a stalemate just inside the foyer.
“You gonna shoot me?” I huffed.
Luca’s jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth together. “No.”
Raising my hand, I smacked his hand away. “Then put the damn gun down you idiot, you’re scaring her.”
“She should be scared,” he roared, stepping forward and into my face. I held my ground as I watched him overcome with emotion and anger. “Do you know what the hell is going on, Kace? The whole Agency has been turned upside down. They’re hunting for you two, and I’m telling you now, the plan is not capture and detain. No, your mother wants your damn head on a fucking platter!”
I grabbed his shoulders, my fingers digging into the thick material of his vest. “We’re gonna figure this shit out, but for us to do that I need you to not lose your fucking head.” Luca’s chest rose and fell in short, sharp breaths, his nostrils flaring like an angry bull. “Listen, learn, keep it together for fuck’s sake, because I can’t do this without you. You hear me?”
He took a moment before nodding his head sharply. “I fucking hear you.”
“Good, ‘cause shit’s about to get serious.”
Lily ran to my side as I led them to the living room, gripping my shirt in her hands as she wrapped her arms around my waist and stared defiantly at my men.
“It’s okay,” I told her softly, looking down and cupping her face in my hand, drawing her eyes to mine and hoping she saw the strength inside them that she needed.
“Did you actually kill him?” Axel asked as he leaned against one of the walls, folding his arms across his chest, ready to get down to business. His face was covered in bruises after our altercation in the mall, but there was no malice in his eyes.
I owed him an apology.
I owed the whole team an apology.
But right then, there were bigger problems to deal with.
I just had to hope that they would still be willing to hear me out.
“Yeah,” I answered, lifting my chin, knowing that the news of Mark’s death would have shocked the entire Agency. “And when I get hold of Camilla, she’s going to pay too, for what she did to my father.”
“Woah there… what the hell are you talking about?” Luca interjected with his eyes wide.
Lily’s hand slipped into mine and she squeezed it hard, a small but strong show of support while I retold the people around us just what Mark Luthendale had told me.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Noah said in awe, brushing his fingers through his short hair and shaking his head. “How does this shit happen? Your dad, he was…”
Silence sat stale in the room as they all contemplated the same things I had over the last few hours. My dad, he was everything The Agency stood for. He was strong, confident and compassionate. He believed in fighting for what was right, and protecting people that he didn’t know, that he had no ties to what-so-ever because that was what was right. He put his life on the line, he didn’t care who stood against him or how powerful the enemy was. Dad believed that no matter the odds, we had to fight anyway in order to make a difference in the world.
No one questioned or told me I had it wrong and that this couldn’t happen.
When I spoke they listened because they knew me. They knew that my dad was my hero, and theirs too.
“I feel sick,” Tanner spat in disgust, snapping us all from our daze. “How long has this been going on? This is not what I signed up for!”
“None of us signed up to be part of a terrorist organization,” Blair snorted. “That’s what we fight against. Yet, here we are, all of us wondering just how many people we’ve hurt doing those assholes’ dirty work.”
I could tell my whole team was upset and distressed. We’d spent a long time fighting through hell, believing we had a purpose and that we were making a difference. Now everything we’d done didn’t just weigh heavily on our shoulders, it was sinking it, pulling us into a place that we never thought existed.
“We have to fix this,” Axel said sternly.
“We’re going to fix it,” I agreed. “Camilla isn’t going to get away with what she’s done. I’ll make damn sure of it.”
“No, you won’t,” Luca stated. I whipped my head in his direction ready to argue my point but was interrupted.
“They’re on us,” Noah snapped, staring down at his phone. “They’ve just sent an alert out with our location. We have less than four minutes before reinforcements get here.”
Luca’s hands instantly went to his vest, unzipping it and dragging it off his shoulders. “Put this on!”
“What the—”
“Just do it!” he yelled. “Trust me, damn it! If you want Lily to live, you need to take her and get the fuck out of here.”
“This is my fight,” I argued, gripping the Kevlar vest in my hands. “Camilla needs to be brought to justice.”
Luca stormed forward, slamming his palms into my chest. “And what about Lily? You gonna risk her life just so you can get some kind of payback? You gonna sit aside as they storm in here and drag her away kicking and fucking screaming, just because you can’t put your anger aside and let us… the people who have stood beside you for years and had your back… take this one and make it right for you?”
Turning to look at Lily, her eyes were wide with fear. She licked her dry lips—it would have been erotic if it wasn’t for the situation we’d found ourselves in. “You do what you have to do to make this right, Kace.”
Fuck.
My girl, trying to be strong, trying to tell me she’d practically go through hell and stare death in the eye if that was what I needed to do.
No, this wasn’t just about me anymore.
I promised her that I would protect her and keep her safe. Losing her would mean losing a part of myself, like cutting off a limb. I’m in love with this woman, and it was because of Lily that I’d been able to finally see clearly. She was my future and I needed to do whatever I could to not jeopardize that future.
I’d already fucked with her life. I had dragged her down with me and now I needed to make it right. Even if that meant stepping aside for now
.
With a heavy growl, I pulled my shirt off, glad it was baggy enough to hide the vest underneath it.
“I hope you have a plan,” I snapped at Luca who finally flashed me a grin.
“Nope, but we’ll make it up as we go.” He turned to Lily. “I’m gonna be an asshole, so you need to play along.”
Lily huffed and raised an eyebrow. “Something new and different for you?”
“Less than thirty seconds,” Noah warned us, my team stealing their bodies, their faces turning out any kind of emotion. Luca pulled his gun out once again, his fingers wrapping around the butt.
“You better keep me in the fucking loop,” I told Luca seriously.
“It’s over,” he answered harshly.
I caught Lily shuffling nervously out of the corner of my eye. I wanted to go to her, to comfort her, to tell her this was going to be okay. But I knew that for now I needed to trust Luca.
“This is still my team,” I growled.
“Not anymore.”
While trying to take a deep breath, the ache in my chest grows more prominent as I remember the events of that night. “How’s the team doing?”
Luca laughs. “Dealing. Considering their leader just died.” He shakes his head. “They’re ready to get this shit sorted, man. They’re on edge waiting for Camilla to give us orders regarding another assignment, not knowing what the next one will entail. Maybe she’ll have us killing newborn babies, telling us their suicide bombers.”
It was a joke, but I was beginning to realize just how ruthless the woman I once called Mom really was.
Lily’s completely innocent in all this, but because Camilla couldn’t afford to have me distracted, she would rather kill an innocent beautiful woman like Lily than to have that disruption in our team.
We are the best they have.
We got shit done and we got it done fast.
