Liberate (The Vindicated Series Book 2)

by Addison Jane

Lily was in the way of Camilla’s plans, so her first reaction was to eliminate her.

  A shudder runs through me thinking about what would have happened if I’d listened to Camilla and not trusted my instincts, which told me Lily was just a pawn in a bigger game. I could have killed her. I could have taken her life and just the thought of that makes me feel fucking sick.

  “What did she say?” I ask through tight lips, not sure if I even want to know the answer.

  Luca looks at me through narrowed eyes, knowing exactly who I’m talking about, but obviously gauging whether or not he wants to answer.

  “She said nothing.”

  I raise my eyebrows, wondering if he’s trying to ease the blow, or whether Camilla really is just that damn cold.

  His head bobs up and down. “I walked into her office and the body cam video from one of The Agency boys was playing. She watched me shoot you, over and over. There was no sign of remorse, no sign of any kind of regret. Nothing. Blank, cold eyes stared at the screen, Kace.”

  A dark laugh falls from my lips, but all I really feel is numb.

  Thankfully, he saves me from the depths of hell that I can feel myself slowly sinking back into by asking, “How’s Lily doing?

  Instead, guilt strikes at my heart. How is she doing? She’s been through hell and back again and she would have never been in this position if I’d just done what I should have and stayed the hell away from her.

  But I can’t. It is impossible.

  She’s everything I never thought I needed. I realize now that we were all heading down a dark path of destruction. Following orders and never questioning motives had become the norm. We put our trust in people who should have never been given the power that they had been handed, and we were all puppets on a string.

  Until I saw Lily and how bright and innocent she was, I was content with living in the darkness and letting it consume my soul. She made me want something better, not just for me, but for my team. We want to do good, we want to help people, but this is not the road we need to take in order to achieve that.

  I know her life has been turned upside down and she’s been thrown into a shit-storm that never should have touched her. But it is what it is. And now we need to work on making it right. The last few days have been hard.

  Essentially, Lily and Kace are dead.

  By now, her parents will know. Her family and friends will all be grieving for her, mourning her loss and wishing they could hold her one last time. While we know this is not permanent—simply a means to an end—they don’t, and the pain they’re currently feeling will be very real.

  I know that is what’s affecting her the most. Her kind heart can’t deal with the fact that she could ease their pain so easily. The Agency will lie about our deaths in order to cover their own asses, so I take comfort in the fact that they won’t know the hell she’s had to endure the last two weeks just to survive.

  “She’s sore, she’s hurt… physically and mentally. The doctor we had come in said she dislocated her kneecap. I guess falling from a second story building will do that to you.” I sit back, the seat under me creaking and shifting under my weight. “I’m not sure she realizes just how long this could take.”

  “None of us do, but the Board has already been called in.” I sit a little straighter hearing those words. “They need to decide who’s going to take Mark’s place as head. A vote won’t be far away.”

  Calling the Board in is a rare occurrence but an important one. It’s made up of five long-standing members and retired agents who hold power over the entire Agency. It’s those agents that decide who rules and who has power, and with Mark out of the game I know exactly who will be their next option.

  As if Luca has read my mind he reaches over and slaps me on the shoulder. “She’s not going to win.”

  I hang my head, feeling almost defeated. “How did this happen?”

  Luca doesn’t answer and I look up at him, seeing the regret and empathy in his eyes. Luca is a joker, he does it when he feels uncomfortable or in bad situations but right now, he is my best friend. And he can feel my pain.

  “How did I not see this? How did I not see her for what she really is? She’s my fucking mom.”

  “You know better than anyone the more practice you have the easier it is to put on that mask and pretend to be something you’re not.” Luca’s words do little to comfort me.

  I should have known.

  This woman raised me—she tucked me in at night, she cuddled me when I was sick, she taught me how to fight and how to be one of the best agents out there.

  “We’ll get her man. You gotta trust me.”

  I force back the emotions swirling in my gut, telling me to get off my ass and do something or hurt someone. “You know you’re not taking my team right?” I smirk.

  Luca rolls his eyes. “You’re fucking dead. Therefore the team is dead until your resurrection.” Laughter bursts unexpectedly from his mouth. “Holy shit, does that make you Jesus?”

  I try to hide the smile on my face but raise my middle finger at him. “You’re an idiot.”

  “But you missed me, right?” He wiggles his eyebrows, but I just shake my head.

  I did miss him. I hated knowing that they were hunting me down, not understanding why I was doing what I was doing. I knew they were feeling the same as I was—confused, angry, desperate—but we were back now.

  They heard me and once again they have my back.

  And with them at my back, nothing’s impossible.

  Groaning loudly, I roll over, trying desperately to ease the aches in my body. But it seems that no matter which way I lay or roll, they’re still there. A sharp reminder of sorts I guess that there’s no escape.

  My head feels hazy like I’m stuck in a thick fog. I’m not entirely sure if it’s due to my nap or because of the painkillers I’m on. They’re the only thing that’s getting me through from day to day. They allow me to relax, take a deep breath and for just a brief moment I feel at ease.

  It’s no way to live, I’m well aware.

  But I’m alive and I guess that’s something to be grateful for.

  Noises coming from outside have me sitting to attention. I blink quickly, trying to clear my vision and look around. Swinging my legs over the edge of the sofa causes me to whimper, pain shooting up my leg and buzzing through my spine. My heart begins to race as I hear two very distinct male voices flowing through the small crack in the front door. We’ve been alone in the cabin for almost two weeks and I’ve become accustomed to the silence. It’s almost deafening at times, allowing me too much time with my own thoughts.

  Kace has been quiet too. I know he’s on edge, his muscles feel like they’re constantly tight as if he’s preparing for a fight at any moment. It makes me nervous to watch him looking so lost like the world is revolving around him and he can’t control it anymore. Kace is always so poised, but now he’s rattled, and all I can do is tell him that things will be okay, that we will get through this.

  But the truth is, I have no idea.

  The voices interrupt my thoughts again and my skin prickles, sending a wave of goosebumps up my arms and stirring an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  Dead people should not worry this much. I scold myself for being so paranoid as I realize one of the voices belongs to Kace, his tone is soft and calm. Rolling my shoulders, I shuffle my body to the edge of the sofa, taking a deep breath as I push off. I have to fight through the pain as I hobble toward the door, the need to investigate who’s outside becoming too much for my curious mind. My body feels heavy, lethargic. Every small movement sends vibrations through me.

  Luca’s sarcastic laugh greets me as I pull on the door handle and I roll my eyes as I step outside. An instant chill hits my skin, and a slow shiver starts at my toes working its way through my body. My arms go around my waist, hugging myself tightly as though I may freeze and then shatter into a million tiny pieces and float away on the breeze.

  Winter seems to h
ave come sooner this year.

  I’ve never been a fan.

  Kace’s stern face flicks up as he catches my movement. “Will you sit down!”

  I limp out, flicking my wrist dismissively. “I’m fine.” I’m not.

  When I get within reaching distance he grabs me, hooking his arms around my body and lifting me into his lap. The old chair shifts under our weight but holds firm.

  “Well, you look pretty good for a dead woman,” Luca says, eyeing me with a small smile.

  “Pretty sure dead people don’t feel this much pain,” I point out, nodding at my bandaged knee, but inside I feel like the words mean something completely different. I know my brave persona is faltering, but so far, I’ve managed to distract Kace enough so that he doesn’t notice.

  The pain in my head is very real but it’s not caused by any sort of physical injury.

  “That will happen when you jump from the second story of a building,” Kace says, his hand brushing my thigh softly, causing my body to melt against him.

  Luca gives me a thumbs up and a wonky grin. “That scream was on point, though.”

  I cough. “Yeah, because I got scared. Ended up Tanner had to push me ‘cause I wouldn’t jump.”

  Luca laughs but Kace just tightens his hold on my body, his grip is bordering on almost painful.

  “I better get going,” Luca announces as he stands up, pulling his coat tighter around his body. “I’ll start the rotation of visits as of today. We don’t want queen bitch, Camilla, to catch us slipping.” His comment brings the first chuckle to my mouth in a long time.

  Kace picks me up as he stands then places me back on the seat. “This is still my team—”

  Luca chuckles and pats Kace on the shoulder, lowering his voice like he’s talking to a small child. “It’s okay, Kace. Let it go.” In a blink, Kace grabs Luca’s arm, using it to twist his body into position as he pushes it up his back.

  “Ouch… ouch… ouch…” he cries out in both pain and laughter as Kace directs him down the stairs.

  Kace looks over his shoulder at me with a smile and a wink and my body warms. He has his best friend back. Luca may be a pain in the ass a lot of the time with his inability to take shit seriously but Kace knows, without a doubt, that Luca has his back. Even if he were walking through fire, Luca would be there right beside him cooking marshmallows.

  There are no lengths he won’t go to in order to support Kace, and sometimes Kace needs that.

  But maybe so do I.

  Tears spring to my eyes as I think about how much I miss Molly and just what she must be going through right now, thinking that I’m gone forever. Kace still has his team, the people who will do whatever it takes to make sure he comes out the other side of this whole ordeal unscathed.

  I’ve lost everyone.

  I mentally scold myself for simply thinking those thoughts. They aren’t true. I haven’t lost everyone, I have Kace. I decided back in that house that I’ll stand by his side, come hell or high water, and it seems like both are creeping up on us.

  I’m going to hold on because this is bigger than me, and I know what could happen if we fail and Camilla gets away with all the pain and destruction she’s caused. There will only be more to come. A shiver shoots up my spine at the thought of what the future might hold.

  I watch as Luca hands Kace a white file with a bright red border. I can clearly see TOP SECRET in bold red letters separated with slashes are the words ‘Boxed Flower.’ I sit a little taller, my heart thumping in my chest as I look at classified information for the first time. Suddenly, I can’t wait for Luca to leave, the need to know what’s in that file almost too much to bear. Is it something that will help us?

  Kace waves as Luca pulls away. He turns and stomps back toward me, but just as I think he’s about to sit down he bends and lifts my body into his arms, his lips tickling my neck as he carries me bridal style back inside the house. I sigh contently, having him this close and in my arms is enough to soothe my aching soul, even if only for a moment. His strong body, his muscles, his hard and defined features all bring me calm. Kace is a strong man, in more ways than just physically. He’s a good person, his heart tainted with pain but not enough to destroy the purity he holds inside it.

  Kace places me on the sofa with a soft kiss to my pouting lips before continuing into the kitchen and slipping the folder into a drawer.

  My brows crease in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. “Seriously?”

  He doesn’t even bother to look at me as he answers, “It’s not for you to worry about, Lily.”

  “We’re in this together, Kace. You need to be honest with me if this is going to work and I’m going to stay somewhat sane,” I throw back, folding my arms across my chest, acting like a tantrum-throwing toddler.

  He makes his way around the counter and crouches down in front of me. “The less pressure on you the better as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want you to become stressed out.”

  I sit forward bringing my face close to his. “You’re stressing me out by keeping things from me.”

  He cradles my face in his hands, his eyes sparkling blue staring into mine with a look that I know will never get old. “I promise we will talk about it later,” he whispers softly, brushing my messy hair back from my face. “Okay?”

  It’s a strange feeling to know that words seem pointless when you can feel someone’s emotions so intensely, almost as though they’re a physical being reaching and drawing you in. His promises are more than just words.

  “Okay,” I reply, confident that he isn’t trying to keep me out.

  “Good, because I have much better plans for you right now.” His smirk stirs excitement in my belly as he sweeps me gently into his arms and carries me to the bedroom.

  “You’re incorrigible,” I laugh as he transfers me through the small bedroom of the cabin and gently tosses me onto the bed.

  He’s been so gentle with me since the shit hit the fan. With my injuries, I know he’s fearful of hurting me more than he already has, but it’s frustrating. My need for him hasn’t lessened any since I got hurt, if anything, it’s grown beyond any measure I could have imagined.

  I watch, trying not to lick my lips as he drags his T-shirt over his head and drops it onto the floor beside him.

  My sudden need to rid my body of my shorts has me squirming uncomfortably.

  Kace’s body is something of utter magnificence. Even since we’ve been hidden away in this middle of nowhere cabin, even with the injuries he sustained himself, he’s managed to get up every day and work out. You’d expect that people who’ve suffered the stress we have would have cowered away, slipped into some kind of depression, but not Kace. No, it only makes him want to work harder and get stronger.

  I, on the other hand, have done the opposite.

  I’ve pulled away from him, allowing the pains in my body overtake my mind. I know it can’t be fun to be around me, yet he’d never say.

  His pants drop to the floor and I take in a sharp breath. It’ll never get old, seeing him standing there, hard and ready, knowing it’s me that he wants, me that he craves to get lost inside. This plain girl, who had up until recently lived her life day by day, appeased by the simple things that comforted me—working with animals and an unhealthy Netflix obsession.

  He kneels at the end of the bed and my legs unconsciously fall to the sides, waiting to accommodate his body, dying to feel it wrapped around me, aching for him.

  He smirks, his fingers trailing up my bare leg until he reaches the waistband of my shorts and with one swift tug he pulls them down to my knees, my panties along with them. I’m bare, the cool air inside the room hitting the wetness that already covers my pussy and sending a sharp chill up my spine.

  He becomes gentler as he helps to move them down over my leg, his soft hands taking away the pain that I was expecting to hit me.

  When they’re disposed of, tossed over his shoulder, he dips his head. I brace myself, expecting him to take ad
vantage of the position I’m in, but instead, his lips press against the skin on my lower belly.

  I sigh, the brush of his unshaven face in contrast with his soft succulent lips causing me to relax into the bed. It will never get old, the way he looks after me like I’m so precious and delicate, but there comes a time where I just want to scream at him to fuck me so hard that I lose my damn mind.

  I know he’s holding back as he moves my shirt further up my body, his lips following the trail of naked skin until he bunches it up over my chest. Then he moves to my bra, pulling down the cups and exposing my breasts. My nipples instantly harden and he doesn’t miss a beat. He grabs them both in his hands, squeezing as he lowers his mouth to one nipple.

  His tongue swirls around it, flicking over it a few times before he turns his head, doing the same to the other. I throw my head back and press my chest forward, encouraging him to take more.

  I need more.

  “I ever tell you these are the perfect fucking size for my hands?” he mutters as his tongue and mouth drive me into a state of complete and utter desperation.

  “Once or twice,” I tell him as I lift my hips, trying my best to tempt him. Even the pain that shoots through my leg seems to become unimportant, the slut inside me ignoring it as I continue to squirm underneath him.

  He groans, lifting himself onto his knees and moving his lips up toward my neck as he positions himself above me. “I fucking love you,” he growls, his teeth nipping at the skin underneath my ear.

  “Do you always need to use fuck in that sent—”

  He thrusts inside me and I cry out as he bottoms out.

  “You were saying?” Kace chuckles as he withdrawals before doing the same thing again.

  My eyes drift closed and I wrap my arms around his shoulders, anchoring myself to his body.

  “Nothing,” I whisper, my voice raspy and low. He pounds inside me again, this time twisting his hips so he hits a different angle. “Fuck!”

  “Hypocrite,” he hisses, the tone of his voice telling me he’s just as overcome by pleasure as I am.

  His lips tickle my jaw line as his thrusts become steadier.