Salvation

by Terri Anne Browning

  Copyright © Terri Anne Browning/Anna Henson 2019

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Terri Anne Browning, except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.

  Salvation

  Written by Terri Anne Browning

  All Rights Reserved ©Terri Anne Browning 2019

  Cover Design and Photo by Sara Eirew

  Edited by Lisa Hollett of Silently Correcting Your Grammar

  Formatting by M.L. Pahl of IndieVention Designs

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  Salvation is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book can be reproduced in any form by electronic or mechanical means, including storage or retrieval systems, without the express permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Table of Content

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Lexa

  Fighting back a yawn, I walked into the kitchen, my nose following the smell of coffee. I’d heard low murmurs as I’d made my way through the living room, but as soon as the door opened, they stopped abruptly. I instantly went on high alert without the need for caffeine.

  Balling my hands into fists to keep my fingers from shaking, I took in who was in the room. Dad was at the kitchen table, which was weird because he was normally out the door by five thirty during the week. He co-owned the auto and bike shop, and they opened at a ridiculous hour to “accommodate the working man,” as he liked to say. From six in the morning to six in the evening, he and his partner took care of the entire county’s automotive needs.

  Dad had his chair turned to face Mom, who sat at the table with her hands clenched so tightly around her coffee mug, her knuckles were white. That and her bloodless lips were the only things that told me something was definitely off with her.

  Across from her, Uncle Jet and Aunt Flick sat with their own chairs pulled close together. The oldest of my mom’s brothers had one arm around his wife, the other hand holding his coffee mug he’d half lifted to his mouth but seemed to have forgotten all about midway to its destination.

  Even without the abrupt way their conversation cut off, I would have known something was up simply because no one was eating. Aunt Flick normally made breakfast for everyone, and if Mom was home, she would help. But there was no lingering smell of fried bacon permeating the air, not even a single leftover biscuit.

  Heart pounding, I cautiously walked toward the table even though every instinct in my body was screaming for me to run. Whatever these four had been talking about wasn’t good, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. But when Mom’s green eyes caught mine and I saw the flash of fear—oh fuck, fear in Raven Hannigan’s eyes—I knew I couldn’t run from what was about to come.

  “What’s wrong?” I demanded, my eyes never once leaving the woman I loved more than life.

  As I watched, she forced herself to relax her hands, but it took several seconds for the blood flow to return to her fingers. Pasting on a smile that didn’t even begin to relieve some of my own fear, she shook her blond head. “Nothing is wrong, silly,” she lied.

  “Mom,” I began, but Dad stood, his big frame blocking her from my eyes for a moment as he meticulously pushed in his chair before crossing to the coffeepot and taking down my favorite mug.

  When I saw Mom’s face again, she was her normal self once more, and that bothered me more than anything else in this warped nightmare I’d just walked into.

  Mug full, Dad brought it back to me and kissed the top of my head. “Mom and I are going to be out today. We have a few errands to run that can’t wait. I was hoping you could take care of the office today since we’re both going to be gone and Trigger has no people skills.”

  I wanted to yell at him to stop acting and tell me what the hell was going on, but instead, I found myself nodding. Because if I were honest, I was fucking terrified of what they would say if they actually did tell me the truth.

  The night before flashed through my mind, making my stomach clench, and I put my coffee on the table without taking a drink. No way was I going to think about the night before. They couldn’t possibly have known what I’d been doing, and with whom. And they never would.

  “No problem,” I assured him as I hugged him with both arms. When I felt him tremble, I almost threw up then and there.

  Something is very, very wrong.

  All the way to the shop, those five words kept repeating like a mantra in my head. When I pulled into the parking lot, driving around to the back where all the employees kept their vehicles, I noticed the shop was already full of customers.

  Thankful for the distraction, I ran inside, putting on my best smile as I did. “Good morning,” I said as I hurried through the shop to the counter. “Sorry I’m late. Mom and Dad didn’t let me know they needed me today until the last minute.”

  “Lexa dear,” Mrs. Johnston greeted me with a warm smile, first in line. “Good to see you home. How did college life treat you?”

  Making sure my hair stayed over the right side of my face, I returned her smile. “It was great. It was nice to get away for a little while.”

  “Raven was just telling me a few months ago that you made the dean’s list your first semester at Oregon. She’s so proud of you, she could burst.”

  “That’s my mom,” I said with a laugh. Pulling up the right files for her, I quickly checked her out and handed over the keys to her car. “Good to see you, ma’am.”

  It took twenty minutes to get everyone waiting out the door. As soon as the shop was clear, I walked out into the garage to check on everyone. When Dad and Trigger took over the shop after Uncle Jack died, they expanded the garage to ten bays and hired more mechanics. Yet they still couldn’t seem to keep up with all the business they had.

  “Morning, Lexa,” Trigger called as he wiped his grease-covered hands on a stained rag.

  “Morning,” I returned, glancing around at the others hard at work in their own bays. “Do you have any order forms I need to take care of? And if you guys want me to call in lunch orders, make sure to have them ready by ten thirty.”

  “I think Raven took care of everything last night before she left. She stayed a little later than usual to tie up any loose ends so you wouldn’t have to deal with them this week.”

  “This week?” I repeated, confused. “Dad didn’t mention the rest of the week. He just asked me to cover for him and Mom today.”

  He shrugged. “Bash said Raven would be out all week. Just assumed you would be covering for her during that time.”

  “I will. I don’t mind. They just didn’t mention it, is all.” Frustrated because my concern for my parents was only escalating, I started straightening up my dad’s bay, needing something to do. He usu
ally only worked on classic vehicles and bikes, and he kept his work area pristine, but I felt an urgent need to do something with my hands. “Did they mention why Mom was taking the week off.”

  “No. But it was something that came up all of a sudden, so who knows with our queen, right?” Giving me a grim smile, he excused himself and walked back to his own bay.

  “Yeah,” I muttered to myself as I returned to the shop. “Who knows with her.”

  The rest of the morning went by without any issues. The pace was steady, and in between customers, I cleaned the shop even though it wasn’t the least bit dirty. After calling in everyone’s lunch order, I left the shop an hour later to pick it up.

  As soon as I walked through the door at Aggie’s, memories of the night before assaulted me, and I avoided looking around as I crossed to the counter. It didn’t surprise me that my aunt Quinn was already there, even though she’d been working the evening before. Ever since Aggie had made her a partner in the diner and started taking more and more time off, Quinn always seemed to be there.

  The perky blonde beamed at me as I approached her. “Well, this is nice. I get to see you two days in a row. What can I do for you, lovely girl?”

  “I’m picking up the huge call-in order for the guys at the shop,” I told her. “I’m covering for Mom this week.”

  “Ah, okay. Give me like five minutes, and I’ll get everything together. We’ve been swamped with call-in orders. Apparently, the entire police department called in one too.” Even as she was talking, the bell over the entrance went off, and I felt every fine hair on my body lift. “Looks like everyone is arriving all at once to pick up their orders. Afternoon, Sheriff.”

  I felt Ben more and more the closer he came until my entire body was vibrating with anticipation. His deep voice sounded like it was right beside my ear when he spoke. “Quinn.” He stepped in close to the counter, his side brushing against mine. “Lexa,” he murmured.

  Closing my eyes, I savored the sound of my name coming from him, even as my heart clenched so painfully, it was hard to draw in a deep enough breath for a moment. “Sheriff,” I gritted out, sidestepping so he wasn’t touching me.

  When I opened my eyes, they lingered on him, taking in his short, dark hair, that strong jaw and broad nose. The urge to lick his lips hit me all over again, stronger than it had been the night before. After I forced my eyes away from those lips, they went straight to his wide shoulders encased in his work uniform, then down to his tapered waist with his belt that had his revolver, flashlight, and a radio attached to it. Damn it, he made that uniform look so freaking good, there should have been a law against it.

  Thankfully, Quinn didn’t seem to notice our interaction, or the fact that I was drooling over the guy who’d so effortlessly shattered me without even a word the night before. “Like I was telling Lexa, Sheriff, we’ve had a lot of large call-in orders today. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll get you taken care of.”

  “Take your time,” he told her, and even though I refused to look at him, I knew his eyes were on me. “I’m in no hurry.”

  Giving him her signature beaming smile, Quinn went into the kitchen to gather our food.

  The restaurant was crowded with hungry customers, but suddenly, I felt alone with Ben right beside me. It was just the two of us in the universe for a single moment, and I craved for the situation to be different so I could have the one thing I knew I never could.

  When his fingers skimmed down my arm, I shivered, then quickly jerked back and looked around to make sure no had noticed him touching me. “Don’t,” I hissed.

  “We need to talk.” He said it casually and just loud enough for those nearest to hear. “You left before we could discuss everything.”

  Brushing the hair back from the right side of my face, I turned so he could see what I’d shown him the night before. The scar that had so disgusted him he’d been left speechless and I’d been shattered.

  His eyes landed on it and darkened. Last night, I hadn’t gotten a good enough look in the dark to see what color his eyes were, but I could see them all too clearly now. They were a brandy brown, and after the kiss we’d shared the night before, I knew he could be just as smooth and intoxicating as his eyes promised.

  “Tell me who did that to you,” he commanded, stepping closer and lowering his voice so only I could hear.

  The savage fury in his voice made me shiver again, but it didn’t frighten me. I’d faced scarier men than him in my lifetime.

  Stepping back, I tucked my hair back down over the right side of my face, hiding the scar that went from my temple to the corner of my mouth. “That isn’t any of your business, Sheriff. Nothing you can do about it now anyway.”

  “Lexa, please.” His voice was softer now, the feral beast once again caged. “Tell me.”

  “A very bad man,” I answered honestly.

  “Give me a name, beautiful. Just his name and I’ll make him pay for ever touching you.”

  I dropped my lashes, covering my eyes and hiding the pleasure I felt at his vow. “You can’t. He’s already dead.” Pressing my lips into a hard line, I forced my lashes to lift and smiled coldly at him. “And that’s all you’ll ever get out of me on the subject, Sheriff Davis.”

  No way I would tell this man—the fucking law, for God’s sake—that my mother killed the bastard who had nearly killed me.

  Chapter 2

  Ben

  I hated that cool little smile Lexa was giving me right then. It made me want to kiss her until she melted against me like she had the night before. I ached to feel her in my arms again, her mouth devouring mine just as hungrily as I would hers.

  If she thought I couldn’t see through it and glimpse the agonizing need that was burning through her—just as it was me—then I needed to set her straight. She’d put up walls since last night, and I was going to tear them down. Brick by brick if I had to.

  “Here we go, Lexa,” Quinn announced as she placed four, heavy-looking to-go bags on the counter. “I’ll ring you up while Little John gets the sheriff’s orders together.”

  Lexa gave her a forced smile. “Thanks, Aunt Quinn.” As I watched, her tongue skimmed over her bottom lip, making it glossy, and I nearly released the groan that was vibrating in my throat. As she handed over a twenty for the first order, she bit into her bottom lip then blew out a small huff. “Hey, do you happen to know why Mom is taking the week off? They waited until the last minute to ask me to help out at the shop, and things seemed kind of tense this morning.”

  A frown squeezed at the blonde’s brow as she handed over the change. “Sorry, honey. Things have been so crazy around here, I haven’t really seen Raven in about a week. Although—” She broke off, shaking her head. “Never mind. I’m sure it’s nothing. Your mom has been really busy lately. She probably just has to take care of other things, and with you home now, she can focus on them while you take care of the shop for her.”

  “Yeah,” Lexa said with a nod, but I could tell she wasn’t satisfied with that answer. Worry pinched at her brow before she quickly smoothed it out, putting on a smile that her aunt didn’t seem to notice wasn’t reaching her beautiful eyes.

  Eight transactions later, and Lexa was finally ready to go. When she went to lift the bags, I was already there, taking two in each hand. “Lead the way,” I instructed, only for her to glare up at me.

  “I can carry it myself, Sheriff. I’m not helpless.” Those glacier-blue eyes snapped icy fire at me, making the need to kiss her intensify. Did she have any idea how beautiful she was when she was pissed?

  “No one thinks you are, woman. My grandmother would whup me good if I didn’t offer some assistance.” When she didn’t move so I could follow her to her car, I turned and walked to the door alone.

  I knew exactly which car was hers. When I’d pulled into the parking lot and saw it sitting close to the front door, my shitty morning at work had evaporated, and I’d felt a little of the peace I’d
gotten a taste of the night before just looking at the stars with Lexa.

  Turning so my back was to the door, I pushed it open with my shoulder and grinned at her. “Coming, beautiful?”

  Muttering curses under her breath that would have had my grandmother swatting at her sexy behind, she stomped toward me and followed me out to her car. The doors weren’t locked, so I secured the four bags in the back seat while she glowered at me. As I closed the door, she stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest mutinously, and I winked down at her before walking around to the driver’s door and opening it for her.

  “You can’t do things like this and not expect people to notice,” she said with a sexy little growl as she marched around the car toward me. “Especially here, of all places. Do you realize how many MC brothers eat here at any given time every single day?”

  I shrugged. “I saw the cuts, sweetheart. I’m well aware of the club and its members.” Leaning down, I brought my face to within an inch of hers. “Told you last night I don’t care about them or your father.”

  “Yeah, well, I do.” Tossing her hair out of her face, she showed me her scar for the third time since the night before. “Take a good look, Ben. It doesn’t get any prettier in the sunlight.”

  Slamming the car door shut, I cupped her face in both hands, letting my thumb brush over her scar. “Stop it. I don’t give a damn about this scar. It doesn’t make you less beautiful to me, Lexa. It doesn’t make me want you any less. I don’t care about it or your father or anyone else in this goddamn world. I just want you to be mine.”

  Leaning into my touch, she lowered her lashes, but not before I saw the sheen of tears. Yet all too soon, she jerked back, putting distance between us all over again. “That didn’t seem to be how you felt last night. I saw the disgust on your face, Sheriff. So, don’t stand there and lie to me that you don’t care about the fact that I’m—”

  “Lexa?”

  We both looked up at the sound of her name. When I saw the mountain of a man standing only feet away, his head shaved and a tattoo of a black widow on his neck, I instinctively put myself between him and Lexa. I knew who he was. No one would forget James Masterson after one introduction. The patch on his MC cut said Enforcer, and I could easily believe he would enforce every law his club had.