Redemption (The Chosen #4)

by Swank, Denise Grover

  He could kill them. There were only five guards. He could easily do it and not hurt anyone else. He’d just panicked before. But Antonia shook her head, her eyes filled with love. He searched her mind.

  Do this for me. It is the only thing I will ask of you. If you love me, you will give it to me.

  The only person he loved more than Antonia was his mommy. Even though every part of him protested, he would give her anything. Even this.

  Stumbling as he spun around, he found his footing and ran. He ran faster than he’d ever run, trying to outrun the nightmares that lived in the real world and not just his dreams. He ran past families and workers and old men and women. Small children watching from their mother’s arms. He ran out through the exit next to the security gate and made it out the doors into the oppressive heat, the sun blinding him.

  He jerked to a halt when he noticed a shiny black car stopped at the curb. The back door opened and Aiden climbed out, wearing grin. “Hello, Jacob. Looks like you’ve had a busy morning.”

  For a split second, Jake was sure he could defeat Aiden, but Antonia’s face rose up in his thoughts and her words washed over him. Love is more powerful than evil. He had to believe her.

  The guards brought Antonia through the doors behind him. Jake turned his head. Seeing the men hold her arms so tight hurt Jake too much.

  “What was the meaning of this, Antonia?” Aiden asked in a bored tone.

  “This is all my fault. Señor Jake had no knowledge of what I intended to do.”

  Jake’s mouth dropped open.

  “Is this true, Jake?”

  Antonia’s eyes pleaded with Jake.

  I can’t do this, Antonia.

  Her beaming face, full of love, told him that he could.

  Jake looked at concrete sidewalk. “Yes, it’s true.”

  “I’m very disappointed, Antonia. You were such a model employee until this incident. You provide such excellent care for Jake. Perhaps I should give you another chance.”

  Jake looked up hopeful, but Antonia’s face remained stoic.

  “However.” Aiden paused with a tight smile. “What kind of example would I give if I let you get away with this blatant infraction? You must be a example for others.” Aiden’s gaze turned to Jake.

  Jake knew Aiden meant him.

  Antonia lifted her chin, looking braver than Jake had ever seen her. She fixed her gaze on Aiden. “Pudrete en el infierno, demonio por lo que le haces al niño!”

  Aiden looked amused. “Interesting choice of words, Antonia.”

  Her skin turned red and she moaned.

  “Do you have anything to say now?”

  “Que Dios maldiga tu alma para siempre!" she cried out, her eyes rolling back into her head.

  Fear crawled across Jake’s skin and he looked away.

  “No, Jacob.” Aiden’s voice was harsh. “You will watch this.”

  Lifting his chin, her face was blurry through his tears.

  “Disobedience will not be tolerated. Remember.”

  Antonia’s mouth moved but nothing came out until she screamed.

  Please, Antonia. Please let me save you.

  She shook her head. “Only God can deliver me.”

  Aiden snarled, his lips curling back to reveal his shiny white teeth. “Yo te libraré.”

  Her clothes burst into flames and her hair caught fire. Screams pierced the air as she fell to the ground, screaming and screaming until she finally stopped and then…nothingness.

  Jake loved Antonia but she had been very, very wrong.

  Evil was stronger than love.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Marcus leaned against the desk in his room. “There’s a problem with Emma.”

  Will sat down in a chair in the corner, his mouth suddenly dry. Had Marcus figured out that Emma was pregnant? “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Emma’s power is weak and unreliable.”

  Relief washed through him as he shook his head. “Alex told Emma that she was stronger than Emmanuella.”

  Marcus pushed away from the desk and sat in the chair next to Will. “Knowing the previous incarnation personally, that’s not saying much.”

  “I’ve seen her do some powerful things.”

  “Yes, I agree that she’s capable of a great deal, but unfortunately, she’s not able to manage it every time she needs to. Her power is sporadic at best. Why didn’t she use her power in the elevator? She should have been able to put up more of a fight.”

  Will released a heavy exhale. Marcus was asking the very questions Will had been asking himself. “She was probably afraid. She gets her power from anger. Fear tends to put a damper on it.”

  “That’s a huge problem, Will.”

  His statement was so obvious, Will saw no point in answering.

  “She needed to ground her source in something free of emotion when it was developing. I’m not sure there’s time for her to relearn it.”

  “From what I’ve heard, her predecessor instinctively knew how to ground her power in previous lives and her protector helped her.” Will didn’t try to hide his defensive tone. “Emma had neither. She did the best she could, and I didn’t know any better.”

  Marcus held up a hand in defense. “No one is chastising her. Or you. I’m merely pointing out the facts.”

  Still guarded, Will rested his hand on the armchair. “Alex told her that the emotional source was what made her stronger than Emmanuella.”

  “True, but you’ve also seen that it makes her much weaker when it doesn’t work. This is good to know, though.” He paused for a moment. “We just need to rile her anger in a battle. You know as well as I do that we can’t rely on her in a fight, which will work out today but not at the end.”

  Will had worried about that as well. “Emma and I can share power. We already have. I can share mine with her.”

  “You’re going to need every bit of your own. You can’t share it with Emma or you’ll get both of you killed.”

  “So what are you proposing?”

  “I’m not proposing anything at the moment. I’m merely assessing the situation and suggesting we come up with a solution before the end.”

  Will agreed with everything Marcus said, but the fact remained that only two of them would survive. Marcus had to be trying to swing this to his own advantage. “I take it you have a plan for today?”

  “Given the information you’ve untangled, I suggest we scout out the area starting at five, a full two hours before we expect them to strike.”

  “And what do you propose for our plan of attack?”

  “We need Emma close, but I don’t think she should participate in any fighting today.”

  “Agreed.”

  “We should plan on both Raphael and Aiden being there, along with Jake. And I think you’re correct about their positioning. Given the damage patterns, they’re sticking close together. That should make them more vulnerable. We, on the other hand, should split up and come from different directions.”

  Will would have suggested the same thing. “I think we should engage Aiden and Raphael to get a true sense of what they can do.”

  Marcus folded his hands under his chin. “And Jake.”

  “What?”

  “We need to engage Jake as well. In case we don’t rescue him today, we need to know what we’re up against later.”

  Will shook his head, furious that Marcus could suggest such a thing. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “You know this is a good idea.”

  “No. It’s a terrible idea. We need to rely on the element of surprise to capture him, especially since our goal is a recovery, not an assassination.”

  “That’s shortsighted on your part, Will.”

  Will studied Marcus for several seconds, gripping the sides of his chair. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you plan to kill Jake.”

  Marcus pressed his lips together. “I want no such thing. Do you take me for a monster, Will?”

/>   “Honestly, Marcus, I’m not sure what to believe.”

  Marcus held his gaze for several seconds before he sighed and looked away. “I don’t intend to kill Jake or Emma myself, but we need to face the reality that only two will survive. So while I will not kill them, someone else will.” Marcus leaned forward, intensity burning his eyes. “We need Jake to be there at the end, but when we are in the final battle, I won’t intervene on his behalf. Or Emma’s. And know this: I intend to win and I plan for you to be with me.”

  Will rolled his eyes in disgust. Marcus was casually dismissing the only reason Will was fighting. “Why? Because you loved my mother?”

  “Yes, but also because you are my son. I do not take that lightly.”

  “Forgive me if I’m not falling for this family bonding moment,” Will shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the change of topic but glad to get it out in the open. “I’ve never seen you in thirty-four years and suddenly you show up and want to play daddy.”

  “I’ve been in your life, Will. You either didn’t notice or you simply don’t remember.”

  Will snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  Marcus fingered the fold of his pants. “When you were nine, you, James, and your sister Megan snuck down to the river to swim. You didn’t ask your mother’s permission so you had no adult supervision. The current pulled you under, and a man saved you.”

  “That was a fisherman.”

  Marcus looked up and smiled. “And then the time when you were seventeen and you and James drank too much and planned to drive home, but you couldn’t find the keys—only to find them the next morning in your jeans pocket.”

  Will’s breath caught. “Shit.”

  “Or when you came home for your sister’s wedding and James told you he wasn’t going to re-enlist. You considered not signing up again too. Until…”

  Closing his eyes, Will took a deep breath. “A man in the café convinced me to stay.” His eyes opened with alarm. “You told me that I’d find Emma.”

  “That was the night the final version of this game all began.”

  The hair on Will’s arms stood on end. “What do you mean?”

  “Really? You never put it together? That was the night Jake was conceived.”

  “The feeling I had that something bad had happened....”

  “Something bad did happen. You were right.”

  Will’s head felt fuzzy and he tried to focus on Marcus’s words. He knew that Marcus had orchestrated events, but he had no idea the scope of his involvement.

  Marcus leaned over and placed a hand on Will’s leg. “All of this is to prove to you that I’ve been looking out for you since before you can remember. Why would I go to all that trouble if you weren’t important to me? Why would I tell you that you’d find Emma if I didn’t want to help you protect her? I want you to have as much time with her as you can before you lose her.”

  Lose her? Will couldn’t face the possibility and he sure wouldn’t agree to Marcus’s plan. But if he had Marcus’s word that he wouldn’t harm Emma or Jake today, then he could assess Marcus’s power in the coming fight as well as the others. He checked his watch and stood up, needing some space to think. “I need to get back to Emma.”

  “I have a favor to ask.”

  Will paused. If Marcus had to ask, it couldn’t be good. “What?”

  “I’d like to speak to Emma. Alone.”

  Shaking his head, Will glared. “No way.”

  “I swear to you that I won’t hurt her.”

  “There’s no way in hell I’m leaving you alone with her.”

  A small grin spread across Marcus’s face. “I think that should be her choice and not yours.”

  “She’ll never agree to it.”

  “Maybe not, but ask anyway.”

  Will hurried to his room, suddenly anxious to get back to Emma. Either Marcus was one hell of a master manipulator or he truly cared for Will. He suspected the truth was a mix of both.

  He knocked with their usual pattern before opening the door. She sat on the bed, cross-legged, her eyes glued to the television, which showed coverage of Alex’s murder. “Emma.” he sighed. “Why are you doing this?” He sat next to her, reaching for the remote.

  She leaned away from him, keeping it out of his reach. “I’m a grown woman perfectly capable of making my own decisions, Will Davenport. I did pretty well the first twenty-seven years before you showed up.”

  “Yes, you did.” He took her hand in his. “I just don’t want you to torture yourself out of some need for punishment.”

  She moved toward him and brushed his lips with her own, then sat back. “No, that’s not why I’m watching. I think we need to know what the media’s saying. Or at the very least, find out if we’re implicated.”

  “Good idea. Learn anything?”

  Her mouth twisted into a smile. “Actually, yes.” She picked up a notepad with a hotel logo at the top. “They’re blaming Alex’s death on the Cavallo.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope. They even have a bit of information about them, which is similar to what we know.”

  Will shifted closer to look at the paper. “I wonder if Warren and the Vinco Potentia really think the Cavallo are responsible. Maybe they’re just throwing the media a bone with a little meat on it.”

  Emma shrugged. “Phillip Warren may be an egotistical bastard, but he’s no Aiden. He loved his son. I’m sure he wants to find who’s responsible.”

  “Not if he thinks it was us. Then he’d want to keep the attention elsewhere.”

  She sighed. “True.”

  Will wrapped an arm around her back. “What else?”

  “They are trying to tie the attacks on the cities to the Cavallo now, too. They have actual member names.”

  “Have they found any members to question?”

  “Yeah, a few, but many are dead. Which of course reeks of a conspiracy.”

  Grinning, Will shook his head. “America loves a good conspiracy.”

  “True.”

  “But still, the Cavallo is in the Vinco Potentia’s backyard. I’m surprised Warren would want the press and authorities snooping that close.”

  “Maybe it was all they had to throw out to keep themselves from being discovered.”

  “You might be right.”

  She pushed him on his back and straddled him. “What was that?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Could you repeat that?”

  He chuckled. “You mean that you were right?”

  “Yeah, that part.”

  “It’s not the first time I’ve said it, Emma.”

  “Just remember it won’t be the last.” She leaned down to kiss him.

  He rolled her to her side, letting his lips linger on hers. “God, I love you.”

  She pulled her head back, eyeing him suspiciously. “How’d it go with Marcus?”

  “It went fine. He’s just worried about you.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Worried about me? Somehow I think there might be some paraphrasing in there.”

  “More specifically he’s worried about your source of power and that it might be unreliable. I know you don’t want to talk about what happened in the elevator, but I need to know. I caught bits and pieces last night, but I need all of it.”

  She sighed and rolled on her back.

  “If it’s too painful, I can help you. In fact, I can just search your mind to get the answers if you want me to.”

  “No,” she sighed. “I’ll tell you.” She stared at the ceiling. “When the elevator reached the basement, the doors opened and you told me to touch him, but I was torn. I really believed he wanted to help me save Jake so I realized I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t betray him like that.” She took a deep breath. “But then you appeared and when he heard what you said, he was sure I’d tricked him. The truth is, even if I changed my mind in the end, I did betray him. I played on his sympathy for Jake and lured him to his death.” She sat up and closed her eyes.

  “Emma, you
don’t have to say this out loud. I can find it out on my own.”

  She looked over her shoulder at Will, resignation in her eyes. “I should own up to what I did, Will. I need to hold myself accountable if I have any hope of redeeming myself for the terrible things I’ve done.” She turned to the television. “For the terrible things I still have to do.”

  Will sat up and wrapped his arm around her, pressing his chest against her back. Wasn’t it his job, originally as her protector and now as the man who not only loved her but had bound himself to her forever, to protect her and save her from all of this? But he couldn’t protect her at all, no matter how much it ate at his soul. All he had to give her was his love and support. He kissed the side of her head. “Okay.”

  She paused for a moment. “Alex was furious, justifiably. To retaliate against both of us, he wanted to make you feel physical pain through our connection. We both know that worked until I blocked it from you.” She rested her hand on his arm. “I tried to use my power, but my fear prevented me from doing it in the beginning. The pain…the pain overwhelmed me after that. I burned his arm at some point and set his shirt on fire.”

  Will knew the physical pain that Alex had caused from searching her mind for it the night before. “Emma, I’m sorry. What happened was my fault. I will never put you in a position like that again.”

  She turned to face him and her eyes softened. “You can’t promise me that, and I don’t expect you to. I’m sorry I wasn’t stronger.”

  “You were strong enough.”

  “I wasn’t, and we both know it. Pretending that I was won’t help anything, and it might get the three of us killed. We need to figure out what to do in spite of my limitations.”

  Will’s arm tightened around her. He wasn’t sure how many days they had left for him to prepare her for the battle and even then, he wasn’t sure what else to do. What if Marcus wanted to talk to her so he could help her? It was doubtful, but Marcus was right. Emma should decide for herself. “Marcus wants to talk to you. Alone.”

  Her body stiffened. “Why?”

  “He didn’t say but he’s sworn that he won’t hurt you.”

  “What could he possibly want?”