The Redemption Series

by Melynda Price

  An arrow of awareness shot into her, sizzling through her veins. The emotion startled her and Olivia leapt back. Haden’s head landed back on the couch with a dull thud, and this time he groaned.

  “For fuck’s sake, Olivia. What the hell are you doing to me?” Wincing, he reached up and pressed his palm against his temple.

  “You’re awake!” It was a stupid thing to say. Of course, he was. Those sea-green eyes were staring right at her…or more specifically, her breasts.

  “Who wouldn’t want to wake up for that view?”

  Her cheeks heated, flushing with embarrassment. “I was trying to help you,” she explained lamely. “You’ve been unconscious for hours.”

  Haden squinted his face tightening in pain. “Where’s Liam?”

  “Getting bandages and some medical supplies. He should be back soon. You have a lot of injuries—.”

  “And now I have whiplash, thanks to you.”

  “Very funny. Where have you been? I’ve been worried,” she scolded.

  “Why would you be? You’re the one that told me to go.”

  Oh, so this was her fault? Was that what he was trying to say? Olivia leaned back, shifting her weight to stand. Now that he was conscious, he certainly didn’t need her fawning over him, treating him like some invalid. Nor was Haden the kind of male that would want such attention. That time when he’d been injured protecting her from that Incubus, she’d practically had to twist his arm off to get him to let her take care of the wound. “I didn’t tell you to get yourself killed,” she snapped.

  As she rose, Haden caught hold of her wrist with a surprising amount of strength for someone who was near death just a few short hours ago. “Have you really?” he asked, his gravel-coarse whisper sounding surprised.

  His touch was hot—feverish…perhaps he was spiking a temp. “Have I what?” She laid her palm across his forehead, checking for a fever.

  A tawny brow arched in wry amusement, his top lip tugging into the slightest grin. “Been worried about me. What are you doing?”

  She moved her hand to his cheek to compare the temperature. “Of course I have. You just took off without so much as a goodbye. And then…” She cut herself off just short of confessing her dream. “And I’m checking for a temperature. Your skin feels overheated. I think you have a fever,” she answered, switching tracks on him.

  “That’s not why I’m hot, Olivia.”

  Oh, he was unbelievable... Even half-dead she couldn’t mistake the meaning behind his darkening gaze. Before she could pull her hand back, he reached up and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, holding her palm against his cheek.

  “I’m glad you missed me.”

  “I didn’t say I missed you. I said I was worried about you.”

  “Is there a difference?”

  Well...yeah…

  His thumb brushed over her pulse pounding in her wrist, and her cheeks burned even hotter. He’d feel her thundering heartbeat and would no doubt get the wrong idea. Haden’s eyes turned verdant, holding her in his mesmerizing stare as he turned his head just enough that his lips made contact with the edge of her hand. Heat seared her flesh, burning up her arm.

  On some subconscious level, she was aware she should be pulling back her arm—now. If he was strong enough to make a pass at her, he was well enough to tend his own injuries. Yet, she seemed unable to move at the moment…

  Haden closed his eyes and drew a slow breath as if savoring the feel of her hand against his skin. But then his breath turned into a sharp hiss of pain. He must have forgotten about his broken ribs and inhaled too deeply. But whatever the reason, it was enough to yank her back to reality. Olivia pulled her hand from his reluctant grasp. Her mind raced, scrambling to fill the awkward silence and growing tension between them.

  “Your side is injured pretty badly. I think you need to go to the hospital.”

  “I think I’d prefer your healing touch—.”

  “Stop it,” she scolded. “This isn’t helping.”

  He watched her a moment, the impassive expression on his face giving nothing away. Then, as if he’d flipped a switch, the edge returned to his voice and he said sharply, “You’re right.” Grimacing, he pushed himself up and swung his feet to the floor.

  “What are you doing?” she cried in alarm, rising to stand beside him.

  “What’s it look like?” Frustration and impatience reverberated in his growl.

  “It looks like you’re behaving like a stubborn ass. Now lie back down before you fall down.”

  The hell-hound rose as Haden did, splitting his time between watching her and his master. At least the damn dog wasn’t snarling at her. Haden was doing enough of that himself. “I’m going to go take a piss, Olivia. And then I’m going to shower since it looks like my sponge-bath is off the table.”

  Ass…

  He stood with a surprising amount of agility, but determination and arrogance could only get a body so far. His bravado was about as long-lived as a shooting star, because he immediately listed to the side. Reflexively, she rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his waist for support. Damn, he was heavy…and holding him up like this had her pressed very intimately against the front of him. Her breasts were crushed into his lower chest, the top of her head level with his collarbone.

  At his oofed groan, she shifted her grip trying to avoid his right side, and murmured, “Sorry…”

  He wobbled a moment, and she was sure they were going down when his arms suddenly came around her. His chin rested on the top of her head for what she could only assume was balance. They stood like that for a moment, letting him get his bearings while she pushed an assault of inappropriate thoughts and memories from her mind. Trapped against him like this, she was powerless to move. All she could do was pray Liam wouldn’t walk in before she got herself untangled from Haden.

  “I think you should sit back down,” she suggested, hoping he could understand her muffled voice as she spoke into his chest. She didn’t mean for her lips to touch the top crest of his rock-hard pec, but she couldn’t move. Nor did she mean to rub against something else rock-hard as she tried to reposition herself.

  Haden groaned again, but this time his pain had a deep, primal sound to it, a siren’s call to her feminine instincts. Desire, need and raw hunger slammed into her with the force of a wrecking ball, but the emotions were not hers…or were they? God help her, she couldn’t tell. The emotional assault was battering her resistance, stealing her resolve, and eroding her sense of propriety. But through it all, she had no trouble discerning this emotion as hers—guilt—shameful, horrific guilt.

  “Sitdown, Haden, and wait for Liam to help you.”

  “I don’t want his help.” The growled words ruffled her hair. “And I don’t want yours, either.”

  Could have fooled her… “Then let me go,” she grunted, trying to wrestle herself free of their tangled embrace. If he fell, he fell… Too damn bad. He shouldn’t have been so blasted stubborn as to think he could walk into the bathroom on his own.

  When he didn’t release her, she huffed, “Fine. Let’s just get you into the bathroom then.” There were plenty of things to hang onto in there. As they shuffled together, taking one step at a time, subtle movement caught the corner of her eye. Great, Haden’s dog was following them.

  Before she could say anything, Haden snapped, “Kyro, stay!” and the animal obediently dipped his head and back-tracked before sitting down.

  “That’s amazing,” she commented, trying to make conversation in hopes of assuaging the awkward tension building between them as they were both, no doubt, intimately aware of his erection digging into her hip. “You’ve got him well-trained.”

  “He’s not trained. He does what he wants.”

  “I don’t think you’re giving him enough credit. The animal obviously adores you, and he seems very intelligent.” They were almost there…just a few more steps.

  “I’m glad you like him,” Haden grunted, sounding a bit out of b
reath. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was an audible rattle in his exhale. “Because I wasn’t kidding when I said he was yours.”

  They paused in the doorway to take a breather. Haden grabbed the wood trim with one hand, but refused to relinquish his hold on her with the other. “Haden, I don’t want a dog. I’ve always sort of been a cat person. I wouldn’t even know what to do with him. And besides…” she whispered the last part, just in case it could understand her, “he’s really ugly…and terrifying.”

  Haden moved forward now, heading toward the sink. She stepped with him, still shouldering a fair amount of his weight. “He saved my life, Olivia, and he’ll save yours. Trust me, you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

  The ominous warning sparked a surge of fear that choked out any further complaint. By the time they reached the sink, Haden was truly winded. Releasing his grip on her, he planted both palms on the counter and bent forward, struggling to catch his breath.

  “I still think you need to go to the hospital,” she urged again. “I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure your ribs aren’t supposed to move like that when you breathe. And you’re wheezing…”

  He turned his head just enough to look at her, but stubbornly didn’t reply except to say, “Unfasten…my pants…will ya.” It wasn’t a request. He used both hands to hold himself up, and looked to be having a tough time of it.

  “What? Umm… No. Haden, I can’t do that.”

  His derisive snort turned into a pained cough. “It’s not…like you haven’t…done it before…sweetheart.”

  Yeah, thanks for the reminder…jackass. She was working up a nasty comeback when he spit a mouthful of blood into the sink. Instantly, her ire melted away and worry needled her veins, prickling her flesh as the most unpleasant wave of dizziness washed over her. She wasn’t usually so squeamish, but her knees were starting to buckle.

  “Haden, I think we should call an ambulance.”

  “No,” he wheezed. “I’ll be fine…after some rest. Just…help me out of my…fucking pants.”

  Okay, that just wasn’t going to happen. There was no way in hell she was going to risk Liam coming home and finding her dropping Haden’s drawers. Before she could tell him so, the front slammed shut.

  “Olivia?” Tension ripped through Liam’s low-growling voice, and Haden muttered a barely audible curse.

  “I’m in the bathroom—with Haden,” she called, stepping back to put a more appropriate distance between them. “Liam, I think he needs an ambulance.”

  “I don’t need a…fucking ambulance,” Haden snarled. “All I want…is a goddamn shower…and a place to rest.”

  Damn, he was cranky. A moment later, Liam filled the doorway and dropped the bag of supplies on the floor. He looked pissed. Looked? Hell, he was pissed. Along with a whole lot of other emotions raging in that kaleidoscope glare of his.

  “He couldn’t walk on his own,” she explained, because let’s face it, this just looked bad. “And he needs to use the bathroom.”

  “Leave, Olivia. I’ll take care of him.” Liam’s dismissal left no room for argument, and she couldn’t decide if she was more offended by his brisk order, or relieved not to have Haden demanding she drop his pants.

  At any rate, she wasted no time hightailing it out of there. As soon as she cleared the doorway, the bathroom door slammed shut behind her and the shower turned on. She’d bet ten to one that wasn’t going to go well. Haden was hurting and about as friendly as a badger caught in a trap. That he was willing to accept even a little help from her had been a miracle, and spoke volumes of his trust in her—but from Liam? Oh, this was not going to end well at all…

  Chapter Eighteen

  Olivia winced as another snarled curse echoed from the bathroom. Kyro shot up and bared his teeth at the door. “It’s all right,” she told him as she sat on the couch, anxiously tapping her foot. “Liam is just trying to help him.”

  The dog looked at her and then sat back down, tension reverberating from the giant beast. Combined with her own restless energy, she was about to crawl out of her skin. In need of a distraction, she grabbed the washrag from the kettle and wrung it out before slowly kneeling in front of the hell-hound. “You certainly are a terrifying beast, you know that?” she asked softly, gauging the animal’s response to her cautious approach.

  When no warning growl greeted her, no flash of fang telling her to back off, she nudged closer. “If you’re going to stay here, we have to get you cleaned up,” she crooned, making a slow, purposeful reach for the dog’s blood-splattered face. She had no idea if he was going to let her touch him, and she was probably crazy for even trying to do it, but there was a part of her that felt bad for the poor thing. He’d obviously been through a lot. And Haden did say the animal had saved his life. Anything that could love that surly male must have some redeeming traits, right? “You’ll scare away the neighbors if they see you like this,” she teased softly. “Okay, you’ll probably scare them away, anyway, but we can’t have you looking like you just killed someone.” As her mind caught up with her words, Olivia paused mid-reach. “Dear God, you killed someone, didn’t you?”

  The dog tensed as she drew closer, watching her warily. As she gently ran the damp rag down the side of his face, it was like washing a stone statue. He seemed confused by her kindness, yet not entirely opposed to being touched—just unsure about the whole thing.

  “I’ll make you a deal,” she said softly, having no idea if the animal understood her or not, though by his response to her voice, she suspected he might. “You don’t hurt me, and I won’t hurt you. How’s that?”

  She rinsed out the rag and this time reached for the dog with a little more confidence. “Haden said you were mine now,” she babbled to the beast, partially because it calmed her nerves. It also helped drown out the occasional crash and snarled curses coming from the bathroom. She worked to clean the animal’s massive head that reminded her of an overgrown, demon-possessed Mastiff. “I gotta confess, I’ve never had a dog before. I’m not really sure what to do with you.”

  Now that his face was clean, she had to admit he looked slightly less terrifying and…rabid. “There,” she said with satisfaction. “That’s much better. You don’t look quite so mean now.” Reaching up, she ran her hand over his boxy head. When she passed his ear, the dog tipped his head into her hand and she laughed. “You like that, do you? You know what I think?” she asked, scratching him behind the ear with a little more vigor. The dog let out a throaty groan of pleasure and closed his crimson eyes, soaking up what she could only guess was a rare moment of affection. “I don’t think you’re nearly as tough as you let on.” Reaching behind her, she grabbed the kettle and set it between her and the dog Haden called Kyro. “I don’t suppose you’d put your foot in here.” To her surprise, he lifted his bear-like paw and plopped it into the water.

  “Oh, you are a smart boy, aren’t you?” She smiled at him and began scrubbing the mud and blood off his leg. As she worked, the tension slowly began to ease from his massive body—that was until the bathroom door flew open and crashed into the wall. Olivia let out a startled squawk and Kyro leapt up, spilling the kettle of bloody water all over the carpet. He lunged forward, barking and snarling at Liam, who had a less-than-gentle hold on a barely conscious Haden…who was wearing her pink bathrobe?—and not very well, at that. The over-large, one size fits all obviously didn’t take that body into account when they’d made that claim. She couldn’t tell who was wetter, Liam or Haden, who was sporting a new bruise over his left cheek. Perhaps in retaliation for Liam’s bleeding, busted lip.

  The dog lunged. “Kyro, no!” Without considering the idiocy of her actions, Olivia lurched for the hell-hound, grabbing hold of the chain collaring his neck and pulling him back.

  “Olivia don’t—.”

  Liam’s warning died on his lips as she stood there, putting all her weight into holding the dog back. It looked as if it’d like nothing more than to rip Liam’s throat out. To whi
ch he looked as if he’d be more than happy to reciprocate. Had she really just told this beast he didn’t seem so mean, after all? Well, retract that. He looked absolutely terrifying—especially with that crimson glow in his beady, evil eyes.

  “It’s okay, Liam. I’m fine. Just get Haden into the spare bedroom. Kyro thinks you’re hurting him.”

  At the use of the dog’s name, Liam’s brow arched. “Kyro, is it, now? How the hell long was I gone?” he grumbled, ushering Haden down the hall.

  Once they were out of sight, she tugged the dog’s collar to get Kyro’s attention, and scolded him in a hushed whisper, “Now you stop that! Liam is only trying to help him and if you get on his bad side, he’s not going to let you stay here. I think you should find someplace to go lie down and behave yourself.”

  As Liam’s clipped footsteps drew closer, Kyro shot her a reluctant, sulking glance and slunk over to the corner of the living room. With an exhaled groan of complaint, he dropped to the floor, keeping her within view of his watchful crimson gaze. Oh boy… Sighing, she grabbed the towel off the couch and began soaking up the dirty water saturating a two-foot section of carpet.

  “How’s Haden?” she asked, glancing up as Liam entered the living room.

  “Pissy as ever.”

  From the looks of it, Haden wasn’t the only one. “I’m sorry…” she murmured, turning back to the carpet and working furiously at the stain.

  “Why are you apologizing for him? You’re not responsible for Haden or his behavior, Olivia.”

  That was a good question. Why indeed…perhaps, it was guilt. Guilt over the close encounters she and Haden shared when Liam had been nothing more than an aching pain in her heart. Shame for the way he’d burrowed under her skin and stolen a piece of her heart. Maybe it was remorse that, despite her desire to let him go, she couldn’t help but care about him and the pain and suffering he’d endured at the hands of his father. After everything he’d done, everything he’d been through, she just wanted him to find the peace and forgiveness she knew in her heart, he secretly craved.