Give Me Redemption (Give Me Series Book 4)

by Paige P. Horne

  “I’ll let you know what K says. Maybe we can start having some family dinners or something. Shit, I don’t know.”

  “That would be nice,” I say. “I’ll see ya.”

  Bryce lifts his hat from the ground and walks back to his truck. I look down at Dalton. “Well, that went well.”

  She laughs. “Good God. Is that normal for you two?”

  “It’s not not normal,” I reply with a shrug. “You still want to go to the game?”

  “How about we go eat and have a drink?”

  “Fine with me.”

  “Hudson’s?”

  “Is there anywhere else to get a juicy burger, a nice cold beer, and be able to watch the game?”

  She laughs. “No. I don’t guess there is.”

  “It’s your fault,” I tell her. “You got me hooked.”

  She shakes her head. “You’re crazy, you know that, right?”

  We both go to climb into the truck. “Crazy for you.”

  Chapter Sixty

  Bryce

  I step out of the truck and head inside the house. K is home from the store, but Lou is still here from watching Rylee for me.

  “Hey,” I say, walking into the kitchen.

  “Bryce, what happened?” K asks, walking over to me and touching my lip.

  “Ouch,” I pout just so I can get more attention from my wife.

  “Who did this to you?”

  “Jace,” I say as Lou walks in with Rylee. “There’s my girl.” I move past K and over to Lou, reaching my hands out so I can hold Rylee. She looks over my face with her pretty blue eyes, melting my heart.

  “Jace?” K questions. “Why?”

  “I kinda did some stalking.”

  Kat leans her hip against the counter. “Can you tell me how you kinda stalk? And who were you stalking? Jace?”

  “Well, I went to his apartment, noticing his truck was there, and I waited for him to come out.”

  “Why?”

  “I wanted to catch him with Harlow.” I look down at Rylee. “Yes, I did,” I say in a voice I can’t really describe. “I wanted to catch Uncle Jace red-handed, Rylee.”

  “From the looks of you, I don’t think he took it too well,” Aunt Lou says.

  “Nope.” I look up at her. “They’re together. They looked like they’d been together forever. It

  was natural. Jace was saying something, probably telling a dumb joke, and she was laughing.” I exhale, looking over at my wife. “I’ve never seen him happier, K.”

  She shakes her head. “I hope you told him we don’t approve.”

  I don’t respond.

  “Oh boy,” Lou says. “Let me take Rylee while you two talk.”

  I hand her over and remove my hat before walking to the fridge and grabbing a beer. “I wanted to be mad at him. I was mad at him, so much so that I pushed him and then he punched me. But the way he looked at her…it’s how I look at you. I can’t be mad at that.”

  “But she almost sent you to prison, Bryce. She lied to Jace and pretended to be someone else. Who does that?”

  “She’s an FBI agent. She does that.”

  “I can’t believe you’re defending her,” she says, shaking her head at me. I go to take a sip of my beer, but she snatches it from my hand and drinks it herself.

  “If we’re being real here, then we both know I was doing something illegal. I got caught. I got out of it, and we’re all good now. I think we should move past it.”

  “I just don’t see me being friends with her, Bryce. I mean, how can we trust her?” Her brow furrows in stubbornness.

  “I’m not saying you have to be best friends with the girl. But I think we’ve got to try to be civil for Jace. I miss him, K. We’ve been distant for almost a year now. You know how bad that’s been bothering me. We talked more when he was in the Army, for fuck’s sake.”

  She sighs and hands me my beer back before she tightens her ponytail. “Fine. I’ll do it for you and Jace, but she’s not coming here.”

  Wow. I’m honestly shocked she gave in. Maybe being a mom has chilled her pigheadedness out a little bit. “Thank you,” I say.

  “Whatever.” She rolls her eyes and turns around, heading into the laundry room. I follow, knowing Lou went upstairs with Rylee.

  “Hey,” I say, wrapping my hand around her waist from the back.

  “What are you doing?” she says on a smile, grabbing my forearm.

  “Wanna have a quickie?” I murmur into her ear.

  “Lou is upstairs,” she says on a hushed whisper.

  “Come on. I missed you today.”

  “So, you need me right now?” I rub against her so she can feel how hard I am. “I guess you do.” She turns and wraps her arms around my neck. I kiss her lips, backing her farther into the room. I lift her up and place her on the folding table.

  “Hurry,” I say, breaking our kiss. I put my beer down and she undoes her pants before sliding them off.

  I scoot her to the end and wet my fingers before rubbing them against her pussy. Grabbing my cock, I slide inside of her. She moans and I go faster, putting my hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

  Moments later, her legs shake, my spine prickles, and I come just as she finishes.

  And I hope it’s always like this.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Jace

  The clouds hang low in the evening sky. A mixture of orange and bright pink as the sun falls. I slide my gloves off and toss them onto a hay bale before walking out of the barn.

  I pull my phone from my pocket, smirking at a video Dalton sent me from work. She’s tossing paper balls into a trash bin like she’s Steph Curry. She makes the shot and throws her hands into the air.

  In black dress pants and a red tucked-in blouse, she looks gorgeous, and I’m so glad I’m coming home tonight instead of tomorrow. She doesn’t know that yet, though. I walk up onto the porch, passing by the dogs before I pull open the screen door. I slide my work boots off and pop my neck.

  The house is low-lit, a soft glow coming from spaced out lamps. Music plays from the kitchen and I head down the hall, passing by scattered photos of mine and Bryce’s childhood on the walls. I hear Pops chuckle and Emily telling him to stop and behave.

  “Coming in,” I say to the lovebirds. Pops has Emily grabbed by the waist and she’s got her hands over his, fake trying to pull him off. He’s smiling at his wife, and she’s blushing. “I’m heading out tonight.”

  “Aw, I was hoping we could have coffee in the morning on the porch,” Emily says.

  “Rain check,” I tell her. “I’m going to surprise Dalton. I got tickets to a concert she’s been wanting to go to.” I lift my hat from my head before sliding it back down.

  “Here, take some of this food out to the guys before you go,” Emily says, smirking at Pops who still hasn’t let her go. “Let me go, old man,” she says. He reluctantly does before leaning back against the counter, popping a toothpick into his mouth.

  “I think everything is going well with the new ranch hands,” Pops says to me. “I’ve gotten to know a few of them. They’ve got some tough stories.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. One of them was a POW. He’s quiet, so when he does speak, you can’t help but listen. A few of them are snipers who had to make some tough calls.

  There’s one who lost his wife in a car wreck while he was overseas. They’re tough boys. Been through a lot and I’m glad I could help them. Maybe this is my redemption for all the stupid shit I’ve done throughout my life.

  “I think this is a great thing you’ve done,” Emily says, shutting the fridge with her foot. She walks over to me with a pile of containers filled with leftovers. She kisses me on the cheek. “Be safe and tell Harlow we said hey.”

  “Will do,” I reply. “See ya, Pops.”

  “Proud of you,” he says. “Be careful.”

  I nod, thrown off by his words. I don’t remember the last time I’ve heard that. I haven’t done anything for anyone to be proud o
f me in a long time.

  It feels good. I walk down the hall beside the stairs and push open the screen door with my shoulder. Crickets chirp and an owl hoots from the tree line. I follow the path leading to where the ranch hands stay. There’s a fire going, and they all sit around it. One has a guitar, and the others are sitting back having a beer. “Boys, Emily’s got some food here if you’d like.”

  “’Preciate it,” Shawn says, standing up and taking the Tupperware from my hands. Some of the guys are heading out in the morning to go trail riding through the mountains. They’ll camp and become one with nature. Once a week we have a therapist come out and talk to the ones who want to talk, but most of them say the peace and quiet helps more than anything.

  None of them have families. It’s sad, but my boys in the Army were family to me, blood or not.

  I’m hoping they’ll form some kind of bond and have each other to rely on.

  “I’m headed home for the weekend,” I tell Shawn. “I’ll see y’all next week.”

  “Safe trip,” he says. I nod and wave to the rest before I turn and head to my truck.

  I call Dalton, but she doesn’t answer, so I toss my phone into the cup holder and peel out of the long driveway, windows down, radio up.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Harlow

  “That’s ten for me and only six for you,” I tell Monroe as we sit in our desk chairs against the wall.

  “You were closer on that last one,” he argues.

  “I was not. I’ve been right where you are the whole time.”

  Balls of paper are strewn all on the floor from the many times we both missed. It’s been a slow day. I would have gone home already, but Jace is at Grant Ranch so there’s no point.

  “Where’s Rana?” I ask Monroe.

  “Sister’s bachelorette party.” He rubs a hand through his thick hair.

  “Oh. Fun.”

  “I guess. She’s drunk texting me, so that’ll be interesting tonight.”

  I laugh. “Well, you better get home, so you can be ready for all of that wildness.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  I shrug. “Jace is coming home tomorrow. I’ll probably get a bubble bath, shave some stuff, and read.”

  “Shave some stuff?” he asks on a laugh.

  “Want me to tell you what stuff?” I ask, lifting my brow.

  “Nope.”

  “Thought so.” Laughing, I turn and kick off the wall, rolling across the floor to my desk.

  “Dalton, you two better clean that shit up,” Davy calls out as he walks from his office.

  “You’re leaving?” I ask him.

  “Granddaughter has a dance recital. She’s the light of my life, but the girl has two left feet.”

  I chuckle. “Have fun.”

  Monroe picks some of our paper balls up and tosses them into the bin. “I’ll get the rest. See you Monday,” I say.

  “All right. I’ll make sure you get a play-by-play of tonight’s fun time.”

  “Please don’t.”

  He laughs, grabbing his keys from his desk. “Bye, Dalton.

  “Bye.”

  Once he leaves, I exhale, standing to clean up the rest of our paper balls when my computer pings. I slide back over to it and open my email.

  I swallow, my hands shaking.

  One, two, three, four. Look who’s naked on the floor?

  She looks good, doesn’t she? Like a silky blanket ready for me to sink into.

  She’s so trained now. Remember when I first saw you two on the roadside?

  Remember how shocked she was to see my cock? She’s not scared anymore. In fact, she welcomes it.

  You should hear her moan.

  Until next time, little rabbit.

  My blood burns fire red. My stomach turns, and I quickly grab my trash can and puke, heaving until I can’t anymore. A few people from the office stare at me, but I ignore them, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I spit and lean back in my chair, pulling my drawer out to get a napkin. I stare at the computer screen, my thoughts churning like a bubbling pot of acid.

  My co-workers filter through the door to go home, one by one, but I stay put well after the last person is gone. The fluorescent lights flicker off, the emergency exit and the white glow from my computer screen the only signs of light left. I tap my nails against my desk as a looming feeling passes over me. My thoughts turn sinister, my mind focusing on what I need to do.

  My ears ring as my jaw tightens, and without even thinking, I reach over and snatch up my cell phone. Black is my soul; dark is my mind. My spine tingles with the rhythm of a wooden windchime dancing in the wind.

  I’m outside of myself, watching as I move attentively.

  “Hello?”

  “Pipe. It’s Dalton. I need you to trace an IP address.”

  “Shoot,” he says.

  ______________

  It’s as if I’m not even thinking, I’m just doing. Like a robot who’s wired to listen to his master. But I’m not sure who the master is.

  The psycho who has my sister?

  My own mind?

  I drive like a bat out of hell, thanking God, I filled up already. I see Jace called me earlier, so I try him back, but he doesn’t answer. Service is tricky out at the ranch sometimes, so maybe he’s in a bad spot. I leave a message.

  “Jace, I’ve got a lead. I’m headed to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Don’t worry. Love you.” The words come out calm. I’m self-possessed or just possessed.

  I go to put my phone down when it starts ringing.

  “Hello?” I say.

  “Dalton, please tell me you’re on your way home.”

  It’s Monroe. He probably got the email, too. Our emails are linked because we work on the same cases.

  “Everything is fine. I’m going to find him.” He’s too close for me not to. This might be my only chance. We’re gotten nothing from him in months, and before that it’s been years. I need to know who this man is. I need to look him in the eyes and watch him die. Nothing can stop me at this point. My mind is one-tracked.

  I will find him.

  I will end this.

  “This is dangerous. Stop and let me meet you.”

  “I don’t have time, Monroe. I’ll call for backup when I need it. Don’t worry,” I say evenly.

  Am I possessed? I tilt my head, my eyes darting to the rearview mirror before looking back at the road.

  “I swear to God, Dalton. You better watch your fucking back. You’re dealing with a psychopath. Not some small-time idiot.”

  “I’ll be safe.”

  I’m not sure who the psychopath is.

  Him or me?

  I hang up with Monroe, put both hands on the wheel, and speed into the night. I’m wired, my blood pumping with adrenaline.

  The thought of seeing what this monster looks like is giving me an unexplainable high. I take in a shaky breath.

  I know even if he’s there it doesn’t mean I’m going to find my sister, but if I find him, I will stop at nothing to make him talk. He will show me where she is.

  He thinks he’s psycho? He hasn’t met me yet. I’ve been preparing for this day all my life.

  It’s engrained inside of me now.

  Blackness wraps around my heart, shading my soul. Right and wrong don’t exist in this dimension.

  We’re on a different playing field. Parallel to the real world. This is where things turn to gray. The sun doesn’t shine here, and the moon hides. I’ll do what I have to do to make sure he doesn’t walk this earth anymore.

  _______________

  With my windshield wipers on, I pull into town. With narrowed eyes, I creep down the streets, passing streetlights that look blurry from the soft rain falling. A few people walk on the sidewalk with umbrellas, having no idea that a child molester was/ is here.

  I remember the address Pipe gave me. My fucking phone died, and I don’t have a charger in here. It’s in my personal car.

  It’s been hour
s. He could be anywhere. I have my radio if I need to call in for help, so I’m not worried about the damn phone.

  I spot the sign for the bar hanging out over the alley. I pull across the street and kill my lights. A couple walks down into the darkness, and I sit and watch. I look at the cars parked and the street signs. The moon peeks out from the clouds, covering everything in blue.

  I run my fingers over my lips, wondering if he’s in there. I would have no idea what he looks like. Should I go in?

  I’m sure he knows what I look like. If he sees me, he could run.

  I have an odd feeling in my gut. I don’t know how to describe it, but something is telling me he is in there. My skin prickles, and my fingers twitch. I keep my eyes glued on the door, watching, waiting. Like a lion sunk low in the bush, ready to pounce on its prey.

  He doesn’t know I’m here.

  He doesn’t know that I’ve found him.

  _______________

  Hours tick by as I stare after the door to the bar. Couples filter in and out, I hear a band playing, and the rain has subsided. I pop my neck and rub my throat. I wonder if this is his regular hangout. Does he live close to here?

  Is my sister here?

  Why was he in Maine a few months back?

  A man walks out with a cigarette between his lips. He stumbles a bit before holding his hand on the wall and unzipping his jeans. He pisses in the alleyway, urine splashing on his shoes.

  Is it him? I wonder.

  A light buzzes on at the end of the alley, giving the man a face, but I can’t see it because I’m the wrong way.

  Without thinking, I open my door and climb out of the car. I look around before crossing the road, stepping off the sidewalk just as a car whips past me. Quickly, I step back, my heart in my throat at almost getting plowed down. I exhale and try it again just as the man walks back inside.

  “Shit,” I curse. If I go in there with a gun, I’ll look suspicious. He’ll see me for sure, if he’s even in there.

  I untuck my blouse, covering my gun and badge before walking to the door. The band plays loudly and horribly. A cloud hovers in the air from chainsmokers, and it smells like stale beer and black mold.