Page 32 of Scarred Redemption

Shadow had his head on my knee, enjoying being stroked while I was actively involved in my attempt to eliminate the continually surfacing memories.

The two of us had become a team, every night the same. He never complained, rarely made a sound other than when I found the energy to play catch with him. For the most part, he’d even stopped going into Mina’s room.

There was still despair in his big brown eyes and his tail was usually low as if cowering from the world. I couldn’t blame him. I was a shit of a papa dog. Chuckling, I took another sip and held the rim of the glass against my lips.

All while the images passing through my mind indulged my own personal sadness. A noise captured my attention and every muscle in my body stiffened, my reflexes on edge. Yet with Shadow unreactive, I knew whatever I’d heard was nothing to be concerned about.

The house was locked down, men acting as sentries in preparation of another attack. A physical one hadn’t come, instead mental and emotional anguish, which was much worse. I could easily handle physical pain, trained at an early age to internalize agony to use later when the tables were turned.

I’d been shot four times, knifed more than I could count. Smaller scars mottled my body, although the ones left by the fire were the only ones that ever caused discomfort. As soon as I closed my eyes, Isabel’s face lit up in my mind, her smile as beguiling as always.

This time, I allowed the memory to flow, needing some small sense of comfort after a long day of playing Pakhan.

“Tough day at the office?” Isabel asked as she shoved my arm aside, climbing into my lap and wrapping one arm around the back of my neck. As she ran her fingers through my hair, she shifted her position, which created an instant reaction from my body.

I was rock hard.

“Not as tough as some.”

“But you’re very tense.” Her fingers brushed down the length of my neck before she wrapped them around the nape. Her gentle massage was more effective than any I’d had professionally.

“I have reasons to be tense.”

She lowered her head, nuzzling against my ear. “So you say.” Her soft kisses forced my balls to tighten. When she drilled her tongue into my ear, I cupped the side of her face.

“Be careful tempting a predator, sweet angel.”

“What if I don’t want to be careful?” Her breathless whisper was meant as a tease and one I couldn’t resist.

I captured her mouth, holding her lips in place while drinking in her subtle but powerful perfume. The taste of her was far superior to anything else. I indulged in sweeping my tongue inside, savoring having her in my arms.

All while she continued being the little tease she’d become, shifting her weight back and forth. She knew exactly what she was doing to me.

As quickly as the sweet memory had surfaced, it disappeared, leaving me colder than before. I laughed bitterly this time and took another gulp of my drink. Shadow seemed to sense my discord, exhaling in a way that caught my attention.

“I know, boy. You miss them too.” As I stroked the fur behind his ears, I stared out the window. Reliving every moment of the day of the explosion wasn’t in my best interest, but there was a clue I was missing even after all this time.

The videos Diana had found by hacking the systems of several surrounding businesses had shown nothing of interest at this point, but she wasn’t finished. Someone had captured something that could be of use.

What the fuck was I missing?

The shrill ring of my phone was no longer jarring. With the number of orders I’d placed with my people and with my darker mood, none of them waited to provide me with a single scrap of information. They knew better.

However, my senses weren’t entirely as dead as I’d believed. The call was yet another attempt at pushing me mentally over the edge. I could feel it in my bones. When I looked at the screen, the unknown number brought another laugh, although this time the sound was maniacal.

I didn’t even bother addressing the call, merely allowing it to go to voicemail. It didn’t take long to realize whoever was spoofing me had no intention of leaving a footprint.

Another call came through two minutes later. I did nothing but stare at the screen. The perpetrator was smart, never staying on the line long enough to trace. Diana had worked her magic to no avail, other than to confirm the call had been routed several times.

The game continued, two more calls going unanswered with no voicemail.

By the fifth, I’d had enough, answering it without uttering a word. Her voice flowed instantly, the remote call obviously triggered by someone picking up on the other end.

“Maxsim. You were never good enough. You’re the reason I’m dead.”

This time the tone of her voice was different, but instead of being angry or frustrated, her voice held a deeper emotion, haunting in every word enunciated.

I held the phone to my head after the call ended, laughing more heartedly than I’d done before.