Redemption (Bennett Sisters Book 5)
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Authors: Kate Allenton
Redemption
Kate Allenton
Copyright © 2012 Kate Allenton
All rights reserved.
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DEDICATION
Dedicated in Loving memory of Chase Gilligan
A young man
whose
heart touched the lives of so many.
May you fly with the angels.
1995
-2012
Also
Dedicated in Loving memory of Leon Harrison
One of the nicest men I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.
A loving husband, father, and friend. You’re presence will be truly missed.
1927
-2012
We will always remember how each of you have blessed our lives.
A special thank you to my husband Michael for supporting me in all of my crazy and outrageous ideals. Even if he thinks my books are about men like Fabio.
Chapter 1
****
“Yes, sir, I understand.” FBI Agent Rick Thompson replied into his cell phone as he turned away from the table he’d been watching across the dance floor. “Recruit or kill the target. Consider it done.”
****
Lydia Steven’s, the half-sister to the Bennett clan leaned back in her chair with apprehension eating away at her nerves. Her future was uncertain just like her visions.
Her family and all of their pasts had come full circle to this one mom
ent in time.
She
lifted the
flute
to her lips and sipped. The
bubbles
from the champagne
tick
l
ed her nose.
It wasn’t the drink of choice for the Bennett women, but it was fitting for the occasion.
Her hand glided
down her lap
smoothing
out the lines over her silky mauve
bridesmaid
s’
dress. Men and women in their Sunday best had come out all to celebrate her sister Claire’s
marriage
to
Butch. Her assigned protector had turned out to be t
he man of her dreams.
Who knew?
S
oft music drifted from the dance floor to
Lydia
’s ears as the band played a slow melody. All of her sisters
sat
surrounding
the
wedding party
table each
happily married to the love of their lives
.
Lydia
closed her eyes and compared her vision to the reality she was in.
She knew what was coming next and there was no way to stop the clock or the changes that were about to alter her life forever.
General Guy Lister pushed from the reception table, leaned over and placed a kiss on his daughter,
Elizabeth
’s head.
Lydia
’s brother, Mike was the latest to fall victim to the love bugs bite and had proposed to the General’s daughter. The journey
Elizabeth
had taken and the odds she’d beat were proof enough that she was meant to be a Bennett. She and Mike would finally getting their “happily ever after.”
“It’s time for me to go,
Elizabeth
.” The general patted Mike, his soon to be son-in-law on the back. “Take good care of my girl.”
The General glanced over at
Lydia
and held her gaze. A knowing look ensued. She didn’t need Claire’s gift of reading minds to know what the look meant. There was no denying she was leaving today, she just hated that it had to be in this particular moment.
“Can I speak to you outside?”
Lydia Stevens gave a slight nod of understanding and rose from the table. She’d seen this in her vision but it didn’t make it any easier. She, just like her new found siblings had all inherited a gift from their father, and hers just so happened to put everyone including herself in danger. Each gift was unique to each of them, but still gifts that they couldn’t explain or make go away.
Lydia
had been elated and devastated that the dreams of her family were real. Elated that she wasn’t alone in the world anymore, and devastated to find out that all of their troubles she’d seen had truly happened.
She turned to her family and smiled. Over the entire day, she’d tried to memorize them, so she could take a little piece of each of them in her heart when she left. Leaving them was the only option she’d had to keep them safe. “It’s time for me to go. I’ll call you when I can.”
Her brother, Mike pushed from his chair. “You can’t just leave. We’re your family now.”
Mike rounded the table and threw his arm around
Lydia
’s shoulders. His compassion filled eyes contradicted his tough cop exterior, but it wasn’t enough to make her change her mind.
Lydia
leaned against his shoulder and looked up at her brother. She still couldn’t believe that she had one at all. “Mike, I’m not leaving for good. You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
Lydia
winked. “There are just some things I need to take ca
re of.” She glanced toward Elizabeth
’s father. “Besides, I’m in good hands with the General.”
Lydia
shook her head. They wouldn’t be changing her mind; not today. She’d seen what she was up against and even with her families’ gifts, they weren’t going to be able to help her. If anything it would just bring the fight to them and that was something she couldn’t leave to chance.
Lydia
stepped out of Mike’s embrace, rose on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. “It’s something I have to do, if I ever want to be able to come back and have a normal life. You’re just going to have to trust me.”
With a smile she knew didn’t reach her eyes she took one last look at her sisters. With gut wrenching sorrow she let out a breath, leaving them was harder than she ever thought it could be.
Lydia
turned and followed the Generals path. Her future was waiting and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do about it.
Stepping out under the night’s sky, she glanced up at the moon. The full glow of the new moon kissed her skin. The night air bristled with energy she could feel down to her core. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled. She was stepping into the unknown and wasn’t sure of how it would all turn out. All she knew was the outcome had the opportunity to change her life forever.
Gravel crunched beneath
Lydia
’s heels as she traversed the parking lot. She raised her hand to her stomach to calm the butterflies assaulting her, hoping to keep the fear from showing on her face. Nothing seemed to be working to calm her nerves. She stopped in front of the General and gazed up into his eyes. The anticipation of the unknown had been eating away at her resolve all day but it was due or die time. She had a choice to make.
Footsteps approached from behind. She turned on her heel and took in the sight of both men walking towards her. Something she hadn’t seen coming. They were going to throw a wrench in her plans to leave peacefully. She whispered. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
FBI Agent, Rick Thompson walked over to her without invitation. The man looked even sexier in his black suit than she’d ever seen him before. There was no denying the physical attraction she’d felt for Rick. A distraction she couldn’t afford no matter how delicious he looked. His piercing green eyes threatened to see right down to her soul.
Lydia
shook the thoughts from her mind.
Definite distraction
.
His decision to follow her, had the ability to change the outcome, and that alone made her heart race with uncertainty.
She turned back to the General in time to see him cross his arms over his chest and heard him whisper. “Well isn’t this interesting.”
The general held out his hand to
Lydia
. It was more than his hand,
it was her only hope;
she recognized it for what it was.
Lydia
only prayed that he knew what he was doing.
She lifted
her chin and placed
her trembling
fingers
in his open palm
. “You better be right about this old man.”
The general gave a slight nod. “This is for the best.”
T
hompson studied the General behind narrowed eyes before yanking
Lydia
’s
hand from the Generals
grasp. He
took a step in front
of her, a challenging look in his eyes. “She’s not going anywhere
with you
.”
The general
let his hand drop to his side and chuckled as if Rick’s veiled threat was as annoying as a fly on the wall.
There was no way
Lydia
was going to let anyone stop her from getting the help she needed. The tension in the air thickened. There was too much at stake for him to stand in her way. She placed her palm on Rick’s shoulders. “I’ll be fine. Just go back inside.”
Rick’s resolve remained and his gaze set on the man in front of them. “You heard me, she’s not leaving.”
“This is the only chance she’s got to
stay a
live. The
re
are bad men after her who wouldn’t hesitate to
kill to get what they want
. W
hat do you think is going to happ
en if she doesn’t go willingly?”
“I’ll protect her.” Rick crossed his arms defiantly over his muscled chest almost daring the General to challenge his words.
“And are you going to help her harness her gift so she can stop running? As of right now, they don’t know about Mike and her sisters, but if she stays here, she’s all but signed the bounty on their heads.”
If Rick had been hesitant, he didn’t show it. He never let his eye’s drop or shoulders shrug. “She isn’t going.” Rick growled out.
Lydia
balled her fist and stepped around Rick, breaking the pissing match that had ensued over her future of all things. Like any of them had a say so in her choice. This arrogant, albeit sexy, man was not going to stand in the way of her being able to learn to master her gift.
Getting a hand on the chaos that had been her life up until this point was her number one priority while keeping her family safe. No, she’d be damned if they thought they’d be making this decision for her.
Lydia
glared from one man to the other. “I’m going and that’s final. Rick you can’t help me.”
Lydia
glared at the General and poked her finger in his chest, “Quit baiting him. This is my decision.”