Sin and Redemption
: Chapter 24

Maximus carried my suitcase into his parents’ house. He’d asked me to move in with them for a week or two after the events of last night. He would be very busy at work and wanted to know I was protected. My first instinct was to move in with my parents, but Maximus was right. They still had Alea and Inessa. Plus, I actually liked the idea of getting out of the city for a bit. Whenever I looked out of our window now, I saw the gruesome murder scene.

Since I’d grown used to the dogs, I really enjoyed the time we spent at his parents’ house.

“Our dogs are the best alarm system in the world. They are loyal and unbribable. And if someone’s ever trying to attack, we’ll have the advantage of knowing these woods,” Maximus said when he dropped me off.

That was probably true, but I missed being in my own home after a week. Meeting with Isa or Greta, or visiting my family was more difficult too, so I convinced Maximus to split my time between the apartment and his parents’ house. That way, I wouldn’t bind too many resources by staying in the apartment all the time.

Things soon calmed down, and Maximus had more time for me. We resumed our old life of living in the apartment during the week so I could spend the day with my family or friends, as I’d put my art history studies on pause for the foreseeable future, and spending one night of the weekend at his parents.

Winter had the woods in its iron grip when we went to Maximus’s parents for the weekend in early December.

Since I’d entered the second trimester, my nausea had subsided, but now sleeplessness bothered me.

And when I slept, I always lived through vivid dreams. I woke from another of those and sat up tiredly. I’d dreamed about my last pregnancy, about the baby I’d lost. It had almost felt like a message from her. I was sure it had been a girl, just like this baby in my belly right now. Maximus didn’t believe in these things, but I simply felt like I needed to go to the old oak. This felt like a monumental step toward letting go of some of my fears from my missed abort.

I crept out of bed, careful not to wake Maximus. He had worked the night shift and helped his father in the shelter during the day, so he had passed out from exhaustion.

When I stepped out into the hallway, Bacon jumped up. He always slept in front of our door when we spent the night here. I briefly patted his head when he nudged me with his nose. He and I had built a tentative bond since I spent more time here.

He followed me when I went downstairs and grabbed some of the warm clothes I kept in the house. The past few nights had been below the freezing point. The four pit bulls slept in the kitchen and living area and only briefly perked up when I walked past them. A cold gust of wind hit me when I opened the front door. It had snowed, and the moonlight illuminated the snow-covered surroundings. It was beautiful and peaceful. Just what I craved. The sounds from the cities and the craziness of our world seemed so far away.

I slipped out and tried to close the door, but Bacon squeezed out before I could. I pointed inside. “Go back in.” He stayed by my side, staring off toward the tree line. “Go.”

It was obvious he wouldn’t listen to me. Oh well. Maybe it wasn’t the worst idea to have him out here in case a coyote came by. Snow crunched under my winter boots as I walked down the steps and headed down the pathway to the edge of the woods. The dogs in the shelters, most of them were inside their big huts anyway, only watched me with silent, observant eyes. They no longer perceived me as a stranger and definitely not a threat.

Bacon trotted past me and took up my front as I followed the narrow path through the woods to the oak tree. Every time I saw the cross that Maximus had carved, my heart warmed and broke at the same time. The pain of this loss wasn’t as acute as it used to be, and its place had taken the fear of losing the baby in my belly. Frost glittered on the cross. My first instinct was to wipe it away as I sank into the snow in front of it, but it looked so beautiful that I decided to leave it be. I only briefly touched my fingertips to the cold ground and closed my eyes. Baby girl moved in my belly, making me smile. Luckily, she was an active baby, and whenever she had days of rest, I poked my belly until she woke again, just to assure me that she was healthy and alive.

I touched my belly with one hand while my other remained on the frozen ground. I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t before. Maybe this was the moment the past could finally rest.

A deep, threatening rumble came from Bacon. I jumped, having completely forgotten that he was here. When I shone the flashlight on him, I could see how every impressive muscle in his body was tautened as he stared off into the dark. Another low rumble sounded, and he bared his teeth for a snarl. I pushed to my feet, wondering if these woods harbored bigger threats than coyotes? What about bears? Or mountain lions. Maximus had never mentioned either.

“Bacon?” I whispered, seeking shelter behind the oak tree. I shone the light on the spot where Bacon was looking but saw nothing but trees, their frost-covered branches glittering in the beam of my flashlight. Beyond the light cone, the gnarly trees and shrubs appeared menacing. I listened for any sounds, but I couldn’t make out anything except for Bacon’s growls, which grew in volume. My own breathing echoed in my ears.

“Bacon?”

He jumped forward, then snarled again as if he was about to attack the shadows at any moment. Fear grabbed me.

And then I heard a twig break. Bacon stormed into the darkness. A shot rang out. Bears didn’t shoot weapons.

Maybe it was Maximus or Growl looking for me? “Maximus?” I called.

No answer. Instead another shot, but not at me.

I froze for a moment, terrified, but then I shook out of my reverie and began to move away from the oak tree. I tried to be quiet, but my heavy boots and my lacking sense of balance due to my belly made it difficult.

I wanted to call for Bacon, but what if that alerted whoever was out here to my whereabouts? I had been stupid to scream Maximus’s name and had to hope I could hide quickly.

Oh, Bacon.

A scream sounded, angry shouts in Russian, then more shots and furious snarls. I started running, holding my belly with one hand to protect my baby. I hadn’t heard Russian in a long time, not since the capture, and the sound increased my terror. The flashlight gave me away, but I wasn’t sure I could replace my way back to the house without it. Steps scrunched somewhere to my left. I tossed the flashlight away and tried to get my bearings with just the moonlight to guide me.

My heart pounded in my chest from exertion and fear. I could barely breathe.

Shots rang out again. Were they aiming at me? Or still trying to kill poor Bacon?

I tried to run faster, but my belly made it difficult. Why did I have to come out here tonight? Was peace of mind really worth it? What if my baby got hurt?

Steps sounded behind me, coming closer and closer. I braced myself for an attack, but instead, Bacon dashed past me. Part of his fur was dark. I could only assume it was blood. I hoped it wasn’t his own. He limped slightly, but he stayed close to me. My bodyguard.

But now new steps came up behind us. Still distant but catching up.

I bit my lip, forcing myself to go faster even as my muscles spasmed.

A tall figure stormed my way from the right. I hoped Bacon would take him down, even if the poor guy was already injured from protecting me.

The impact didn’t come. Instead, strong arms engulfed me in a warm embrace. “Sara, what the hell are you doing out here?”

“There are Russians following me,” I pressed out, then gasped for breath. Relief washed through my body like a wave.

Growl appeared behind Maximus, a shotgun in hand. I realized they were both only in pajamas and heavy boots. “Let’s get back to the house. Your mother’s alone.”

“Oh no,” I breathed out.

“The dogs will protect her,” Maximus assured me, but Growl’s obvious worry made me anxious. I didn’t want to be responsible for Cara getting hurt. Especially not because of my irresponsible actions.

Maximus lifted me in his arms and began running as if I weighed nothing, while his father guarded our backs with a pointed gun. Bacon dashed past us. Growl stopped abruptly and fired three shots in close succession. I clung to Maximus, my ears ringing from the shots. Maximus tightened his hold on me and sped up even more. Within a few minutes, we were back at the house. Cara was on the porch in a heavy down coat over her nightgown, with the four pit bulls positioned beside her like guards and a shotgun in hand. Spotlights illuminated the area, making stars dance in my vision from the sudden brightness.

“Go back in. Bratva is here,” Growl ordered. I’d never heard him talk to Cara like that. She didn’t hesitate and moved inside. Before we could follow, a shot rang out. Maximus dropped to the ground with me under him. Fear surged through me. Had he been hit? When I saw his grim expression as he pulled me behind his truck parked in the driveway, I breathed a sigh of relief. He’d ducked down to protect us. Growl turned on his heel, no longer heading for the house, and hid behind his own truck before he fired in the direction of the woods. The pit bulls inside the house with Cara barked angrily, ready to jump into the fight.

More shots were fired. I had trouble locating where they came from. Then something small landed next to Growl’s truck.

“Dad! Grenade!”

Maximus pressed me to the ground and covered my ears with his hands. The following explosion still rang in my ears, and the blast sent a shiver through my body. Glass from the bursting car windows and shrapnel from the chassis mixed with dirt and wood splinters rained down on us.

“Ryan!” Cara screamed through an opening in the front door. “Ryan?”

Maximus’s expression reflected the shock I felt, but his face also showed fury and determination. “I’ll kill those fuckers.”

“I called in reinforcement!” Cara screamed. “You better run before they hunt you down!”

I realized she was shouting at the Russians.

Maximus peered out from behind his car, probably to check on his dad, but more shots forced him to pull back.

“Maximus, if you don’t come out, I’ll bomb your mom to pieces too!” a man with a heavy Russian accent shouted.

“It’s okay. Help your mom,” I breathed even though I was terrified for myself and our baby.

“I won’t leave. They’ll kill us all if I don’t kill them. They won’t spare anyone.”

Maximus squatted and pulled his second gun, looking thoughtful. “Fuck. I know Dad would never do it, but I don’t see another chance.”

I wasn’t sure what Maximus meant. I tried to catch a glimpse under the car to see Growl. The other truck was a mess. I couldn’t imagine that anyone would survive being close to it. My heart ached thinking about Growl.

Suddenly, Bacon appeared beside us. He must have hidden because of the explosion. He wagged his tail against me. In the light from the spotlights, which was dimmer now because two of five had been destroyed by the blast, I could see that he had a wound in his flank. A graze shot from the look of it.

Maximus still seemed to mull over what to do. Then he gave a resolute nod. “I can’t beat them alone.”

I frowned. “Maybe reinforcement will be here soon.”

“Not soon enough.”

“But we have reinforcement,” Maximus said, and his eyes moved to the dog cages.

My eyes widened.

As if Cara had read his mind, she opened the front door and rushed outside, followed by her four pit bulls. The dogs sprinted in the direction of where Growl had to be, but Cara ran toward the cages.

“Mom seems to have the same plan.”

Maximus glanced at me.

“Help her!”

“I won’t leave you.”

“Help her, or we’ll all die. Bacon can protect me.”

A grenade cut our conversation short as it landed a couple of feet beside Maximus. He moved quicker than I thought possible and kicked the thing away. It flew toward the cage of Houdini and exploded, tearing a hole into the fence. Maximus aimed into the woods and fired several shots, then ducked back down. He grabbed my arm and tugged me around to the back of the truck.

Suddenly, Houdini was there, baring his teeth. I had never gone close to his cage, heeding Maximus’s warning. Maximus raised his gun, but the dog rushed away, soon chased by more dogs freed from their cages by Cara. Shots rang out as barks and snarls erupted in the forest, closely followed by screams and more snarls and shots.

Maximus pulled me toward the remains of the other truck. Before we even reached it, I could see blood pooling on the ground.

Cara ran in our direction, her expression filled with determination.

Maximus and I finally reached Growl. His calf was torn apart, but a belt around his thigh, right above the knee, seemed to have stopped the blood flow. “He’s alive!” Maximus shouted as he sank to his knees beside his father. He felt for his pulse and nodded, looking relieved. “He must have passed out after he stopped the blood flow.”

Cara threw herself down beside him and touched his cheeks. “Ryan? Ryan!”

Maximus removed his own belt and wrapped it around the thigh as well.

Growl opened his eyes and looked at his wife. Relief flooded me, and tears ran down my cheeks. Maximus squeezed my hand. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He glanced at my belly. “What about her?”

“She is too.”

I could feel her moving. The excitement was definitely affecting her.

Maximus pushed to his feet. “I’ll hunt the attackers now.”

“You should stay,” Cara said. “Your father is in no state to protect us. You need to protect Sara and your father, Maximus.”

Maximus looked torn between the need to chase the attackers and his need to protect us. Eventually, he nodded and gazed into the woods with his guns pointed in that direction. The screams and snarls had quieted, and there were no shots.

He patted Bacon, who had stayed by our side.

“The dogs will have taken care of the attackers,” Maximus said quietly. “There were too many.”

“They protected us,” I whispered.

“Houdini was out for carnage,” Maximus said.

A few minutes later, my dad and brother and more reinforcement arrived at the house. Dad and Flavio immediately led me into the house, while Growl was taken to the Famiglia hospital by Primo. The rest of the men searched the woods for the attackers, Maximus included.

When they returned twenty minutes later, Maximus’s expression was dark. He was still in his blood-and-dirt-covered pajamas.

“Did they escape?” I asked worriedly, getting up from where I’d huddled under cozy blankets in front of the fireplace.

“No,” Maximus said. “Houdini was still chewing on Adrik when we found him.”

I could hear the regret in his voice, the longing for retaliation. I didn’t know who Adrik was, but I assumed Maximus had been hunting him for a while, and that could only mean he was somehow linked to our capture.

“That’s good.” I searched his eyes. “Right?”

Maximus shook his head and kicked off his boots. “He was supposed to be mine.”

I took his hand and squeezed, drawing his attention away from his dark thoughts. “Who was he?”

“Jabba’s father, out to avenge his sons.”

Revenge and more revenge. I got it, to some extent, but this led to more pain than we could all take.