Redemption: Part Five (The Vault Book 5) Read online

  COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE INFORMATION

  REDEMPTION- PART FIVE

  Copyright © 2018 Kate Benson

  All rights reserved.

  2018 Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes. If you are reading this book and you have not purchased it or won it in an author/publisher contest, this book has been pirated. Please delete and support the author by purchasing the ebook from one of its many distributors.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental or, if an actual place, are used fictitiously. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The use of these trademarks is not sponsored, associated, or endorsed by the trademark owner.

  Edited by: Chasing Sophie Publications ©

  Cover Design: Dana Leah, Designs by Dana

  Print layout & eBook Design: Deena Rae, E-BookBuilders

  Table of Contents

  Redemption

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Also by Kate Benson

  About the Author

  Redemption

  BELLA

  Disaster puts a lot into perspective.

  I thought I’d made my peace with losing everything in the name of love.

  For months, it’s been staring Adam and I in the face.

  If I’m being honest, there’s a part of me that welcomed it. There’s a piece of my soul that yearned for it to swallow me whole, offer us a means to an end.

  I’m not sure of much these days, but there’s one thing I know as fact…

  I’ll never survive losing him.

  ADAM

  The moment Isabella came crashing into my life, something irrevocably shifted inside my soul.

  Now that I’ve tasted it, I don’t know how to live without her.

  The very love I didn’t know I craved has me facing the loss of everything I ever cared about.

  I’ve sworn myself to protecting both my empire and the love of my life.

  If it comes down to keeping only one, which will grant me redemption?

  The Redemption Series (The Vault)

  is the multi-POV follow-up to

  Redemption: Part One, Two, Three & Four

  a spin-off from

  The Promise Series

  which was previously released in

  The Vault: A Sinfully Sexy Collection.

  Dedication

  For my darling Mr. Benson

  The world could shatter all around us

  and I would still belong to you

  and you alone.

  Acknowledgments

  A series that started so easily, I’m finding it hard to let go now that it’s nearing the end.

  I’m no stranger to characters clenching onto my heart and burrowing inside it, but that rarely makes it any less of a surprise when they hit me like Adam and Bella have.

  I really hope you’re enjoying their story.

  Thank you, God, for giving me the gift of writing. Even when the words come slow, clunky or awkward, any day I get to dive into these worlds and explore is a dream I couldn’t be more grateful for.

  Thank you to my amazing husband, Sean. It’s an honor to belong to you, my darling. I hope this page of the never-ending love letter I’ve been writing to you for years is one you love as much as I love you.

  My parents, grandparents, family and closest friends… thank you for being with me for every step of this amazing journey.

  Heather and Charlie for being the two best cheerleaders on the planet. I don’t know what I did in past lives to deserve friends like you, but I’m glad I pulled it off. I’d be lost without you.

  Amber Garcia for your support and friendship along Adam and Bella’s road. Thank you for believing in their story.

  Deena Rae and Dana for helping me take these pages and make them gloriously beautiful.

  My beta team on this series: Heather, Jenna, Charlie, Nikki, Christie, Sara, Patti and Amy. Thank you for reading and loving this story.

  Benson’s Book Babes! Your support, once again, has amazed me. Thank you! I love y’all so much.

  The blogs that helped promote this story… thank you! You take my breath away with every release!

  My readers… none of this would be happening without you. Thank you so much for taking time to read my books! Your messages, reviews and love are so appreciated and never taken for granted! You rock!

  Angie Tucker, I love you.

  Last, but not least, Adam, Bella, Sophie and the rest of my amazing characters. Thanks for choosing me. I love you endlessly.

  Until next time…

  XO Kate

  Redemption

  Part Five

  “If you ever hunger, hunger for me.”

  — George Michael,

  Father Figure

  Chapter One

  ISABELLA

  As the words leave his lips, I can’t help the whimper of heartache slipping from mine.

  I swallow it, praying like hell he didn’t hear it, but knowing all too well that he has as I watch his eyes begin to soften in apology.

  “Bella…” he starts, but his pity is the last thing I want from him.

  “It’s fine,” I shake my head, pulling my eyes from his for a moment to discreetly wipe my tears and rise from the seat. “I just…” I stammer, reaching for my bag before I remember I didn’t bring it in with me. “Is there anything else?”

  “No, I guess there isn’t,” he admits with a sigh, his eyes locked on me. “You have to know that I never wanted this to happen, darling. I didn’t see it coming and I should have. I know how hard this has to be for you and I’m sorry.”

  I can’t believe this is happening.

  “Don’t be,” I manage, risking a glance at him and immediately regretting it as a wave of emotion begins swarming in my chest. I pull myself together, but only just, desperate to push off my meltdown until I’m behind closed doors. He promised we’d be fine. He promised, and I believed him. “If I’m being honest, I always knew this was a possibility, I just…” I trail off, studying my hands for a moment before he cuts me off.

  “What?”

  I really thought he meant it all the times he said he loved me.

  “I get it, Adam. I do,” I nod, begging my emotions to subside until I can at least make it to my car. “It’s just… you were just so convincing.”

  My voice begins to crack, and I internally kick myself, looking away from him once more as my chest begins to seize.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I argue, pushing a deep sigh from my chest, my heartache threatening to consume me right
before his hazel eyes. “I don’t want to…”

  “Isabella.”

  “Adam, please don’t make me talk to you right now,” I reply quietly, silently begging. “I can’t do this here. Please don’t ask me to.”

  He holds my gaze for a long moment, his expression making it clear that his mind is racing despite the thickness hovering between us in the room. Finally, he clears his throat and gives me a subtle nod, rising from his chair with me.

  “As you wish,” he says, his voice low as he does his best to give me a small smile. It doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll call the car for you.”

  “I can manage on my own, thank you.”

  “Bella, I’m not sending you out there by yours-”

  “You have to stop,” I cut him off. “Adam, I-”

  This time, I choke on a sob as my composure begins to rapidly slip from my grasp.

  I can’t breathe.

  My fingertips move to my temples, slowly moving in circles as I do my best to fend off the wave of nausea, the wave of emotions… everything.

  I really thought he loved me.

  “Bella?” he starts as he moves around the side of the desk, my chest seizing. “What are you talking about? Stop what?”

  The sight of his ring as he reaches for me combined with his scent washing over me is my breaking point.

  This is going to destroy me.

  “This,” I start, choking on the sob as I take a step back, putting distance between us.

  He stares back at me, but I can’t meet his eyes as my own begin to flood with the tears I’ve been fighting so hard to fight off. He takes another step toward me and this time, regardless of how much worse it will make things later, I don’t have it in me to deny him.

  “Adam, please,” I manage, my voice just barely a whisper as his fingers stroke my hair, gently pushing it away from my face before he cradles my neck in his palm. It sends my broken heart racing. “You have to let me go.”

  He gently pulls my hands away from my face, gripping my chin, my heart, when I turn away from him and forcing my gaze back to his.

  “No, darling,” he whispers. “Not like this.”

  ADAM

  My grip on her neck tightens and I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her and holding her as closely to my chest as I can. She inhales deeply, a small whimper leaving her lips as she takes in my scent and the emotion she’s been fending off takes her captive as her body begins to wrack with sobs against mine.

  “Shh…” I whisper, pressing my lips to her hair. “I’m so sorry, princess.”

  Although my words are intended to soothe her troubled heart, they have the opposite effect and she only cries harder, gripping onto the lapels of my jacket.

  It breaks my heart to see hers shattering like this.

  I gently begin rocking her in my arms, her labored breathing making my chest clench as I continue to stroke the back of her hair, doing my best to comfort her.

  “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” I promise, praying for the words to be true. “I tried so hard to avoid this. You have to know how hard I fought for you, Bella.” She gives me a small nod against my chest as she grips my jacket harder in her hands. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you from this pain, but it was the only way I could protect you. That will always be my priority.” She grips me tighter, covering her face when I pull away just slightly, trying desperately to gain her eyes. “Baby look at me.”

  “No…” she whispers, her breaths leaving her in spurts as she turns away from me. “Adam, I can’t.”

  My hands move over her arms, my touch keeping her close as she struggles to compose herself once more.

  “Hopefully, things will blow over in a few weeks and you can come back.”

  “Come back?” she manages, my words pulling her from her sadness and launching her straight into confusion as she finally looks up at me. “I’m not just going to come crawling back after the smoke clears, Adam. It doesn’t work like that.”

  “Why wouldn’t it, darling?” I ask, wiping her tears until she pulls away once more. “I know things are uncertain right now, but the lawyers are still working, angel. It’s an unpaid leave, but you should know by now I would never let you need or want for anything,” I promise. “If things go the way they should, you can come back in a few weeks after the hearing.”

  “Unpaid leave?” she asks, her face evening out as she swipes at her tearstained cheeks, the heavy pants in her chest slowly evening out. “Adam, what are you talking about?”

  “The preliminary meeting, Bella,” I explain gently, brushing her jaw with the pad of my thumb. “They wanted me to fire you altogether, among other things, but that wouldn’t be right. None of this is your fault, darling,” I reason, searching her eyes. Her eyebrows begin to quirk together slightly in confusion before finally, they soften, the emotion in them shifting into understanding. “I know it’s not ideal, but this was the only way for me to protect your job and keep you with me, prin-”

  My words are cut off as her hands move back to my lapels and she pulls herself up, kissing me hard enough to have me stumbling back a half step with her in my arms. She clings to me. And when she finally pulls away, her eyes fluttering open, we’re both panting.

  “I have to say,” I clear my throat, staring down at her with a surprised smirk. “I’ve suspended a lot of people and it’s never gone this well before.”

  “I thought you were breaking up with me,” she admits, her voice breaking just enough to have her cheeks blazing. “I thought…”

  “What would make you think that?” I ask, taking my turn to cut her short, studying her features. “I told you that wasn’t going to happen.”

  “I know you did,” she nods, her eyes still uncertain as she nervously plays with the hair at the nape of my neck, diverting her gaze.

  “Eyes up, little one,” I command gently, the palm supporting her as she remains wrapped around me giving her a light tap on the ass.

  “I thought they made you choose,” she confesses with a sniff as she uses the back of her palm to swipe her cheek clean. “I thought it was your title or me.”

  “And given the choice, you think I’d choose my position?”

  “I don’t think you’d want to, but…” she trails off.

  “Isabella.”

  “You’re looking at losing everything, Adam,” she whispers, finally facing me. “And you’ve got more to lose than anyone I know.”

  “You’re right, darling. I do,” I admit, pulling one hand from her waist and brushing her hair away from her face, angling her chin to hold her in place. “That’s why I told them I’d never give you up.”

  Chapter Two

  ADAM

  Once her nerves are settled and her worries wiped away, she excuses herself to the private bathroom in my office and returns looking much more composed.

  I watch her as she moves back into the room, her calmer demeanor soothing the last of the turmoil still raging in my chest. Seeing her fall apart like that, knowing she loves me enough to let her heart break so completely thinking she’d lost me is bittersweet in ways I’m not sure I’ll ever truly be able to admit.

  She knows exactly what’s at stake if she stays by my side. Yet in that moment, in her tear-filled cerulean gaze, the only thing I saw her mourning was the loss of me.

  My selfish heart has never known love like that.

  The thought of that alone is enough to have me moving toward her, reaching for her neck and holding her closely, possessively, as I bend to take her lips. I kiss her gently, adoring the low whimper that I steal from her chest as I rest my other palm on her waist. My tongue eases into her mouth, tasting her, craving her in ways I’d never experienced until she came into my life. I pull away a moment later, both of us breathless and I press my lips to her
forehead, savoring in the way she rests against my chest.

  “I love you,” I whisper, tilting her eyes back to mine.

  “I love you, too,” she hums, reaching up on her toes to give me another gentle kiss.

  She pulls away from me just slightly, searching my features for a long while before finally, she turns to nervously stare at the door to my office.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m just steeling myself for the walk of shame,” she smirks sadly. “I’ve endured hushed whispers and blatant staring all week. I can’t imagine clearing out my desk while everyone is still around will warrant a much more favorable audience,” she admits, her voice trailing off for a moment before she rubs her temples gently, releasing a deep sigh. “I’m used to the resentful gawking, but this feels slightly more invasive, even if it does prove to be temporary.”

  “You don’t have to do it,” I start, gaining her eyes once more. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “No. You have enough on your plate right now,” she shakes her head in argument. “I can do it, Adam. I’m just not looking forward to it.”

  “Well, even if it wasn’t my fault we’re in this mess to begin with and you weren’t my priority, I made you cry,” I sigh, my eyes full of apology. “I’m on a real roll today, kitten.” My words make her eyes soften as she takes my hand in hers, giving it an affectionate squeeze. “The least I can do is take care of gathering your things for you so that you can avoid some of the backlash.”

  “Are you sure?” she asks.

  “Of course,” I promise. “Just get your purse and whatever you need right away. I’ll handle the rest.”

  “Okay,” she nods, kissing my jaw. “Thank you, Daddy.”

  “You’re welcome, darling.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze as we make it to my door, hating it when I know it’s time to release her. One look into her eyes tells her she feels the same way. “Let’s go, baby.”