An Act of Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page B

all doctor-like for just one night?”
    I roll my eyes. “Charity, I’m in psychology, not medicine.”
    “Whatever, it’s the same thing.”
    I’m about to tell her it’s not at all the same thing, but before I can speak she starts ripping my sweater off me. “Hey!”
    “Listen, the jeans are great, they show off what an amazing ass you have, but this must come off.” She chucks it across the room then walks to the closet and throws me a white tank top that looks three sizes too small. “Put this on.” I huff in frustration but do as she says. “And put these on, too.” She tosses me a pair of brown leather, knee-high boots.
    “I was going to wear my flip flops.”
    She shakes her head. “Can’t. Your pretty little decorative toes will be crushed to pieces. I don’t think you understand just how many people will be there, Anna. I’m tellin’ you, this sexy new fighter is causing some serious havoc.”
    Anxiety plagues me once again, and I second-guess my decision on letting Charity convince me to come with her tonight.
    She quickly senses my unease. “Hey, it’ll be okay, I promise. I go there all the time and nothing has ever happened. You’ll see tons of other people that we know from campus.”
    That’s what I’m worried about. I don’t like being among big crowds, especially in confined spaces. I never have—not since Iraq.
    “I just want you to try, Anna. You need to get out more.”
    “I get out.” I shoot back defensively.
    “Not unless it’s to the library or out with that geek.”
    “Toby isn’t a geek.” She lifts a brow at me. “Okay, he’s kind of a geek,” I admit. Although, if he ditched the sweater vests and glasses he could be considered handsome.
    “Not kind of , he is. It makes no sense to me why you go on dates with him when you have some of the hottest guys on campus asking you out.”
    “I don’t go on dates with him, we study together. We are nothing more than friends.”
    “Yeah, right. Tell that to the guy who constantly trips over himself because he’s always staring at your ass.” I’m about to argue but she doesn’t let me. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. Will you please just give tonight a try? If you really hate it we’ll leave, I promise.”
    I relent with a defeated sigh. “Yeah, okay, but you do realize if Jaxson ever finds out I’m a dead girl.”
    Her eyes glitter, as usual, at the mention of his name. “You just blame the whole thing on me and hopefully that sexy motherfucker will take it out on me in the dirtiest ways.”
    “Ew.” I laugh. “I’ve told you before, he’s way too in love with his wife for it to ever happen.”
    She shrugs. “A girl can dream.” I shake my head but can’t hide my smile. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we miss the big fight.”
    “Just a sec.” I walk over to my jewelry box and pull out a bracelet that I haven’t worn in a while. It’s sterling silver and has a guardian angel on it. It’s meant for protection and always brought me peace when I needed it after Iraq. As I slip it over my wrist I try not to think about who gave it to me, and hope that it helps ease my jumbled nerves like it used to. “Okay, I’m ready,” I whisper, then follow Charity out of the room.
    *
    Oh god. My heart beats wildly as we make our way down the dark, narrow stairwell.
    “Just hang in there, we’re almost down,” Charity shouts behind her shoulder and gives my cold, clammy hand a reassuring squeeze.
    I can’t believe she didn’t warn me about this. She damn well knows I’m claustrophobic. I knew the moment I saw the abandoned-looking brick building with bars on its windows that this was a mistake. But there’s no turning back now, not unless I want to subject myself to the continued torture of being stuck in this small, confined space to go back up the fifty steps we just walked down.
    At the bottom a big, steel door opens to where a giant hulk of a man, who looks scary as hell, takes our