Redemption (Bennett Sisters Book 5) by Kate Allenton Read Free Book Online Page A

destiny. Her nerves tingled with the excitement of the unknown and hope that the general could deliver on his promises. Brody pressed his palm o nto the box beside the door. The lock clicked open, and he pushed the door wide. Lydia stepped over the threshold and glanced around the room. The floors were covered with thick blue mats. Even the walls were heavily padded. The room was empty aside from a door on the right-hand side, a few pieces of workout equipment up against the wall, and a few places one could sit to rest. It wasn’t state-of-the-art, but she guessed it would serve their purpose.
    The alarm on the door behind her beeped again, alerting Lydia that someone else would bear witness to her first attempt at controlling her skills. Marlaina’s ponytail swayed behind her as she carried a pile of folded clothes in her hands. She smiled at Brody as she walked up and handed him the clothes. Her voice vibrated with confidence. “I thought she could use these.”
    Marlaina gave Brody a seductive smile and bat of her eyelashes as she touched his arm with her free hand. Marlaina turned toward her. “You can’t practice in those jeans. You’re going to need something easier to move around in.”
    Marlaina’s flirting was blatant and obvious. The blonde must think that Lydia was interested in more than the training Brody was going to give her, which was the furthest thing on her mind. Marlaina was marking her territory. The blonde had been nice to Lydia in the conference room and was trying to make sure she was comfortable. A ploy maybe, but an extended hand of friendship? Doubtful. Lydia didn’t trust anyone besides Rick and Briggs to see to her best interests. Nonetheless, Lydia couldn’t fault Marlaina for the move. Lydia walked over to Brody and took the clothes out of his hands then turned to Marlaina and placed her palm on the petite blonde’s arm. “Thanks.” Lydia winked at the blond. “I understand completely.”
    Marlaina’s eyes lit up, and a smile graced her ruby-painted lips. “Great.” She pointed toward the closed door. “You can change in there, and if you need anything else while you’re here, just let me know.”
    Lydia nodded and walked into the bathroom, leaning back against the closed bathroom door she clenched her eyes shut. These people were different from her and yet so familiar. She’d never been a boyfriend-stealing friend. Hell, she’d tried hard enough to keep everyone away after her best friend died. There was no amount of time that could erase the pain from not being able to save him. Lydia pushed off the doorframe with renewed determination. She needed to get the hell out of here and couldn’t do it until she knew what the hell she was doing.
    She heard Brody and Marlaina talking in the other room while she changed but couldn’t make out their conversation. Lydia had no plans of finding a boyfriend while she was here. A relationship with any guy at the compound was out of the question, no matter how sexy several of them were. The thought of a one-night stand with Rick popped into her mind, making her second guess her decision.
    Lydia changed into the black tank top and camos that Marlaina had brought her. The pants were a bit loose on her, but the belt help ed to hold up the unfamiliar clothes. The tank top was snug and squished her breasts, making them appear bigger than she knew them to be. The top made her uncomfortable, but she’d work through her insecurities, just like she worked through everything else. She was here to train, after all, not to make a fashion statement. She really needed to make a point to get to town for some new clothes of her own, some that fit her.
    Lydia pushed the door open, stepped out into the room, and glanced around looking for Marlaina to thank her again for the clothes, but she was nowhere to be found. Brody stood in the middle of the room. His stare ran down the length of her body and back up. He cleared his throat. “She left Red . Are you