Redemption

by Michelle Heard

  Copyright © 2017 by Author Michelle Heard.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to: michelle.horst7@gmail.com.

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Cover Design: RBA Designs

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  DEDICATION

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  ENEMIES TO LOVERS SERIES

  CONNECT WITH MICHELLE ONLINE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  DEDICATION

  Sheldon.

  May you never stop dreaming.

  May you look up at the stars and realize you’re part of a bigger plan than the one you have for yourself.

  May you know kindness, inner-peace, love, and faith for all of your life.

  I love you.

  Mom.

  PROLOGUE

  ELI

  (Five Years Old)

  “I’m afraid.” My hands tremble under the heavy weight of the gun. This is the first time Daddy is letting me hold one.

  Daddy lies down next to me and places his hand beneath mine. Feeling his hand beneath mine makes me feel a little braver.

  “It’s good to be afraid,” Daddy whispers.

  I glance up at him, my eyes wide. “But you’re not afraid of anything.” Daddy is the strongest person I know. I want to be just like him when I grow up.

  “Everyone has at least one thing they’re afraid of, Eli.”

  I wet my lips and taste the sand on it. We’ve been lying on the ground all morning. Daddy hit one target after the other, as he showed me how to shoot. Ethan didn’t come with us today. Mommy gave Daddy the same look she gives me when I’ve been naughty, and told him Ethan is too young. But I’m a big boy, so I got to come with.

  “What is the one thing you’re afraid of, Daddy?”

  Daddy’s eyes leave the gun and find mine. I have the same gray eyes as my Daddy.

  “I’m afraid of not being there when you, Ethan or your Mommy might need me.”

  I frown, thinking about what Daddy just said.

  “It’s my responsibility to keep you all safe,” Daddy says. “I’m afraid the time will come when I can’t do that anymore.”

  “I’ll be there, Daddy. I’ll keep you safe.”

  A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth, and I know I said the right thing.

  “What are you afraid of?” Daddy asks.

  I tighten my grip on the gun again.

  “I’m afraid of not making you proud.” He frowns, so I quickly explain. “I want to be just like you when I grow up. What if I’m not as strong as you? What if I can’t shoot as well? I don’t want to disappoint you.”

  Daddy ruffles my hair. “There is nothing you could do to disappoint me, little man. You want to know a secret?”

  I nod quickly, eager to hear the secret.

  “It’s good to be afraid, Eli. It means you care. You might not always do the right thing, and you might not always be good at what you do, but the secret is to keep trying. You just need to keep trying and never stop caring.”

  “Like caring about you, Mommy, and Ethan?”

  “Not just us, Eli. One day you might meet someone who is weaker than you. That person might have no one who cares about him or her, and it will be up to you to care about them.”

  “One day I’ll be as strong as you if I keep trying, right?”

  “Yes, Eli. One day you’ll be stronger, and you will still be afraid of something. Never back away from your fears, son. Facing a fear head-on is the only way to overcome it.”

  I look ahead of me again, and my eyes jump from the big gun to the target. My stomach twists and turns nervously as I start to squeeze the trigger. The bang is loud, and the gun jumps in my hand. Daddy catches the gun before I drop it, and I dart up from the ground. I run to the target and frown when I see that I didn’t hit it. I look around for the bullet but can’t find it. I turn around and run back to Daddy. I lie back down and take the gun from him.

  I have to keep trying. Daddy says to always keep trying and to face my fears head on.

  I’m going to keep trying until I get it right so I can be ready when I meet that person who might need me. One day I’ll follow in my Daddy’s footsteps.

  CHAPTER 1

  QUINN

  (Eighteen Years Old)

  It’s late when I finally get to lock up. I’ve been working at The Green Leaf for almost seven months. I was lucky to land this job right out of school. It pays better than the diner did. We had a late delivery, and I had to make sure all the flowers were in the cooler, so we don’t lose any in the summer heat.

  Although I live in a small town, I don’t like to walk around after ten. Yeah, even small towns have weird folks I’d rather not run into at night.

  The lights of the gas station come into view, and I feel a little better. This is the only dark stretch. From the gas station to my house, the rest of the street is well lit.

  My eye catches movement across the street, and I notice someone coming out of one of the alleys. For a moment, the person stops, and I feel his eyes on me before he starts to cross the street. I speed up my pace so I can get to the gas station before he crosses the street to where I am.

  “Quinn,” the guy calls out, but I don’t recognize his voice, so I keep going. “A pretty little thing like you shouldn’t be alone so late at night.”

  My eyes dart to the guy that starts to jog to catch up with me, only then I recognize him. Seeing that it’s Steve from school doesn’t make me feel any better. All I know of Steve is that he used to hang with the wrong crowd. They were always stoned. Steve always had a mean look in his eye that made me avoid him.

  “Go away,” I growl. My heart starts to beat faster, and I feel an uneasy feeling skitter down my spine.

  I can see an old truck standing by the pumps, but no one is outside.

  Steve catches up to me, and I suppress the urge to run. I don’t want to give away the fact that I feel uneasy around him.

  He takes hold of my arm and presses his chest to the side of my back. I feel his clammy breath on the back of my neck, and the sweet stench of weed wafts over me. Dammit, he’s stoned. That’s the last thing I need right now.

  “Come hang with me. I’ve got something that will loosen up that tight ass of yours.”

  I yank my arm free from his hand and take three quick steps to widen the distance between us.

  “Not interested,” I snap.

  We step into the light of the gas station, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. The door to the store opens, and Eli Jackson steps out with a bag in his left hand. I don’t think, I rush forward and when I get close to him, he looks up. I don’t know what he sees on my face, but it makes a dark frown settle on his fa
ce.

  Everyone knows you don’t look for trouble with a Jackson. They live on the outskirts of town, pretty much keeping to themselves. They’re like a lone pack of wolves. Eli and Ethan take after their father. There’s just something about them that screams danger, but right now, the danger behind me is much greater than the danger in front of me. The Jackson’s don’t go around hurting people, well unless your name is James and they catch you beating a helpless animal. Rumor has it that Mr. Jackson and Eli came across James beating a defenseless dog. They set the dog free and then tied James to the same tree after giving him the same beating. No one could prove shit, so it’s only a rumor.

  I don’t stop until my body slams into Eli’s. I throw my arms around his neck and hug him like the lifeline he is.

  “Please play along,” I urgently whisper against his neck.

  His free hand settles on my lower back, and he looks down at me. I’ve never seen Eli up close before. Usually, I only get a glimpse of him when he’s driving by me. It looks like his eyes are made of steel, hard and unforgiving. His face looks like it’s been carved from granite. Honestly, it looks like he’s never smiled a day in his life. The beard finishes off the rugged look, which makes me feel nervous, although I’m not sure why.

  For a moment, I doubt my decision to ask him for help. My stomach tightens horribly, and I begin to think I might have run from the coyote and straight into the claws of a wolf.

  His eyes flick over the top of my head and his mouth sets in a hard line. I’m about to pull away from him when his eyes snap back to mine. Shocked, I freeze as he leans into me and places a kiss to my lips. It’s only a quick peck, but it brings my mind to a total standstill.

  Everything around me fades until there’s only the man in front of me. His masculine scent fills my lungs. When he pulls away my hearing zooms in on the sound of air bursting from his parted lips. My eyes drop to his mouth, and for one insane second, I actually think about kissing him again.

  I’ve never been overwhelmed by another human being like this. It’s as if his very presence demands every ounce of my attention.

  “Let’s go,” he says with a voice that sounds like rumbling thunder.

  His hand finds mine, and he starts to walk towards the old truck. Am I really going to go with him?

  I glance over my shoulder, and my eyes catch Steve’s spaced-out ones. He looks like a dog that just lost his prized bone.

  Going with Eli is a definite yes. I’d rather take my chances with him.

  Eli opens the door on the passenger side, and my anxiety spikes as I get in. My eyes follow him as he walks around the front of the truck. Not once does he look at Steve. It’s as if he’s not bothered by the junkie at all.

  When he slides in behind the wheel, I start to ramble, “I’m Quinn Drake. I work at The Green Leaf. I’ve seen you around town, and well, everyone knows you don’t mess with a Jackson so I thought I’d rather take my chances with you.” After rambling, I close my eyes when I realize I’ve said too much. “Crap, I wasn’t supposed to say all of that out loud.”

  I shake my head while the anxiety I was feeling is quickly replaced with wave after wave of embarrassment.

  “I didn’t mean that your family is bad or anything,” I mumble. I should open the door and make a run for it. “Ugh… it’s just.” I dare a peek at him, and when I see that he’s just looking at me, I swallow hard. “Thank you.”

  He starts the truck then looks out over the road. “Which way?”

  “Turn right. I live on Cedar.”

  He steers the truck in the right direction and then the most uncomfortable silence ever settles thickly between us.

  My eyes keep darting to his profile, and I start to think about stupid things we could talk about.

  “I’ve seen you around town,” I say just to break the silence.

  “You’ve said that already.” It’s a mere statement, but it makes me feel downright stupid.

  “Thanks for helping me back there,” I whisper.

  “You already thanked me.”

  I roll my eyes and look out the window. Doesn’t look like he’s much of a talker.

  When he turns up my street, I point to the left side. “The house with the broken fence.”

  He pulls up in front of my house and then stares at it. I’m surprised when he says, “You live here alone?”

  I’m not sure how to answer. I don’t want people to know that I’m alone most of the time. That might start trouble. My eyes dance over his harsh features before locking with his. He might be unsocial to the point of bordering on rude, but it doesn’t look like he’ll hurt me.

  “Dad’s a trucker, so he’s on the road a lot.”

  Eli nods before surprising me once again by getting out of the truck. I rush to open the door and almost stumble out.

  “Thanks for the ride.” I walk to the gate that’s hanging on by one hinge and carefully open it. Before I can close it, Eli walks through, leaving me no choice but to rest the rattling gate against the collapsing fence.

  “I just want to make sure everything’s okay then I’ll leave you be,” he growls.

  With huge eyes and not a drop of spit in my mouth, I watch as he walks around the old house. I’m thankful for the darkness. It hides the peeling paint and broken shutters. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my home. Dad and I try our best to maintain it with the little money we have. I just don’t want Eli to think I’m too lazy to fix up my own home.

  When he’s done walking around the house, he comes to stand in front of me. I start to nervously play with the strap of my bag, not sure what to say. It’s not like he responds to anything I have to say anyway.

  “What time do you get off from work?” he asks, sounding irritated with me.

  I scowl up at him, trying to think what the hell I could’ve done wrong to piss him off. If he’s upset with me because of the state of my house, then he can go fly a kite.

  “I’m really grateful that you saved my butt tonight, but you can go now,” I say, making sure that I sound just as irritated as he does.

  His sharp eyes clash with mine, making me regret that I lost my temper so quickly. It’s not like I’m in a position to fight this huge man.

  Just before the stare-off gets really weird, he looks back to the house. “I have some leftover paint from a job. I’ll get the house fixed up this week.”

  My mouth drops open, and before I can get over the shock, he walks away, not even bothering with the dilapidated gate.

  When he drives off, I go inside and straight to my room. It’s way too late for dinner. I shower and rush through my routine so I can get in bed and sleep this weird day away.

  I snuggle into my pillow and close my eyes with a heavy sigh. I’m just about to drift off when Eli’s face pops up. I bring my fingertips to my lips as I remember the firm feel of his mouth on mine. It was only for a second but more intense than anything I’ve felt before.

  I wonder who Eli Jackson really is. What makes him laugh? Can he even laugh?

  I’m woken by the sound of incessant hammering coming from the front of the house. Reluctantly, I crawl out of bed and rub the sleep from my eyes as I walk to the front door. I yank it open, and at the sight of Eli hammering away at the gate, I freeze. I blink a couple of times to make sure I’m seeing right before I turn around and head back to my room.

  Once I’m dressed, I go to make some coffee. I don’t know how he likes his coffee, so I just make it the same as mine.

  Glancing at my watch, I notice I still have an hour before I have to be at work. At least it’s Saturday, and I’m only working until noon.

  I carry the coffees outside and wait for him to finish with the one hinge. He swings the gate, and when it doesn’t rattle, I smile. That gate’s been broken all my life.

  “Morning, I made you some coffee,” I say.

  He straightens to his full height before looking my way. “Morning.” He takes the cup from me, and I watch as he gulps the hot liquid down.


  “Thanks for fixing the gate, but you really didn’t have to.” I blow on my coffee before taking a sip.

  He looks at the fence and says, “I’ll have to order some stuff for the fence.”

  I sigh and shake my head. “I can’t afford to fix it right now. It will have to wait.”

  I watch him clench his jaw as if he’s trying to keep his patience with me. If I irritate him so much, why does he even bother?

  “Where do you work?”

  “The Green Leaf,” I say, kind of happy that he’s asking me a normal question.

  “What time do you get off?”

  “Noon. Why?” I frown, not liking where this is going.

  “I’ll pick you up. Thanks for the coffee.” He shoves the cup in my hand and then disappears around the back of the house.

  Feeling frustrated, I pull a face at his retreating back. The man has some serious communication issues.

  I go back inside and quickly rinse the cups. Grabbing my bag, I make sure to lock the front door before leaving for work.

  At work, I keep busy making arrangements for the local church. They always come to pick it up just before we close. Today I’m using sunflowers. I need something bright after waking up to Eli’s grim face.

  When I’m done, I stand back to glance over my work to make sure nothing is out of place. My eyes land on the single sunflower still on the table. The stem broke, making it much shorter than the others. Not thinking, I wrap it in some paper, wet it, and place it in a bag to keep the moisture in.

  Mrs. Douglas comes in right on schedule, and I help her carry the arrangements to her car.

  “Thank you, child. The sunflowers are a nice touch,” she says as she walks to the drivers’ side. “You have a good day now.”

  “Thank you for the order. Bye, Mrs. Douglas.”

  I watch her drive off, and when I turn around so I can close up, I spot Eli’s truck across the street at the hardware store. He’s standing by the truck with Mrs. Jackson. How that tiny woman gave birth to her two huge sons, I’ll never know. When Eli hugs his mom, I shamelessly stare. He pulls back and presses a kiss to the top of her head. He smiles down at her and says something. My lips part in surprise at how different he looks as he smiles lovingly at his mom. There’s a fluttering in the region of my stomach, and I swallow hard.