Damaged Goods: The Redemption Series

by L. Wilder

  We bantered back and forth as we finished our Ramen Carbonara, as she dubbed it, and we were about to clear the table when Tristen suddenly said, “Nathan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Something’s been on my mind and…” She paused for a moment before she continued. “You’d done what Cotton had asked you to do. Why didn’t you just leave it at that… Why didn’t you just send me back to the club?” Her eyes searched mine as she waited for my reply.

  I took a deep breath. “That’s not an easy question to answer.”

  “Try. It’s something I need to know.”

  I paused and considered just how much I wanted her to know. I’d kept her for my own selfish reasons, and I didn’t want to drive her away. Trying to keep it simple, I said, “Being in the worst place I could have ever imagined being, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I thought it would be easy to just get the girl and go… but then I saw you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I didn’t know how to explain how one moment had changed me -- how I had known there was something special about her. Hell, I didn’t understand it myself. She’d captivated me in ways I couldn’t even comprehend. Knowing I was taking a risk, I laid it all out. “When I looked into your eyes, I saw a quiet strength, a fire burning deep inside, and even through all the drugs, it was still burning bright. It pulled me to you. Seeing you made me forget about the hell I was standing in. It made me forget the danger around us. There was never any choice. I was getting you out of there and getting you safe, even if it meant taking you away from the brothers.”

  Her eyes never left mine as she let my words sink in. It was a lot. I knew it was, but she deserved to know. A tear trickled down her cheek as she said, “I’d never been so scared in my life. I saw those men and heard the awful things they were saying, but I was frozen with fear and dazed by the drugs. I thought my life as I’d always known it was over. I’d all but given up… until I saw you. I can’t explain what was going on in my mind, but I knew when I looked at you, there was hope. There’s no way I can ever repay you for saving me and Lauren from that hell.”

  Trying to make light of our heavy conversation, I said, “You just did. That was one hell of a Ramen Carbonara. We’ll call it even.” I chuckled as I stood up and carried our dishes to the sink.

  When I turned around, I saw her wiping her eyes before she said, “So, what did I miss last night? Any more dismemberment?”

  “Oh, you have no idea, woman. Shit got real. Wanna see? I’ll restart it.”

  We spent the next few days just getting to know each other, and I hated that it was coming to an end. I had started to feel like I was seeing the real him, and I couldn’t get enough. Unfortunately, Nathan had to go back to work, and it was time for me to start looking for a job. While I was eager to get started, the bed was awfully warm, and I was finding it hard to get up. I finally forced myself to kick the covers off and was about to head to the bathroom for a shower when I tripped, falling flat on my face with a resounding thud.

  I was still lying there when I heard an unfamiliar voice shout through the door. “Ms. Carmichael… Is everything okay?”

  “Um… yeah.” I quickly pulled myself up off the floor. “Everything’s fine.”

  “You sure?” he asked.

  “Yep. I’m good.” I walked over to the door, eased it open, and found a man wearing a dark navy-blue suit standing in the hallway. The first thing that I noticed about him was his size. He was a big guy, casting a shadow that nearly filled the room, with bulging muscles that seemed to go on for days. His tailored shirt fit him perfectly, and there was no doubt that he spent a lot of time in the gym. He was young, probably in his early thirties, and if it weren’t for the smile on his handsome face, I might’ve found him threatening. “Hey.”

  “Hi, Ms. Carmichael.” He extended his hand out to me. “I’m Max.”

  I smiled as I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Max.”

  “There’s coffee in the kitchen.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I was still a little out of sorts, half asleep and half dazed from my fall, so it took me a second to realize it wasn’t Nathan that had come to the door. Wondering where he might be, I asked, “Will Nathan be at breakfast?”

  “He already headed out.” He motioned towards the kitchen. “But I’ll be out front if you need anything.”

  When he turned to leave, I closed the door and went over to the dresser. I was in desperate need of a hot shower and a change of clothes. It was time for me to do some job hunting, and I needed to get an early start. Once I was dressed, I looked myself over in the mirror and gave my hair and makeup one last check. I’d always loved my blonde hair, but after the kidnapping and knowing it was one of the reasons they’d taken me, I’d decided to dye it dark. While I liked it, it still felt strange to see my new reflection. After one last look, I grabbed my phone and went over to the small desk in the corner of the room. I had several jobs that I wanted to check out. After I made a few calls, I found out that most of the jobs I was interested in were already filled, but I did manage to score an interview at one of the local hot spots. My stomach was turning somersaults as I headed down the hall towards the kitchen. When I walked in, Max was sitting at the table reading the newspaper and eating a bagel. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen counter. I grabbed my phone out of my purse and checked my messages and email. Once I was done, I got up and started for the door. “I’ll check ya later, Max. Thanks for the coffee.”

  “Hold up.” Max stood up and rushed towards me. “I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

  “That’s okay. I can just get a taxi.”

  I continued towards the door, until I heard him say, “That’s not an option, Ms. Carmichael.”

  Confused, I whipped around to face him. “What do you mean, that’s not an option?”

  “If you have somewhere you’d like to go, I’ll take you.”

  “I got that part, Max.” I stepped towards him. “What’s the problem with me taking a taxi?”

  “It’s not exactly a problem…” he started.

  “Good.” I turned and started walking towards the door. “I’ll be back later.”

  “Ms. Carmichael.” His voice was stern and a little more forceful than I’d expected. “I can’t let you do that.”

  “First, stop calling me Ms. Carmichael. It’s freaking me out. And second… I’m not going to ask this again… why can’t I take a taxi?”

  He let out a deep breath and started for the door. “It’s my job. I’m here to make sure you have everything you need. So, why don’t you just tell me where you’d like to go, Tristen?”

  “Something tells me there’s more to it, but fine. The first stop is just around the corner at the West End Bar and Grill.”

  I followed him to the elevator, then out to his black BMW. He opened the back door, and I slipped inside. I should’ve been happy to have my own personal chauffeur, but I wasn’t, not even a little. Instead, I was aggravated and felt like I was being treated like a child. Obviously, Nathan didn’t think I could handle doing things on my own, so he sent a stupid babysitter to see after me. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t someone who enjoyed being supervised.

  Once he pulled up to the front of the building, I quickly opened the door and hopped out. “I’ll be back in a few.”

  “No rush. I’ll be here waiting, unless you’d like me to come inside with you.”

  The pitch of my voice shot up several octaves as I screeched, “No.” I put my purse on my shoulder and stepped up onto the curb. “That won’t be necessary.”

  I shut the car door and headed inside. I walked over to the hostess counter and was greeted by a blonde in her mid-thirties wearing a black halter top and short, black miniskirt. She leaned forward as she rested her elbows on the counter and smiled. “Hey, doll. What can I do for you?”

  “Hi, I’m Tristen Carmichael.” I’d done my research on the West End Bar and Grill, and it was one of the new h
ot spots in the area. In one night’s time, they served between two to three hundred people, and their lunch crowd was equally as busy. I needed good tips, which meant I needed as many customers as I could get. I hoped that West End would help get me a good start. “Is Mr. Marino here?”

  Her smile quickly disappeared as her eyes roamed over me. Once she was done sizing me up, a disapproving snarl crossed her face letting me know she didn’t approve of my black V-neck shirt and jeans combination. “You here for the waitress job?”

  “I was told the opening was for a bartender position.”

  “That’s if you make the cut. You’ll waitress first. If that works out, then you’ll move up to ‘tender.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder as she looked behind her. “Hey, Tony! She’s here.”

  “Send her on back!” a man shouted from behind the bar. It was still early, so the lunch crowd hadn’t shown up. In a half hour, the place would be buzzing with people and doing an interview at the bar would be damn near impossible.

  She looked back over to me like she’d smelled something bad and said, “He’s over at the bar.”

  “Yeah, I caught that.” I walked past the counter and over to the bar, and I was surprised to find a young Joey from Friends standing there waiting for me. Well, it wasn’t the actual Joey, but he looked just like him. “Hi, Mr. Marino. I’m Tristen Carmichael. We spoke earlier about the bartender position.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I remember.” He smiled and offered me his hand, shaking it firmly. “Have a seat.”

  I reached in my bag and pulled out my résumé. “I emailed you a copy, but I thought I’d bring an extra one just in case.”

  He took it from my hand and glanced over it. “So, you’re interested in the bartender position?”

  “I am.”

  “Well, it doesn’t look like you’ve got much experience with it.”

  “No, but I’m a fast learner.” I could tell he wasn’t buying it, so I took a deep breath and pushed a little harder. “It may not show it on paper, but I do have a lot of experience, Mr. Marino. I’ve worked hard and learned a lot over the past couple of years. I’m dependable, trustworthy, and I’m always on time. I know how to deal with a rough crowd, and the not-so-rough crowd. Whatever you’ve got, I can handle it. I just need the chance to prove it.”

  He smiled, and I knew I’d won him over. “I tell you what… we’ll start you off as an assistant. You’ll help out around the bar and that will give you a chance to pick up on a few things. Tips will be shared sixty- forty, and we’ll work out your hours from week to week.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “Good. I’ll let the boss know we’ve got ourselves a new bartender.”

  I stood up and smiled. “So, when do I start?”

  “Be here at ten tomorrow morning. I’ll get you a uniform from the back.”

  “I’ll be here. Thanks, Mr. Marino.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” He laughed as he motioned to the girl up front. “You’ll have to work with our girl, Brooklyn.”

  “Oh, I’m sure we’ll manage just fine.” I started walking towards the front door and as I passed the hostess counter, I looked over my shoulder at Brooklyn. “See you tomorrow.”

  She rolled her eyes and gave me an unenthusiastic wave goodbye. I was just about to walk out the front door when I spotted Max’s black BMW sitting out front. I stopped in my tracks and quickly turned around. “Hey, is there a back door I could use?”

  Brooklyn looked at me like I was crazy as she pointed towards the service entrance. “You can go through the kitchen.”

  “Thanks!”

  I don’t know what I was thinking. I certainly wasn’t thinking of Max or his job as I hurried through the kitchen, swerving past the cooks with their pots and pans or the bus boys with the dish buckets. I only had one thing on my mind. Me. I had things I wanted to take care of, and I didn’t want Hawkeye watching my every move. So, I did the only thing I could—I ditched him.

  It’d only been a few weeks, but it seemed like a lifetime since I’d stepped foot in the office. I knew Murray was taking care of things, but it just wasn’t the same. The business was important to me. It was my father’s legacy, and from the day I’d taken the reins, I’d been determined to make it a success. To make that happen, I’d always made sure I knew firsthand what was going on—especially when it came to getting in our shipments. The stakes were high, and there was no room for mistakes—period. Like me, the men we dealt with didn’t do excuses. They had people counting on them, and their lives were on the line if they didn’t deliver. It was a risk, a serious risk, but when the delivery was successful and all parties were satisfied, it could be a very profitable business. It was up to me to make sure that everything went as planned and no detail was overlooked.

  Staying off the radar was one of most important parts of our business. To ensure our safety, we had several warehouses in the main cargo dock in Port Angeles, along with several others hidden inland. They were tucked away, deep in the mountains for added security when things got heated. The risk of getting caught was growing by the day. It was just part of the game. Over the years, I’d learned a few tricks of the trade, like using the rotation method for storing our goods and frequently changing up delivery locations. By swapping things up from month to month, it made it difficult for the cops to track us, and it kept our competitors from trying to fuck with our cargo. We also had several shell companies—a full-service log yard along with a couple of nightclubs and bars—to help launder the influx of funds arriving each month. I chose the log yard in Port Angeles so we’d have access to the dock and incoming freight. It was a pain in the ass, but logging was fairly profitable, and it gave us an easy way to smuggle in our goods. I knew nothing about logging, but thankfully, I had Bennett to handle things there at the yard. He was young, but he’d grown up in the business and knew everything there was to know about making a logging yard successful. I hadn’t had much contact with him while I was gone, so I decided to stop in and check on him before I went to the office.

  When I walked up, Bennett was talking to one of our delivery guys, and it was clear that he was pissed. His shoulders were drawn back and his face was growing redder by the minute. By the time they were done talking, Bennett looked like he was ready to blow. “What the hell was that all about?”

  “Stupid motherfucker tried to pawn off a load of second rate timber at the regular charge.”

  “And?”

  “It’s not gonna fucking happen.” He looked back over to the dock. “I told him if he dropped the price by seventy-five percent we’d consider taking it.”

  “You sure that’s a good idea? You gonna be able to unload it?”

  “Don’t you worry about that, boss,” he boasted. “You know I can sell a fucking popsicle to an Eskimo. It just helps to have the right price.”

  “You got a time on our next shipment?”

  “I just talked to Ryder. He said he’d have it here before two.”

  Ryder was one of my best. He was a big guy, six-four and built for knocking heads, and he never failed to bring in the shipments on time. Knowing they had it covered, I turned and started walking towards the parking lot. “I’m headed over to the office. Let me know when he gets here.”

  “You got it, boss. Good to have you back.”

  “Good to be back.”

  I got in my SUV and headed over to our main warehouse. Things were relatively quiet when I walked in. Most of the guys didn’t come in until later in the morning, which meant I had about a couple of hours to work without any distractions, or so I thought. I hadn’t been working long when the door flew open and Murray finally came strolling in. With a big, shit-eating grin, he sat down on the edge of my desk and crossed his arms. “Well, well, well. Look who the cat dragged in.”

  Completely ignoring his jab at my absence, I asked, “Any word from Dez?”

  “Not wasting any time, huh?” he teased. “Talked with him last night. Everything is set for tomorro
w night. I told you I would handle it.”

  “Good.”

  He stood up and walked over to his desk. Once he sat down, he looked over to me with a puzzled look. “You wanna tell me why you put a hold on Cotton’s next shipment?”

  “Nope.”

  “Is it a temporary thing?”

  “Nope.”

  “So, we’re done with them?”

  “Yep.”

  “Mm hm. So, does this break from the club have something to do with your little trip to Arizona?” When I didn’t answer, he kept pushing. “Seriously? You’re not going to say something here?”

  “There’s nothing to say.”

  “It’s not like you to go running off like that, so I’m guessing it had something to do with a girl.”

  “None of that matters.” I gave him a warning glare. “I’m back now.”

  “Good. I hope that means you’ve got your head in the game. We have a lot of stock to unload in the next couple of days.”

  “Whether I’m here or not, my head is always in the game.”

  For the next hour, I was actually able to work in peace. I was finally making progress, but I was interrupted when my burner cell rang. I took it from my back pocket and answered. “Yeah?”

  There was a brief hesitation before I heard him say, “Got a problem.”

  “I’m gonna need more than that.”

  “It’s Ms. Carmichael.” He paused before he continued. “She gave me the slip.”

  I stood up and squeezed the phone tightly in my hand. “How the fuck did that happen?”

  “She went into the West End bar for her job interview with Tony. She went in the front door, but she went out the back without me knowing it.”

  “Fuck!”

  “I’ve gotta tell ya, boss… She wasn’t exactly happy that I was driving her. She was pretty fired up. I figure that’s why she bolted.”

  “I don’t give a fuck why she bolted! It’s your job to watch over her. Period!” I roared. “Find her!”