Damaged Goods: The Redemption Series

by L. Wilder

  “Gay?” I had to clear my throat to stop myself from choking. “What makes you say that?”

  “You’ve seen the bar. It has this clean, modern feel. Kind of fancy. Not your typical macho man kind of place, and then there was this thing with our uniforms…” She scratched the edge of her ear as her eyes skirted towards the floor. “Out of the blue, he changed our cute, little outfits to these god-awful things with pants. They look ridiculous. I can see why everyone thinks he’s gay.”

  There was no doubt that she was goading me. I wasn’t sure when or how she’d found out that I owned the West End bar. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a secret, but I hadn’t actually come out and told her. I hadn’t wanted her to think I was the reason she got the job. The truth was, I wasn’t. She’d managed to get it all on her own. If I’d had my way, she would have been working somewhere else, away from any business of mine, but it was clear that she was pleased with herself for getting the job. Since it meant something to her, I’d left it alone. “So, what you’re saying is… you don’t like these new uniforms?”

  “No. They’re awful, and it’s not just me. The other girls hate them, too. Wearing those things is going to kill our tips.”

  I leaned forward and kissed her on the lips before I turned and started picking up my clothes. As I began getting dressed, I told her, “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thanks, boss. I’d appreciate that.” She straightened the covers on the bed, trying to get it back the way it’d been when we got there, then waited as I finished getting dressed. “You ready?”

  I nodded and followed her towards the door. Just before she opened it, I reached for her, pulling her close to me as I said, “Just so we’re clear, when you get off tonight, you come to my room… I want you in my bed so I can finish what you started here.”

  “It will be late.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  A sexy smirk curled across her face as she said, “If you say so.”

  “Now, she’s learning,” I teased.

  She playfully rolled her eyes as she started for the door. “You’re too much.”

  “You have no idea.” I opened the door for her and smiled. “But you’re about to find out.”

  I dropped her off at work and headed into the office. It was getting late, and I needed to check in with Murray. We’d been contacted by a potential new buyer, a heavy hitter, and Murray was set on us taking him on. I was leery, but I knew a guy like him would more than make up for our losses with Satan’s Fury. When I got to the warehouse, it was quiet, but Murray’s truck was still parked up front. As soon as I walked in the office, Murray looked up to me and growled, “Where the hell have you been?”

  “I told you I had things to do.”

  “All fucking day?” He tugged at his gray beard and huffed. “You know Dayton has been waiting on your call.”

  “I’ll get to Dayton.”

  “When exactly do you plan to get to him? Today? Tomorrow? Next fucking week?” The wrinkles in his face were more pronounced, making him look even older as he frowned at me.

  “I’m not jumping into bed with this guy until I know who the hell we’re dealing with. We don’t know shit about him.”

  “That’s bullshit, and you know it. We know everything there is to know about him. Ryder gave you the file on him days ago. What else do you need to know?”

  “Come on, Murray. You know how this works.” I walked over to my desk and sat down. “It’s not just him we’re dealing with. It’s all the motherfuckers he’s working with and who he’s selling to. We’ve gotta play this thing smart, or we don’t play at all.”

  He paused a minute and sighed. “You’re right. I was getting ahead of myself.”

  “Yeah, you were,” I taunted. “We’ll get it sorted. I’ll schedule a meet with him for mid-week. That’ll give us time to look into things a bit more before we make any final decisions about this guy.”

  “Want me to go with you?”

  “I’ll take Ryder or Max. You stay here and keep an eye on things.”

  “You got it.” He paused again, and then asked, “What about this morning? Did everything go okay?”

  My father and Murray had grown up together. They were just a couple of teenagers when they’d decided to go into business together. Neither of them had had any idea what they were getting into, but together they’d figured it out. They weren’t just partners; they were best friends. It had been hard on Murray when we lost my dad, harder than any of us had ever realized. I looked up at him to see the worry on his face and answered, “It went good. I went by to see him at the gravesite, and then stopped by Mom’s. Colton was there.”

  “And how is he these days?”

  Murray didn’t hold the same grudge against Colton that I had. He seemed to understand why he’d decided against working with us. “Turns out he’s getting married. He’s got a kid on the way.”

  “Well, good for him. Good to see that things are working out for him. Maybe someday you’ll follow suit.”

  “Murray,” I warned.

  “I know. I know. But at some point, you’re gonna have to find a way to let go of what’s gone, and be grateful for what still remains.” He stood up and grabbed his keys. “Well, I better get to the house. Kathryn will have my ass if I’m late to dinner.”

  As soon as he was gone, I put a call in to Dayton and set up a meet with him for later in the week. Like Murray, he was eager to get things rolling. His dealer had been shut down, leaving him in the lurch with buyers on his back. Time wasn’t on his side, and he needed to move forward as soon as possible. I, on the other hand, was in no rush. I had a bad feeling about the guy, especially since his dealer had just been busted, and I was in no hurry to get involved with him. I had my doubts that the cops were done investigating, and in time, I was sure they’d connect the dots right back to Dayton. Dealing with the cops was nothing new. It came with the territory, but it was a matter of playing it safe, not adding any unnecessary heat to an already fiery situation.

  I’d just finished booking my flight when Ryder barged into the office. With his fierce expression, he looked like he was about to blow. As he stepped closer, I could feel the tension radiating off him. “We’ve got a problem.”

  I learned a long time ago, you’re only as good as the men you have working by your side. Ryder was big, brawny, and tough as nails. His bite wasn’t something I’d trained him in. He’d been like that since the first day I’d met him. I’d taken him on when he was fresh out of high school. He’d grown up hard, rebellious, and full of anger, but as I’d quickly learned, he was dependable, and I could trust him. In our line of work, with the kind of goods and money we had trading hands, trust was a hard thing to come by. In all the years he’d been working with me, he’d never let me down. So, when he came to me with a problem, I knew it was important.

  “What kind of problem?”

  “There’s one hell of a storm out in the Bering. Looks like we’re going to lose the load.”

  “Fuck.” Losing a load was a double hit for us. Not only would we lose the artillery, we’d lose the timber. “Is this the Wentworth load?”

  “The one and only.” He turned his head as he cleared his throat. “The storm’s pretty fucking rough, man. They’re calling in the Coast Guard.”

  “They need to dump it. Now. The last thing we need is the Coast Guard to start nosing around that fucking timber.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  He made the call and assured me that he’d make sure things were handled. I’d thought I was done putting out fires for the day, but as it turned out, I was just getting started.

  By the time I made it back to work, the dinner rush was in full effect. The place was a madhouse; all the tables were full, and the bar was packed, making me feel even more guilty for leaving like I had. I should’ve been there, and I hated that I’d left them in the lurch. I rushed into the staff room, put on the ridiculous new uniform, and started towards the front. When I walked
by the bar, it was clear to see that Tony was struggling. Several customers were leaning over the bar, complaining, and calling out his name. He was trying his best, but it was a lot, even for the most experienced bartender. Without asking, I slipped through the counter gate and got to work. I took orders and served the drinks I knew how to make, leaving the others up to Tony. The pace was hectic with no time for mistakes. I was a little frazzled, but I loved it. In a matter of minutes, Tony was caught back up, and it was time for me to go back out front. I started through the gate, but I stopped when Tony called out to me.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for the hand.”

  I smiled. “Anytime.”

  “I’m glad to see that you’re back, but don’t pull that shit again. If you need to leave, you come to me.”

  “Understood. I’m really sorry about that.”

  “Come in early tomorrow. It’s time to start training you to run the bar.”

  I’d been wanting to get behind the bar since the first day I’d started, and there was no hiding my eagerness. “Really? That would be awesome.”

  “Don’t get too excited,” he chuckled. “It’s going to take a lot of work, and maybe even some classes if you choose to stick with it. Now, get your ass to work before Brooklyn has a come-apart.”

  “On it.”

  After I sorted my tables with Brooklyn, I went straight to work. Even with the large crowd and constant back and forth to the kitchen, I couldn’t get my mind off Nathan. I hadn’t expected things to take such a dramatic turn, especially after how I’d felt earlier in the day. But I’d taken a step back, looked at things from a different angle, and I’d found a glimmer of hope that things might just work out. I was happy, and apparently smiling like the Cheshire Cat when Ava came up behind me.

  “So, I’m guessing things are better now,” she teased. “You look downright delighted, which is surprising after the way you jetted out of here.”

  “Yes, things are better.”

  “Are you going to tell me what happened, or am I going to have to guess?” When I didn’t answer, she gave me a mischievous look. “Well, if you ask me, it looks like my girl got laid, but then again… it could’ve been one hell of a margarita, the kind that makes you forget all your troubles. If it’s just a margarita, I’m gonna need to know where I can get me some of that.”

  “Let’s just say I was upset about a few things, and now, those things don’t seem to be as important as they were a few hours ago.”

  “Yep, you got laid. So, who’s the guy? I didn’t realize you were seeing someone.”

  “Aren’t you full of questions today?”

  “Come on, you’ve gotta give me a little something. Between work and school, I haven’t been on a date in months. Hell, I haven’t even watched a good chick flick in weeks. My sex life has withered away to nothing. Let me live vicariously.”

  A part of me wanted to tell her everything, from beginning to end. I hadn’t talked to anyone about Nathan, not even Josie, and it wasn’t easy keeping it all bottled up inside. I wanted to tell her how my heart skipped a beat whenever he looked at me, how I could feel him even when he wasn’t in the room, and how just the sound of his voice soothed my ravaged soul. I wanted to tell her everything, but I couldn’t get her warning out of my head. She’d told me that Nathan was off limits, and while I had no idea why she’d said it, I doubted she’d understand. “It’s complicated.”

  “I’m good with complicated. That just means there’s more meat to the story. Dish it.”

  “Have you ever met someone that makes you feel like you’re the most important thing in their world? Like you have something special inside of you that you never knew existed?”

  “Um... No.”

  “Well, it’s an unbelievable feeling. Don’t settle for anything less, Ava.”

  With that, I turned and got back to work. The rush never slowed, making the night seem to fly by. Before I knew it, I was in the car with Max on the way back to the condo. He was quiet, even more quiet than usual, which made me wonder if something was wrong. I was tempted to ask, but before I had the chance, he’d pulled up in the parking garage and gotten out of the car. He walked over to me, opening my door, and then led me over to the elevator. The question lingered on my tongue, just waiting for me to ask, but something told me to leave it. When we got to the top floor and the elevator doors opened, I turned to him and said, “Thanks, Max.”

  He nodded, and then he was gone. When I walked inside the condo, the lights were on, but there was no sign of Nathan. I hadn’t forgotten that he expected me to come to his room. In fact, it’d been on my mind every moment since I’d left him earlier, but I was in need of a hot shower. I went straight to my bathroom, turned on the water, and as soon as I was undressed, I stepped inside. I hadn’t even washed my hair when I heard the shower door squeak open. My breath caught in my throat as I saw a naked Nathan standing there in all his wondrous glory. The water trickled down his chest as he stepped towards me. His eyes were filled with desire as he growled, “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  I loved that look in his eye. He looked at me like I was the sun, and everything revolved around me. I thought back to him telling me that he didn’t buy into love, but there was something in his eyes that gave me doubt. “I hoped you would be.”

  His hands slipped around my waist as he leaned towards me and pressed his lips firmly against mine. The kiss was hungry and full of desire as he pulled me closer. I wound my arms around his neck as his calloused fingertips roamed down the curve of my ass. There was something about him that made the rest of the world disappear. It was just him and me, and nothing else mattered. A soft whimper escaped my lips as he deepened the kiss. Water cascaded down our bodies as he lowered his hands to my thighs and lifted me, pressing my back against the cold, wet tile. Seeking more, I released his mouth and tilted my head back, letting the water flow down my breasts. He trailed kisses along the curves of my neck to my collarbone, and ever so slowly, he moved his hand up and down my slick side. His fingers brushed against my breasts down to my hips, and I groaned with pleasure as his hand found its way between my legs. His fingers slipped inside me, moving ever so gently as he whispered, “You don’t know what you do to me.”

  “Tell me,” I gasped as he moved faster inside me.

  “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head…. I’ve been thinking about all the things I’m going to do to you, and all the ways I’m going to make you come. You’re mine… all of you.”

  Hearing him say the words sent me over the edge. My hips jerked forward as my body clenched firmly around his fingers. I was floating on the high of my release, relishing the moment of bliss, when I felt him lower me to my feet. With my eyes still closed in a haze of pleasure, I hadn’t even noticed that he’d lowered himself down to his knees before me. His mouth came closer, and with one flick of his tongue, my hips jolted forward. My hands dove into his hair as I shamelessly pulled him closer. My body went into complete sensory overload, and he had just gotten started. What began in the shower moved into the bedroom, where he spent the entire night exploring every inch of my body.

  By the time he was done, we were both exhausted and wondrously sated and collapsed on the bed. He laid his head on the pillow as I curled into his side, resting my head on the crook of his arm. We lay there motionless for several minutes, trying to catch our breath. I’m not sure what spurred the thought, maybe it was feeling the connection between us growing, or maybe I just needed him to know. Either way, I looked up at him. “Nathan?”

  “Um hmm.”

  I propped up on my elbow, so I could look at him as I said, “When my parents were killed in that car crash, I was worried I’d never find real happiness again. I was young, and they meant everything to me. I thought my chances of a good life died with them.” I took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled before I continued, “I had some good days, but they were never enough. When those people took me and tried to sell me off to some stranger… I
thought I’d run out of chances, but then there you were.”

  His voice was soft and low as he whispered, “Tristen.”

  “I just wanted to tell you, I’m happy… really happy, and it’s all because of you.”

  He didn’t respond. I didn’t expect him to. He told me he’d tell me what had happened to him, and I trusted that he would when he got ready. I closed my eyes as I listened to the relaxing rhythm of his heartbeat, and even though I tried to fight it, I drifted off to sleep. I woke up the next morning in an empty bed with a note from Nathan on my pillow letting me know he’d gone to work. I was disappointed, but not surprised, as I crawled out of bed and headed to the shower. By the time I was out and dressed, it was almost noon, and I was starving. With my stomach growling, I headed towards the kitchen. When I got to the refrigerator, I found another note. It was from Max. He’d gone down to one of the other apartments to take care of something.

  I’d just finished making a bowl of some healthy, multi-grain cereal when Max walked in sporting the same serious expression he’d been wearing all week. Getting right down to business, he asked, “Are you working today?”

  “Nope. I have the next two days off, but I have a few errands I need to run.”

  “What kind of errands?”

  “I need to go by the bank, and then over to the college… and maybe by the mall.”

  “The mall?” he groaned.

  “I’ll be fast. I promise.” I put my bowl of uneaten cereal in the sink and started for my room. “Oh, and we’ll need to stop for lunch!”

  “Cereal not your thing?”

  “Not that kind of cereal. It’s awful, like something my grandmother might eat if she was constipated.”

  I could hear him chuckling as I walked into my room and grabbed my purse. When I came back out, he asked, “Where to first?”

  “The bank, and then you pick where we go to eat -- preferably a place without rabbit food.”