Page 12 of Redeemed (Redeemed #1)

Chapter Eleven

Kennedy

M y Saturday afternoon is spent with Nathan just like it has been ever since we moved in together five years ago. We overload on too much pizza, because that’s my favorite, and watch football. Nathan adds beer to the mix because Saturday is his cheat day.

This past week has been taxing for both of us, and this has always been our preferred method to recharge.

Exhaustion must have taken over, because one moment I’m watching football, and the next Nathan is shaking me awake.

He’s traded his joggers and undershirt for a button-down and jeans.

The smell of the musky cologne I bought for his birthday a few months back fills the air.

He and a few of the guys are going to one of their regular spots in the next city over, which means he won’t be back until tomorrow.

Nate still makes sure to lecture me about taking security if I decide to go out, but he doesn’t harp on that for long before he’s out the door.

Of course, with Nathan out of the apartment, I don’t have to explain where I’ll be tonight.

Eventually, I would like to update Nathan with my intentions, especially now that I have an avenue to put my plans in motion.

I’ve always imagined having Nathan at my side when I make the decision to strike out on my own.

Right now, it’s important for me to find my own way.

Then I can light the path so I can possibly help my friend follow in my footsteps.

I clear my mind of the worries that plague me and allow the excitement of my first night as VIP at Emerald Nights to fill me. My attention turns to getting ready for the night as I pick a playlist to blast through the apartment’s speaker system.

My curiosity about who else will be in VIP tonight is piqued. I can’t deny the hope that I could get a glimpse of Michael Ellis. The only picture I have of him is from when I was eight years old and he was still working for my father.

I know it’s too soon to request an official meeting, but maybe other networking opportunities will arise tonight.

What I didn’t count on happening is gaining the attention of the man who owns Emerald Nights.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but Alexander Carter is a pleasant surprise.

I’ve been around him twice and can admit he’s a charming man, but why is he interested in me?

He obviously knows my involvement in the criminal world, and he still asked me on a date.

I will admit it feels freeing to know I wouldn’t have to hide part of my identity from the person I’m dating.

I don’t plan to broadcast who my father is, but he knows I live a dangerous life.

Or at least, a dangerous-adjacent life. I mean he offered to hand deliver the man who assaulted me. What more could a girl want?

My mind stays on Alexander as I get ready for the evening.

I decide on a black, sheer, lace bodysuit with black high-waisted pants.

I put much more effort into my makeup, applying a full face of glam.

My silk press is still holding up, so I decide on a half-up, half-down hairstyle, with a few tendrils loosely framing my face.

The doorbell sounds. Cary, punctual as ever, is here to escort me downtown. With a final swipe of gloss on my lips, and a spritz of perfume, I’m grabbing my clutch and heading for the door.

I open the door wide enough to let him in, and he stands just inside, waiting for instructions for the night.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush. This is another unofficial business meeting.”

Cary widens his stance, and his eyes narrows. “Should I escort you into the building this time? Would hate to have Nathan on my ass again about our agreement and how I do my job.”

“Don’t worry about Nate. And you’ll be going in with me this time, because I’m now a member at this lounge.”

“And I’m assuming Nathan still isn’t aware of these endeavors,” he says, looking around the apartment as though Nate might appear.

“You would be right to assume that.” I keep my voice calm and even.

He nods his head before stepping to the door and holding it open for me. “Let’s do this.”

We ride in silence to the downtown area, allowing the soft jazz music to fill the car.

I’m not nervous, but I definitely feel an anxiousness for what the night could bring.

While my main goal is to get close to Michael Ellis, there is potential in having access to other underground players.

Especially since Nathan and I are so new to the area.

Cary pulls into the VIP lot but keeps the car idle, looking in the rearview mirror at me for direction.

“What’s the move?”

“I have private access to the building and will be escorted to another floor. I want you with me on the floor this first time. No one knows I’m Ashton Rose’s daughter and we are going to keep it that way.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Cary turns the car off, opens the door, and I watch as his eyes sweep the area, looking for signs of danger before turning to open my door.

Tonight, there’s a guard present at the entrance in the alleyway allowing people to access the VIP entrance with no issues. I hand him the badge Tori provided me earlier and he scans it with a handheld machine before opening the door to let us in.

We’re immediately stopped by security on the other side of the door that pats us both down before we are escorted to the elevator.

I was very clear with Cary that he could wear as many knives as he felt comfortable with, but no guns tonight.

Tori is waiting for us at the elevator, and she welcomes us with a smile I’m confident rarely fades.

“Kennedy, welcome back. Don’t you look amazing,” she says as her eyes take in my outfit before they land on the man behind me. Her eyes widen in surprise, but she quickly recovers. “W-who might this be?”

“This is my personal security, Cary.”

Her gaze moves from his face down his body and there’s an appreciation there that I see from most women when it comes to Cary. When she realizes I’ve caught her staring, she blushes with a sheepish smile.

Clearing her throat, she asks Cary, “Will you be going up with Kennedy tonight, or would you like to go to the security room?”

“I’m sticking with her,” Cary says dismissively.

“All right. Let’s head on up. There are a few members here already, but we aren’t expecting anyone else.”

We crowd into the elevator cart for the short ride up. I notice Tori toss a quick glance in Cary’s direction before we reach our destination, but I don’t have the energy to even process what I see passing between the two because I’m anxious to find out who’s in the VIP section.

The doors open to the private area, and we are met with the aroma of something delicious as Tori leads us through the floor to the booth that’s been assigned to me for the night.

We pass one other member, who’s sitting with a young blonde-haired woman wearing a sexy little dress that barely covers her essentials.

I get another look at the man before he’s out of sight, but I can’t place his face.

We reach our section, and Tori lights the candle that’s in the middle of the table next to a menu listing the food and specialty drinks for the evening.

Surprisingly, there’s a small bouquet of long-stemmed roses placed with prominence.

Tori lets us know that a server will be by to take my order before leaving, and I notice there’s a small card tucked in the flowers that I pull out to read.

Kennedy, I look forward to seeing you tonight. Please enjoy your food and drinks on the house. Hopefully this makes up for the disruption to your retribution the other night. - A

I fight the smile threatening to break free because there’s no way this man will unravel my willpower this quickly. I look up to find Cary staring at me with raised eyebrows, but I shake my head, and he turns to watch the room.

The server arrives to take my drink order, and I decide on appetizers since I’m here.

I’m not sure what my expectation was for the night, but everything is turning out to be exactly as advertised—a place to hang out without interruptions or a threat to your life.

Honestly, I feel like I could even get some work done in here with how relaxing the atmosphere is.

Maybe I was a little paranoid, making Cary come with me, but this is new.

The items I ordered arrive and I invite Cary to take a seat since it’s clear there aren’t any threats here.

I’m still rather impressed with how Alexander is able to keep the peace.

As if the mere thought of him conjured his presence, I look up to find him walking toward my booth.

I watch as he stops momentarily to speak with the gentleman we passed on the way in before his focus returns to me.

Cary stands, getting back into position, and I notice Alexander give him a once-over before looking back over at me.

“Good evening, Kennedy.”

He’s in a different suit than when I saw him earlier, his emerald green tie matching the interior of his lounge. That tie also brings out the green in his eyes, making him more attractive than he deserves to be.

“Good evening, Alexander. This is Cary, my personal guard.”

The two shake hands, equally sizing each other up.

“I trust everything has been to your liking tonight?” he asks.

“It has, and seems to just keep getting better,” I respond with a smile. “Please, join me, if you have a moment.”

He slides into the booth next to me and I’m instantly wrapped in the smell of him.

It makes me want to put my nose to his skin and breathe him in—a clear indicator that I’ve had enough to drink tonight.

He doesn’t hide the heat in his eyes as he checks out my outfit, and I won’t lie to myself and say that I don’t enjoy being the focus of his attention.

“You look beautiful. I’m glad you were able to come in.”

“Thank you. This has been the most calm outing that I’ve had in a long time. I was just thinking to myself that I could easily get work done here. Is the VIP lounge ever full, or do you typically keep capacity low?”

“It really depends on who has reserved spots. If I know that two individuals shouldn’t be in the room together, I usually don’t test it. Though, sometimes, I like to see how much restraint my members actually have.”

He gives me a sneaky smirk, letting me know I’m dealing with trouble. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing for me. Some chaos is fun, but he could be the worst kind of influence.

My eyes widen in false shock as I lean into his space. “Wow, what a troublemaker.”

“I have no one to make me follow the rules.” Alexander licks his lips and suddenly my brain wants to play the imagination game.

“Rules are overrated.”

He chuckles. “Are you going to put me out of my misery and officially agree to our coffee date?”

“Hmmm.” I tilt my head. “I’m a very busy woman. When would this coffee date happen?”

He looks down at his watch, before smiling up at me. “How does ten hours from now sound?”

I laugh at the ridiculousness of that statement, and he watches me with amusement.

“Your laugh is mesmerizing.”

I blush again, slowly falling under the spell of this mysterious man. The curiosity about where this attraction will take us is enough to throw caution to the wind.

“Okay, I’ll meet you for coffee in the morning. Hand me your phone.”

He unlocks his phone without hesitation, sliding it over to me.

I open his contacts and store my number as Kitten —a play on his earlier reference—before sliding out of the booth to leave.

Alexander follows me, giving Cary another glance before grabbing my wrist and rubbing his thumb gently across my skin.

“I look forward to seeing you in the morning.”

My body leans slightly toward him as I stare up into those jewel-colored eyes. Those drinks must have been stronger than I thought.

“Same here.” My voice is quiet and reserved, hyper aware of Cary witnessing this private moment.

“Have a good evening.”

Cary and I take the elevator down to the first floor and we’re in the car preparing to leave when he speaks up from the front seat.

“The man in the booth that we passed walking in is Marco Leva. An up-and-coming arms dealer in the Midwest.”

“That explains why I didn’t recognize him.”

“This is more than just some club you’ve obtained VIP access to, isn’t it?”

He looks in the rearview mirror, making eye contact.

I simply nod my head because it doesn’t make sense to withhold the information.

He returns my nod, starting the car without further questions.

Soon enough, I will bring him up to speed, but I need to figure out my next move.

Right now, I just allow my head to fall back to the seat and daydream about chestnut brown hair and emerald green eyes.