Page 39 of Redeemed (Redeemed #1)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Kennedy

A lex escorts me to the conference room where I will officially meet with Michael Ellis.

When the plans were made for the night, it was decided that a few VIP members would be admitted onto the floor.

We wanted to avoid this meeting coming off as a setup, but we also know how word travels in the underground.

Men are truly the gossips that they claim women to be.

I have Cary in the meeting with me tonight, mostly to help ease Alex’s mind since I won’t let him in.

He still has a business to run when this is over.

Michael and I are clients, and I told him he should treat us as such.

I would hate for this one meeting to change how the clientele view what he has built here.

“Good luck, Kitten.”

Alex kisses me on the forehead before leaving to greet Mr. Ellis.

Cary is leaning on the wall behind me, arms crossed and in deep focus for what’s about to happen.

“How are we handling this?” he asks, straight to the point.

“I’m going to be honest with what we need and just hope that he’s on board to help. There is no ulterior motive; we focus on a clear path to the future.” I take a seat furthest from the door and Cary follows my lead.

“Before we have company, I need to inform you that I haven’t been able to contact Ms. Kathy. I can confirm that she hasn’t been to the estate, but she hasn’t been home either.”

“We will talk more about this after the meeting.” My head needs to be in the game, and if I’m thinking about Momma Kay, things could go wrong.

Michael walks through the door behind his bodyguard.

An emotion flickers across his face too fast from me to analyze before he locks it down.

I was young when he left the organization, but the recognition is still there.

The man takes up space with broad shoulders filling out his suit.

He has his hands tucked into his pockets as he assesses the room.

His hair is slicked back, away from his face, revealing warm honey eyes.

When he worked for my father, everyone called him “E.” If Ashton Rose was at the estate, I would see him at some point during the day.

He served as Ashton’s right hand and led my mother’s security team.

I believe Ashton holds him accountable for the night my mother went missing, but now I can’t help but wonder if my mother went missing, or if she left on her own accord.

Although, I refuse to believe she would leave me to be raised by Ashton Rose.

I stand briefly, gesturing to the chairs in front of me. “Please, have a seat. I promise not to take up too much of your time tonight.”

His tall frame slides into the chair opposite me. “You’ve gone through all this trouble to speak with me. I’m intrigued.”

His Louisiana accent is so thick it triggers memories of spending time with him and my mother as a child. I sit up a little taller, pushing those memories aside.

“Well, I have a proposition for you.”

He tilts his head to the side, allowing curiosity to sparkle in his eyes. “What exactly is it that you could possibly want from me?”

“I’ve made the decision to leave the Rose Empire, and screw over Ashton Rose in the process. You’re his number one enemy. I will help you single-handedly disrupt his empire if you can provide me with the muscle to do it.”

Mr. Ellis sits quietly, observing me. I don’t hide the honesty or determination from my face. I need him to know that I’m serious about ending that vile human for good.

“And how do I know this isn’t a setup?”

“Because you’re still breathing.” I flash him a smile, baring my teeth. “I’ve known where to find you for some time now. You are more beneficial to me alive than dead.”

“Okay, I know what’s in for me. What’s in it for you?”

“It’s time that I took my life into my own hands and stop doing the dirty work for a psychopath.” I wasn’t sure before the meeting if I would bring this up, but he needs to know I’m serious. “I recently found out that Ashton Rose isn’t my father. So, you could say I have a very personal vendetta.”

There’s a slight surprise that registers across his face, but again, he schools his emotions.

“I know you helped my mother when you worked with my fa—” I clear my throat. “When you worked for Ashton Rose.”

“I did. She was an amazing woman.”

I have so many questions about the woman my mother was, but I know now isn’t the time to ask. Stick with the plan, Kennedy.

“I have a small team working on a plan to set up a full attack on all of his businesses, and I can give you access to plans that will line your pockets nicely.”

“And when the work is done?” he asks with a narrowed gaze.

“We go our separate ways.”

He nods his head and then looks over at his guard. “Okay, I’ll help you out.”

I allow the relief to wash over me as we both stand from the table and shake hands.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help. Someone from my team will be in touch.”

Michael Ellis gives me a brisk nod before exiting the conference room. I turn to face Cary with a stupid grin on my face because I closed this deal on my own. He’s smiling back at me as he makes his way across the room.

“Nice work. Our jobs just got a bit easier.”

“Yes, they did!” My smile falls briefly. “You need to locate Momma Kay, Cary. Find her.”

It’s not uncommon for her to leave and spend time with her sister up north. Also, she’s smart, and working for Ashton Rose means she knows to have some sort of plan to escape or lay low. Maybe she finally took my warning seriously and got the hell out of dodge until this situation blows over.

“That looked promising,” says Alex as he moves into the room, wasting no time before pulling me into his arms, pushing away thoughts of worry with his presence alone.

Cary walks past me, leaving the conference room to stand guard.

“Were you watching the security cameras from your phone? You got here far too quickly.”

Alex’s deep chuckle fills my ear as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me for a kiss.

“Maybe.”

“Stalker much?” I feel light with joy as I release a laugh. The future we want is starting to take shape.

“Let’s go home. We have some celebrating to do,” he says as his hands slide down my body.

We wrap up business at the lounge and head home for the evening.

Alex and I take the back seat and let Cary drive us home.

We’re barely on the road before Alex is pulling me into his lap and I snuggle in closer, basking in the warmth of his arms. He places soft kisses on my neck, causing goosebumps to raise on my arm.

“Kitten, I can’t wait to finally strip you out of this outfit,” he whispers in my ear as his hands move across my hip.

My fingers run through his hair, and I watch as his eyes close before a soft moan leaves his throat.

“Your very own present to unwrap.” I pull him into me, kissing him seductively. Life has been far too hard recently and today I finally got a much-needed win. I want to spend the rest of my evening getting lost in this man.

By the time we arrive at the house, Alex has been gripping my hips like he’s seconds away from laying me down in the back seat.

Cary hops out to give us our privacy, and probably to warn Patrick that neither of us are in the mood to debrief.

Besides, Cary was there, so he can handle the transfer of information.

Alex carries me to the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him before walking me to the bed. He peppers kisses across my jaw, moving down my neck in the most delicious form of torture. His hands work in tandem, sliding my dress up my legs, his fingers running up the seam of my panties.

A groan leaves his lips, and he stands up to look down at me. “You wore this tiny scrap of material knowing it would drive me crazy, didn’t you.”

I giggle, holding up my fingers, slightly pinched together. “Maybe just a little bit.”

His fingers move underneath said scrap of material and Alex releases a curse when he feels how aroused I am. I moan when his fingers stroke my clit, circling my hips, wanting more.

Alex falls to his knees, his bed the perfect height to have him staring directly at my center.

He drags my panties down my legs, drawing out the moment.

I run my fingers through his hair, giving a slight tug in anticipation.

Our eyes connect, and he holds that connection as he leans forward to press a kiss to my inner thigh.

He teases me, kissing me everywhere except where I need him. My eyes fall closed, my head pushing back into the mattress. A frustrated groan leaves my lips.

“You know, I’ve thought about this moment ever since we were disrupted in my office—having you spread out in front of me, waiting for me to devour.”

I force my eyes open to concentrate on him as he looks at me through lust-heavy eyelids before running his tongue from my center to my clit.

He lets out a deep moan before eating my pussy with earnest. My body takes on a mind of its own, grinding against his face.

He’s on a mission to pull that first orgasm from me, not letting up even as my legs begin shaking.

I’m so turned on that mere minutes pass before I’m exploding in a wave of pleasure.

Alex kisses the inside of my thighs before standing to remove his own clothes.

I rise up on the bed, ridding myself of my dress and bra so I can take the time to admire his body.

One day soon, I’m going to run my mouth over every inch of him, but we are both too keyed up for that tonight.

My gaze moves down his body, locking in on him stroking his length and my mouth waters as I scoot to the edge of the bed.

I’m practically vibrating with energy and Alex knows it as he watches me with a roguish smile.

“Do you want a taste, Kitten?” The smirk on his face would make me drop my panties if they weren’t already on his bedroom floor. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

I bite my lip and nod my head, not trusting my voice.