Page 41 of Redeemed (Redeemed #1)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Kennedy

T oday is my meeting with Nathan and my stomach is in knots.

This feeling is foreign when it comes to the person I’ve considered my best friend for so long.

There has been more of my life with Nate than without, and this meeting feels like it will be the final nail in the coffin of our dying friendship.

We’re no longer standing in solidarity, but on opposing sides at the start of a war.

Alex and I ride silently through the city, both of us in our own heads about how this night will go.

Alex is holding my hand in his lap, often sneaking glances over at me.

He’s still firmly against this meeting but has made it clear that he’s on board with however I want to handle things.

Of course, only as long as he can make sure that I stay safe.

“You look beautiful tonight, baby. You sure you don’t want to change our plans?”

I laugh at his attempt to lighten the mood.

“Thank you, but this meeting needs to happen. Sooner rather than later.”

The plan is to drop me off at the restaurant and I’m sure he will hover nearby to ease his own worries, because there was no way he could ensure my safety if I actually drove myself. Especially not given what we have planned for the Rose Estate.

Patrick and Cary are leading a small team to the estate to see what they can find, and my only regret is that I can’t be there to wreak havoc on that forsaken place. Just like the compound I grew up on in Texas, the Rose Estate holds a mix of memories for me.

“What’s on your mind, Kitten?” Alex breaks through my train of thought.

“I can’t figure out whose fault it is that I’m losing my best friend. I know you aren’t the biggest fan of Nate, but I knew the kid he used to be. I’ve loved him like a brother.”

“Does it have to be someone’s fault? I understand your connection with him, but people are forever evolving and sometimes they grow apart. Could it be that you’ve both reached a crossroad and are deciding to take different paths?”

His words make sense, but it doesn’t make losing someone any less painful.

My nerves ramp up a little more as we drive closer to our destination. Nate said no weapons, but I’m not stupid enough to arrive at this meeting without any protection. Even thinking about the need to protect myself from him adds to the pain.

“Don’t go far. There’s a good chance this meeting will be shorter than we think.”

“Don’t worry, I plan to be parked on the street. I’ll see you as soon as you step foot outside that restaurant.”

I giggle. “How are you going to manage being parked on the street?”

“I called ahead to reserve street parking with the valet. Gotta makes sure to keep my Kitten safe,” he says with a wink.

“You’re crazy! Have you heard anything from Patrick or Cary?”

“When we left, I received confirmation that the team was ten minutes out from the estate. Since there’s heavy tree coverage in the area, they will move in on foot.”

“I hate that we aren’t there tonight.”

Alex pulls up to the curb to let me out of the car. It’s past the dinnertime rush so there aren’t many people out tonight.

“Baby.” The concern in his tone has me turning towards him. “If something doesn’t feel right, get out of there and don’t waste time doing so.” He takes my hand again as he leans in for a kiss. “Come back to me.”

I kiss him, pouring all my affection into the moment before pulling back to wipe the lipstick from his lips with a smile.

“See you soon.”

The restaurant Nathan chose is one that we’ve frequented many times when meeting with Ashton Rose or our business partners. It’s interesting that he picked this place to meet, and I’m sure it’s to throw me off-kilter.

The hostess guides me to the back of the restaurant where Nathan sits in a booth by himself.

He notices my arrival and stands to greet me with a hug that instantly puts my hackles up.

Nathan and I were close, but physical touch isn’t something we do often.

He’s dressed like a model in jeans, with a burnt orange sweater clinging to his muscular form.

We settle in and the waitress hurries over to take my order. Nathan looks at me with a smile as his eyes move over my face.

“I’m surprised your boyfriend let you off your leash.” He picks up his drink, hiding his smirk behind his glass.

“Is this how we’re starting our conversation, Nathan?

Nathan chuckles, taking a sip of his drink as his eyes assess me further.

“So, is the boyfriend the person who put the ridiculous idea in your head that you need to leave the business?”

“Nathan, be serious. You know my only commitment to this life is making my mother’s murders pay. I never signed up to become a cartel princess.”

“But this is the life we’ve been made for, and we’ve done well for ourselves.”

“There’s more to life.”

“Like what? Getting married and having a family? Look how well that worked out for both of our parents,” Nathan hisses.

That harsh comment elicits a flinch from me that I wish I could’ve controlled.

I pause before I respond, wondering if Nathan knows that Ashton Rose isn’t my father. I keep that information to myself a little longer and go along with his train of thought.

“And what do you think this arranged marriage will mean for me? At least if I’m deciding who I marry I will have a bit of control over my life. We both know my father’s decisions are questionable.”

“Do we? What if the man you’re blowing off is someone who could keep you safe?”

“I don’t need a man to keep me safe,” I say through gritted teeth.

Nathan tilts his head to the side, studying me in the way he does right before he tells me something he isn’t sure I’ll take well.

“You didn’t give the man a chance to prove himself.”

“Nate, what the hell? Why are you advocating for a man you’ve never even met.”

Then, the puzzle pieces begin to click together in my mind.

The main one being that Nathan had no reaction to my father marrying me off, which not only jeopardizes my ownership of the empire, but his position as my second in command.

I foolishly thought it was fear of my father that kept his mouth closed.

Nathan swipes his hand over his face and I see the flash of exhaustion mixed with defeat. My body goes rigid.

“What are you hiding?”

“I’m the man your father arranged for you to marry.” The words leave his mouth as our waitress returns with my drink and appetizer. I’m too stunned to speak, even when we’re alone again, but it doesn’t matter, as Nathan continues to plead his case.

“Listen, I know this is a lot to take in, but we can run this empire together. You don’t want to know the plans Ashton Rose had for you. This is the only way I could help. Let me talk to your father and smooth things over. We can move on like nothing ever happened.”

I feel as though I’m in a trance, but still manage to say, “Ashton Rose isn’t my father.”

Nathan falls silent for a moment.

“He told you.”

Those words snap me out of my world of disbelief and catapult me to the present.

“You knew?”

“Yes, I was entrusted with that information. He and I are business partners, so it was in my best interest to know.”

“Business partners?”

“Yes, I marry his daughter , and he unites his empire with the largest arm’s dealer in the north—my father.”

“But your father is dead.”

Nathan shrugs his shoulders. “It was a surprise to me, honestly, but about four years ago I found out what really happened. He faked his death to escape some enemies he made during an assignment with Ashton Rose. After enough time passed, he made a name for himself in the criminal world and apparently that was always part of the plan.”

His father is still alive. These men have played me for a fool and I fell right into Ashton Rose’s trap, even as he warned me to never trust anyone.

The table rattles from my quick movements to escape the nightmare I’ve found myself in.

My only focus is on making it out of the restaurant without killing Nathan with witnesses around.

I’m skirting around tables before Nathan can even slide out the booth, and I’m halfway to the exit when he calls out my name.