Page 7 of Redeemed (Redeemed #1)

Chapter Six

Kennedy

A fter a long night dealing with people, it’s like heaven, waking to the smell of bacon filling the air. The fact that breakfast is being cooked means I’ve let myself sleep in as long as I can.

I gingerly roll out of bed and limp toward the bathroom, needing to wake myself for the day.

The place where my ass hit the pavement last night is sore as hell, and from the looks of the purple-tinged spot under my shorts, I’m going to be sporting a bruise for a few days.

Maybe no sparring for a few days, but yoga will help loosen my muscles.

My examination of the bruise conjures images of the green-eyed god in the suit from last night.

I close my eyes as I brush my teeth and can almost see the thick head of chestnut brown hair.

I wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers through it.

My body remembers the strength of him pulling me up, and the brief moment his hand was relaxed on my hip.

The last thing I need in my life is a distraction, but what a beautiful distraction he would be.

It was the way he looked at me that continues to replay in my mind. He moved like he wanted to protect me, but he was more intrigued that I could handle my own. It was like he saw the monster my father created and wanted to follow her into the darkness instead of running in the opposite direction.

“Kenn, food’s ready, come eat,” I hear Nathan yell from outside my bedroom door, pulling me out of my daydream.

I tighten my silk hair scarf as my eyes scan the mess of a bedroom floor for sweats to throw on over my shorts. It’s best not to have the bruise on display, not that the sweats could cover the limp.

I move down the hall, following the sound of angelic humming and I’m met with a pleasant surprise.

Ms. Kathy is portioning eggs onto plates when I round the corner of our open floor plan to the kitchen.

Her official job title, for legal purposes, is housekeeper for us here and at the Rose Estate, but she is so much more than a maid.

She is the only maternal figure that’s been in my life since my mother passed away.

Other than Nathan, she’s the one person I’ve allowed myself to relax around.

“Good morning, Momma K. I thought you would be at the estate by now.” I move around the island and place a kiss on her cheek.

She clicks her tongue at me. “I can’t let this house go too many days without being touched. Just creating more work for myself.”

“Sorry. We’ll do better,” I apologize with an innocent smile as I ease my way to the coffee machine.

“We appreciate everything you do, Ms. Kathy,” Nathan chimes in, kissing ass like he always does when it comes to our beloved mother figure. “Want to explain to me why you’re limping, Kenn? You weren’t when you left last night.”

Nathan is so damn observant, but it’s in his best interest to prevent dangerous situations that could find me. Let’s be honest, I don’t make his job easy.

“Good morning, Nate! I’m doing fantastic this morning. How are you?”

I completely avoid his question as I snatch a strip of bacon off his plate and settle into my seat beside him. Ms. Kathy chuckles, shaking her head as she makes her way to my room, not wanting to listen to us bicker.

With a snort he says, “Ah, cut the shit, Kenn. Did you trip in your heels again?”

It would be easier to grab onto the lie he provides me, but I’m already hiding the meeting from last night.

I look down at my plate as I stuff my mouth with the biggest bite of eggs and mutter, “I was attacked last night in an alleyway. How was your night?”

His fork clanks to his plate and I hear him taking a deep breath. His voice is deathly calm as he says, “Excuse me? You want to run that statement back?”

Sometimes I don’t know whose wrath would be worse, Nathan’s or my father’s. Well, that’s a lie. My father’s wrath would be worse. Nathan is just a mother hen.

“I asked how your night was?”

I look up at him with innocent eyes and a warm smile.

At this point, I’m just taunting him because watching the redness move up his neck into his face, filling the few empty spots that the freckles don’t cover, brings me joy.

Nathan closes his eyes, and I see his lips counting backwards from one hundred to keep from exploding.

I decide to put him out of his misery and recount the situation with the guy in the alleyway. Obviously leaving out the bit about why I was at Emerald Nights in the first place.

“I thought the security team was following you when you left the hotel last night.” Since moving to Georgia six months ago, he has been adamant about me not moving through the city alone.

“Cary was with me, but he trusted me to handle the situation on my own.”

“Is the person who attacked you dead?”

I huff out an exhausted breath. Don’t we deal with enough death as is? “No, he isn’t dead.”

“Then the situation wasn’t handled.” He snatches his phone off the table, pulling up his messages. “Kenn, anything could’ve happened to you last night. Why would you choose to be so reckless with your life?”

“Oh, you mean walking the mean streets of Atlanta is more reckless than, you know, being part of a notorious drug empire?” Sarcasm drips from my tone. “Give me a break! The man was a civilian; I couldn’t just commit murder in the middle of the street.”

“Don’t start that shit! You know exactly what I mean. What if this civilian was someone much more sinister?”

Considering the type of business Emerald Nights allows, I could’ve crossed paths with someone who had darker intentions.

We’ve only been in Atlanta for a few months and I’m still learning all the players in the underground.

Nathan picks up his fork and starts eating again, but based on his white-knuckle grip around the handle he’s still pissed.

“You’re going to bend the silverware if you keep gripping it so tight.

” He responds with a look that would make a lesser woman wither in their place.

“Listen, you’re right. But give me some credit, I’m not a damsel in distress and I’m capable of taking care of myself.

Cary was there if something would have really gone wrong, but it didn’t. ”

Nathan runs his hands through his hair. “Kenn, I know you can take care of yourself, but we need to be smarter. First, you go off script with the assignment, and then you’re attacked in the alley? Just who do you think your father would murder if something happened to you?”

“I know, Nate.” I wish I could open up to him. “I just feel like I need to start making decisions for myself. The last thing I want is my father coming after you for my choices.”

His eyes go soft before he says, “You can’t keep your word if you’re not here, Kenn.”

Fear lingers in his gaze, and I hate to see it there. Although, I have to admit I’m unsure if that fear is for my safety, or his reputation with my father.

“Hey, we leave this earth together, in the same gunfight, remember?” I say with a smile, and he returns it with a smirk.

“Yeah, yeah, guns blazing. What are your plans for the day?”

I quickly finish off my food as I walk to the sink to dump my plate.

“I’m about to get ready before heading to the estate. I have some errands to run on the way in. You?”

Nathan is scrolling through his phone when he replies, “I’m heading to the estate with Marco. He’s on his way.” He turns his focus to me. “No alleyways, please.”

I’m already heading back down to my room to begin getting ready for the day when I yell behind me. “Okay, Mom!”

Ms. Kathy is exiting the en suite bathroom, humming a new tune, when I enter my room. A smile brightens her face when she sees me. Her dark brown skin highlights the perfect white teeth on display. “Did you give Nathan a hard time, or did you actually tell him why you’re walking with a limp?”

My laugh is low as I pick out clothes to wear. “Both. I’m sure he’ll pay me back for causing him grief.”

“Do I even want to know what happened to you last night?” Her voice turns serious, and I notice her lips tilt downward into a frown.

“It’s nothing to worry over. I tripped in my heels.”

Her face visibly relaxes, believing I wasn’t truly in danger. “You must be more careful, Kenny,” she lightly scolds, throwing in the nickname she’s used since I was a small child. “Is everything else okay?”

I glance toward my doorway before moving to close the door. That grabs her attention, and she begins to speak, but I hold up my hand, gesturing toward my closet.

“I’m going to go after Michael Ellis myself.” Ms. Kathy’s brows jump up, eyes widening to the size of saucers. “I can’t wait for Dad to make the move when he seems to have too much fun taunting. I need closure and to move on from this life.”

She grabs my hands, gripping them tightly between hers. “Kenny, sweetie, are you sure about this? We know your father isn’t the most logical when it comes to matters of your mother.”

“I need the closure. This life is beginning to hurt me past the physical inflictions. I need to get away.”

I watch as water fills her eyes, and I quickly get a grip on my emotions. Ms. Kathy has never shied away from showing her emotions—most of the time triggering mine.

“What if he doesn’t allow you to leave when you’ve handled Mr. Ellis?”

That’s the million-dollar question. How will my father respond to me wanting to leave and have nothing to do with the business our family has built? After the way he responded when I expressed letting my mother rest in peace, I’m afraid of the punishment he will come up with to keep me in line.

“That’s a bridge I will cross when the time comes. My focus right now is Ellis giving me answers about my mother’s death before I send him to his.”

“Who else knows?” There’s steely resolve in her dark brown eyes.

“No one, but you. I need to keep it that way for as long as I can.”

She nods her head, accepting the information. Her hand lightly pats my cheek before she offers me a warm smile. “Francesca would be proud of the woman you’ve become.”

The mention of my mother is the pull of the string that almost unravels the ball of emotions sitting in my throat.

Two quick knocks on my bedroom door startles us both.

“Kennedy, I’m heading out!” Nathan shouts from the hall.

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

We both stand in the closet, listening for the front door to shut, noting that we are truly alone. We move towards my bedroom and sit on the edge of the bed. Ms. Kathy takes my hand again as she stares out my bedroom window, eyes focused on a moment in the past.

“You be careful, Kenny.” She presses her lips together.

I squeeze her hand. “I will.”