Page 1 of Bittersweet Redemption

Willa

Prologue

Eleven years before

My hands won’t stop shaking, and my heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest. Nick glances over at me and must see the fear on my face.

“Everything is going to be alright, baby. Don’t worry.” He gives me a reassuring smile and reaches over to squeeze my hand. He can keep telling me everything will be ok, but that doesn’t mean I believe it. This just doesn’t feel right.

Oh yeah, maybe because it’s against the law, and if we get caught, all of us could go to jail. But, sure, everything will be ok.

“How are you getting the cameras off again?” I ask, trying my best to memorize every small detail so I can be prepared for what’s going to happen. Or, worst case, have my lies prepared for the police.

Nick tilts his head to the side and smiles as if my question is the cutest thing he’s ever heard. “Aw, baby. Don’t worry your pretty little mind about those details, ’k? All you’ve got to do is stand guard. Make sure me and Jake don’t get caught.”

He makes it sound like it’s going to be easy for me to stand there, not knowing what’s going on inside, not knowing if someone has called the cops, not knowing if we’re all going to jail in a few hours.

He sighs, knowing I’m overthinking everything. “If something goes wrong, all you gotta do is say you were an innocent bystander. You can even say you saw the guy that did it and give them a random description. You’ll be fine, baby. I promise.” He releases my hand and brings his thumb to my bottom lip, tracing it slowly while his eyes stay glued to my mouth.

“But what about you? Will you be ok?” I ask. I’m more worried about Nick than I am myself. If he gets caught, if he goes to jail, I don’t know what I’ll do. He’s been my rock for the last two years. He took care of me when I needed it, gave me a place to live, and was my strength after my mom died. He’s all I’ve got.

He chuckles. “Ain’t nobody gonna get me, ok? We’re gonna go in, get this shit done, then go home. We’ll be cuddling in bed before you know it.”

I smile at his words, and he leans in to kiss me. Sometimes I hate that all he has to do is kiss me, and I throw my morals out the window. I’ll do whatever he wants as long as he kisses me, hugs me, and loves me. I’d do anything because I feel safe with him.

“Almost there, guys. Get ready,” our driver Alex announces. “I’ll drop y’all off behind the building and meet you the next block over. Be quick.”

“Got it, bro.” Nick taps Alex’s shoulder in acknowledgment, then turns to me. “You ready, baby?”

“Yeah.” My voice sounds small and unconvincing. I know this is wrong, but I’m doing it anyway. My mom would be rolling over in her grave if she could see me now. She raised me better than this. But I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to survive. She left me. And I did the best I could to keep my head above water. Nick loves me, and I love him. I know he wouldn’t do anything to put me in harm’s way. . . I think.

I shake the thought out of my head. This is something I have to do. Nick says we need this money to survive. I trust his judgment and trust that he’ll get us out of here safely.

I keep telling myself that until the car rolls to a stop. My heart rate skyrockets, and I suck in a breath. It’s time.

Nick squeezes my hand. “It’s go-time, baby.” I nod and swallow hard. He smiles that smile I can’t resist. “You gotta trust me. Everything is gonna be fine.”

Trusting him turned out to be my biggest mistake.

Chapter 1

Willa

No one can say that I’m high maintenance.

All of my possessions are packed into six boxes and two suitcases. I have one box each for towels and sheets, kitchen supplies, bathroom supplies, toys, miscellaneous items, and jackets and shoes. Roman and I each have a suitcase with our clothes.

I gave myself a year to live with the bare minimum and save as much money as possible. And I think I’ve done a pretty good job. Roman and I have been living in a small one-bedroom apartment for the past year. He has the bedroom, and I took the couch. It’s been hard and uncomfortable at times, but Roman is well cared for and loved, which is all that matters to me.

But today is the start of a new chapter in our life.

It’s moving day.

I’ve rented a two-bedroom house in a decent neighborhood for an absolute steal. It’s close to my work and Ro’s school. We’ll have our own rooms, and he’ll have a backyard to run around in. It even comes with a washer and dryer so I don’t have to worry about buying one. I’m beyond excited that all my hard work is finally paying off.

I even splurged and ordered myself a bed. The mattress will have to be on the floor for a little while, but still—my own bed! Sleeping on a couch for the past year has not been good on my back. Most days, I feel way older than twenty-nine, especially when a knee cracks after I stand up or my lower back hurts from standing all day.

“Roman. Are you ready?” I call out to my son, who’s searching around his empty bedroom to make sure he didn’t leave anything. One of my neighbors helped me get Roman’s bed and our couch into a small trailer I rented that’s hooked up to the back of my SUV. Thankfully, there aren’t any stairs at the new house, so I should be able to get everything in myself. At least, I hope that I can get everything in myself. I’m a little worried about the couch, but I’m sure I can figure it out.