Guys Like Him

Guys Like Him (Redemption Ridge Book One) Copyright © 2023 Aimee Nicole Walker [email protected] This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to the actual person, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover photo © Wander Aguiar—www.wanderaguiar.com Cover design © Jay Aheer—www.simplydefinedart.com Interior design and formatting provided by Stacey Ryan Blake of Champagne Book Design—www.champagnebookdesign.com Editing provided by Susie Selva—www.susieselva.com Proofreading provided by Lori Parks - [email protected] All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original publisher only. This book is intended for adult readers only. Copyright and Trademark Acknowledgments: The author acknowledges the copyrights and trademarked status and trademark owners of the trademarks and copyrights mentioned in this work of fiction. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Epilogue Other Books by Aimee Nicole Walker Acknowledgments About Aimee Nicole Walker The petite, fair woman with cinnamon-brown curls and unsmiling hazel eyes slid a padded yellow envelope through the semicircle opening in the plexiglass window. The tag on her pressed gray shirt identified her as Officer S. Woodley, but the beefy guard escorting Kieran Sullivan out of lockup apparently took the opportunity to make a pun out of her first name. “Shirley, I can get a smile out of you this morning,” he said, laying the cheese on thick. “Surely not,” she deadpanned, and the look in her eyes was enough to melt his cheese. She turned a slightly less hostile gaze to Kieran. “I need you to review the contents and sign a release that states we are returning all your possessions to you.” Kieran dropped his gaze and accepted the envelope, and heat crept up his neck when he noticed how embarrassingly light it was. The contents weren’t just the things he’d had on him at the time of his arrest; they, along with the clothes on his back, were everything he owned. His slumlord would’ve leased his apartment to the first schmuck who’d come along after Kieran missed his rent payment, and there was no way in hell the slimeball had held on to his meager belongings for him. Bouncing the envelope in his hand, Kieran said, “Feels about right.” Woodley’s only reaction was a quick double blink. He got the feeling people did her bidding without hesitation. “I’m afraid ‘about right’ won’t cut it, Sullivan. Open the envelope so we can catalog the contents. The sooner you sign the waiver, the faster you’re out the door.” He nearly snorted. Waiver. As if Arrowhead Correctional Center would mount an investigation if he reported missing items. But Woodley was right about one thing. Kieran was ready to get the hell out of there. Just one more door stood between him and revenge—the thing he wanted even more than his freedom. “Yes, ma’am,” Kieran replied, then picked at the taped seal with his thumbnail. “What did you think about the Bronco’s draft choices, Darren?” Woodley asked Officer Carson, who stood closer to Kieran than he liked. The freight-sized guard stuck his enormous hand out, palm facing down, and rocked it from side to side. “I won’t hold my breath that we’ll win the division, let alone make it to the playoffs this year.” Kieran continued working the seal until it loosened enough to pull the tape free, and then he tipped the envelope over to spill the contents onto the stainless-steel counter. “A wallet and a cell phone. Everything is here.” There’d been a set of keys to the car he’d allegedly stolen, but those had likely been returned to the owner. Woodley briefly closed her eyes and shook her head. The officer’s deep breath said she had no fucks left to give, so he took pity on her by opening the wallet and rattling off the contents. “An expired driver’s license, a reward card for Biggie’s Sandwich Shop, and a library card.” “Looks like you’ve earned a free sub,” Carson said. “They went out of business three months ago,” Woodley countered. Story of my life. At least the library card was still good, not that he’d have a way to drive there. “No cash?” she asked. Kieran had used every dollar he’d made to pay his rent the day before he’d been arrested. The paycheck prior to that went to an anniversary gift for the guy who’d betrayed him. “No, ma’am, but I didn’t have any when I arrived. Everything is here.” He caught a brief glimpse of pity in her gaze before she slammed the shutters down again. Woodley slid a waiver through the opening and showed where he should initial and sign. “Good luck out there,” she said as he scribbled his name. “Thank you.” He slid the form back to her and returned his meager belongings to the envelope. “He’ll be back,” Carson said. “Guys like him don’t know any other way.” The guard’s comment raked his nerves. Carson didn’t know jack about him, but Kieran kept his mouth shut. He had one more security door to go through, and he’d be free. A loud mechanical buzz echoed through the corridor as Officer Woodley assessed him through narrowed eyes. “I don’t know. I think this one could be different.” Kieran stepped through the doorway, expecting Carson to remain behind it, but the hulking guard followed him out instead. The door shut behind them, and the automatic lock engaged with a whir and a clank. Kieran knew he’d hear that sound in his nightmares for years to come. “I hope you prove me wrong, Sullivan. Maybe you’ll find love after lockup,” he said, referring to the popular reality show the inmates liked to watch. Even Kieran had gotten sucked into it more often than he wanted