House of Paine - A Full Length Bad Boy Novel (38 page)

Paige sat in the lounge chair and looked across the yard at what she considered to be her new “family.” Jake was at the barbecue pit with Damien next to him, discussing whatever men discuss when they barbecue. Kevin was sitting in a lawn chair not far away from them, chiming in on the conversation every so often. Roxi had gone inside to meet Jake’s brother Derek and sister-in-law Chloe at the door. Chloe was bringing her baby who had just turned a year old and Roxi was excited to see her. Things were blissfully “normal” and Paige almost didn’t know how to react to it all…but she knew that she loved it.

She and Damien were living in Rhode Island now. She’d started back to school in September and they’d moved into Roxi’s condo on the beach. Roxi refused to take any money from them. Damien was working for her now at the club, doing the books. He’d also started taking online courses to get his degree in business. Every bit of extra money they had now they were putting into his building in Brooklyn. Paige thought back to the discussion they’d had about that right after the Grand Jury had finally convened and they’d given their testimony.

“I know what I want to do with the building,” he’d told her one lazy Sunday afternoon as they sat on the patio of the condo having lunch.

“I thought it was going to be your investment firm when you finished your degree.”

“It will be…a few floors of it anyways. It’s ten stories tall though and I won’t need all of that space. I think the bottom floors would make a great surgeon’s office.”

Paige was suddenly alert. “Really?”

He grinned. “Really. My hot wife to be is going to be a doctor, you know?”

“I didn’t know that. She must be really smart.”

“She’s a genius…although I’ve never been able to say much for her taste in men.”

Paige laughed. “I happen to know who she’s with and I think she has excellent taste.”

“That’s all that matters,” he said. “Let’s work on finding out what all we need to build that office and we’ll start saving money and get it done before you’re ready to hang out your shingle.”

Paige had thrown her arms around him and hugged him tight. “God I love you so much.”

“I’m so glad,” he told her in a whisper against her ear. She not only heard the sincerity…she felt it. No one had ever made her feel as special or loved as Damien did. She couldn’t wait to finish school and become his wife.

They had all given their testimony in front of the Grand Jury one at a time. Indictments had been returned against twenty-six members of both the Paine and the Kramer crew. The F.B.I. and N.Y.P.D. had investigated and identified the bodies at the warehouse and fourteen men had died that day. Six of them were Kramer’s, Lucas and his brothers. The other eight worked for Lucas. Brad Paine was listed as missing, but there were warrants out for his arrest. Paige and the others knew those warrants would never be served. Caine’s death was ultimately ruled an “accidental overdose.” Warrants were issued for Kelsey and some of the Columbians as well, but the F.B.I. weren’t too hopeful that those arrests would happen any time soon. The deaths of Greg and Tommy were both ultimately ruled “homicide” and credit for them were given to Lucas and his crew. There weren’t many people in his organization left to charge with them, but at least Greg’s death was no longer considered his fault. Paige knew her brother was a hero and not a junkie…and now everyone else knew it too.

“Paige, come see the baby!” Roxi was calling to her across the yard. Paige got up and went towards the other woman who had a pink, wiggly bundle in her arms. Roxi and Jake’s wedding was coming up soon. They were getting married on Christmas. Paige suspected they wouldn’t be far behind Chloe and Derek in the baby making department.

“She’s beautiful,” Paige said, “Can I hold her?” Roxi reluctantly handed the baby over just as a man and woman came out the sliding glass doors.

“Paige, this is Chloe and Jake’s brother, Derek.” Paige thought Chloe was beautiful and next to Damien, Derek may well be the best looking man she’d ever seen.

“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you.”

“You too,” they both said. Chloe smiled at Roxi and said, “You know, I was the boss lady’s stray project before you. I wonder who she’ll find to take care of next.”

“Shit! You all need to take care of yourself from now on. I’m no caretaker.” Kevin laughed and Roxi shot him a look. “You know I don’t go in for all of that maternal bullshit.”

“Sure honey, we all know how tough and mean you are.”

“Shut up,” she told him with a grin. She looked back at Paige who was playing peek-a-boo with the baby and said, “Give me that baby.” Paige laughed and handed the baby to her. She looked up and saw Damien looking at her. He’d mentioned to her more than once how he wanted to have kids someday. The more she got to know him, the more she knew he’d be an amazing father. Not much longer until she was finished with school and they could get married and start trying. In the meantime…they were having fun practicing.

“What do you need me to do?” Paige asked Roxi.

“You can bring out the salads and plates if you want.” Roxi was sitting cross-legged on a blanket on the grass with the baby. She looked adorable with her.

“I’ll help you,” Chloe told her. The two women went inside and as they got the plates and things out Chloe said, “I heard you’re living in the condo now. How do you like it?”

“We love it,” Paige said. “Three nights a week I have to stay in New Jersey with my mother because I’m finishing my last year of school, so I’ll love it more when I can stay there all the time. But, I’m happy.”

Chloe smiled. “Happy is good. From what I hear you had a year like a few that I had a while back. Too much chaos and uncertainty.”

“Definitely. Sometimes I wake up and wonder if all of this is real or if I’m only dreaming.”

Chloe laughed. “Derek and I have been married for almost a year now and I still feel the same. It’s real…just never take any of it for granted.” Damien walked into the house at that moment. Paige’s eyes fell on the love of her life and she said,

“I definitely won’t.”

Chloe went out with a load of plates and Paige stayed behind. When Chloe was gone she said, “Is everything okay?” He came over and put his strong arms around her from behind. He pulled her into his chest and kissed the side of her face.

“Everything is perfect. Alex is stopping by though. He says he needs to talk.”

Paige raised an eyebrow. She was grateful to Alex for everything he’d done for his brother and her and she always would be. There was still something dark and dangerous about him that made her nervous though, and she still didn’t completely trust him. “He didn’t say what about?”

“No. Maybe business…Kevin said things are slow going for him. All of the publicity over the past few months hasn’t been good for business. He still asks me about coming in as his partner every time I talk to him.” Paige’s eyes widened and Damien grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to. I will help him if I can but I think mine and Alex’s days of working together are in the past.”

Paige was relieved to hear that. She didn’t doubt for a second that Alex was not running a completely legitimate business and she didn’t want Damien caught up in all of that again. Kevin and Sylvie had both retired and Alex was starting the business over on his own from the ground up. In other words…he had full reign. He loves money and power and expensive toys and women. Paige couldn’t see him ever giving any of that up to struggle the way most new business owners did.

Damien looked like he was going to say something else when the doorbell rang. He went and let Alex in as Paige took a couple of salads out to the table outside. When she came back in for more the two brothers looked like they were having an intense conversation. She was worried, but she knew Damien would tell her what it was about. She didn’t stay and eavesdrop, although she was tempted. She carried out more food. When she came back in to get more she heard Alex say,

“I’m doing my best to keep it straight brother. But no matter what I do…I needed to tell you that I’m proud of you. Jackson and everyone else in the organization always looked at me as the strong one. What they didn’t see was how much strength it took for you to strive to get out. They didn’t see how much more character and self-respect you have than me. They didn’t see you take care of our mother up until the second she took her last breath because I couldn’t deal with it and they didn’t know like I did how real the struggle was internally. We made her a promise and we both broke it. You felt guilty and tried to change it, I didn’t. You’re a better man than me and I wanted you to know that I know that.”

Paige felt tears spring up into her eyes as she listened to Alex’s words. Coming from any brother they would have been touching. Coming from Alex, they meant even more. According to Damien the way Alex showed his love was by being there to beat or kill anyone who hurt or threatened his brother. He wasn’t one for words, so his words meant that much more when he used them.

“Are you armed?” Damien said. Paige wondered why he was asking him that. Alex obviously knew. He laughed.

“No, but if you hug me I can kill you with my bare hands.”

Damien grinned. He had tears in his eyes too. He held out his hand to his brother and Alex took it. “You’re a good man bro. You just need to believe it.” Alex used Damien’s hand to pull his brother into him and then he did something that Damien told Paige he’d never initiated on his own. He hugged his little brother. Then shocking them further he said,

“I love you, man. I hope you and Paige are happy, always.” Then making her laugh he yelled, “Did you hear that in there Paige?”

She stuck her head around the corner, still laughing. “Sorry, I didn’t know you heard me in here.”

“Please stick to being a doctor from now on,” Alex said, “You’re the worst detective ever.”

Giggling, she went over and stood next to Damien. He put his arm around her. “Thank you for everything, Alex. Thank you for saving my life.”

Alex looked embarrassed by her attention and said, “My brother was the one who walked in there with the balls to tell Kramer how it was going to go down. He’s the hero, not me.”

“Yes, he is my hero,” Paige said, “But so are you. He’s right. You’re a better man than you give yourself credit for.”

He let his eyes flick over hers and then he turned back to his brother. “I’ll see you guys soon. Take it easy.” Paige and Damien stood and watched him go. When he was gone Damien said, “I think if my mother is watching she’s finally happy and proud of us both.”

“I think so too,” Paige said. “I know that I am.” Paige also knew that Greg was watching over her too. She felt him and she knew that he was proud of her. She would make sure that his memory lived on forever no matter what path her life took from here on out.

Thank you for purchasing my book. If you enjoyed it, please remember to write a review for it on Amazon.

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