Kendrick: A Chicago Bad Boy Romance Read online

  Kendrick

  A Chicago Bad Boy Romance

  Peter Presley

  Contents

  About the Chicago Bad Boys

  About Peter Presley

  1. Kendrick

  2. Anita

  3. Kendrick

  4. Anita

  5. Kendrick

  6. Anita

  7. Kendrick

  8. Anita

  9. Anita

  10. Kendrick

  11. Anita

  12. Kendrick

  13. Kendrick

  14. Anita

  15. Kendrick

  16. Anita

  17. Anita

  18. Zach

  19. Kendrick

  20. Anita

  21. Anita

  22. Kendrick

  23. Anita

  Please leave a review!

  About the Chicago Bad Boys

  Peter's Chicago Bad Boy Romance stories can be read as stand-alones even though they are series books, and every book has an HEA and NO CHEATING!

  Kendrick is the second book in the series. Although you can read Kendrick as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book in the series - Alex.

  Alex Sobol has had enough. One last job for the Kocan Brotherhood, and he’s done. But when the long-time car booster with the boy next door good looks, runs into the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, before he’s completed the job, his mission to end it all comes to a screeching halt.

  Irish, auburn-haired Heather Dunn is all for a little excitement, but when she meets Alex, she gets far more than she ever expected. He’s looking for a way out. She’s hoping to stay alive. His cohorts are out for blood.

  Can the former bad boy and the beautiful, innocent bystander outrun The Kocan Brotherhood and the police or has their fate already been sealed?

  Get Alex HERE!

  Here's a list of the main characters. (Characters in one book may appear in other books.)

  Alex Sobol (Books 1 and 2)

  Heather Dunn (Books 1 and 2)

  Kendrick Johnson (Books 1 and 2)

  Anita Jackson (Book 2)

  Zach Russo (Books 2 and 3)

  Kayla Franklin (Book 3)

  About Peter Presley

  Peter Presley is the alter ego of Piper Presley. Piper writes shorts at 10K and under; Peter writes novellas and novels.

  Join Piper and Peter’s newsletter and get a free book. Details at the end of Kendrick: A Chicago Bad Boy Romance!

  1

  Kendrick

  I’m out of prison after seven years, seven long years. I was just 21 when they locked my ass up, and now I’m 28. All that time wasted.

  Was the burglary conviction my first? Hell, no. I’ve done time for other shit too. I got busted for selling drugs when I was 16. At 18, they got me on a weapons conviction. But, you know, when you’re in and out of jail, eventually, there’s no out. I know that if I get into trouble again, I’ll be in there for a lot longer than seven years.

  My name is Kendrick Johnson, and I’m a 28-year-old ex-con. Now that I’m finally out of prison, it’s time for me to make something of my life.

  I grew up on the South Side in Englewood. They call it one of the worst areas in Chicago, and they’re not lying.

  Growing up, Mama worked as a waitress, and she still does that job today. She tried her best to raise me right as a single mother; she did. But she pretty much lost control of me by the time I was nine.

  I spent all of my pre-teen and teen years gettin’ into shit. I started stealing from convenience stores when I was only seven years old, and I was good at it. I didn't get caught, not one time. Then, by the time I was 12, I joined a gang. The gang life grabs a lot of young brothas.

  By 14, I had made a name for myself with the gang. In fact, they caused so much fear in the neighborhood that eventually Ma backed off of trying to get me to get straight. I barely attended school, stayed out in the streets as late as I wanted.

  Ma had boyfriends, and when she got serious with one, she hoped to bring him home would help matters, give me a father figure. But my birth father got shot when I was five, and nobody can replace him, at least not as far as I’m concerned. Those men she brought home were never right for her anyway. So she always kicked them out, eventually.

  I told you I got arrested for drugs. That was when I was 16. I spent two years in juvie. Then, not a year out of juvie, at 18, I got arrested for the weapons. This time I went to prison, where they lock up adults. I’ve never been more scared in all my life, in there with some of the worst of the worst. I stayed there for a year.

  When I went to prison the first time, it hurt Ma, but it didn’t change me. If anything, it made me harder. Mama had pretty much given up on me by then, and when I was released, I had moved out on my own. I had even spent some time in Georgia, for a while, selling drugs in Atlanta, where I never got caught.

  But Chicago was calling me home. So I moved back and decided to return to what I was good at - stealing. I found some brothas who made mad money stealing from homes in good neighborhoods where people owned expensive shit.

  We would work in teams and then split the cash when we were done. One or two gigs a month would set us.

  It was cool until we got busted in what turned out to be a sting organized by the city. They sentenced me to seven years. I thought my world had ended when it happened.

  As far as women, I’ve never had a problem meetin’ the ladies, and I used to be the kind of brotha who could get as much pussy as I wanted. But then I met Sheila, and I put all other women aside to be with her. Then, right after they locked me up for seven years, she dumped me. I guess I can’t blame her, though. I never told her about my criminal life.

  Before I got out of prison, I had a cellmate by the name of Alex. He and I would talk a lot, and we're still friends today.

  He was gang banging with the Kocan Brotherhood, some Polish dudes, and he gave some info on them to save his girl. That’s cool to go to jail for a woman. I would hope that I would do the same, but I don’t know if I would.

  He told me that he's rarely worked at a real job, you know, like the kind where you get a paycheck from a company? Neither have I. Real jobs don't pay the kind of money I made with the gang or from stealing. There's no incentive to get a real job when you know you can make bank selling drugs or ripping people off. Except you can do time, or worse, get killed.

  It was worth it for me to risk it for years and years. But that was then, and this is now. Now? I’m out of the thug life.

  So is my buddy Alex. He used to steal for his people, and that’s why he did time. But they let him go for helping the city bust the Kocan gang, and he got back in touch with his girl, too.

  Now, he's in Germany living with her. The Kocan Brotherhood would snatch his ass if he stayed here. Just because they lock ‘em up doesn’t mean they can’t get to you.

  He says he wants me to visit him and his girl there. I don't know. I haven't been on a plane in years, and I'm not looking to get on one, either.

  Now that I'm out of jail, I have to try to find work. But of the two places I've tried, they don't want to hire someone with a criminal record. I could pretend that I don't have a criminal record. But how do I account for all that time lost, especially when they check references?

  And besides, I want to be on the up and up. If they don’t want to give me a chance, I'll keep looking until I find somewhere that will. I don't want to go back to a life of crime, and I damn sure don’t want to go back to jail.

  I’m doing good so far. Word got out to some of my old homies that I’m out of the pen. Now, they want me to work with them doing more illegal shit, but I told them no, and I meant i
t.

  I can’t risk it. I don’t want to see another jail cell. You see, when I first got to jail, after my lady left me, I got really low, so low that I flipped out. I stole a makeshift weapon from another brotha and ran around the jail waving it. In the process, I cut three prisoners. The guards caught me and threw me in solitary, and that’s where I stayed until they released me from prison.

  I was in solitary for four years, but you know what, today, I realize my time in there was a blessing. I got to do a lot of thinking in solitary, and I got into the Bible. Now, I'm not a religious man, at least not like some people, but I found strength in the Bible passages to get me through my time in there.

  I'm glad I had found it before Alex showed up, though. I don't know that I would have taken the Bible seriously if he had been there before I took an interest in the Lord. I can't get that guy to care about the Bible, but that's all right. He’s still good people.

  I've looked through some want ads, and there's a job at a car wash that would work for me while I'm trying to get my life together. I’m pretty sure I want to get a career going in truck driving, and that means I’ve got to go to school.

  Here comes my Ma. She’s in good shape for 50, but her feet hurt her a lot from waiting tables all day. I’m staying with her in her apartment. The first thing she’ll ask me is about my job search.

  “Hello, Kenny.”

  “Hey, Ma.”

  Still wearing her waitress uniform, she puts her purse down and kisses me on the forehead. It's pretty humbling to be back here with my mother because I'm too broke to go anywhere else.

  “You find a job yet?”

  Just like clockwork. “No, but Jackson Car Wash is hiring. I'm going to go in tomorrow.

  Ma takes a seat. “Well, I’m sure it doesn't pay much, but at least you'll be working. That's what's most important to me.”

  She's right about the pay. Fifteen dollars an hour is nothing. I made as much money in one day selling drugs as I would make in one week at a car wash. But I'm going to make this thing work and not worry about money. I'm just glad my Ma can let me stay here while I get my life together.

  “It will be something I can do to earn cash for truck driving school.”

  “I never thought a son of mine would be driving a truck, but it's better than robbing houses.”

  “That life is over, Ma. Cool? This is a fresh start for me.”

  “I know it is. Lord knows I've prayed about you getting your life together and I think my prayers have been answered.”

  “I think so too.”

  Ma gives me a pat on the back. “Now if you can just meet the right girl.”

  “One day at a time, Ma.”

  “That girl you dated wasn't right at all, leaving you in your time of need.”

  “I know.”

  “She claimed she loved you, but that wasn’t love. Leaving you right after you went to prison. She wasn't loyal to you at all. And to think I had her sitting here at my kitchen table.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Ma will go on and on about Sheila if I don’t change the subject. “She's history. I'll meet somebody new eventually.”

  “I just want you to be happy; that’s all I want for my son.”

  I lean over and kiss my Ma on the cheek. “I am happy, Ma.”

  2

  Anita

  The man’s name is Emmanuel Lopez, and he’s standing in front of my desk, a little too close for comfort. “So when are you going to call me?” He says. Tattoos cover his folded arms, and his brown eyes stare me down. He’s a man who has had a lot of car washing experience, but I don’t care how many car washes he’s worked at. A guy with a bad attitude will never work for me.

  “If we decide to hire you. I’ll call you,” I say.

  “Why don’t you just hire me right now? I could start today if you want.”

  “Mr. Lopez, I have a lot of applications to go through, and I haven’t decided yet.”

  Before he can say anything else, in walks a man who makes my heart flutter. The handsome man is probably here to be interviewed. Ever since I put up the ad two days ago, they’ve been coming in nonstop during our working hours.

  I look past Lopez to the man who is now in the office. “Are you here to apply for the job?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he says with a smile.

  Lopez glares at the man, and then he looks back at me. “I’ll wait for you to call me.” He walks out the door.

  “Well,” I say, grateful that Lopez has left. “It’s nice to see a friendly face. What is your name?”

  He holds out his hand. “I’m Kendrick Johnson. I’m here about the job.”

  “Yes, of course. My name is Anita, and I’m the owner of Jackson Car Wash.” I try not to smile too much. I’m an attractive African-American woman who doesn’t have to beg for male attention. So I don’t have a problem getting a man. But the thing is, getting them is not enough. They have to be good enough to stay, and so far none of my relationships have worked out.

  I love a handsome black man, and Kendrick is exactly that. He’s tall and muscular. He’s got a great smile. But I own this car wash, and I have to pull it together. I’m a professional. It doesn’t matter how good-looking he is. If he’s not the right fit, he doesn’t get the job.

  “Please fill out this application,” I say, “and then we can talk.”

  “Okay.”

  I watch Kendrick take a seat in a chair against the wall in front of me while I pretend to be busy. This guy is so cute that I can’t say I’m not tempted just to hire him because of that. And we are short-handed. I don’t know how much longer we can go without the right amount of people on staff.

  My name is Anita Jackson, and I’m 28-years-old. The business belonged to my father, but he passed away. I never thought I would be running a car wash, but I’m my parent’s only child, and someone needed to take over the operation.

  I’ve done a good job with it if I do say so myself. My father has been dead for three years, and I’ve run this place ever since.

  It’s not always easy being a female boss over a bunch of men, but my dad and my mom taught me how to be tough and to have my wits about me.

  I grew up in Chatham, a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, and I still live there today. The car wash is just a few blocks from my house. It’s been a neighborhood tradition for almost 40 years.

  When my dad died, I dumped my plans to become a nurse. Instead, I decided to continue with the business rather than sell it to someone else. Sure, my family could have gotten money for the car wash, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to continue with a business that this neighborhood loves.

  Kendrick gets up from his seat and approaches me, handing me the clipboard and the application.

  “Great. Please, have a seat.” I point to the seat directly in front of my desk.

  “It’s a nice day out there today,” he says. Not only is he cute, but he's also got a great voice.

  “Yeah, it sure looks like it.” I glance over his application. “Hopefully, I can get out there soon.” Right then, I don’t feel like saying anything more. There, at the bottom of the application, where it asks if the applicant has a criminal record, Kendrick has marked “Yes.”

  I look at him. “You’ve been to jail?”

  Kendrick nods his head. “Yes, ma’am, but my life is back on track.”

  I lean back in my seat. I make it a policy never to hire ex-cons. Maybe I should be fair, but the one time I had hired an ex-con was one of my biggest mistakes. At closing time, right before I was about to leave for the night, the guy had come in and pulled a gun out, forcing me to empty the cash register.

  “When did you get out of jail?” He’s failed to indicate the dates on this application.

  I see his facial expression change. “Four months ago.”

  I laugh. “Look, I’ll call you if we decide to hire you.”

  “Every place I go doesn’t want to hire me because of my record. How’s a brotha supposed to get a c
hance?”

  “I don’t know, but this isn’t charity.”

  “I’m not asking for charity, just a chance.”

  I sigh deeply. The way Kendrick is looking at me now, I feel awful for not wanting to even listen to what he has to say.

  “Well,” he says, “even if you don’t want to hire me, you look like you’re doing well with this place. Your father would be proud.”

  “You know about this car wash?”

  “Yeah, your father, Harold Jackson, owned it. Some of my family members come here to get their cars washed. I’m sorry to know that he passed away, but as I said, he would be proud of you.”

  “Thank you.” I feel bad about not wanting to hire him, but maybe he’s just trying to get on my good side.

  “It’s okay, Anita. I’m just making conversation.”

  Kendrick seems to be reading my thoughts. Now he’s smiling at me, and I get a tingle in my pussy. Damn! There’s nothing like a good-looking black man to make me throw all caution to the wind. He’s a convicted felon, but he doesn’t fit the profile. Or, at least it doesn’t seem like it. Kendrick gets up from his chair.

  “Hold on,” I say. “If I hire you, and that’s an if, when would you be able to start?”

  “Hell, I could start right now if you wanted.”

  “Well, now, just wait a minute. I need to look at the rest of your application, make sure everything checks out. I’ll let you know tomorrow what my decision is.”