Ride to Restoration (Ride Series Book 2) Read online

  Ride to Restoration

  Book 2 in the Ride Series

  DJ Wilson

  ebook published by Riscatto Publishing Inc.

  Copyright 2015, David Wilson

  No part of this eBook may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from the author.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  ISBN: 978-1-60414-803-9

  I humbly dedicate this book to Dani, Darren, Robin and Julie, without whose badgering, encouragement and assistance this sequel would not have been written.

  “Life is not about

  Waiting for the Storm to Pass,

  It’s about Learning how to Dance in the Rain.”

  — Vivian Green

  Introduction

  Surviving both love and loss while sailing through the tumultuous storms life haphazardly blows our way defines our essence, oft times by peeling us to the core. If we are fortunate enough to experience heart palpitating love, it’s only by losing it, do we appreciate its intrinsic value. The same goes for financial security. If we have it we’re good. If we’ve lost it, we’re screwed. Righting another’s grievous wrong on this ride that compensated hundreds of people millions of dollars, no matter how noble and grand I thought it seemed at the time was not without terrible costs, excruciating heartache and significant loss.

  Redemption was the ultimate goal when I started this quest many months ago. Individuals from all walks of life had entrusted their short and long term financial health to a charismatic man who seemed too good to be true. Sadly, that turned out to be true in spectacular fashion. Hope was lost and people were slowing dying because of it. Someone had to intervene. That someone was me, along with a cast of characters and a comedy of errors that moved this journey from one of redemption to one of restoration.

  Everyone deserves second chances. Some even third and fourth ones. But, here comes the tricky part. If love somehow worms its way into the equation, you’re screwed. Meeting the girl of my dreams in the midst of my quest one glorious early morning in Tennessee, not many months removed, was a refreshing breath of seasons wrapped up into one delicious package I came to know as Candi.

  A perfect love story in the making, one that would make Ryan O’Neal proud, Candi raced into my life, stole my heart over a ninety-day span and compelled me to love again. And then the bitch went rogue, catapulting me into the arms of vivacious Victoria who just so happened to be my friend ... my protector ... my lawyer. “Ethically,” Vic says, “I’m required to make that point of order extremely clear.”

  High stepping into the role that Candi previously played on my ride to redemption, Victoria joined me on my adventure home, offering her all, whether it was on her back, her stomach or her side. I must confess ... Victoria was a player, a master barrister at the top of her game, capable of arguing and defending any position, including mine.

  Caught up in my drama, friends do what friends do when they’re on a bike three thousand miles away from home, they escape ... they ride. Into the Plains of Alberta, into the land of ‘Rape and Honey,’ into the forests of Saskatchewan we rode. We discovered in our travels many things that made us laugh, while confessing in our deepest, darkest moments those things that made us cry. We were flawed, Victoria and I, and we knew it.

  Into the heart of an innkeeper or two, into the life of a child we rode, paying it forward as much as we could, having already dodged bullets and disaster, daring tomorrow to find us on our journey ... on our ride. Through it all, I taught Vic the gracious art of giving. She taught me the fine art of receiving. I taught Vic that confession is good for the soul. She taught me that I couldn’t love another when I still loved the one that got away. Sadly, she was right.

  Then, reality knocked, slapped me sideways and brought me back into the world as I knew it before I escaped to “Oz.” Seems like everybody still wanted a piece of me. Guessing it had something to do with the two hundred pounds of diamonds I gave away that weren’t rightly mine. Then again, they didn’t rightfully belong to A.J. Standford, the Ponzi scheming banker I took them from, either. But, his 2.5 million dollar bounty on my head to anyone that would listen to him from behind prison walls said otherwise.

  Toss into the equation, Candi’s powerful Ex who, as of late, has recently developed a nasty hard-on for me and the U.S. Marshal Service, doing their best to protect me in spite of myself. Spin these all together and you’ve got yourself one heck of a mess. Oh, and let’s not forget Candi’s mom and her Gambino Family who’s also on the outs with me. Oh Happy Day!

  Thankfully, there was the D.O.G. In the confines of a kennel in Middle Tennessee, Major waited patiently for me to return, whereby he could resume his rightful place, riding shotgun in my truck. I was confident, even with my current identity compromised and my life in shambles, we could make a fresh start somewhere, Mayberry, maybe. Sounds welcoming, doesn’t it?

  Leaving my recreated life on beautiful Dale Hollow Lake to begin again seemed overwhelming at times. But, I’d done it before and I can do it again. First things first. With no malice left in me, I had to find Candi again, hoping beyond hope that I could somehow restore ... us. And with that a plan that would be played out on my terms, not at the mercy of those who sought to do us harm.

  All this conniving is driving me nuts. A Sam Adams in hand with my head in the clouds and my feet on the ground, I devised a scheme that would make us whole or wind up tearing us in two. Since no other options were coming down the pike, with the help of a trusted few, I put the game in play. The question of the day on this ride to restoration … Would it work?

  Momma said, “When you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned. It’s not a question of if, but when.” Sadly, since Candi almost took me out in the Starbucks Drive Thru the day we met, I resemble that remark ... My question is how bad is it gonna hurt?

  Chapter 1

  “Good morning, barrister,” I whispered to Victoria, as she awakened sleepy-eyed beside me, snuggled into the goose down bedding of our king sized, four-poster bed. Wiping the sleep from her beautiful green eyes with clenched fists, fondly reminded me of my favorite childhood cartoon character. I smiled. Then she opened her mouth.

  Victoria, you’re on. I almost said, ‘Good morning Jon David, I loved that you held me all night long,’ but caught myself. I sure as hell don’t want him to hear that, at least for now.

  “Damn you, D, you’ve done it again. This is the second or maybe even the third time I’ve thrown my naked sultry self into your arms and all you’ve managed to do is cuddle. Damn it, D! I do love snuggling, but there’s only so much a girl can take when she’s wrapped you like a pretzel and can’t lick or kiss or bite. If I didn’t care so much for you, after all that we’ve been through, I might develop a complex and start taking this the wrong way.”

  “Vic, after what we witnessed yesterday, no amount of Canadian alcohol or a sensuous seduction from you could erase my living nightmare over the past twenty-four hours. Pinch me will ya and tell me we’re still in the Sioux City, Crown Plaza.”

  Thinking back, I remember that night vividly. I was so close to seducing this man. “If that were the case lover boy, you’d be sore and I’d be tender to the touch.
If you catch my drift,” I breathed, extending my arms, while flicking my tongue across my lips.

  Whispering in D’s ear, I continued, as my arms enveloped him, “Sadly, my friend, yesterday was all too real. The events that cumulated over the last few days would make some novelist a Pulitzer, I betcha. Hell, it might even make a Scorsese wannabe an Oscar.”

  Pausing, reflecting, digesting her words, “Thank you, I think. With that type of assurance, I’ve gone from hoping this was all a bad dream to waiting for my real life drama to be featured on a big screen near us in one fell swoop. Lucky me!

  Let me regress, the events that transpired over the last few days here in Calgary, Canada, that Vic and I are referring to, involved a girl and getting screwed royally. Vic, who has an innate gift to read people and I, having lovingly screwed this girl literally over the last few months were blind-sided, no we were downright screwed by Candice for a ten million dollar reward and some change. My guess is that old adage, you can never leave the Mafia alive rings true, especially when your family as well as your Ex are knee deep in ‘the culture,’ related by blood, bullets and oh yeah, marriage. That being said, over the past two days Victoria has been kidnapped and released, traded for Candi during one of the darkest moments of my life to date. I, on the other hand, have been shot at, betrayed, lied to and forced to bring bodily harm to another individual who was only doing his job at the time.

  Thankfully, I’d made unsolicited restitution to many before the (please pardon my French) ‘shit’ hit the fan. Trying to do the right thing and paying it forward are the two maxims I’ve spent my entire adult life adhering to. Except this time, it all went ‘south’ in the end. Doing the right thing, albeit skewed by my loneliness, coupled with the lust and desire for a delicious, willing and receptive woo-hoo drove me to my knees. I’ve lost the girl of my dreams, there’s still a huge bounty on my head and I’m in Calgary, Alberta with a sex fiend who happens to be my lawyer, my friend. “Again, am I lucky or what?”

  “What are you mumbling in my ear, D? Are you sure we can’t take your idea of snuggling to the next level? Give me 3 minutes,” I purred, burying myself under the covers, my boobs coming to rest on top of his thighs, “and I’ll get a rise out of you yet.”

  “Stop it, Vic,” I stammered playfully, while firmly pushing her hot breath and moist lips away from my rapidly rising sweats. Bolting from the bed, I made a beeline to my day bag and retrieved the well-traveled and equally experienced BOA. “Here girlfriend, knock yourself out. New batteries, too.”

  Listening to the rhythmic hum of the BOA as well as her ever-increasing rapid breaths culminating beneath the sheets, I could attest to her ability to make the most of any fluid situation. After a few long painful minutes, being a spectator, not a participant, the humming abruptly stopped. Vic, flipping back the sheets, sported a mischievous smile and a rather ominous glow.

  “Damn you, D. I wanted to take you ... and me over the top this morning. It’s a sad, sad day, when all that’s willing is BOB, for now.”

  “It’s not a B.O.B. Vic, it’s a B.O.A.”

  “What’s the difference? Seriously. They’re both battery operated toys.”

  “True, but this one is uniquely designed, as you’ve just so aptly proven to accelerate your star studded experience with or without my cuddly body next to you.”

  My mind raced ahead of my mouth. It’s too soon, Victoria, don’t press it. Candi is still fresh and raw. You’ll push him away. “D, best you keep your sweats on and me awash in fresh batteries and I’ll do my best to keep my hands off you on this ride ... for now.”

  “You always preface for now, girlfriend. That scares me. I dare not tread the halls with you when for now no longer works. Come on Vic,” rapidly trying to change my current thought process, aka lust, while lowering, among other things, my ever increasing heart rate, “Put some clothes on. I’m sure Josie has breakfast waiting on us. Besides, I need something to take my mind off of ... and more importantly, out of ... you.”

  Tossing back my hair, I whispered to this man in my midst, “Beneath this lamb waits a hungry lion. You’re teasing me, aren’t you? I know you want me. You love my green eyes, my long auburn hair, my soft and supple, voluptuous, milky white breasts. You’re standing over there right now fantasizing about my pouty lips wrapped firmly around your...”

  “STOP! Client attorney privileges only go so far. Remember?”

  I’m trying to be his friend with benefits, not his lawyer right now. How do I say this? “Not exactly, big boy. We’re under the ‘grandfather clause.’ I attempted to get in your pants long before I became your lawyer. So there! Like I said, D, just keep your sweats on and the BOA fresh and ready. Now leave me alone and let me get dressed!”

  “Works for me, girlfriend,” grabbing my Polartec jacket, on the way downstairs. “If you please, I’ll skip a shower this morning. I can see you joining me, in all your glory, offering to wash my back...”

  “Among other things, I might add, D. Don’t forget the other things.”

  “OK, among other things, which in my current condition,” I confessed, while lowering my eyes to my tented jeans, “I doubt I could refuse.”

  Pursing, pouting lips, I followed that with a devious, determined smile that only I could produce, then I slung a pillow at him, “Out!”

  Chapter 2

  The aroma of fresh baked treats filled the hallways, drawing me into Josie’s breakfast room in the Inn, a welcome respite that over the last few days we’ve fondly called home. There, I found the ‘Marines,’ Frank, Ron, and Terry finishing up a five course breakfast while Josie refreshed their drinks and warmed their coffees. “You’re spoiling them, Josie,” I announced, giving her a morning hug from behind. “Vic, will be down soon. Better give us the light version,” I mused, looking over the scrumptious fare spread across the table, “we’ve got a long ride ahead of us today.”

  “You let her be the judge of that, young man,” snarled our host. “When will you learn, you can’t think for a woman when it comes to food, clothes and—”

  “Sex, don’t forget the sex,” interjected Frank, with a smile. “You’d think D would have learned something from all that’s happened. Because once again, he did try to think like he thought a woman should or would … and lost big time.”

  “Boys, there is more to life than just sex with a woman,” Josie continued undaunted. “You keep her pleased with the peripheral things and you’ll have all the sex you can handle.”

  “Peri-if-feral what?” asked Ron.

  “You know clothes, jewelry, fine cars, expensive stuff,” offered Terry.

  “Pardon my French, Ms. Josie, wouldn’t it be cheaper on us men folk if we just hired a high priced hooker occasionally,” quipped Frank.

  “Boys, someday you’ll want to settle down and it will be the unselfish pampered things you’ve done for the woman in your life that will keep her around. It sure won’t be those shriveled up little sausages you’ve got down there between your legs that makes her want to wake up beside you each morning for the rest of her life.”

  Watching the Marines squirm uncomfortably, I shared this morning’s tension wholeheartedly, “I take offense to that, Josie. There are some of us here that don’t have little ones and there are even a few who can still refrain from lust.” I heard footsteps approaching from behind. Victoria had arrived.

  That’s my cue to make an entrance. “I heard refrain and lust,” I chuckled, sauntering into the room and into the conversation. Walking up behind D, I put my left hand on his shoulder, my right on his crotch. “I can sadly attest, D, here can refrain, both with his big head and this little one,” I sighed, simultaneously patting them both, “for now.”

  “Vic, that’s more than they need to know,” I managed to say, while pushing her hand away. Spinning around, I playfully flicked my tongue in her ear, before whispering, “ Girlfriend, now is not a good time to tease me. I’m on the verge of...”

  “Good for you, D,” I whisp
ered back. Spinning him around so I could face our attentive audience, “Lady and gentlemen, he’s on the verge, the precipice of no return. Finally, I’ve got him just where I want him.” Ha, if only that were true.

  “The two of you go get a room. Oh, I forgot you do have a room. Take it upstairs, will ya? Not now mind you, later. Now sit yourself down and I’ll bring your breakfast,” commanded Josie, pulling out a chair from the table and motioning for me to sit like a small child, over the loud snickering of the “Calvary.”

  Rather embarrassed by the fuss, “Congratulations, Josie, you’ve found us out. I’m a bodacious flirt and Vic’s a titillating tease.”

  “Well,” laughed Frank, “you guys are a train wreck in the making. One of these days, you’re gonna crash and I’d like to be a fly on the wall when that happens.”

  “Me, too,” beamed Josie. “Count me in.”

  “Enough! You may be right. I’ve drawn the short straw to haul her bodacious butt across Canada on my bike, fighting off her luscious lips and roaming hands while keeping us upright and wheels rolling. That is, unless one of you fine gentlemen would like the honors?”

  Is he trying to get rid of me already? Say it ain’t so. “You’re stuck with me, D,” I proclaimed, defending my territory, just as three excited ‘man paws’ waved furiously. “Besides, we’ve got much to talk about on our trip home. Like how to keep your ‘beautiful ass’ out of jail and or the morgue … or both.”

  “Thank you for clarifying that, Victoria. I especially liked the beautiful part. Enough about me and my ‘ass-tributes,’ let’s talk about getting the ‘Calvary’ home safely.” Going from sexy to safety is not the best transition, but I took a stab at it anyway.

  “Thankfully, no one saw any of you up close yesterday, so we’re good in that respect. Frank, the publicity you generated trying to take the heat off me will be there when you get back. Vic, any ideas how to diffuse that situation?”