Your Neighborhood Convict Read online

  YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CONVICT

  TARRAH ANDERS

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Dear Friends,

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Tarrah Anders

  Everybody loves a bad boy!

  COPYRIGHT © 2019– TARRAH ANDERS

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address below.

  Tarrah Anders | Tarrah Anders, LLC [email protected] |www.tarrahanders.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Book Formatting: Tarrah Anders, LLC

  Cover: Jess Bryant Designs

  Ordering Information: Your Neighborhood Convict

  ISBN: 9780463901953

  CHAPTER ONE

  FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, my life has consisted of four walls, limited time outdoors, and tight security.

  For the past six years, I have had my every second monitored.

  And for the past six years, I refused to call this place home.

  But starting in a few short hours, I will no longer be here, and my time in prison will be something of the past.

  Six and a half years ago, I went out with a buddy, and unknown to me at the start of the evening, the grand plan of the evening was to hit up a string of businesses to rob them. I got in the car that evening with a primarily clean record. Sure, here and there were speeding tickets, minor bar fights, and shoplifting bubble gum as a kid, but nothing like felony robbery. Once I was involved, I couldn’t back out and look like a pussy, so I took the gun offered to me, and my night ended up in the back seat of a cop car and handcuffed, and not in the fun way.

  My friend and I went to a strip mall and broke into each store along one side of the strip. We hit up an electronic store, a toy store, a book store, and lastly, a liquor store. We made away with thousands of dollars worth of sellable shit and some fucking stuffed animals. We entered the store nonchalantly at first, grabbing some snacks and some drinks. We approached that unsuspecting clerk and each pointed a gun at him.

  We got caught within minutes as there just happened to be a cop car pulling up to the store just as we were making a run for it.

  Johnny and I received the maximum sentence for our crimes and went to separate facilities, but through the grapevine I had heard that Johnny didn’t fare too well in prison. He became someone’s throw toy and eventually caused a scene out in the yard one day to end up shanked and in the infirmary repeatedly until one day, he was taken away in a bag. No amount of ending up in the hole did anything for him. Immediately upon resurfacing to the general population, he would cause a disturbance and some would try to ‘make it right,’ out of favors from others.

  My days in prison were spent either working my laundry shifts, lifting weights, or reading in the library. I mainly kept to myself, and only socialized with my cellie and a few others, straying from the outbursts within different groups. I did what I could to rehabilitate and remained focused on counting down the days until my sentence was up.

  I spent my twenty-first birthday behind bars. When my little sister, Delilah, got married, when my sister had her first child, my niece, and my parents passed away, I was behind bars. Moments that I cannot get back. I would spend many nights staring at the underside of the top bunk, replaying my decision that night that changed my life forever. Basically, all the pivotal highlights of my twenties, I wasn’t able to partake in them because I made a poor judgement call and got myself in trouble.

  I did what I could while I was in prison to keep my hands clean. However, it wasn’t like I wasn’t going to defend myself if I was jumped. And I was, a few times in the beginning. My strength was being tested, but it was quickly known that I passed those tests.

  I’m not sure how prepared I am to leave the confinements of this place, but I sure as fuck am looking forward to getting on with my life and putting all of this past me.

  Due to good behavior and prison overcrowding, I was released just around the sixth year and will be serving the remainder of my original sentence on parole.

  Delilah had visited me a few times over the years, but the distance was much greater than she could manage on a regular basis, so we kept in touch through letters and phone calls. I want to call her and thank her for everything, for making sure that I had somewhere to come home to. Some place where I could start fresh. I walk into the kitchen and note a torn piece of paper on the freezer door.

  It has all of her contact information.

  Thank goodness!

  I look around the home but can’t locate a phone. Well, that defeats the purpose. There is no sense of 21st century technology anywhere in this house.

  Well, fuck! How am I supposed to do anything? How did Grandpa fucking talk to people?

  I figure that this being a small town, means that I have to socialize with the locals to get anything done. So, first thing’s first as I grab my jacket and set out to get myself acquainted with the town of Mercy.

  CHAPTER TWO

  IT DIDN’T TAKE me long to find my way around town.

  It’s a small town, very small.

  There’s a good amount of businesses here, and just about as many people, but it still has that very small-town feel.

  I walk past a diner, then see the bar a block farther and choose to go there instead, figuring that a drink would be better, and the people would be more eager to talk since they’d likely have some alcohol in their systems.

  I push open the doors and walk into the bar. It’s cozy and modern. For it being four in the afternoon, there are enough people inside to be bustling with activity.

  “Hey, handsome, don’t just stand there. Take a seat, someone will help ya in a skosh,” a cute blonde wearing fishnets and a short skirt tells me. I take another look around the space and decide to take my seat at the bar itself.

  “Welcome to The Neighborhood. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before,” a man says, throwing a coaster in front of me. “What’s your poison?”

  “What do you have on tap?” I ask, meeting his eyes.

  He rattles off several different types of beers, and since it’s my first alcoholic beverage in five years, I decide to go light and order a blonde. Once he places it in front of me, I hand him my card and ask him to keep it open.

  While drinking my beer, I take in the lay of the land and notice that there are people in the establishment alone and in groups. There’s a gentleman at the end of the bar, laughing and holding his full shot glass out to the bartender who waves it away.

  I sit quietly, watching the television above the bar and sip on my beer. When my glass is almost
empty, the bartender walks back over to me and smiles.

  “Another?” he asks.

  I nod my head and offer him a smile.

  “I’m Noah; I own this place.” He sets the glass down in front of me. “Now, it’s your turn.”

  I laugh. “Wyatt, and yeah - you can say that I’m new to town.”

  “Suddenly, we have people coming in left and right into our sleepy, little town. It’s not too often that we get many new folks moving here. Nice to meet you Wyatt. What brings you to our sleepy, little town?”

  I’m not ashamed of my past, after all I’m a different person that what ended me up in prison, so I see so no harm in giving him my honesty.

  “I just got out of prison, and the place my sister set me up at is our grandfather’s home. When he passed, a number of years ago, my sister and I inherited the home,” I say, taking a sip of my drink.

  “No shit! Old man Holmes’s place is no longer vacant?” He says, “Every now and then, the one and only realtor in this town has tried to get that place under her fingers. I’m glad to see that it’s stayed within your family. Shit like that is good.”

  “Yeah,” I reply, not knowing what else to say. “I’m thankful to have it still in the family. I would rather be far away from the city, so his place is perfect.”

  “So, prison?” Noah asks.

  “First day as a free man in five years,” I say dryly.

  “You a bad guy?” Noah asks randomly.

  “A bad guy?”

  “You know, the type of guy that would land back in prison?”

  “Naw, man. I’m reformed or some shit like that. I’m not some career criminal, I just landed with a bad friend who made bad decisions, and in turn, I made some myself.”

  “So, that shit is out of your system?” Noah asks.

  “I don’t think it was ever really in my system. Don’t worry, I’m not here in town to cause any disturbance or anything. I’m here to rebuild my life.”

  “I’m just making sure that you’re a good guy. I wouldn’t want any fuck ups on my payroll,” Noah replies while wiping down the topside of the bar.

  “Come again?” I turn my head to make sure I heard him right.

  “That’s what he said!” the cute blonde said, sidling up to the bar and placing a receipt in front of Noah.

  “Hi, new guy. I’m Rhi.” She leans her elbow on the bar and positions herself to face me, holding out her hand for shaking. I take in her appearance and notice a small bump on her stomach as I extend my hand to her.

  “I’m Wyatt, nice to meet you. I think your boss is confused; he’s trying to hire me.”

  “Oh, Noah?” She looks between us, placing her hand absentmindedly on her stomach. “Whatever job he’s trying to give you, I would take.” Noah hands her a plate loaded with a giant burger and onion rings, and she vanishes back into the dining area of the bar.

  “I need a busser slash dishwasher. The guy that I had in the position just graduated and moved to Hollybrooke. The pay is standard, the tasks are minimal, and if you don’t want it, I’d understand. I figure that having a job is a stipulation of your parole, and I have an opening.”

  “Are you for fucking real?” I ask incredulously.

  “Listen, I’m sure being a dishwasher and busser isn’t the most lucrative job that you could have imagined for yourself, but there’s not that many jobs here in Mercy. So, if you want - you can start out here, and I’d totally understand if you choose to leave in a few months for something better.” Noah shrugs. “Alls I know is what I have to offer right now.”

  I should think about his proposal, but he’s right. It would look good if I had a job all set up when I met with my parole officer in Hollybrooke tomorrow. My reporting instructions were clear, and now I need to make sure that I follow through to stay on the right side of the law.

  “Thanks man. I’ll try to um, wash the dishes so you could…” I was trying to find something comical but was coming up short.

  “So we could eat off of them!” Noah sparks a smile. “You can start on Friday. I’ll have Micah work out some sort of schedule and make sure that you have all the proper documents to get paid. If you need some sort of offer letter or whatever for whatever, let me know and Micah will send that over.”

  “Who’s Micah?” I ask.

  “Micah is the bar manager; he takes care of all that type of shit for me. You’ll meet him Friday before you are put to work.”

  “Didn’t you say that you were the owner?” I ask with confusion.

  “I am. I just hate doing all that shit work. I’m better with my hands and keeping them busy with drinks. I have Micah doing this type of stuff, because he likes it, and he’s good at it. Plus, he stays off the floor and out of my way.”

  “Cool. So Friday it is. Thanks man, I appreciate it. Now, is there anywhere in this damn town where I can buy a phone?” I ask.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I ARRIVE in Hollybrooke two hours before my meeting with my parole officer. I wanted to make sure that I got something decent to wear, and I got a phone, since Mercy didn’t have a place to get one.

  I walk into my appointment, and I’m done within an hour. I happily reported my new phone number, my address in Mercy, and the new job that I have.

  I hop into the 1970’s two-toned Ford Truck that my grandfather had under a tarp in the garage and fire it up. The truck comes to life and I smile, putting the truck into reverse and heading back to Mercy.

  I park the truck back into the garage and jog inside the house to grab Delilah’s contact information off the freezer, pull out my phone, sit down, and dial her number.

  She picks up right before I am about to hang up with an uncertain greeting.

  “Hey, it’s Wyatt,” I reply to her hesitant greeting.

  “Oh shit! I was thinking it was another damn telemarketer. I mean, I get that they are just doing their job and shit, but no one wants whatever the hell they’re selling! How are you? You at grandpa’s?” she rushes out.

  “Yeah, got here yesterday,” I say, sitting down at the small table and running my hand through my hair. “Getting settled in and all.”

  “How is everything? I did what I could around the house so that way when you came, it would be livable.”

  “Thank you. It’s a lot better than where I’ve been,” I say, knowing that I don’t need to elaborate to her.

  We talk for a good while, and she makes a promise to come and visit.

  When we hang up, I look around the space and go in search of the laptop that she said she left for me. I purchase new clothes, an e-reader for entertainment, and some household items then park my ass in front of the television for a few hours.

  Once I get bored of the mundane, I look over at the time and decide that I should venture out into Mercy.

  THE NEIGHBORHOOD BAR seems to be the mecca of where the town of Mercy hang out. For a Wednesday night, the place is packed. I pull up a seat at the bar and notice a guy other than Noah tending to the madness. He’s running back and forth between the back counter of the bar and filling up pint glasses. He glances over to me, gives the universal motion for one moment, and continues on with mixing drinks.

  A few moments later, I’m approached by the woman from the other night, who introduced herself as Rhi.

  “Wyatt! You starting work tonight?” she asks.

  “No, not for another few days. Just here to hang out tonight,” I reply with a smile.

  “Cool. My fiancé, Luke, is sitting over here. C’mon, I’ll introduce you. New friends are always an added bonus to moving to a new town.” She grabs my forearm and pulls me in the direction of the back of the bar.

  “Rhi! Quit hassling the customers!” the bartender yells at her as she just waves him off.

  We come to stand in front of one of the booths at the back of the bar, a man sits with his laptop and his beer. He’s immersed in whatever is on the screen and doesn’t notice us until Rhi pushes me into the booth seat across from him, and she scoots
in next to him. His arm automatically goes around her shoulder, and he pulls her in to kiss her temple. She smiles and then clears her throat, with his gaze barely straying from the screen.

  “Luke, we have company.” She pushes at him.

  “Hey man,” he says, looking up at me.

  “Luke, this is Wyatt. Wyatt, my fiancé, Luke. He’s the doctor in town. And Noah just hired Wyatt to work here,” she explains.

  Luke holds out his hand. “Nice to meet you, man.”

  “Likewise,” I reply, shaking firmly.

  “Okay, I need to get back to work. You two have fun.” She stands up out of the booth and then turns back. “Whaddareya drinkin’?” she asks me.

  As soon as she sashays away, Luke looks over at me.

  “Any idea why she wanted us to meet?” I ask him.

  “Rhiannon wants everyone to be friends. Since I’m the newest to town, before you came, that is, and I work a lot, outside of the folks that work here, I haven’t really made friends with too many people. So, I imagine that she’s playing matchmaker.”

  “But for dudes,” I say, just as Rhi sets my beer in front of me.

  “I wanted you, Wyatt, to feel welcome. And I wanted Luke to maybe have a new friend that could talk him into not working for a night,” Rhi says while walking away.

  “Anything to do in this town?”