Fallen Angel Salvage

By Linda Brendle and Constance Ashley

Tatia and Jesse have a perfect life in Chicago. Her testimony put Eric in prison in Texas twenty years ago. How could anything go wrong?

A mysterious envelope invades their home with news of a trafficker’s parole, and a handwritten note asks the ominous question about their daughter: Is Joy as brave as her mother?

An o

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linda Brendle
• Release date: Jul 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781945455889

Linda Brendle

Linda Brendle, a multi-genre Christian author, first began to write during her years as a caregiver. After two memoirs about Alzheimer's caregiving - A Long and Winding Road and Mom's Long Good-Bye - she ventured into the world of fiction. She has published a three-novel romantic suspense series, Tatia's Tattoo, Fallen Angel Salvage, and Salvaged. She has also published a light-hearted journal titled Kitty's Story about the feral cat who took over that Brendle household several years ago. Retired from the business world, Linda now blogs and writes for the weekly newspaper in the tiny East Texas town where she and her husband David live and take care of the needs and demands of Kitty.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

THE NIGHTMARE

Friday – 4:30 am

Tatia fought, trying to free herself from the arms that grasped her, crying out silently for Mama. Mama didn’t come, though. She was lying in a box with Daddy, both of them cold and lifeless, staring up at her with painted faces that melted into piles of ashes. Eric grabbed at her, pulling her away from the casket and through the door of a shabby motel room toward a bed covered with dirty, rumpled sheets. On the bed lay her daughter, sobbing hysterically while the men who surrounded the bed chanted her name again and again. Tatia struggled toward another voice she could barely hear.

Tatia, it said softly. Tatia. Sweetheart. Wake up.

The room behind her began to fade as Jesse’s gentle whisper drew her out of her tormented sleep and back into the safety of the bed they had shared for the last dozen years. She rolled over toward him and buried her face against his chest as he once again drew her out of the darkness that still haunted her nights.

It’s okay, baby, he crooned. I’m here. I got ya.

He felt the tension gradually leave her body, and as her ragged breathing evened out, he drew back slightly and gazed into the face he loved so much.

Hey, he said gently. I’m not gonna let him hurt you ever again.

She smiled weakly and snuggled closer. She lay there for a while, listening to him breathe, trying to feel the reassurance he offered. The peace wouldn’t come, though, and after listening to the sounds of her husband sleeping for a while, she slipped out of bed and into her robe and slippers to ward off the early October chill.

She stepped carefully to avoid tripping over Harley who purred and rubbed against Tatia’s ankles, happy to have some unexpected company in the pre-dawn hours. Tatia yawned as she pulled the bedroom door closed behind her so Jesse could sleep for a while longer. Then, she put a scoop of food in Harley’s bowl. While the fluffy kitten inspected her breakfast, Tatia went down the hall and looked in on her children. She lingered a little longer at Joy’s door, whispering a prayer for her protection now that a convicted felon knew her name. She dashed away an angry tear, fighting the rising rage at the man who had stolen so much of her childhood and now had invaded the sanctity of her home with his words.

Tatia sighed and shuffled to the kitchen where she turned on the coffee maker and selected a decaf coffee pod from the holder on the counter. Once the hot, fragrant drink was brewed and she had added some French vanilla creamer, she retrieved her Bible and prayer journal and settled into her favorite overstuffed chair in the corner of the living room. She opened the journal to the thanksgiving section, but she struggled to find any feelings of gratitude in the emotional turmoil that churned inside her. Harley was perched on the armrest next to her, and she absently stroked the purring cat as she sipped her coffee and attempted to lose herself in happy memories.

CHAPTER 2

THE MATTHEWS’ FIRST YEAR

Tatia really began to let go of her past that morning in Texas when she and Jesse had held hands as they watched the sun come up over the lake. Holding hands was nothing to most women her age, but it was the first step into a new life for her. After Mrs. G had rescued her from Eric and the sordid life she had led for three years, she had avoided physical touch with almost everyone, especially men. Jesse was patient, though, and he went out of his way to show her that he loved her so much that he would take whatever she had to give, and it would be enough.

That morning at the lake, he had proved his love once again when, with incredible gentleness and sensitivity, he had shown her how he wanted to use his amazing talent as a tattoo artist to cover up the brand Eric had left on her forearm. Her initial tension melted away under the warmth of his patience and understanding, and her sobs of fear turned to tears of happiness as the first cracks appeared in the impassable wall she had built around her heart. She laughed when Jesse pointed out how much touching would be involved in the tattooing process, and she clasped his hand in acceptance of the gift he offered.

The next several months were not easy, but with patience, prayer, and counseling, Tatia’s wounds began to heal and she opened her heart to the life Jesse offered her. They planned a small wedding in the tiny chapel on Mama and Papa G’s retreat in East Texas, but so many friends wanted to share in the celebration that the single door and all the windows were opened so as many of them as possible could crowd around and watch. The party afterward filled the huge house and spilled over onto the wide, smooth lawn. Tatia received so many loving hugs and kisses that any remaining debris from her protective wall was swept away.

The first year of the Matthews’ marriage was less than idyllic – not because of any fault in the relationship but because of logistics. Tatia was an attorney who specialized in child abuse, and for the two years before her marriage, she had lived in Washington D.C. where she chaired the Council on Human Trafficking. She travelled all over the country making speeches and holding training seminars, but as her relationship with her husband deepened, her enthusiasm for her job waned. She wanted to be with Jesse.

Jesse was in Chicago where he owned one of the most successful tattoo shops in the metropolitan area. He hired only the most talented and dedicated artists, he maintained a strict no alcohol or drugs policy, and his facilities and equipment were clean enough to surpass any health department regulations. In addition to his business, Jesse had been working with inner-city youth for years. He mentored and ministered to them however he could, including providing free cover up tattoos to former gang members as well as girls like Tatia who had been marked by a gang or a pimp. His ministry was important to him, but his marriage was more important.

As their six-month anniversary approached, Tatia and Jesse planned a long weekend away. After clearing her calendar and leaving instructions that she was not to be contacted under any circumstances including national emergency, Tatia flew into O’Hare International where she was met by the limo Jesse had arranged for her. While the driver navigated the near-gridlocked traffic, she went over the ideas she had jotted down on how to unify their lives. She was so engrossed in her plans that she was surprised when the driver stopped the car and came around to open her door.

She looked up at the sign that always made her smile–Mas†er’s Ink. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and checked to be sure she hadn’t left anything behind while the driver retrieved her small bag from the trunk. Before she could offer him a tip, the front door of the shop slammed open and Jesse pushed through the pedestrians who crowded the sidewalk. In a single motion, he slapped a folded bill into the driver’s hand and swept her into a breathtaking embrace. Once she could breathe again, she grinned up into his twinkling gray eyes.

Miss me? she asked coyly.

Every second, he said, kissing her again. I couldn’t concentrate, thinking that you had arrived and I wasn’t with you.

I hope you didn’t misspell anything vital.

No. I knew better than to apply any ink today.

With their arms around each other’s waists, they kept up their loving banter as they made their way back into the shop. Tatia said hello to the staff while Jesse gave last minute instructions. Then, they both went into his office where their riding leathers were hanging on the coat rack in the corner with their boots lined up side by side underneath. She pulled her black chaps off the hanger and, while he watched appreciatively, she slipped them on over her long jean-clad legs. She pulled on a leather vest that clung snugly to the gentle curves of her slim body. Over the years, her hair had changed from the bright blonde of her childhood to a soft ash color that perfectly complimented her fair skin. After she tied a doo rag around her head and tucked a few stray waves and curls under it, she turned her deep blue eyes on him.

Are you gonna sit there and stare or are you gonna get ready to ride?

Within five minutes they were dressed, her few clothes and toiletries had been slipped into soft-sided liners that would fit inside the saddle bags and trunk of the bike, and they stood gazing at each other with the anticipation of three whole days together. The spell was broken when his office assistant knocked on the door and stuck her head in.

Hey, boss. New customer on line one – wants to talk to the man in charge.

Tell him I’ve been kidnapped by a gorgeous biker and won’t be back until Tuesday. Tell him that you’re in charge anyway. You know more about what goes on around here than I do.

With that, he winked at her, grabbed Tatia by the hand, and ran out the back door. There, in the small parking area behind the building was his cherry-red Harley Ultra Classic, shined to a high gloss and ready to speed them away from the chaos to a quiet spot on the coast of Lake Michigan.

CHAPTER 3

BREAKFAST

Friday – 6:00 am

Tatia roused from her pleasant memories only to find the bad ones that had been stirred up by both the letter and her dream waiting for her. She also felt like she was overlooking something, but she pushed the thoughts aside and went into the kitchen. Without looking at the clock, she knew it was 6:00 am – and so did everyone else within earshot of Brush’s chopper as he pulled in behind the shop next door. Brush was their business partner and Jesse’s right-hand man – and he took his job seriously. He arrived at exactly the same time every morning to make sure everything was ready for customers when the doors opened at 7:00 am. He always had time for coffee with the boss and his lady, though, so she began brewing a cup for him before stepping out the back door.

Morning, Brush, she called. Coffee’s on.

Be right there, Mrs. M, he called back with a shy grin that was almost hidden by the huge mustache that covered his upper lip and drooped down beside his mouth almost to his chin. He locked the forks on his bike and set his helmet on the seat before heading her way. He stopped and carefully wiped his boots on the mat before coming inside.

Mornin’, Mrs. M, he said in a quiet voice that didn’t quite match his appearance. He was 6’6 tall and weighed in at well over two hundred pounds of solid muscle. The part of his face that was visible around the mustache reminded her of Richard Kiel who had played Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me" many years before. His teeth were not quite as intimidating as the pointed metal teeth of Jaws, but he did have one gold tooth in front – the result of a run-in with an unfortunate soul who mistook his quiet manner for a lack of courage. That error cost him more than one tooth.

Brush took his usual place at the end of the breakfast table. Actually, it was a booth that had been left by the previous owners. The table seated two on each side and one on each end. A bench for two and another for a single diner were built into the corner below the windows – or more accurately below and covering the bottom twelve inches of the glass. Tatia wanted to rip out the benches, but until there was money for a substitute, she was stuck. Besides, the children loved the booth and enjoyed doing their school work there.

Tatia placed the fresh coffee and a large slice of banana bread in front of Brush. Just then, Jesse appeared from the bedroom, dressed in a pair of house pants and a t-shirt. He walked up behind Tatia, slid his arms around her waist, and nuzzled the back of her neck.

Hey you, he said in a gentle voice. How’s my girl this morning?

She folded her arms over his and leaned back into him. Better now, she said, looking back over her shoulder and receiving a quick kiss.

Oh yuck! said Joy as she wandered into the kitchen scratching her head and yawning.

Daniel bounced into the room behind her, giggling and dragging a worn blanket behind him. Yeah, yuck! he crowed. Hey, Bwush, he yelled, climbing into the big man’s lap and giving him a hug. Brush returned the hug awkwardly and ducked his head to hide the grin that widened his mouth.

That’s Brrrrrrush, Daniel, corrected Tatia.

Aw, Mrs. M, I kinda like the way he says it.

She smiled at the two who were now sharing the banana bread. Me, too, she said in a stage whisper, but don’t tell him.

The friendly banter continued through breakfast until Brush gently lifted Daniel onto the bench beside him and stood up. I have to get going, he announced. My boss is a real bear if I’m late opening up, especially when we have a new customer bringing in his bike for a very complicated – and very expensive – paint job.

Everyone laughed, and Jesse pushed away from the table, too. I’m gonna hit the shower. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. I know how it is to have a demanding boss, he said, winking at Tatia.

She smiled and turned her attention to the children who were fiddling with their bowls of cereal. Speaking of demanding bosses, you two need to finish eating. I expect you to be dressed and in the classroom in twenty minutes.

But Mommy, said Daniel. This is the classroom.

Not yet. Not until I clear away the breakfast dishes and go into the bathroom where I will wash away my mommy face and put on my teacher face.

Mommy, you’re silly, he giggled. Joy rolled her eyes and carried her bowl to the sink. She stopped and leaned against the counter for a minute. Then, without looking up she spoke quietly.

Mommy?

Yes, Joy? Tatia responded absently.

Tomorrow at my party, could you please not mention, you know, your book and all that stuff. She wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips, as if talking about her mother’s past was extremely distasteful.

Tatia sighed. She and her daughter had this conversation frequently when Joy was expecting company. She understood Joy’s embarrassment at her sordid history, but it was still painful. She put a smile in her voice and said, Of course, sweetie. Now go get dressed and see if Daniel is putting on his clothes or is playing with his trucks.

Okay, Mommy, she said, suddenly absorbed with a loose thread on the sleeve of her pajamas. Avoiding Tatia’s eyes and the hurt that might be there, she disappeared into the hall.

Tatia