A Chance At Redemption (Madison Square Book 3)

by Samatha Harris

  “Anytime.”

  “Tomorrow at eleven, right?”

  “Yep,” she said.

  “See you then.” I hit the end button on the phone and put it into my back pocket. Gwen slid her tray onto the bar and gave me a wary look.

  “Everything okay?”

  I smiled down at her, grabbed a bar towel, and tossed over my shoulder. “Never been better.”

  ***

  Sean walked into the bar a little later, arms raised in victory. “Bachelor party!” The bar was kind of empty except for old Floyd and a few of the regulars who grumbled their annoyance and went back to their beers.

  Sean dropped an arm around Floyd’s shoulder. “What do you say, Floyd. You in?”

  “Get the hell off me,” Floyd said, brushing Sean’s arm away from him.

  “Okay.” Sean held up his hands in surrender. “Floyd’s out.” He turned to me. “Liam?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Drew’s Bachelor party Saturday night. You in?”

  “I don’t know, man. Saturdays are pretty crazy around here.”

  “So? Jason can take care of things and Sam’s got the kitchen. What do they need you for?” I gave him a pointed look. “Come on. This is Drew. He’s only getting married once. Okay, maybe twice, but still it’s gonna be epic.”

  “What is epic code for? Strippers and a crappy buffet?” I asked him as I popped the top on another beer for Floyd. I slid it down the bar to him and watched as it sailed right past him and off the end, shattering on the floor. I dropped my head, defeated, and opened up another beer setting it down in front of him this time. Then I grabbed the dust pan to clean up the mess.

  “Actually,” Sean said as he nervously rubbed at the back of his head. “The strippers are a no go.”

  I laughed. “Alex put a stop to that?”

  “No,” he said. “Alex was cool with it. Madison, however, was less than thrilled.”

  I shook my head at him. My sister sure had him by the balls.

  “So what’s the plan then?” I asked, bending down to clean up the mess.

  “Party bus pub crawl. We start here at eight for the preflight, then head out from there.”

  I stood up. “Come on, Sean, I work in a bar. The last thing I want to do on my night off is go to one.”

  “I hate to break it to you, but the groom requested your presence and if the man says he wants you there, then you’re obligated to show.”

  I sighed. “Fine, but I’m not wearing a dumbass t-shirt or flashing neon boob beads.”

  “We’ll see about that,” he said, pointing at me as he backed up toward the door.

  As he left he yelled “Bachelor party!” once more for good measure then headed out the door.

  I shook my head and laughed as I poured the shards of glass from Floyd’s missed beer in the trash.

  “Someone needs to up his dosage,” Floyd mumbled as he took a sip of his beer.

  Gwen appeared at the serving station. “What’s so funny?”

  Floyd smiled so wide at her I thought for sure his dentures were gonna fall right out of his mouth. I watched his eyes flick down to her chest which was thankfully covered in black work t-shirt, a tight one, but at least they were covered.

  “Hey,” she snapped. Floyd and I both looked up from her chest. “Eyes up here, buddy.” She pointed to her face and I swear I saw a hint of pink flood through Floyd’s leathery skin.

  Gwen set her tray on the bar and turned her attention back to me, now that Floyd had been put in his place. She leaned her elbows on the bar, pushing her boobs up and my eyes back down. “You too,” she said. I laughed and shot her a wink.

  “So, what was so funny?” she repeated.

  “Nothing. Sean.” The name required no further explanation.

  “Sean’s here?” she asked, looking around the nearly empty bar.

  “He came in to con me into going to Drew’s bachelor party.”

  “You’re going, right?”

  “I don’t know, maybe.”

  “He’s your friend, Liam. You should go. Besides, when was the last time you actually left this place?”

  “Well as a matter of fact I…”

  She held up her hand to stop me. “Poker doesn’t count.” I opened my mouth again, but she wasn’t done. “Neither does football.”

  She had me there. That pretty much summed up my life.

  “You should go. Have fun with your friends. Cut loose a little.”

  “What about you?” I asked. I folded my arms and leaned on the bar toward her just enough to catch the sweet scent of her shampoo.

  A grin spread across my face as the scent triggered the memory of fucking her against the shower wall this morning. She came so hard that she dug her nails into my back and drew blood. The ache in my shoulder every time I had to reach for something made my cock twitch in response.

  She bit her lip and tried to hide her grin, clearly very aware of where my mind had wandered.

  “You spend just as much time here as I do.” I smiled and watched as her tongue flicked over her bottom lip.

  “Where am I going to go?” she asked. “It’s not like I’m invited to the bachelorette party.”

  I stood up. “I don’t know. What about your friend? What’s her name, Daria?”

  Gwen laughed. My lips instantly turned up at the sound. “Dalia,” she said.

  “Close enough.” I shrugged. “So call Dalia.”

  With a tilt of her head, Gwen began to consider her options. “I guess I could give her a call. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll call Dalia and plan a girls’ night if you go to Drew’s party.”

  “What do I get if I agree?”

  A wicked grin lit her face and she grabbed her tray and walked away. The promise of my reward lingered in the air.

  Floyd watched her go. His focus never left her ass until she disappeared into the kitchen. Then he turned back to the TV and took a sip of his beer. “You two aren’t fooling anyone, you know,” he said.

  I smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Yeah, you do. Lucky son of a bitch.”

  Chapter 23

  Gwen

  I tugged nervously at my dress, which suddenly felt too short, even though it fell to just above my knee.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked.

  Liam smiled and rested his hand on my thigh, but kept his eyes on the road. “It’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t know, Liam. The last time I saw your mother didn’t exactly end well.”

  He laughed. “Relax, Princess. Nothing they can say is going to change how I feel about you.”

  His words helped calm my nerves, but I still felt like I was walking straight into a den of hungry lions wearing Lady Gaga’s meat dress.

  Liam squeezed my hand and a small smile spread across his lips. I took a deep breath. Time to pull up my big girl panties and face this catastrophe head on. While Liam wasn’t close to his family, they were still his family. I needed to put my best foot forward and show him, and his mother, how much he meant to me.

  A rush of cool air hit me in the face as we entered the lobby of the Spencer Hotel. The Spencer was a landmark in the city. I’d been here many times over the years for fundraisers and charity functions with my dad. The lobby reeked of history and old money. Dark wood panels lined the walls with soft lit sconces from the twenties, and potted ferns lined the reception desk.

  The space was usually warm and inviting, which always made me feel elegant and important, but as we made our way toward the restaurant it just felt heavy and menacing.

  I tightened my grip on Liam’s arm and he chuckled. He leaned down and pressed a kiss in my hair. “You’re cute when you’re nervous,” he whispered.

  Sean and Madison waited for us by the hostess stand. Sean was chewing on his nails and looked like he was about to walk the Green Mile to his death.

  “First time meeting the parents?” I asked him.

  Sean drop
ped his head with a sigh. “Is it that obvious?”

  “You can almost smell the fear,” Liam said.

  “You’re not helping,” Madison said as she leaned in to give her brother a hug, while Sean discreetly sniffed under his arm.

  Madison reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You look wonderful, Gwen.”

  “Thank you.”

  Liam clapped his hands together. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s get this over with.” We took a collective deep breath and followed him into the restaurant.

  Sean fell into step beside me and I could see his nervousness increase with every step. I leaned in to him. “Hey,” I whispered. “At least you’re meeting her with your shirt on.” Sean looked down at me with a frown, confusion clear on his face. I shot him a wink and a smile as we made our way toward the table.

  Liam’s mother sat at a large round table in the back of the restaurant. Not a hair was out of place and her pastel pink Chanel suit was as flawless as the double string of pearls around her neck. She watched me, her eyes hard, as Liam pulled out my chair and I took my seat. I met the challenge in her eyes with one of my own as I spread my napkin in my lap. Bring it on, Mama!

  “Mother, Daddy,” Madison said. “I’d like you to meet Sean Taylor.”

  Sean’s smile was bright as he held his hand out to Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair. Neither of them took his offered hand and his smile faltered as he smoothed down the front of his suit jacket and took his seat beside Madison, who gave him a reassuring smile.

  “Mama, you remember Gwen,” Liam said. “My girlfriend.” He watched her closely as he spoke, but her eyes were locked on me, hard and unyielding.

  “How could I forget? I’m glad you decided to join us with your clothes on,” she said. Sean spit his water back into his glass and choked at her words. I caught his raised brow out of the corner of my eye, but remained focused on Mrs. Sinclair.

  “I owe you an apology, Mrs. Sinclair. Liam and I got a little carried away.” I turned to Liam with a smile and laced my fingers through his. He smiled and brought our clasped hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.

  “How you choose to conduct yourself is none of my concern, but I will not have you taking advantage of my son.”

  “I understand, but I want to make myself absolutely clear. I love your son. He is everything to me. He—”

  “Love,” she sneered. “You aren’t in love with him. You are in love with the Sinclair name and all that name represents. You want the money, the prestige that comes with being a Sinclair. I refuse to allow my son to be made a fool of by some gold digging whore from the gutter. You may be able to charm him with those cheap implants and fake smile, but I can see right through you.”

  I could feel the anger rolling off Liam beside me. His jaw was tense and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. He was about to blow, but I had this under control. I lay a hand on his thigh to calm him down.

  “I understand how you feel, Mrs. Sinclair. First impressions are important, but they are often wrong. For example, I’m sure you are not the controlling shrew you appear to be.” My voice was steady as I addressed her. She gasped and Liam chuckled beside me.

  “I want you to know that I am not interested in your money or your last name. Your approval of me is not necessary. I know Liam loves me and your opinion of me will not change that. However, you are his mother and it would behoove us both to at least make an attempt to get along if only for his sake.”

  My polite smile remained as everyone’s eyes locked on me. Mrs. Sinclair shook with rage. Her shoulders tensed, but her face remained calm, which I’m sure had more to do with her Botox treatments than actual control.

  “Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair.” We all turned our attention to the Maître d’ who approached the table.

  Mr. Sinclair cleared his throat and took a sip from his drink. “Good Morning,” he grumbled as he drained his glass.

  “Mrs. Sinclair, you are lovely as ever this morning.”

  “Thank you, Marlon,” she said, forcing a polite smile.

  Marlon looked at each of us, oblivious to the tension that sat like a thick fog around the table. His gaze fell on me and a bright smile lit his face. “Ms. Stevens!” he said as he made his way around the table. “How wonderful to see you again. Tell me, how is your father?”

  He took my hand and held it affectionately in both of his. “He’s well, thank you,” I replied.

  “I trust the fundraiser last month was a success?”

  “It was. He received a lot of support for his transportation reform initiative.” I could feel Mrs. Sinclair’s eyes boring hatred into the back of my head.

  “Wonderful. Please give him and Mrs. Stevens my best.”

  I nodded. “I will, thank you.”

  “Well,” Marlon said, addressing the table. “If there is anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will leave you to enjoy your brunch.” He gave a slight bow and went on his way to suck up to another table.

  I smoothed my napkin in my lap and looked up into the eyes of Liam’s stunned parents. I turned to Liam, who wore a breathtaking smile, pride shining bright from his eyes. As if it was even possible, I fell even more in love with him.

  “What did you say your name was?” Liam’s father asked me.

  “Gwendolyn Stevens.”

  “Stevens as in Senator John Stevens?”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir. He’s my father.”

  Acceptance lit behind his eyes. “How wonderful,” he said. “Your father is a good man. We met him last year at the…” He snapped his fingers as he tried to recall the name.

  “The Red Cross luncheon,” Mrs. Sinclair said, finishing her husband’s thought.

  “Right, the Red Cross.” Mr. Sinclair nodded.

  “Small world,” Liam said with a smirk directed to his mother.

  “So it would seem,” she said. “It would appear that I was wrong about you, Ms. Stevens.”

  “Please call me Gwen.”

  “Gwen,” she repeated.

  Sean let out a yelp and our attention shifted to him. He turned sharply toward Madison. “What was that for?”

  Madison shrugged. “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

  “You pinch yourself to see if you’re awake.”

  She shrugged.

  Mr. Sinclair chuckled into his scotch, which he played off as a cough when his wife fixed him with a hard glare.

  “Look, Mama,” Liam said. “I didn’t come here to argue. I respect you and I respect Dad, but this is the life I chose.” Liam smiled and took my hand in his. “My bar and my girl are all I need to be happy. I’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted for me, but it’s the way it is. Cut me off, cut me out of your life, that’s your choice, but this is my life. Take it or leave it.”

  Mrs. Sinclair shook her head. “What did I do to deserve such ungrateful children?”

  Liam sighed. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Mama.”

  He got to his feet and pulled me along with him. “Maybe one day you will understand.”

  Madison set her napkin on the table and got to her feet to join us. Sean pushed his chair back and took Madison’s hand with a smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you both.”

  Madison tugged on his hand and the four of us headed out of the restaurant, leaving their parents stunned in our wake.

  We all stood silently outside as we waited for the valet to bring our cars around. I wouldn’t say that brunch went well, but we survived. Liam wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in tight against him. I sighed in relief as his touch began to ease some of the tension in my body.

  “Did you really call her a controlling shrew?” Sean asked me.

  A laugh burst from Madison’s lips and we all joined in laughing until tears ran down our cheeks and our stomachs hurt.

  Chapter 24

  Liam

  By Saturday night, I was resigned to the idea of going out with the guys. Gwen was right. I
needed to get out more, and a night with the guys could be just what I needed to relax. I pulled on a thin black sweater and ran a hand through my hair. One glance in the mirror and I was ready.

  I took a deep breath and headed out into the living room in search of my wallet. Gwen had commandeered the bathroom to get ready for her night out.

  “You done in there?” I asked her through the bathroom door.

  “Keep your panties on,” she said. “Just putting the finishing touches on the face.”

  I laughed and shook my head as I fastened my watch to my wrist.

  The door opened. I looked up and had to remind myself to breathe. She looked incredible. She wore a tight blue dress, the color so bright it looked almost electric. The skirt was short, really short. I was positive if she bent over even the slightest bit the real show would begin. The neckline was high, held there by a thin string tied around her neck.

  “You’re not wearing that,” I said, eyes wide as I took in every gorgeous inch of skin the dress displayed.

  “What? You don’t like it?”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about, Princess. It’s every other douchebag who’s going to trip over his tongue after seeing you in that.”

  She smirked and waved a dismissive hand at me as she reached for her purse.

  “I’m serious, Gwen,” I said, my lips flattened into a thin line. No fucking way was I going to let her out of the house like that. A dress like that belonged on my bedroom floor, not on my girlfriend as she went out without me.

  “I’m a big girl, Liam,” she said as she patted my cheek.

  “I’m aware of that, but I’m not cool with every guy in the bar knowing what kind of panties my girl is wearing.

  “Don’t worry, babe.” She pressed a kiss to my cheek and leaned closer. Her lips brushed against my ear. “I’m not wearing any.”

  My dick was granite and a growl rumbled deep in my chest. She leaned back and winked at me before she headed to the door with a little extra sway in her luscious hips.

  “Don’t wait up,” she called over her shoulder as she started down the stairs.

  The door closed behind her and I balled my hands into tight fists at my side. Fuck, this girl got under my skin like no one I’d ever been with and tonight she was trying my patience.