Redeem Me
Kin Series Book 6
Parker and Cameron
Copyright © 2014 Jennifer Foor
All Rights Reserved
Edited by: Pamela Snyder
Cover Models: John (Jammer) Thompson & Aimee Liebman
Cover Art: Wicked By Designs
This book is a written act of fiction. Any places, characters, or similarities are purely coincidence. If certain places or characters are referenced it is for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is not allowed to be offered for sale, discounted, or free on any sites other than Kobo, ITunes, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This book may only be distributed by Jennifer Foor, the owner and Author of this series.
Check out the other books by Jennifer Foor
(Contemporary Romance)
A Mitchell Family Series
Letting Go -Folding Hearts - Raging Love -Risking Fate
Wrapping Up - Wanting More - Saving Us - Blinding Trust
Losing Him - Loving Her
A Mitchell Healy Series
Noah
Isabella
Love’s Suicide
The Kin Series
Repair Me - Replace Me - Restore Me
Remember Me – Reject Me
Hustle Me (A Bank Shot Romance)
Hustle Him (A Bank Shot Romance)
Diary of a Male Maid
Twinsequences
Lustly
A Hope and a Chance (Coming Winter 2014)
Beta Readers
Kayla Kennedy, Emma Clifton, Kristy Davidson, Catherine Roberts, Lara Petterson , Jennifer Harried, Mechelle Lovell Jackson, Kasey Craig, Teresa Coleman, Heidi Small, Amanda Mooney, Kayla Teeples, Julie Ness Barley, Penny Clingan, Michelle Kemp
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to everyone who has ever purchased a J4 book. You’ll never know how grateful I am. I’m living my dream, and take pride in every word that I write down for you to enjoy.
Thanks to John (Jammer) and Aimee for being on the cover.
Inkslinger PR
Danielle Sanchez
Thanks to my kick-ass street team, Foor Players.
FOORWHORES – my super secret society
Kristy, Kayla, Emma, Catherine – an ocean may separate us, but you’re never far from my heart. Xoxo
Lara – I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.
Thanks to all of my new friends on my FB, Twitter and Goodreads. Thank you for spreading the word and all of the support you give. Thanks to all of my other Independent Author Friends. (you know who you are) Thank you to all the book bloggers out there spreading the word for me and others who write.
This list below are several of the blogs that were involved in promoting the original series.
Rock stars of Romance (Milasy and Lisa), iloveindiebooks, Book Bitches, Maryse Book Blog, Shh Mom’s reading, Into the night Reviews, Word, Kindlehooked, , Totally Booked, Word, Reading is my time out, Stick Girl Book Reviews, Wolfels World of Books, Dirty Books and Dirty Boys,
Book Broads, Book Studs, Books Books Books, Reality Bites Books, Naughty Mafia, Smutty Book Whores Obsession, Schmexy Girl Book Blog, Just Booked Blog, Book Crazy, BookFri-ends,
Submit and Devour, Three Girls and a Book Obsession, The Whispering Pages Book Blog, All Is Read With Lexipat, Lit Slave, Six Chicks and Their Love For Books, Zee Books Blog, Evette Ashby Sexy Girl Reads, Risque Romance Reads, Nicely Phrased, Books Coffee and Wine, What to read after fifty shades – Summer Daniels
And all of the other bloggers out there working your butts off for us authors.
Special Thanks to: The Mullet Ninjas – Lisa & Milasy
Chapter 1
Parker
“Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug,” my frat brothers were yelling as I competed in drinking the boot filled with warm beer. It wasn’t my best moment of the night, but it sure as hell beat being considered a pussy on my own stomping grounds. I’d set out to stay sober all night, on account of promising my girlfriend that I’d behave. That all went to shit once I felt the pressure of impressing my peers.
I wouldn’t consider myself a follower by any means, but there was a different kind of gratification when I entertained the people around me. Seeing as my fraternity brothers were the only family communicating with me, at the moment, I never wanted to disappoint them.
That could only mean that with their bad influences, I’d be left to argue with my pissed off girlfriend in the morning. Somehow I’d come up with a convoluted excuse to wean my way back into her good graces. After all, Cameron wasn’t just the prettiest girl on campus. She was also the most kindhearted.
Still, there were several occasions where her pristine past reminded me just how much I didn’t deserve a girl like her. In some ways I think loving her makes me want to be a better person. Anything would be better than the man I saw when I looked into the mirror each morning. I’m not talking about the blonde headed, handsome gentleman, with kind blue eyes. I’m talking about the evil part of me that I wished wasn’t there; the one who had lost the respect of his family, and kept secrets from the woman he was in love with.
I finished the beer and threw my hands high in the air, celebrating my victory amongst a room full of belligerent college acquaintances. Sure, some I knew better than others, but we were all there for the same purpose. We came to unwind, and forget about everything else in our lives that we’d been stressing about. We wanted to feel free if only for one night out of many.
Four shots later I could hardly recall being dragged to my room. Even as my face landed over my pillow, I never even flinched. I rolled over, still fully clothed, and watched the room spinning around me. My bedroom door shut as I began to laugh in hysterics at my predicament. It was only a matter of time before the alcohol showed it’s pretty little face, leaving me to spend the rest of the night on the cold, hard porcelain bathroom floor. My immediate fate was already determined as the first sign of a belch occurred. It never failed, or maybe I should say that I never learned. I’d mix my drinks, and be up all night hurling.
My alarm sounded at six. With my eyes still caked shut with morning gook, I felt for the tiny device that blared the loud volume. After knocking it off the nightstand, I managed to locate it and tug the plug out of the wall. The room was silent as I sat up and looked around, noticing that I was still wearing a pair of shoes, and jeans. My shirt was bunched up on the floor. When I went to pick it up to put it back over my head, I spotted a large pile of vomit on the floor. Realizing that I was the only person that was going to clean the mess up, I fell back down on the bed and silently cursed at myself. I’d been up for less than five minutes, and already my day was ruined.
Twenty minutes later my phone was vibrating off the nightstand. I was surprised that it hadn’t died overnight from not being charged. There was no need to check to see who the caller was. She always rang me to make sure that I was up and ready to meet her in the cafeteria for breakfast, when she hadn’t spent the night with me. Everyday was the same monotonous routine. At breakfast we’d discuss our plans for after classes. Cameron would then proceed to lecture me on how not to act when I was around my friends. When I’d get pissed at her, she’d give me the silent treatment, which included cutting me off sexually, until I finally caved.
I supposed that this was common for relationships with people our age. We wanted to settle down and have meaning, but instead fought with the simple fact that we were still finding ourselves, and forging toward our separate wants and needs. One could either succ
umb to growing alongside their partner, or call it quits instead of doing a little bit of work.
I think when things got bad between us I still kept Cameron around because, at the end of the day, I didn’t have anyone else. She was there when my family pretty much disowned me. Though I couldn’t tell her the real reason, she’s already speculated on various ideas. For the most part I’d told her a lie about interfering in my brother’s relationship, stating that his now wife had cheated on him. I told her that the family hated me for being honest.
The only thing honest about that was the fact that I had a brother, who in turn had a wife. Ashley had never cheated on Shayne. The lie had nothing to do with fidelity.
The real truth was that before she and my brother got together, we’d had a one-night stand that left her pregnant with twins; twins that I wanted her to abort.
I know that makes me sound like a total asshole, but I had legitimate reasons for feeling the way I did.
That one drunken night could have ruined my chances at becoming something. It didn’t help that my brother took the blame and ended up falling in love with the chick. He thought he was helping me, but instead had only made my life more difficult. I had to see her, and face him.
When the time came to finally reveal the truth, I forged ahead, trying to free my brother and myself of any kind of responsibilities. She had the help of her family, who wanted nothing more than to get my brother out of her life.
I had no idea how involved the two of them were; or the fact that their love was so real. At the time I didn’t even know that kind of love was possible. Then I witnessed firsthand what my brother went through after the twins were born, and when Ashley suffered from the aneurism. I watched the man that I’d always looked up to struggle with everything he believed just to be able to keep those kids. I’d already signed over parental rights giving him the opportunity to be their father, but only the family knew the truth.
My parents did everything they could to get Shayne to change his mind. He spent so many countless hours at her bedside, praying that she’d one day come back to him. Just when we’d all lost hope, it actually happened. While my brother celebrated with his new family, I was basically shunned. My parents lost all respect for me, and the measures that I took to ruin things for Ashley. They acted like I’d had some kind of vendetta against her.
I’d never felt so abandoned than the first time I faced my dad. One look in his eyes let me know that I was no longer the kid he was so proud of. I’d destroyed our relationship, and the trust we’d always shared. With little hope of making things right, I turned to football, and the welcoming arms of Cameron. She may not have known the truth, or the fact that I was the world’s biggest asshole, but she knew that I was struggling, which in turn made her want to fix me.
I didn’t just love her for taking care of me. She held many qualities that kept me wanting more. Cameron has long blonde hair that hangs halfway down her back. Her gray–green eyes sparkled in the summer sun, and those full lips of hers kissed me like no other female ever had. Day after day I was in awe of her. The looks weren’t where my attraction ended though. She had a way with words, and held herself like every aspiring attorney would. Her wits made her deadly when it came to arguments, and she pretty much knew everything about everything. I’m not just bragging about her smarts either. When she was growing up her rich daddy sent her to the best of schools. Instead of making friends she studied her ass off, just to be able to follow in her father’s footsteps. His law firm was well known in Pennsylvania, and with little effort she’d be set with a career alongside of him and her mother.
When we first started dating he freaked out. The last thing he wanted was for his daughter to fall in love with some jock. He’d basically played out her future in his head, and a boyfriend wasn’t in the plan.
I met Cameron on the first day of our freshman year in college. She was stopped in the middle of a crowded corridor, looking down at a schedule and map. Someone bumped into her arm that was holding her books, sending them falling to the ground. Flustered, she dropped to the floor, desperate to pick them all up before stomping feet ruined them.
I bent down and started picking them up even before our eyes met for the first time. It was a good thing I hadn’t looked at her first, because I probably wouldn’t have been able to focus on helping her.
That very first smile I got from her captivated me. She was stunning, naturally, without makeup. Unlike the other girls on campus, Cameron didn’t care about dolling herself up for classes, which I soon learned because she was only there to learn, while some of us wanted the whole experience.
It took me a couple months to convince her to give me a chance, and even longer to open up and admit that she wanted more out of life than just wasting away in a library for the next however many years she had to go to school.
Our first kiss was in that very library, and from that moment on I knew she was going to be impossible to let go of.
My phone kept blowing up, so I finally came back to reality and decided to answer it. With my best innocent voice I acknowledged her. “Good morning, dear. How’s my beautiful girlfriend today?”
“Don’t give me that charm this morning, Parker Hutchinson. Your face is all over the Internet this morning. Do you have any idea what my parents would say if they knew that my boyfriend was busy doing keg stands when he was supposed to be studying for finals? This is exactly the kind of actions that makes them so judgmental regarding our relationship.”
“Come on, Cam. I was just unwinding. It’s no big deal.” How was I to know that people would take pictures? I mean, sure, everyone had a camera, but I hadn’t given them permission.
“When one unwinds, they don’t purposely make a mockery of themselves in public. What is this type of activity gaining you?”
“Please don’t be my mother this early in the morning.” I got that she’d been raised a certain way, but this was annoying as shit to me. I didn’t need a mom. I needed a companion. The fact that she drilled me about right and wrong was so exasperating. “Cam, I love you. I’m sorry that I let things get out of hand last night. Maybe if you would have taken a break from that library and come with me, for just a couple of hours, none of this would have happened.”
“Maybe if you didn’t feel the need to join that frat house none of this would have happened. Did you really think you’d gain something worthwhile out of that place? It’s filled with losers that party away their futures.”
“Not everyone can be on the dean’s list, babe. Besides, it was one party. Pretty soon once I get my room you’ll be able to spend the night. Calm down. I’ll meet you for breakfast in a few minutes.”
The line was quiet for a minute. “Cam, are you still there?”
“Do I really nag you?” Her voice sounded conflicted.
“It’s fine. I think it’s cute,” I lied.
“Just please be more careful, that’s all I’m bothered about. You have potential to be great. Someday we’re all going to be watching you on television throwing that ball across a field. Little parties could end that for you, and I’d hate to see that happen. I love you, Parker. I’m only thinking of our future together.”
It made me smile, even though my head was pounding. Picturing myself with Cameron in the future was easy. Making it happen was a whole different kind of ballgame.
Chapter 2
Cameron
Unlike my boyfriend, I awoke to my cell phone making a dinging sound over and over all night long. I’d been tagged in several photos while Parker was at the party, suspending himself upside down to guzzle beers, and act like a moron. For so many reasons I should have dumped him a long time ago, when he’d made the decision to act like all of the other meatheads on campus.
There was a time when I saw him as the most charming guy I’d ever met. In all honesty, he was one of the only males that had ever looked my way. I supposed for lack of better judgment, I was immediately captivated by his interest; although, the days of hi
m trying to impress me were in the past. Now I spent most of my free time trying to push some sense into his incredibly shrinking medulla oblongata.
Opposite from my boyfriend, I was raised with the knowledge of what I was going to be, and how I was to achieve it. My parents instilled me early on with the provisions that would enable me to excel.
I didn’t have a normal kind of childhood, per se. For as long as I could remember I’d been tutored on the weekends, instead of being able to run free and play like the other kids. It was okay for a while, since we lived on ten acres in a waterfront estate. Our property was too large for me to notice the kids playing next door, or hearing their laughter when they were having fun.
My fun time was going into my secret hideout underneath our back staircase with a good book. It wasn’t exactly a secret, since my parents had a contractor come in and install carpet, lighting, and bookshelves inside for me. I think I read Little Women at the age of five, and the Secret Garden sometime after that. I’d also found my dad’s stash of his favorites, including the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Sherlock Holmes. While other children were just beginning elementary school, I was learning how to become a sleuth, who solved the most heinous of crimes – in a young girl’s mind, of course. For Christmas one year I actually wrote a list for Santa that included a pipe, trench coat, and gentlemen’s hat. It was that same year when I learned that Santa was a made up character.
So, no. I never got that pipe, jacket, or hat.
My childhood wasn’t all work and no play. The maids and my nanny would sneak in fun time, with tag, or hide and go seek, albeit that’s as far as it went.
When I was ten my father opened his own firm, and spent lots of time away from the house. My mother, who is also a lawyer, had to be at his side. They sent me to boarding school in New York. At first I was petrified. You can imagine how reluctant I was to leave the only place I’d ever called home. Much to my displeasure, the conditions were far from what I was used to. I’d never been around so many girls my age before and honestly didn’t grasp how to act. I’d studied etiquette from a bunch of adults, and couldn’t comprehend that I’d seem stuck up to all the other children. They loathed me immediately, eschewing me from their little clicks. I supposed it was an effective consequence. It enabled me to remain focused on my goals. One day I knew I’d be a lawyer, who would take possession of the family firm.
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