Redeeming (Red Lips & White Lies Book 2)

Maddox

You sure you don’t want me to come with you?

Callen

Thanks, man. But I’m good.

Maddox

If you survive, do I get to be the best man?

Callen

You’re a dick.

Maddox

Yeah. And . . . ?

I should still be the best man. I mean, there was that one hit. But in over twenty-five years of friendship, I’m pretty sure that’s not bad. I mean, seriously. I broke Rome’s arm once.

Callen

We were ten, and you pushed him off the roof of the garage. You’re lucky that’s all he broke.

Maddox

He was gonna jump anyway.

Callen

Fine. You can be my best man. Now I’ve got to go jump off a roof.

—Text from Maddox to Callen.

Iwait for Jude to drive Caitlin over to Adelaide’s house for book club before I head over to Sam and Amelia’s house with Cait’s engagement ring burning a hole in my pocket. With only six weeks left before her due date, I’ve put off talking to Sam as long as I can. Time to man the fuck up and get this shit over with.

Hopefully, he doesn’t shoot me.

When Lucky answers the door with a smart-ass look plastered on his face, I fucking cringe. “Hey Ma—” he calls out. “Better put away the crystal. Callen’s here.”

“Always gotta be a little dick,” I grumble, and this crazy fucker grins bigger.

“Big dick, Sinclair. I’m a big dick with a big dick.”

Amelia moves behind him and slaps the back of his head. “If a man has to brag, he’s overcompensating, dear. Try to keep that in mind when you decide to remember how to behave one day. Now get out of here.”

“Ma—”

“Luciano, I said go.” And the look she gives me when I laugh says it all.

It also says shut the fuck up, so I do.

“Callen . . . is my daughter with you?” I know she wants me to help her bring Caitlin and Sam back together, but Cait hasn’t been willing to even discuss it. I’ve tried.

I can’t imagine going four months without speaking to my father, but I understand where she’s coming from. Pain is a bitch. It’s hard to fight and harder to forget. And in my girl’s eyes, the pain started with him.

“No. She’s with Adelaide and Bellamy for book club. I wanted to see if I could speak with Sam.” I tell her as she opens the door wider and invites me in.

Amelia’s eyes narrow, and she bites down on her lips. “You can. But be warned, Cade and Becket are here. They’re in the back playing poker.”

Fuck me.

“Want to change your mind, Callen?” she challenges with a smile.

“No, ma’am.” I mean, I could have hoped for better timing, but why would anything about us be easy. I shouldn’t have expected it to start now.

She tugs me in for a quick hug and wipes her eye. “Be good to my baby, Callen.”

Guess I know where Caitlin gets her awareness from. Amelia Beneventi can read a room.

When she walks me into the den, Sam, Killian’s father, Cade, and Kenzi’s surrogate dad, Becket, all look up. It’s like the start of a bad joke.

A mafia boss, an MMA champ, and a US Senator walk into a bar . . .

“Callen would like a minute, Sam.” I look at Amelia, who’s practically giddy, and I wonder if it’s because she knows I’m asking Caitlin to marry me or if it’s because she’s having fun throwing me to the fucking wolves.

“Don’t kill him, Sam. Scarlet has a lot of money invested in next year’s team,” Cade tells him. Seriously? The Kings’ GM’s husband doesn’t want me dead because I make his wife a lot of money. Good to know.

“I can make him disappear if you do it,” Becket smiles, and I take it. I’ve known these men my whole fucking life. I know how close they are, and I know what they’re like. I also know I’ve protected each and every one of their daughters at one time or another, and whether they want to admit it or not, they respect me. So bring it on.

“I can do this here, or we can take it somewhere else,” I tell Sam, cocky as hell, because with or without his permission, I’m marrying his daughter. “It’s up to you.”

Sam bares his teeth, and the others laugh.

“Welcome to hell, prince.” Becket sits back with his hands behind his head and gets comfortable, while Cade gets up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Becket asks.

Cade grabs a bottle of scotch that costs more than my first car—and it was a decent car— and holds it up. “We need more alcohol for this.”

“Why?” Becket laughs. “It’s not like he can knock her up more.”

“Assholes,” Sam cuts them both a glare.

These are his people.

The guys he could always be himself with.

That was always Maddox and their daughters for me.

But they’re not my people.

“Watch it,” I growl, not liking anyone referring to Caitlin as knocked-up.

They sit up and take notice, and I’m officially over this. “I’d like your permission to marry your daughter.”

“Oh shit . . .” Tweedledee and Tweedledumb sit back and take notice.

“Excuse me?” Sam doesn’t bother to stand—he just turns to face me. He doesn’t need a position of power to be powerful, and he knows it.

“I’m going to marry Caitlin. I’d like to do it with your blessing. But I’m going to do it either way. I love her. She’s going to be the mother of my baby. They’re mine to take care of. Mine to protect. They already are. But I’d like to do it right.”

“Might have wanted to wait to knock her up until after you had a ring on her finger, Sinclair,” Becket warns, and I have my hand wrapped around his throat so fast he doesn’t see it coming.

“Say it again, Senator. I dare you. Talk about her like that one more time,” I warn him, and Sam grabs my shoulders and pulls me back.

“Let go, Callen,” he says very calmly, and I drop my hands, seeing fucking red and completely over this bullshit.

I never loose my cool, but when it comes to my woman, I go from zero to you’re going to fucking die real quick.

“This was a bad idea. Listen, I’m marrying your daughter. It would be really nice if you could make things right with her so you could be in her life. As someone who came close to losing his father this year, I would hate for Cait to lose you. And for the baby not to have you. But that’s up to you. Fix it with her or don’t. Your call, Sam.”

I turn to leave but see Amelia standing in the doorway, glaring.

Pretty sure she’s not glaring at me.

“Callen, stop.” Sam crosses the room until he’s standing in front of me. “You’d marry her without my blessing or my permission?”

I look him in the eye and refuse to back down. “I’d marry her tonight if she’d let me.”

“Good . . . To keep her safe from this world, you’re going to need that kind of strength,” Sam tells me.

“And those bigass balls too, kid,” Becket adds. “You know that was a federal offense, right?”

“No, it was not, Becket,” Amelia scolds her brother. “Stop being a little baby, and don’t make me hurt you for saying Caitlin is knocked-up again. Have a little class.”

“I was just playing,” Becket mumbles, while Sam and I stare at each other.

“I’ve tried to talk to her, you know. She won’t call me back,” Sam looks from his wife to me, obviously uncomfortable with all of this. “I love my daughter and my family, and I was trying to protect them the only way I know how.”

Amelia wraps her arm around my shoulders and squeezes me like I’m one of her boys. “Try harder, Sam. I will not miss out on one single second of my first grandbaby’s life because of you and your business.”

“So, do I have your permission?”

“You don’t need my permission, Callen. But you have my blessing. Keep her safe.” He offers me his hand.

“And maybe try not to assault any more US Senators,” Becket adds.

“Time to shut up, man,” Cade tells him, and I decide it’s time for me to go.

I’ve got better things to do tonight.