Page 48 of Redeem Me

“No, he’s sad,” Siobhan insists. “You’re all so sad.”

“Show me a little tenderness, will ya, woman?” I mutter to Siobhan.

“Stop pouting, you big potato spud,” Siobhan replies and reaches across the bar top to pat my cheek. “I just found out I’m chaperoning your next date with Natasha. Feel better now?”

Leaning forward, I glare at her and ask, “Why the hell do we need a chaperone?”

“Well, no one spelled it out to me. If I were to guess, I suspect the powers that be worry you’ll do something obnoxious and cause Natasha to bail again.”

Tack chuckles behind his beer. “Chaperone.”

“Don’t tease him,” Siobhan says and flicks another peanut at our brother. “In fact, you should come along and be my date so it’s not a weird threesome.”

“I don’t want to go on a date with you.”

“I can wear a short, red wig, and you can pretend I’m Hunter.”

“That’ll never work since I’m not a drunk child.”

“Fine, but come along anyway. We can make seeing Hunter’s band part of the date.”

Tack rubs his blond bearded jaw and considers her suggestion.

Frowning at them, I ask, “Don’t I get a say in any of this shit?”

“No, baby,” Siobhan replies. “That’s what you’ve got to comprehend now. You aren’t marrying Natasha. You’re marrying the Kovak family. That’s what you signed on to years ago and what you’re getting now. Get wise, boyo, and adjust to that fact.”

“I just want to hang out with Natasha alone. No chaperones or security. Not even any kids.”

“We get it,” Tack says. “Your dick hasn’t enjoyed that woman in a long time. But her pussy comes with rules and regulations. No freebies with a Kovak daughter.”

Scowling at him, I mutter, “I had two freebies.”

“Is that all you want?” Siobhan asks and studies me with her bright blue eyes. “To fuck her in peace and then bail?”

“I know what marriage means. I just want to be alone with her. Not to fuck. To have her see only me. She can’t do that when we’re surrounded by people.”

“It’s true you can’t compete with the kids. And I’ll most definitely steal the spotlight during our double date. That’s why I’m bringing Tack to entertain you.”

“Why me?”

“Because I asked Sync and he told me to go fuck myself. I can’t play chaperone with such negativity around me.”

“There are other guys you can ask.”

“Why can’t you go?”

Snorting, I mumble, “He’s afraid you’ll fall in love with him, and he’ll have to break your heart.”

“No,” Tack mutters. “Everyone knows she’s still hooked on Sync. No one wants to waste time pursuing a woman nursing a broken heart.”

Siobhan shakes her head. “That’s not true. Many men want to date me. You never let them.”

Tack stares her right in the eye and states, “I’d let you date whoever you wanted.”

“Well, then, Indigo won’t let me. He’s always lurking around, doing his creepy Hills Chapter behavior. Also, Scarecrow scared off a guy the other day, which is extra bullshit. So, he gets two women, but I can’t even have half a man? I ought to protest. Maybe withhold my friendship and wisdom.”

Frowning at how she whips her wipe rag around and nearly knocks over my soda, I point out, “Any guy who wants you ought to be tough enough to deal with Indigo’s psycho crap or Scarecrow’s death stares.”

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