Redemption Read Online Free Page B

to run out.
    She made her way to the door of the bar, and as it creaked open, the light flickered on.
    “Surprise!” A crowd of bar dwellers yelled at the top of their drunken lungs.
    Lily made her way through the crowd, trying to act surprised until she found Renee.
    “You surprised?” Renee hugged Lily while jumping up and down in excitement.
    “I could wake up tomorrow morning with my head glued to the carpet and I wouldn’t be more surprised than I am right now.”
    Renee let go of her. “You’re making jokes.”
    “You know me.”
    “Good. Present time. I have something to add to your movie collection.” Renee grabbed a package wrapped in white Christmas paper from behind the bar. “I hope you don’t have it already.”
    Lily ripped off the paper to reveal The Jason Bourne Collection. “You know me too well. I hadn’t bought this yet.”
    “Yep, it’s all three movies plus a bunch of extra stuff. Plus, I know how you have a thing for Matt Damon. I thought this would be better than the Ocean’s collection, because you get to see more of Matt kicking ass.”
    “Thanks, it’s perfect.” She hugged Renee in thanks and caught the scent of seventy year old malt whiskey.
    “You didn’t…”
    Renee grabbed the bottle from beneath the bar. “I don’t know why you like this stuff, but Dad got a hold of it and knew you’d love it.”
    Erik made his way over to the two of them through the drunken crowd. His stocky build and salt and pepper hair were always a comfort to Lily. Erik swooped her up into a bear hug. “Happy birthday, sweetness. We’re glad you didn’t take off before we could give you a proper party this year.”
    In many years past, she had always ducked out by the thirty-first, knowing her cold weather family would want to make a spectacle of her birth. Little did they know how old she really was.
    “How old are we actually this year?” Erik inquired, while going around the bar to pour her present.
    “How old do I look?”
    “You don’t look a day over twenty-five, but I know you must be older.”
    “Nope, eternally twenty-five. I won’t have it any other way.” Lily grinned as she saw the whiskey slowly poured into the glass. One finger, two fingers, three fingers, four...
    One of Lily’s only human pleasures that she would partake of on a regular basis was the fine gift of alcohol. It was the only thing besides blood that had any flavor for her, as her taste buds had a very limited range. For some reason, single malt whiskey was one of her favorites.
    She reached for the glass, pressed it to her lips and let the scent engulf her senses. The aroma tantalized every muscle, played with every cell and danced with every fiber. She let a mouthful slip down her throat, enveloping her mind and body.
    “Mmmmmmmm… A very good birthday. Thanks, Erik.”
    “You’re welcome, sweetness. Now, as they say, let’s get this party started.”
    The bar’s lights went down and a tremendous light show began. Colors sparkling off the crystal ball that had replaced the antler chandelier. Music boomed from a large speaker in the corner as Erik was now playing DJ. Lily hugged Renee while pulling her to the dance floor; because if Lily was dancing, everyone else would have to join in.

After he searched the townhouse for over an hour in vain, Ian realized that almost everything he needed for an arctic trek was sitting in his parent’s guest house. He begrudgingly accepted the fact that in order to retrieve his things, it was now mandatory that he make an appearance at his parent’s party.
    His black Armani suit hung lazily in the closet. He had hoped the next time he pulled it on would be to celebrate a very different kind of occasion. He retrieved it from the closet and laid it across the bed.
    Taking a whiff of himself, he realized he reeked of sweat and wine. It was long past time for a shower and a heavy dose of sobering up.
    He stripped off his t-shirt and jeans, discarding them on the