Stand of Redemption Read Online Free

His eyes avoided hers, which hadn’t concerned her, but the stern gaze of the administrator had.
    The administrator had escorted him to the door, only leaving the man when he had poin tedly said he needed to make a phone call as he went out the sliding doors. When the administrator had passed her again, ignoring her greeting, Ria had begun to get nervous. However, another call coming in had redirected her concern, sending her back outside.
    The man was just outside the door. As she passed him, his back was to her.
    “It’s Nicholas. Come and get me.” His voice had been cold and clipped. Ria had felt sorry for whoever was on the other end of the conversation.
    He had then disconnected his call, and as she’d passed him, their eyes had briefly met. The cocky, flirtatious man that had entered her ambulance was gone. Ria had almost stopped to do damage control and apologize for her remark, but she truly had felt he deserved the set-down for his behavior.
    “Let’s go, Ria!” Chase had yelled, turning on the siren and lights. She’d jumped in the ambulance, forgetting about apologizing in the rush to get to the emergency.
    It was a mistake she would regret.
    The next morning, she had been called into her office and was fired, citing her unprofessionalism. She had been dumbfounded that a man of Nicholas’s fame had resorted to having her fired because of being rejected.
    She had desperately tried to explain, but her boss had been unmoved.
    “I thank you for your service to our company, but we will not allow that type of behavior from any of our employees,” her boss had replied.
    Ria had looked at her boss, begging for another chance. “Mr. Lyon, I’m sorry for my outburst; it was completely inappropriate.”
    “Get your things and get out.”
    She had quickly cleared her things and gotten out as fast as she could. She had unsuccessfully applied to the only two other ambulance companies in the city. With her bills skyrocketing and her mother’s condition worsening, she had been left with no choice other than to take the job at the bar. Her pride had taken a hit, but it was worth it when she was able to pay the rent. Nicholas Brooks might be the local idol, but to her there was nothing to admire. He was no hero.

 
    Chapter 3
     
    Now, she tried to look at him without drawing his attention.
    He was sitting in a booth across from a blond. He was wearing a sling. She assumed it would be coming off in the next couple of weeks. She wondered how long it would be before he could start fighting again.
    “How bad was the break?” she asked Lacey.
    “It was clean. I think the doctor said he’d be in a cast for four weeks, and then the sling u ntil it healed. Dr. Hilliard said he should take at least three months before trying to fight again, but he also said he wants to check it before he starts training.
    “Have you thought about approaching him and apologizing? Maybe he would be willing to help you get your job back.” Lacey looked at her inquisitively.
    “I would rather wait tables than apologize to that jerk,” Ria responded with a frown.
    “Okay, but I think you’re making a mistake. Of course, I didn’t realize you were enjoying your new job so much,” Lacey retorted.
    “I’m not.” Ria felt her temper rising as she thought of him getting her fired just because of her rejecting him. “I’m not, but I’m sure as hell not going to ask him for a favor, either. He should be apologizing to me!”
    “Are you kidding me? You know jocks don’t like to be rejected. You could have handled the situation differently.” Ria saw the fire in Lacey’s eyes again. It was clear that her reasoning didn’t explain her poor behavior in her eyes. Lacey would never understand. When she looked at men, her cold gaze intimated them, while they felt they had free rein to slide suggestive comments Ria’s way.
    “You’re the one that told me to stand up for myself more!” Ria fired back.
    “I meant when we were in a bar