Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page A

apart inside. I knew how she felt. When I heard another laugh from one of the men—although they were barely eighteen by the looks of them—I quickly downed the rest of my drink and said I was going to buy another round.
    I walked over to the bar and stood next to the group of men. “Hey Craig,” I said getting the barman’s attention. “Can you fill this up with another Doom Bar please.”
    “Sure thing Olly.”
    “Use the tap just in front of these ‘gentleman,’” I said. Craig nodded and moved over to the tap right in front of the group of men. They’d overheard what I’d said—as they were supposed to—and I had their attention. 
    My head faced Craig, but I directed my words at the group of boys. “What’s so funny, boys?” 
    “Hey, aren’t you Oliver Cornish?” one of them asked, ignoring my question.
    “Never mind who I am,” I said, standing up straight so they could see all six feet and five inches of my muscular frame. The tallest of their group was a good three inches smaller than me, and the muscles on all four of them put together wouldn’t match mine.
    “We can laugh if we want to,” the smallest of the four said. “It’s a free country.” 
    “Ah, you’re right, my apologies. You are free to laugh at my friend if you like. As you say, it’s a free country. Who am I to stop you?” 
    The boy tried to force a smile to celebrate his victory, but he looked nervous and knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.
    I took my pint and turned as if I was about to walk away, but then stopped and looked at them directly. “Of course, if it’s a free country, then that means—hypothetically of course—I am also free to take your heads and squeeze them between my palms until they are in the shape of a rugby ball.” 
    The boys all looked at me nervously. They weren’t about to challenge me, but they also had no idea how to get out of this situation. I almost felt sorry for them until I remembered the look on Michelle’s face. 
    “This being a free country,” I continued, “means you are also free to put down your drinks and leave. Hypothetically.” 
    One of the boys had the balls to finish his pint in one gulp, but the others just placed their glasses down on the bar and left as quickly as they could without actually running.
    “Sorry about that, Craig,” I said. “I’ll pay for the drinks they would have bought.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” Craig said. “I don’t want their sort in here anyway, and when word gets round that you popped by again I’ll get a load more business.”
    I went back to the table and saw Maisie still tucking into her food. Michelle looked at me and nodded with the slightest hint of a smile on her face. I returned the nod and went back to eating my dinner, hoping Maisie hadn’t noticed what happened.
    “You didn’t need to do that,” Maisie said, between mouthfuls.
    “Do what?” I said innocently. 
    “You can’t threaten everyone who laughs at my face. It would be a full-time job. I’m fine with it, so you should be as well.”
    “I didn’t do anything,” I lied.
    “Okay, well hypothetically , if you did then you don’t need to.”
    “Do you ever think that girl is too smart for her own good?” I asked Michelle.
    “All the damn time,” she replied. “But then I see her grades.”
    “Hey,” Maisie exclaimed. 
    “You told me you were doing well at school,” I said. 
    “It’s not my fault,” she insisted. “All the kids pick on me because of my face, so I can’t concentrate in class.” She laid on some obviously fake tears, but then gave up when she saw Michelle and I weren’t buying it. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
    I laughed and looked back to Michelle who was already staring at me. She mouthed the words “thank you” and then went back to eating. 
    I had no idea how many brownie points I needed to earn to cancel out my past transgressions, but that was my first and I intended to keep working until I