Penance (Devout Trilogy #3) - Lesli Richardson Page 0,14

retaliating. If I ask for her help, she’ll turn on me and sell me out to my father, and then tell her family I forced her to lie to maintain her relationship with them. I know she would.

There’s an equally vicious Hell to face if break Liam’s heart again.

I’ve apparently wedged myself into a crevice I can’t turn around in.

But Daniel’s been in the political world for a lot of years. Liam begs me to trust him, and I trust Liam. Yes, I trust Daniel, too, even though I know he’s still angry and hurting.

The bracelet on my right wrist jingles against my skin when I shake my hand. I want Daniel to love me. The kind of love he feels for Liam. I’d be happy with even a fraction of that love. The glimpses I’ve seen of that powerful force takes my breath away.

Climbing into bed, I text Liam good-night, and then Daniel.

Then I close my eyes and pray.

Lord, I know this is a test, but I’m honestly lost. Give me strength and hope and grace and wisdom, please. Give me a sign.

On the nightstand, my burner phone vibrates.

It’s a reply from Daniel.

Good boy. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at church. Keep making Me proud. Your patience with Me this week is appreciated and will be rewarded. :)

Isn’t that a sign?

I blink back tears. Honestly? I don’t think my father’s ever told me he’s proud of me. Not that I can recall. Maybe he’s said it to others about me to make himself look like a good dad, but the only praise like that I’ve ever received is from Liam…and Daniel.

Thank you, Sir.

I close my eyes and try to sleep and realize I’m smiling.

I don’t know what my reward will be, but a modicum of peace fills me.

It might take me until the end of my first term, but I will not spend the rest of my life with Olivia or beholden to my father.

At least I now feel like maybe God’s on the same page I am.

It’s a start.

Chapter Five

Now

Four years into my first term as a US Senator, and I’m still…stuck.

I’m still married to Olivia, and my father hasn’t kicked the bucket yet, although he’s increasingly frail.

Liam won his reelection bid and is now in his third term, and is the senior Senator from Massachusetts.

I’m now the senior senator from Georgia, because a Democrat spanked Ralph Cortland’s ass two years ago. The good thing about that is it gives me even more cover for votes I take where I side with Democrats over the GOP.

Which, to be honest, is nearly all of the votes. I don’t even blink over the RINO label anymore, even though Olivia usually yells at me in private about it.

My father publicly joins the howls of his friends when I vote like that, but Daniel and Liam have helped me deliver several choice legislative items to those same wolves, so they don’t hound me too much.

They only care about the results. I haven’t switched parties yet because Daniel wants me to stay in the GOP as his spy.

Olivia is deep in The Fellowship now, but I’m only involved in it as much as I need to be to get Daniel the information he requests. I’m walking another kind of tightrope there, being accepted and believed to be one of them while absolutely holding no loyalty to the people at all.

No, I don’t feel the slightest bit of guilt over it. I know for a fact many of the members are members because it benefits their political or professional careers, not because of some deep, genuine need to love Christ.

Like Stan Jergens. Elsbeth is completely in as a true believer, but Stan is doing it more to humor her than anything.

He confessed that to me at a private poker game after a couple of drinks.

Two other people there that night, both senators—also both drunk—agreed that was their reasoning for it.

Daniel and Liam were the fifth and sixth members of that poker game. Daniel gave me a knowing smile while our inebriated fellow players were opening their souls and their wallets.

Daniel’s generous pours might have also been a reason why they were so damned drunk to start with.

I have to travel to my main office in Georgia nearly every weekend while the Senate is in session, but Olivia’s staying behind in DC this trip because of her work.

Fine with me. Means I don’t have to deal with her griping about the weather. You’d think