by India Kells
The cold, sharp wind was like a curse, and the contrast to the warm indoor temperature felt almost painful, but Liam didn’t mind. It was his city. Once inside, Chewy shook himself and pulled on his leash toward the stairs. Liam released him and the dog bolted up. Liam took a bit more time, his leg lancing with pain. Although hurting, he felt steadier now, but feared that as soon as he saw Catriona, his inner peace would be just a memory.
And how right he’d been. Chewy had pushed the cracked door open, and it was her smile as she greeted them that hit like a punch in his gut.
“I made coffee if you want some. You two must be chilly after your walk, but no coffee for this beautiful dog. I’ll buy some cookies for you instead when I get a chance.” The dog lapped at her face as she cooed at Chewy, and she giggled. Liam was a sucker for the sound but refused to focus on it. Partners. He’d treat her as his partner and suck it up.
As they settled, he poured himself a cup and went to the window. At times during his stroll, it was as if someone was on his heels. The feeling followed him several times, and as he couldn’t run with his knee, he made a few detours, but hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary. Through the glass, he observed the snowy street and sidewalks, as well as surrounding buildings, and still, everything was calm and peaceful. Only, for the briefest moment, a flicker caught his eye on the corner of a building as if someone had hidden swiftly from sight. Unsure if he was seeing things and taking a mental note to ask Aleksei to keep an eye on any potential stalkers, he went to sit on the opposite side of the table as another matter has to be discussed. “Listen, we need to talk about something, about what happened this morning.”
Catriona cringed at his words. “If you’re referring to me going out without telling you first, no need. I understand now. Shortly after you left, Deva popped in and explained a few points, bringing me up to speed. I was foolish to believe that danger would only come to us at night or that I would be spared because I remain in the background. Most of my work has been on straightforward cases, and there wasn’t any danger. Thanks to Deva, I see now how dangerous it was, and why Aleksei was so angry with me, and why he followed me until I came back. Bad guys aren’t like in the movies, that’s something I’ll remember from now on. Please accept my apologies, Liam. I won’t do it again.”
Liam had expected and prepared for a much tougher fight to make her understand the situation. It was like preparing to ram through a closed door, and at the last second, find out it had been open all along. “I’m not forbidding you to go out. You just have to tell one of us what you’re planning. If you want to go to church in the morning, let me know and I’ll accompany you.”
She looked at him with her amber eyes before finally nodding. “Thank you. It’s not that it’s an obligation of any sort, but I feel that my mind is clearer after I sit there for a moment.”
“Well, if it helps you solve our case even faster, count me in as your church companion from now on.”
Her smile returned full force, and Liam felt almost compelled to toss the table between them aside and pull her against him. Instead, he turned to the task at hand. Work was all that mattered.
“How is the paperwork going? Can you make sense of any of it?”
For the first time since he’d met her, a deep frown marred her face, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she sighed.
“There’s so much data, what I have to do first is put everything in order. After that, I’ll be able to see clearer for sure. I also need bank statements. And for that, we need a warrant.”
“Yeah, I’m ahead on you on that. As soon as the case against Finch became official, I started the paperwork. So far the process has been incredibly slow.”
Catriona nodded. “It will take time. Unfortunately, you’ll have to be patient.”
With a sigh, Liam nodded, but she was right. This was unfortunate. However logical it was, so much weighed in his theory about the fact that if he could find and cut off every single money source of Finch, it would force him to come out of hiding, and they could finally end this madness once and for all.
His phone buzzed, and he took a quick look to see a text message from Sasha Landry, Deva’s cousin and their unofficial family doctor. She wasn’t only a doctor, but she was currently keeping a watchful eye on Lazarus King, his brother who’d been severely wounded trying to stop Finch and was now in a coma. He read the text that was addressed to all the brothers.
Bad night. Fighting a pulmonary infection. Under medication. Will keep you posted.
Concise, the message made him lock his jaw. That meant that Oz was in danger from another front. He’d hoped to see him stabilized enough to be transported to a more secure location. Until then, he, Sam, and Kai were rotating shifts at his bedside with Sasha in a private room arranged by Archer. Aleksei took the night shift mostly, only being present during the day when there weren’t other options, as his link to the mafia was still too problematic for him to be there during the day. Even secluded as Oz was, there was still a risk that someone could find their way inside the room and kill him. With money, there was little Finch couldn’t do, and if money wasn’t an option, threats were his second-best tool.
“What’s going on?”
Liam looked up, having forgotten Catriona’s presence for the first time since he’d met her. “My brother at the hospital. He’s not doing well.”
Even if he hadn’t known Lazarus for long, Liam’s throat closed at the thought of losing him. He’d been the leader, the one who was supposed to be Finch’s heir, but instead, decided to fight him. He’d searched and reached out to all the children Finch had sired over the years, only sons, six of them, and his quest had become the brothers’ too.
He was trying to shake the bad feeling settling in his gut when he sensed Catriona moving about, shutting down her computer and putting the papers in a neat pile. “What are you doing?”
“We’re going to the hospital to see your brother.”
Liam shook his head. “No need. There’s nothing we can do for him for the time being. And the more we’re out and about, the more we risk an attack.”
The nun didn’t even slow down and went to grab her coat. Chewy bounced up, always ready for another outing. “Life is dangerous, but family is more important. I was an orphan so it may be different for you, but if I had a brother and he was in the hospital, I’d need to see him.”
Liam hesitated. “He’s in a coma. He won’t even know I’m there.”
Instead of replying to this remark, she handed him his coat. “You won’t admit it, but the look on your face tells me how much you want to go and see him. You’re worried and distracted, and that makes me worried and distracted.”
“He’s not your brother.”
As he was coming to learn, Catriona’s response wasn’t the one he was hoping to provoke. Instead of being irritated, an angelic smile blossomed. “I know. But he is yours, and even if I’ve only met one of your brothers so far, it’s obvious that you care for each other, although you express it like grumpy bears.”
At that, his eyebrows went up. “Bears?”
She caressed Chewy’s head, who was repeatedly bumping her knees, as if asking her to hurry along. “You know what I mean.”
Even if it was uncomfortable to acknowledge it, he couldn’t do anything else but agree and put his coat on. “I’m usually not this compliant. You’ve got me on a very good day.”
She mocked a surprised face. “Is that a joke? Goodness, please hide that smirk, or they might as well keep you in the hospital’s mental ward.”
Giving a treat to Chewy who would remain behind, Liam bit back a smile and told himself to keep his head in the game, as now the circle of people he had to protect had just become bigger.
Chapter Seven
This wasn’t a good idea. Liam knew it from the moment they drove out of Aleksei’s building. Was it the shadow he’d guessed at earlier that triggered his gloomy thoughts and raised his shield?
As they walked inside the ho
spital, Liam hated the fact they were so exposed, not knowing if any risks were lurking, and most of all, still having the pain in his knee that made him limp and reminded him of his wound with each step.
It was obvious Catriona was adjusting her gait to his, and that pissed him off even more. The only blessing was that it was daylight in a public place, and the last thing Finch needed was an unwanted spotlight on himself.
Lazarus’ room was at the end of the corridor on the tenth floor, which gave the brothers a defensive position. Not perfect, but the best they could do until they could move him to a safer location.
Sam was standing guard outside the door. Leaning against the wall, he didn’t appear to be looking their way, but his cool, almost bored demeanor could fool anyone but him.
When they almost reached the door, Sam pushed himself off the wall and nodded at them. He looked tired and pale when he finally acknowledged their presence.
“I guessed you’d show up after Sasha’s last message.” Sam nodded at him before turning his attention to Catriona. “And this is the numbers genius who is willing to help us stop this madness.”
If they’d been said in another tone, the words would’ve been mistaken as praise, but there was enough disbelief in Sam’s voice to see he didn’t have faith in her. His stance was almost menacing as he approached them, towering over her. Liam instinctively moved closer to Catriona, even though intellectually he knew his brother wouldn’t hurt her.
Sam arched an eyebrow at him, a clear question on his face. Liam frowned, not willing to offer an explanation.
They must have stood there staring at each other longer than he realized because Catriona stepped between them.
With her angelic face, Liam thought she’d have cowed away because she was at a disadvantage between the two of them, but instead, not showing any signs of fear, and even taking Sam’s big hand between the two of them.
“You’re either Sam or Kai, from what I’ve been told. I guess that you’re Sam. I was told Kai was a bit of a joker, but I see sorrow and so much hardship in your eyes. I hate to see you in so much pain.”
Liam was amazed to see several emotions cross Sam’s face, as if his brother had been caught with his emotional pants down.
The tough man he knew, the one who’d indeed experienced a hard life at Finch’s hands as a child, and even more tragedy during his time in the special forces, suddenly looked vulnerable.
Sam seemed unsure how to react to Catriona, and that was a first. It was apparent he felt like a deer caught in the headlights and was searching for a way out.
“I am Sam. Sam Sarkhan. And you’re Catriona Walsh.”
Liam smirked. “Sister Walsh to you. Our money sniffer extraordinaire.”
Baffled, Sam looked at his brother, and even though Liam thought his remark would piss the little nun off, she laughed, and made her way to the door without bothering to correct his statement.
Liam would have to find another manner to dim her light because he found it more difficult to resist her siren song, and it seemed it was the same with his brothers.
When Liam followed her into the room, his heart dropped like a block of granite, and he felt nauseous at the sight of his brother immobile on the hospital bed, hooked up to even more machines than before. Being wounded or killed was a daily threat in his line of work, and the pain in his knee was a constant reminder of the risks he encountered. However, this wasn’t a coworker or a friend, but his brother; the only family he had left. Pale and drawn under his black beard, Oz looked too vulnerable, and it made him even angrier at Finch.
A soft hand on his hand brought him back to where he was, and he had to rein in his emotions as Catriona moved closer.
“Liam.”
His name spoken so softly wrenched his heart and, instead of answering her, he looked around. “Where’s Sasha?”
He knew the blond doctor hadn’t been far from Oz’s side from the moment he’d been wounded. Sasha Landry wasn’t only Deva’s cousin and thus family to them, but she’d been an asset to his brothers and himself, offering medical attention when they’d needed it. She understood how important this mission was to their survival.
As if on cue, Sasha came back into the room, a hot coffee in her hand. The Cajun woman looked as if the spark that defined her character had dimmed. With dark circles under her eyes and her skin a sickly green, she looked nothing like the vibrant woman Liam had first met. For a doctor who’d worked in war zones all her career, it was clear that Oz’s latest setback had been worse than what she’d communicated to them.
“Hey, Liam. I didn’t know you were coming, or I would’ve brought you a coffee. I’m not feeling generous enough to offer you mine.”
He could detect her usual sarcasm, but it had lost most of its bite, and that was another cause for worry. Before he could ask if she was okay, Sasha turned to Catriona. “Hi, I’m Sasha Landry. I’m these guys’ personal doctor, or so it seems at times.”
Catriona brightened. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Gabrielle.”
“Nothing much to tell nowadays. I don’t think I remember my life before I met the brothers.” She took a sip of her cup as she went to check the monitors and adjust something on one of the screens before gently touching Lazarus’ brow. “He still has a fever, but it’s not as high as last night. If it doesn’t go down or spikes again, there’s a risk fluid will accumulate in his lungs.”
“How bad was last night?”
Sasha sighed and half-sat on the bed, her hand touching Lazarus’. Liam had seen the love-hate relationship between Sasha and Lazarus, and the beautiful doctor seemed to have decided on a ceasefire between them, for now at least.
“The fever was unexpected. He was doing so well, and I was hopeful with his progress. We’re running some tests as I suspect he may be fighting an infection of some sort.”
“An infection? That’s all?”
“It better be, because I don’t like the other option.”
Catriona rounded to the opposite side of the bed. “What would that option be?”
Sasha looked gloomy. “The other option would mean his system is shutting down.” She turned to look at Lazarus, grim determination on her face. “And it better not be, because I can still kick his stubborn ass, even if he is in a coma.”
Liam saw how Sasha was holding down the fort, and Catriona offered endless compassion by taking his brother’s hand in hers, even though he didn’t know it.
Standing in the middle of the room, Liam was unsure what to do. Should he hold his hand too? Lazarus was his brother, but as his concept of family was skewed from early childhood, apart from loyalty and a manly tap on the back, he didn’t know the appropriate behavior in this situation.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about it as Sasha came and offered him her half-drunk coffee that he declined. The doctor went to the window and he followed, keeping his voice low. He glanced back at Catriona, and she was still holding Lazarus’ hand and whispering to him, her angelic face close to his as if in confidence.
“She the financial miracle worker Gabrielle was talking about?”
“Yeah, she sicced her on me, as I’d already started digging. Also, Sam and Kai were already on guard duty with you, and Archer and Aleksei are trying to manage everything else, including your safety.”
“This girl doesn’t need more protection. I’m mostly here with your dead weight of a brother, with Sam or Kai, and even Aleksei watching over me. You guys are stifling at best.”
It was hard keeping his calm, and his voice low at her words when all Liam wanted to do was shake her. “Stifling? You haven’t seen the half of it. Do you think I like seeing Oz like that because we took a risk and failed? Do you think that Oz or any of us would put you on the front line for your pride and comfort? That fucker Finch got us even with our guard up. Oz wouldn’t want to risk you, so you can’t ask me to dismiss your safety either, Sasha.”
He noticed the sudden flare in her pale eyes in reaction, but her
gaze flickered to Lazarus before she sighed deeply. “I’ve come to hate that father of yours and how he’s uprooted all our lives. I’ve seen enough violence in my life to despise it, but I wouldn’t be against shooting him in the head if I ever came face to face with him.”
“And I’d give you the gun to do it, but until we have that opportunity, don’t put more strain on us than necessary. Please, Sasha. We need you to see this through.”
“You’re not playing fair, Liam. But I wouldn’t either if I needed to protect Deva. Here’s what I can promise, I’ll stick around until Oz wakes and is secure in a safehouse. Deal?”
Liam knew when to push and when to retreat, and there would always be time to renegotiate the deal between them later.
The doctor retreated back to the bed, and Liam went to Catriona. She’d stopped speaking, but he still could see her lips moving, probably in a prayer. His eyes slid to his brother, and for the first time since Lazarus was injured and lying there like the dead, he reached out and touched his forearm. He felt warm and strong still. The contact steadied him, bringing him a sense of peace and control he’d lost lately. He also made a silent promise to see this through, to keep everything going until Oz was awake and back leading the operation. Unless he brought Finch down in the meantime.
Catriona softly stepped away, leaving Lazarus’ side, putting her hand on Liam’s back, and his gut tightened at the gentleness. However, it was the wave of lust for the forbidden woman that shattered all his newfound peace and made him feel like a fucking pervert.
Releasing Lazarus, Liam stepped aside to put much-needed space between the little nun and himself. He needed to go, but felt terrible at abandoning his brother so soon, and leaving Sasha, who was sacrificing for his family, to carry the load.
Sasha resumed her seat by his brother's side and frowned when she touched his brow with her hand. Immediately, she jumped up to check the monitors.
