His heart tugged at her words. He had been angry with her at spilling the beans to his mom, but it had really been himself that he was mad at. Meg had nothing to do with that. And if he didn’t want his mom to know, he likely should have said something.
“I know I’m a dick,” Liam said and swiped a hand down his face. “I’m used to keeping things in and dealing with this shit on my own.”
He reached out and tried to take her hand, but she pulled away.
“You were right,” he sighed. “I shouldn’t have secrets from my mom. Hell, anymore I’m not even sure who I’m trying to protect. Her or myself.”
A glimmer of hope surfaced when she turned to look at him. Liam pulled up to her parents’ house and parked the car.
They sat quietly like that for a long moment before she spoke.
“I liked your mom,” she said quietly. “I think she can handle far more than you give her credit for.”
He nodded.
Meg opened the door and put one foot out. She stopped to look at him for a second.
“And you’re right, you are a dick.”
Meg climbed out of the car and walked up to her parents’ house. Yes, she was being childish, but he had it coming. She hadn’t waited years to be a part of his life, only to have certain parts closed off. Nope. This was an all or nothing sort of relationship. He either gave her all, or she was going to walk.
“Meg,” he said, trotting after her. “Can’t we talk about this?”
She stopped on her way up the sidewalk and turned to him. “I won’t be shut out,” she said quietly. “If you’re with me, then you can’t ever shut me out of part of your life. I don’t want half a relationship. If you can’t give me more, then let me know. I’ll make the plans for London.”
A few tears leaked from her eyes, and she cursed them.
“Hey,” he said and gathered her into his arms. “I am sorry, and you’ve got me. All of me.”
She shook her head. “You shouldn’t have to hide things from people,” she sniffed. “Especially those that love you.”
He squeezed her tight and sighed. “I know.”
Meg buried her head into his chest and breathed in the soap that still clung to his skin.
“Meg?” her mother called into the dark.
She blushed and pulled away from him. Last thing she needed was her mother to see her crying out there.
“Coming,” she called.
As they made their way to the door, she could see her mother putting together the pieces. She pressed her lips together.
“Hello, Liam,” her mother said tightly.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Meg said. “Just a stupid spat.” She took his hand and smiled.
Her mother looked between the two of them and shook her head.
“Well, I suppose you should both get used to it,” she sighed. “Neither one of you use the sense God gave you.”
“Hey.” Meg frowned. “That’s not true.”
Her mother raised a brow. “Oh, really? And how long did it take for you to get together?”
Meg closed her mouth and stepped back. She really didn’t have much to say to that.
“Well, let’s get this over with,” her mother sighed. “I can’t believe you’d take my baby like this. How’s Harley ever going to see his girlfriends? That damn Max is going to swoop in and steal his thunder.”
Meg nearly choked on her laugh as her mother continued to rage about Max and his dirty paws.
“Wait,” her father said, coming into the room with Harley. “Who’s Max?”
Her mother scowled at the name. “Mr. Healy’s boxer. I just don’t trust him not to break their hearts.”
Meg grinned when her father frown and tutted. “I never did trust that Healy.”
“Oh you.” Meg’s mom swatted his arm. “You think you’re so funny.”
Her father winked at Meg before sitting in his chair.
Meg dropped to the floor to rub the big dog. “Hey, big man,” she cooed at him. “You had enough of these crazy people?”
Harley thumped his tail.
Meg laughed.
“I’m going to need to take his food.” She stood.
Her mom nodded, and Liam followed to carry the large bag.
“They have any clue about who caused the fire?” her father asked. He kept his voice low, and Meg suspected that her mother didn’t know what had happened.
Meg shook her head. “Nothing so far. Kace and Reed and trying to sniff out clues, but it’s getting them nowhere.”
Her father shook his head. “Well, we’re real worried about you, but we trust Liam. He’ll keep you safe.” He glanced at the kitchen.
Meg nodded. Liam might be a dick sometimes, but he would keep her safe.
“So.” Her dad grinned. “Was I right?”
Meg rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she said grudgingly.
He laughed at her antics. “Well it wasn’t a hard guess. I was there when he first saw you. It was like sparks went off around him and reminded me of how I felt.”
“It’s not going to be easy though.” She sighed.
She frowned when he laughed. “Well of course it’s not. That’s lust. Love is a hell of a lot of work,” he said and placed a hand on her shoulder. “But the rewards are like nothing else.”
Meg nodded. More than anything, she longed for the kind of relationship her parents shared. Years of marriage and they still loved one another.
“You ready?” Liam said from behind her.
Startled, she turned around to him. Try as she might, Meg loved him, whether he was showing her how special he thought she was or if he was being unreasonable. She loved him in all forms because that was Liam.
“Yeah.” She smiled at him. “Let’s go.”
*
They drove quietly to Liam’s house. Harley panted in the back, his black nose pressed to the crack in the window. Liam watched as she reached around and scratched the dog’s fluffy black head. That dog was the biggest baby he’d ever seen. It was funny. He’d never really thought of himself as having a dog, but Liam knew they were a package deal. Not that he had anything against dogs. When he was a boy, his mother had been far too poor, and as an adult he wasn’t exactly rolling in the dough, even if though he’d done better in recent years, and it didn’t help that his apartment was about the size of a box. A dog like that would never fit in his place long term.
Liam frowned slightly. That would likely mean that as time went on, they would spend most of their time at Meg’s house. Not that he minded. He actually liked the cute little house. She had saved for as long as anyone could remember and when it came on the market, she snatched it up. Her dad had helped with many of the renovations, but Liam knew there was still quite a bit of work to do, something he wouldn’t mind helping with, especially if he was going to move in there some day.
His heart kicked up at the thought of that. Wasn’t it a little early to think that way? Of course, they had known each other for years, and her brothers hadn’t exactly gone the slow route.
He looked over at her. She was so young, but he wondered if she’d ever thought about them living together.
For now, though, he was just glad she seemed to have forgiven him for his hurtful words earlier. His mother had always been a hard spot for him. Without a father, he had been the one to take care of her. Not that she wanted him to, but no one else seemed to want to step into the roll. Sure, Mr. Hernandez would come over for dinner sometimes, but it just seemed like that was the extent of their relationship.
He sighed.
“Long day,” Meg said as they pulled onto his street.
He nodded and glanced over at her. “Are we good?”
She reached across and placed her hand in his. “We’re good. Just don’t shut me out.”
He squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips. “Don’t let me shut you out.”
He kissed her hand and sat it back in the seat.
“Deal.” She smiled.
&
nbsp; They pulled into the driveway and climbed out. Harley nearly shoved him out of the way to check out the yard.
“Ox,” he muttered.
Liam slammed the door, came over to Meg’s side and leaned against the door next to her. They watched in quiet silence as the dog moved in and out of the shadows in the dark yard, sniffing everything in sight. They laughed when he hopped around the yard after a bug in the grass.
“I’m going to get a beer, want one?” he said to her.
When she turned in the moonlight and smiled at him, he felt his traitorous lower region kick into gear.
“Sure,” she said and turned back to watch the dog.
Liam shook himself free of her intoxication and walked to the house. A cold beer might work just as well as a cold shower. Either that or they could finish their beers and take things to the bedroom to work it out.
He grinned as he reached the door, thinking of all the things he wanted to do to her.
Liam unlocked the door and strolled into the tiny space. He didn’t bother with the light until he reached the kitchen. He froze as he assessed the situation. The back kitchen door stood wide open. Glass from the window littered the floor.
Liam pulled out his gun and started making his way through the small space. The positive thing about having a small place was there weren’t many places to hide. As he made the final pass through to his room, he let out a sigh. The place was thrashed but empty.
He kicked a few things on the floor and frowned. Just like Meg’s house, there was nothing taken, just papers everywhere.
Bewildered, he walked back through the house to the front door.
“You’re not going to believe this,” he said as he reached the door.
Liam ducked as bullet ricocheted off the door frame above his head.
“Get down,” he yelled to Meg.
He watched as she dropped to the ground, but her position still left her fully exposed to the shooter. Bullets rained down on them, slapping at the ground in front of both the house and Meg. Just a little closer, and she’d be the one taking the bullets.
The night went silent. He didn’t dare move. It could be that from where they were, the shooter couldn’t get a clear shot, and all he needed was a little movement to target them properly. He peered into the darkness of the wooded area that seemed to be the source of the shots. He swore if he found the bastard, he wouldn’t hold back.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Meg move. Just slightly. It wasn’t until he saw her gun that he knew what she was up to, but it was too late. That was all the shooter needed. She pulled the trigger just as another shot rang out from the woods.
“No!” he screamed. The loud gunfire swallowed his voice.
In awe, he watched as Harley rushed around the danger zone, his mission clear, get to Meg. One giant leap and the dog was on top of her.
The gunfire stopped, and he wondered if they were reloading. The wail of sirens ripped through the air, and Liam knew it was only a matter of minutes before the police got there.
“I got him.” Meg worked her way from under the massive dog.
Liam raced to her from the house.
“You’re bleeding,” he said. Blood soaked her skirt and ran down her leg.
“No, I’m— Oh my God, Harley!” Meg dropped to her dog who was now lying still in the dirt.
Liam stooped down next to her.
“He’s alive,” she cried. Blood coated her whole body, and Liam knew this wasn’t going to be good.
He tore off his shirt and wadded it in the spot where Harley seemed to be bleeding from. Not wasting any time, he threw open the door to the backseat and hefted the dog into the back.
“Get in and put pressure on the wound,” he said and ran to the driver’s side.
He could hear the police getting closer, but there wouldn’t be any time for them. And if he knew anything, there were going to be far too many questions before they would be free to go. The best thing he could do was call Kace and hope he’d be able to smooth things over.
“This is getting to be a habit,” Kace grumbled into the phone.
“We were shot at,” Liam said as he sped through the darkened streets.
“Is Meg okay?” Kace said into the phone. All pretense of his previous teasing was gone.
“We’ve had to leave the house,” he said and took a sharp turn. He checked the mirror and saw Meg silently crying in the back. “Harley protected Meg and was hit. Police were nearly there. We made a choice. Can you deal?”
“You left the scene?” Kace groaned.
“He’s dying,” Liam said quietly into the phone. “That dog just saved her life. He’s not fucking dying on my watch.”
The line went quiet, and he wondered what the former cop would do if he knew what Liam had planned for this bastard. Maybe Liam was more like this brother than he thought. His taste for vengeance seemed about the same.
“I can deal,” Kace said after some time. “What about the shooter?”
Liam glanced in the mirror as they made another turn. They were close to the emergency animal clinic he’d seen.
“Meg said she hit him. So tell them to check the woods, but I’m guessing he’s long gone,” he said. “I’ll ask Finn to look around. This is starting to smell more organized. Maybe even the Russians.”
The phone went quiet again, and he wondered if Kace had just hung up.
“You know this guy needs to pay for his crimes,” Kace said quietly.
“He does,” Liam said tightly.
“Don’t do this,” Kace pleaded into the phone. “Let’s just catch him.”
“I will do whatever I have to in order to keep her safe,” Liam said. “The rest shouldn’t matter.”
“The rest is all that matters,” Kace said quietly.
“We’re here,” he said as he pulled in front of the building. “You might send Cage,” he said. “He and Harley have a special bond.”
“That bad?” Kace said on the phone as Liam jumped out of the car.
“Worse,” he said quietly and hung up.
Chapter Fifteen
They waited for hours with no news. Meg was ready to crawl up the walls. Harley wasn’t just some dog to her. He was a part of the family. He was the joy of her life these past few years, and she really didn’t know what she’d do without him.
Liam took her hand.
“They had a lot of work to do,” he said quietly to her. “He’s just lucky that the bullet missed any organs and arteries.”
She twined her fingers with his. “I can’t believe they have to amputate.”
He pulled her into him, and she sighed. “He’ll be fine. Plenty of dogs learn to get around on three legs.”
She sighed and tried not to think about all the things that could go wrong.
A commotion in the other waiting room caught her attention. Meg stood and followed the noise.
“What do you mean you can’t tell me about him? Just because he’s my sister’s dog doesn’t mean he’s not a part of my family,” Cage yelled at the small older woman behind the desk. Despite his mostly easy going nature, Cage wasn’t someone to mess with.
“Sir,” the woman said and picked up the phone.
“I’m sorry,” Meg said from the door. “He’s with me.”
The woman gave her a sharp look and slammed down the phone.
Meg walked in and pulled her brother into a warm hug.
“He’s been in surgery for a while now,” she said into his wide chest.
Cage pulled back to look at her. His brow was creased with worry. “Is he going to be all right?”
Meg shrugged. “The doctor said it really depends on how the amputation goes.”
“Amputation?” Cage nearly shouted.
The woman at the front desk cleared her throat and glared at them.
“Let’s go wait with Liam,” she said and pulled him toward the other waiting room.
“Just a dog,” the woman mumbled.
She felt C
age tense beside her.
“Just a dog? How the fuck do you work someplace like this and say just a dog?”
He waved his arms, and Meg cringed. This was not going to go well.
“That dog in there,” Cage pointed to the emergency door, “he’s a part of our family. A friend. Someone we all treasure and love. He laid down his life to protect my sister, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s worth a thousand of you. How many people have you saved?”
“Get out,” the woman snapped.
Meg opened her mouth to say something but stopped when the doctor stepped into the room. Her dark red hair was about the only thing visible under the scrubs and mask.
“Sharon,” the doctor said to the woman at the desk. “Go get a coffee.”
“But did you just hear how he talked to me?” Sharon glared at Cage.
“I did,” the vet said, narrowing her eyes at the woman. Sharon shrank back. “I also heard how you spoke to them. Now get a coffee.”
Sharon scurried off behind closed doors.
“How is he?” Liam said from behind Meg. He must have come in behind her when Cage started his speech.
The vet sighed and took off the mask. Meg was surprised at how young she was. Though Meg saw her briefly when Lian and she first arrived, she hadn’t been paying much attention.
“He’s made it through,” the vet said.
Meg slumped forward and was glad when Liam gripped her around the shoulders.
“Thank god,” Cage said.
“But.” They all looked to the vet. “He’s not out of it yet. Twenty-four hours. We won’t know anything for a full day.”
“So long?” Meg asked weakly.
The vet nodded. “I’m afraid so. He’s fighting infection and blood loss. I’ve given him a pint of blood, and we’ll just have to see how that does. The plus side is that he’s such a big guy that the wound area isn’t large, proportionally, as it would have been on a smaller dog.”
Meg nodded. She knew she should be happy, but she wasn’t getting her hopes up until he was totally clear.
“Can we see him?” Cage asked.
The vet looked between the three of them.
“One person,” she said firmly. “Any more than that, and it might overwhelm him.”
Liam Page 11
