Barely winded, I exited the stairwell on the eighth floor and wandered down the gray hallway until I found the right door. On a shiny gold plaque to the left of the door, engraved letters read, “Special Agent in Charge, Ryder Scott.”
“Special Agent in Charge? Did they promote your ass again?” I laughed as I swung through the door to Ryder’s office.
“Liam! So good to see you!” He came around the desk and pounded me on the back. “Come in and have a seat. Take a load off.”
“I figured I’d swing by. Your team has been calling me non-stop since we busted that human trafficking ring.” I took a seat, leaning back in his fancy leather chair, happy to take the weight off my leg.
“You just happened to be in DC?” He raised an eyebrow at me in speculation.
“Well, I am getting ready to leave the states again, so I thought I’d come in and wrap things up.” I pulled a quarter from my pocket and rolled it through my fingers.
“Sure you are. Still running from your old flame?” He smiled with one side of his mouth.
“No, I think I finally put that to rest, but there isn’t anything left here for me.” In and out, I flipped the quarter, back and forth.
“Really? Nothing?” Nope, he didn’t believe me. “That’s not what Mason tells me.”
“Well, I don’t think that is going to work out.” I wasn’t ready to talk about Maggie with anyone, not even someone I thought of as a brother. I missed her more than I’d thought I would.
“You sure?” God, he knew me way too well.
“She’s a shooting star on her way up. She has her whole life ahead of her. I don’t want to get in her way.” Maybe if I could convince Ryder, I could convince myself too. What I really wanted to do was fly back to whatever city she was in and beg her to never leave me.
“Or you are scared.” He stared at me like he could see straight to my soul. Shit. He remembered everything that happened with Jeannie. “Once bitten, twice shy, Liam.”
“What?” I met his gaze.
“The last time you got serious, you got burned. Makes a guy gun shy.”
“You're one to talk.” Ryder knew every bit of my sordid history, and I knew every bit of his.
“But we aren’t talking about me now, are we?” And we wouldn’t. I shouldn’t have even brought it up. It was time to change the subject.
“Ryder, I have a chance to make a difference in this world. The face of that boy in the shipping container… It haunts me.” I trailed off.
“But you saved him.” His tone serious, he opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle of whisky and two crystal glasses.
“That one, yes.” I reached for the bottle, pulling it towards me. “But there are so many more lost ones out there, and I can save them.”
“Just don’t lose yourself in the process.” He set the glasses between us for me to pour.
I didn’t say anything else. Instead, I dribbled an inch into each glass. Picking mine up, I sat back silently and stared out the window behind him. Am I making the right decision? Am I running away? Do I really have a chance with Maggie?
“Here.” Ryder pushed a folder across his desk. “Read the report I wrote up. Sign it if it’s right.”
I pulled the folder toward me and flipped open the file. Taking my readers from my pocket, I slipped them on and started to skim Ryder’s report. He and Luke had always been full of hot air, and that report read like he was testifying. He did hit all the facts, though, so as I reached the end, I picked up his fancy gold pen and signed my name at the bottom of the last page. Pulling my glasses off, I looked up at him, flipped the folder closed, and tossed it in the center of his desk. “I think you got it all.”
“Good.” He reached into the interior pocket of his suitcoat and pulled out a check. “As always, the FBI appreciates your discretion and service.”
“Good working with you too, Ryder.” I tucked the check away in my wallet and leaned back with a laugh. “Would you have thought twenty years ago that we would end up here, together like this?”
“You mean when we were egging the neighbor’s house and putting cherry bombs in mailboxes? No, never.”
“Good thing Noah found us.”
“Yes it is. We’d be in jail or dead by now at the rate we were going.”
I flopped on the bed in my hotel room. My last minute booking netted me a queen sized bed instead of the king I usually requested. If I lay diagonally my feet didn’t hang off the end.
Ryder had invited me out to the bar, but I didn’t feel like going. I missed Maggie. I missed snuggling up with her in bed, the half-empty coffee cups scattered throughout the room, the bits of paper and notebooks with half-scribbled lyrics and music notes.
All this mental wailing and gnashing of teeth wasn’t getting me anywhere. My flight was in 13 hours. I should take a shower and get some sleep. I rolled off the bed and padded into the bathroom. Might as well get going. Five a.m. comes early.
With a crank of the handle, the water spit out and hit the back wall of the shower. I dropped my kit to the left of the sink and it fell open. A tube of Maggie’s lipstick rolled out.
Deep red. The color of passion. It was the color she was wearing the first time I saw her. I missed her so much. What am I doing leaving her?
Forget the shower. I wanted to see Maggie. I switched the water back off and dialed the airline. I needed to go home.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Liam
“Maggie,” I whispered. I took her soft hands in mine and pulled her toward me until we stood chest to chest, heart to heart. Her lips parted. “No, don’t say anything. I just… I’ve arrived at that place where I can’t imagine life without you.” I didn’t even give her time to squeak out her surprise at my sudden arrival before I bared my soul to her.
“I thought I could let you get back to your life. I thought I could do the right thing and leave, but I can’t. I love you, Maggie Lane.” I stood looking down at her, my heart in my eyes. The moment I’d opened my mouth my palms began to sweat, my heart beat faster, and the blood pounded in my ears.
“Oh, Liam.” She sucked in a deep breath, tears pooling in her beautiful eyes and slowly rolling down her cheeks.
“I mean it, Maggie. When I left, I left a part of me here with you. Without you, I am nothing.”
I was a bastard for springing this on her right after she returned to her tour, but when I went to D.C., I realized I couldn’t live without her. When Julie kidnapped Maggie, it stirred up all those feelings I’d tried to forget. It woke me up and made me reevaluate my life. It’s true—distance really does make the heart grow fonder. I could only hope Maggie felt the same way I did.
She looked up at me, her eyes roaming my face, and one hand came up to cup my cheek. “I need you in my life too.”
In a rush, I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Mags…” I pulled her closer until we were nose to nose. “I’m asking you this, taking advantage of you when you are feeling vulnerable, because I want you to say yes.” I kissed her, a light press of my lips to hers, parting from her only to breathe out my plea. “Please say that we can be together, that everything that could keep us apart doesn’t matter, that all the reasons we shouldn’t be together aren’t important.”
She looked me straight in the eyes. Feelings poured from her deep green orbs. “I guess if you don’t have any better sense than to ask me for that, I better say yes.” She giggled. “So, yes, YES!”
I picked her up and swung her around, unable to contain my happiness as relief flooded through me.
“She said yes!” I shouted. “She said YES!”
“Liam. LIAM! Put me down!” she yelled, laughing as I danced her around the room. Her feet never touched the floor.
“Maggie, I feel so blessed we found each other.” I bit my lip. “I want you to come with me to the cabin for the weekend.” I set her down and held her hands in mine. “Please?”
“Oh, Liam. I’ve only got 48 hours, but
yes! Of course I’ll come with you!”
I kissed her nose. “I can work with that!”
“Cover your eyes.” When we pulled up in front of the cabin, I leaned over and slipped a blindfold over her eyes.
“Liam? Really?” She giggled. “I’ve been here before.” A giant grin lit up her face as I positioned the blindfold and tied it in place. Then I hopped out of the car and came around to open her door.
“Stop fidgeting,” I said as she reached for the cloth. “No peeking. It’s a surprise!” I fussed at her as I helped her stand and guided her into the cabin. I couldn't wait to see her reaction. I had been planning this for weeks.
I stopped her in the doorway of the room I’d kept closed off the last time she was there and slid the blindfold from her face. She opened her eyes, slowly spinning in a circle. Her mouth dropped open, and she gasped. “Oh, Liam! When did you have time to do this?”
“Well, I had a little help. Elijah and the guys were in on it. I didn’t have a clue what you would like, so they helped me out.”
“It’s perfect! But… but this room. My tour. I can’t.” She stammered, looking at me with tears. She looked nervous, and regret seemed to fill her big green eyes.
“Maggie, I would never ask you to stop touring, but you and me—we’re forever. When we need to get away, we can come here. When you need to take time and record, we can come here. Even if it’s just to meet up for a weekend, we can come here. This place is ours—yours and mine. I wanted you to know I’m in it for the long haul, and I will support you wherever your career takes you.”
“But Liam, this room…” She kept gasping in surprise as she walked around and discovered all the features I had worked in. “You told me you never come in this room.”
“Maggie,” I paused and sighed. “When I built this cabin, I thought Jeannie and I were it. Her dreams were for a big family, so this room was for her dreams.” I swallowed. “She told me she was pregnant when I was overseas, and I asked her to marry me, to wait for me.” I took a deep breath. “Then I got hurt. I lay in that hospital bed imagining our life together. I called my buddies and asked them to help me finish this place, to assemble the baby furniture I ordered.”
She looked up at me. “What happened to the baby?”
“It was all a lie. She wanted to get married. When I was the big shot soldier, she wanted to be my wife. She figured if she was pregnant, I would have to marry her. And I would have.”
“Oh, Liam.” She came to stand in front of me.
“After the attack, I lay there, a shell of the man I once was, and I tried to call her. I just wanted to hear her voice.” I closed my eyes, remembering. “Her new husband answered the phone. She’d married her high school boyfriend.”
“Oh my God, Liam.” Concern shown from her green eyes. “How awful.”
“I survived… barely. Months later, when I got back on my feet, I tracked her down. This time she really was pregnant… and living in the suburbs. She opened the door, and I took one look at her and wondered what the hell I had been thinking. We were never right for each other. We were just convenient.”
“You didn’t deserve that.” She stroked the side of my face and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss me.”
“Maggie, if you decide you want kids down the road, great. I have a thousand acres to build on and can easily add on to this place, but that doesn't have to be now or ever. It’s totally up to you. I want you to know this is your house. Jeannie never even saw this place. By the time it was finished, she was gone. She didn’t believe in me or in us long enough to wait for me.”
“Liam, I don’t know what I want right now.” She stood staring up at me with apprehension written all over her face.
“I know, Mags. I know.” I stroked her cheek, “Don’t worry. I’m not asking you to make a decision today. Or tomorrow. Or even next week. You never have to make a decision if you don’t want to. I just want you to understand that this cabin was just glass and logs for a long, long time. It sat empty and neglected for years. And then you came along. This place finally became a home when you walked into it.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Maggie
My heart was absolutely full. I couldn't believe Liam had created this amazing place just for me. No one had ever supported me like that before. He believes in me. He really believes in me!
“You want to try it out?” He gave me a lingering hug before setting me down and briskly rubbing both my arms.
“God, yes!” I breathed, turned, and approached the sound booth. “Can you run the recorder for me?” I asked without looking up, totally absorbed. I meandered around the room, running my fingers along all the equipment as I cataloged everything I had to work with.
“Elijah showed me the basics.” Liam leaned casually against the wall, a twinkle in his eye as he watched me, giddy as a school girl with all my new toys.
“Yay!” I squealed, rubbing my hands together. “I know what I want to do.”
I walked into the soundproof room, and the door shut behind me with a barely audible click. Liam took his place behind the control center, settled his headphones over his ears. I sat on the stool under the microphone suspended from the ceiling and put my own headphones on. Reaching up, I pulled the mic down into place.
I looked out through the glass just long enough to meet Liam’s steady gaze. He gave me one of his rare smiles, his eyes radiating love. With a thumbs-up, he flipped several switches and started counting down with his fingers. 3-2-1. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and let the music in my mind take over.
My body stilled, and I opened my mouth and began to sing. First, I wordlessly hummed the harmony, running through the chorus. I cut off the last note and pointed at Liam. “Stop there and start a new track.”
He nodded, and we did it again, laying down a track for the first verse. “Okay, play the first track and then the second. One at a time. Record what I sing.”
“Got it… how do I play it?”
I smiled. He was trying. “Here.” I flipped a switch, dialed up the first track, and showed him how to switch between the two while piping the sound to my headphones.
“Okay. I really think I have it this time.”
“We’ll see.” I dropped a kiss on the back of his neck and went back into the sound room.
This time my mouth formed words. I sang the song of my heart, the one that had come to me in this very cabin while I’d sat on the porch next to Liam, drank the coffee he’d brought me, and we silently watched the sun come up together. I had never shared this song with anyone. It was the song I wrote for him.
I watched him as I sang. I saw the moment he realized what I was singing when he looked up at me. Our eyes locked, and he heard the words I had never been able to really say out loud.
The words poured from me, and tears ran down my cheeks. I sang straight from the heart. I sang of danger, loss, heartbreak, and pain before the coming of my redemption. As I neared the end, I had to hold back the flood of tears that threatened to overwhelm me.
The last note drew to a close and they finally came. I tore my headphones off and began to sob. I couldn’t believe the turn my lonely life had taken. I, Maggie Lane, had finally found someone as wonderful as Liam—someone who felt the same way about me. What were the odds of that? It’s not like my life was normal or simple or even safe! Julie certainly proved that.
“Maggie, that was amazing.” Liam came into the booth and knelt in front of me. I fell into his arms, spilling tears all over his shirt. “Mags, I have no words… that song.”
I sobbed harder, emotionally spent.
“Your song…” He pulled me up. “Come. You have to listen.” He took my hand and led me out to the switchboard. “Here, sit.” He sat me down, still sniffling and hiccupping, and put the headphones on me.
“Listen.” He played the harmony and overlaid my lyrics. My voice blended with itself, and the song in my head came to life. “It’s your best song yet.”
Af
ter the recent media blitz, my singles were charting higher than before, spending weeks on the top-40 list. I currently had three number-one hits. “This one is going to be unstoppable.”
Liam
I took the headphones off her, setting them on the sound board. “Maggie, this is it, right?”
“Yes, Liam, this is it.” She graced me with a beautiful smile. I leaned forward and kissed her, fusing us together, both of us still riding high on the adrenaline from her song.
The kiss turned from sweet to carnal, and I suddenly couldn’t get enough of her. My hands found the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, exposing her lace covered breasts to my view.
Maggie was not passive in anything she did. Just as eager as I was, her hands were busy tugging my shirt out of my pants, unbuckling my belt, and running her fingers up my chest.
I released her lips, dropped to my knees, and ran kisses down the slope of each breast, nuzzling between them. Gasping at my touch, she leaned forward and pulled my shirt over my head.” She dropped to her knees in front of me, and began tracing the muscles of my chest with her hands.
“I want you, Liam.” Following the line of hair down the center of my chest, she pulled my belt out from my pants and shoved them down over my hips until my engorged member popped free. “What is this?”
“Mmmh.” I gasped as she wrapped her fingers around me, sliding her palm from root to tip and back again as a groan leapt from my lips. Then she bent her gorgeous back, and her red curls spilled forward as she took me in her mouth. She arched her spine and bobbed up and down.
Fireworks started as her warm lips slid the length of my shaft over and over, pulling my release to the surface. “Stop! Stop!” I groaned. I reached down and pulled her up to me, until we were chest to chest. Then I rolled, taking her down to the floor on top of me.
I reached behind her to unhook her bra, and the straps immediately fell off her shoulders. Her milky white globes spilled into my waiting hands. Placing her knees on either side of my waist, she ground her center into me. She rode the ridge of my engorged cock, her mini skirt riding up her hips, and I almost lost it.
Liam: The Lost Billionaires, Book 3 Page 15
