“What about the bruises, Dana? I know he hits you,” I argued.
“What’s this about changing jobs? You were planning to leave Austin?” Liam said, grasping my arm as he turned me toward him.
“It was just something I ran by Dana this afternoon, an idea I had to help us both,” I explained. “I thought maybe I could talk her into leaving here.”
Masen woke slightly, shifted on Liam’s shoulder, and then snuggled his face into his neck. Liam absent-mindedly placed a kiss on Masen’s cheek. My heart clenched at the sight.
Dana moved toward them and held her hands out to take Masen. “I need to put him down in his crib. I’ll just be a minute,” she said as he handed the baby to her. After she’d left the room, he pulled me over to the sofa.
“Kelly, I’ll do anything to help you with Dana and Masen. You’re not leaving Austin,” he said as he reached out to push my hair behind my left ear. Placing his hand on my neck, he brushed his thumb back and forth across my jawline in a soft caress.
“It was just an idea, Liam. After what I thought had happened this morning with your father, I couldn’t bear the thought of going back to work and seeing you every day if…” my voice trailed off as I choked up again, thinking about life without Liam if he left me.
He pulled me against him. “Oh, you’re going to see me every day, all right,” he assured me. “Until I find out just what Reeves is up to, you’re staying with me. I don’t trust him, and I don’t know to what lengths he would go to keep us quiet,” he murmured as he kissed my forehead.
“He has nothing to worry about, because I’m not talking!”
“I know, Kel. All of this is your call. But Reeves doesn’t know. He’s afraid that you’ll try to extort money at the very least, or you’ll go to the press with accusations. My dad said he’s power hungry, and he sees the governorship as one step closer to the White House. There are powerful people backing him, and there is no limit to what he would do to gain an office,” he said as I closed my eyes.
“You told your father what happened to me.” I said accusingly as the tears threatened to spill over. “No, Liam…that’s the last thing I wanted your parents to know…You promised!” I gasped as genuine remorse crossed his face. I pushed against his chest, angry at the thought he’d betrayed my trust. I’d never felt more open or vulnerable.
“I’m sorry, but I had to. I wanted my dad to know what that monster had done to you, and what a liar he is, trying to get to my father before I could.”
“It’s not going to make a difference to your father. He won’t believe the trailer trash from across the tracks,” I moaned. He grasped both my arms and shook me.
“Don’t ever call yourself that again! That’s not who you are, and you’re wrong. Dad already believes you. He just needs some time to sort through this. I know him, Kel. He’s rigid and unyieldingly stubborn. But he’s fair, and once he’s spent some time around you…you’ll see. He will come around to our side.”
I pressed my forehead into his chest as he tightened his arms around me. “Deal with it, Kel. You’re stuck with me. Just get used to introducing me as your boyfriend, and everything will be all right,” he murmured, stroking my arms.
“Kelly? You’re a bigger dumb-ass than I am if you don’t make up with him,” Dana said, leaning against the doorjamb with her arms crossed. “I know I’m not an expert by any means, but you can’t let him go, Kel. Hell, I’m in love with him already,” she gushed as she cocked an eyebrow at me. Liam laughed and pulled me back to look in my eyes.
“So, how about it, baby?” He pushed a lose strand of hair that had slipped from my braid back around my ear again. “Will you come back with me?”
I smiled and nodded. Jumping up and down, Dana clapped her hands in the doorway.
“I can’t believe it -- Kelly has a real, live boyfriend. I never thought I’d see the day. I was beginning to think she liked heifers instead of bulls,” she teased as Liam cocked an eyebrow in her direction.
I laughed out loud, explaining to him, “My grandpa used to say that about…well, you know.”
He grinned deeply and kissed me on top of the head. “No, Dana. I can vouch for the fact she likes bulls.”
Dana disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a bottle of wine. “Can I pour you a glass?”
Liam cleared his throat and gazed down at me. “It’s been a long day. I think it’s time I got Kelly back to Austin. It’s getting pretty late,” he commented, checking his watch.
We stood and I picked my used purse and cell up to put them in my duffle.
“Did you buy a new cell?” he asked as I turned it in my hand. I nodded as he brushed my cheek. “I have your cell right here,” he said, taking the new cell and turning back to Dana.
“Do you need a phone? She won’t need this now,” he said as he handed it to her.
“Sure! I’ve been using Rick’s to call Kelly,” she explained. I took the wallet out of the purse and then handed the purse to her as well. “I won’t need this either, now. I know you can use it.”
She took the purse and then pulled me into a hug. “Thank you, Kelly-cat! I don’t know what I’d do without you! Thank you for the meal…and for the clothes for me and Masen!”
“Just take care of him, please. And about those bruises,” I started as Liam watched her reaction.
“It won’t happen again. He’s clean,” she promised as Liam shook his head.
“Dana, I know enough of guys with anger management problems that they rarely change. Never think you have to settle…you’re much better than that. We would help you if you ever need it,” he offered. I looked at him through new eyes. He was taking my burdens on without a thought.
“Thanks, Liam, but I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine,” she said, motioning over her shoulder into the bedroom. I nodded and then stepped around her to tiptoe to the crib. I pulled the receiving blanket up around Masen’s shoulders, and then planted a soft kiss on his little bald head. As I rose, I sensed Liam beside me.
He placed his hand on Masen’s back, sliding it down and then patting him on the behind. “Sleep well, little guy. We’ll see you next time,” he whispered and then turned to me. “We’d better get going.”
Once outside, he whispered, “I don’t feel good about leaving them, Kelly. I get the feeling things aren’t as good with her boyfriend as she led us to believe.”
I stopped when he turned to look at me. “I feel that way every time I leave her. There is nothing we can do if she insists on staying with him.”
“Which one is her car?” he asked, scanning the parking lot.
“The one on the end, the cavalier.”
“It doesn’t even look like it runs, Kel. And it has a flat tire,” he mumbled, walking over for a closer inspection. “We’ll leave yours with her,” he said finally.
“No, we won’t! What am I supposed to drive?” I asked, exasperated.
“You won’t need it. I have the Lincoln, and I have another car if you need it. Leave yours with her for a bit,” he said as he took the keys from me. “You’ll be riding to work with me every morning anyway,” he replied over his shoulder. For the first time, I spotted Scott in a large Navy Blue Escalade parked next to my car.
At Liam’s persistent knock, Dana opened the door to find him holding my car keys out to her. “Here, take these too. It looks like you need a car, and Kelly has other transportation. Take care of it for her,” he said to my speechless sister and then bounded back down the staircase. I gave her a little wave as she contemplated the keys in her hand again.
“Well, I like the way you’ve given my things away tonight. What happens when she wrecks it and all I have is liability on it?”
“Stop worrying. Let me do the worrying for a change,” he scolded as he pulled me to the SUV. He opened the rear passenger door for me as I continued to stare at him with my mouth open. He then surprised me by getting in the back seat with me instead of up front with Scott.
At
my questioning gaze, he remarked, “Scott would rather drive, and I’d rather have my hands free.” He slid his hands around me, and as I watched the back of Scott’s head and started to protest, I realized he was only fastening my seatbelt for me. After he had me strapped into the center seat, he pulled me close into his side.
I sighed, barely able to wrap my head around everything that had happened since I’d left Liam’s hotel room. Sensing my mood, he turned and kissed my forehead and murmured, “Everything is okay now, Kel. I’ve got you, and Dana will be okay… at least for a few weeks, anyway.”
I turned and looked up at him as the traffic lights lit the car up. “You gave her money didn’t you?”
He shrugged.
“You shouldn’t have. How much?”
“A few hundred. Just enough to get her by for a month or so,” he said as I shook my head.
“Or buy a week’s supply of coke,” I replied sarcastically.
We rode along in silence for a few miles. After I’d had time to process everything, the full weight of what he’d done dawned on me. Liam had tracked me down, followed me to Houston, given money to my sister, and brought me back with him -- all after I’d fled for the second time.
“Thank you.”
“For what, baby?” he murmured, his lips in my hair.
I closed my eyes as I snuggled closer in his arms. “Thank you for coming to get me, Liam. I’m so glad you did.”
“Me too, baby. Me too.”
Thirteen
I woke as Liam pulled me from the backseat of the Escalade. We were in the parking garage at the Four Seasons Austin.
“I can walk,” I mumbled sleepily.
“No, shhh. It’s two o’clock in the morning, baby. I’ll slip you into bed,” he murmured as he urged me to close my eyes. I barely roused as he placed me on the bed, slid my jeans off, and then pulled the covers around me.
When I woke the second time, sunlight was streaming in the windows across the foot of the bed. I rolled over to find him asleep, his arm curled up over my head, cradling me against his body. I sat up to check the alarm clock. It flashed 7:45.
“Liam! I’m going to be late for work,” I gasped, throwing the covers back.
He stretched and then pulled me back down beside him. “Relax. I called Carter early this morning and told him you might not make it in today, and you deserved the day off after the feat you pulled off with the gala. He agreed with me, and said he’d see you Tuesday.”
“You’re kidding,” I said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Carter wouldn’t give me the day off if I was in the hospital with pneumonia.”
“He doesn’t have a choice, Kel. He’ll get over it.”
I shook my head as I relaxed back into the pillow. He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me, cocooning me in warmth once again. I was so exhausted from the past three days, I fell back to sleep immediately.
Liam’s soft voice in my ear woke me around eleven. “Baby, it’s time to get up,” he murmured, tracing his lips down my neck. I smiled and stretched, feeling safe and secure for the first time since I could remember.
“But I have the day off, Covington,” I protested, opening one eye to look at him.
“Come on, sleepyhead. We’ve got things to do today.”
“Like what?” I asked as I pushed up in bed. He reached over to the nightstand and handed me a cup of coffee.
“Like finding you a car, for one thing. And I’m taking you to meet my parents in San Antonio. We’ll meet them for dinner and drinks,” he added. My eyes widened.
“You are NOT buying me a car! No,” I argued as he narrowed his eyes.
“I’ll buy what I please for you, baby. This isn’t up for discussion,” he stated plainly as he shrugged into a casual t-shirt with “keep Austin weird” on the front.
“I have a car. The loan to Dana is only temporary. And you said you had something I could drive if I need it.”
“Kel, you need new wheels, and Dana can use the old ones. Besides, my spare is a four-wheel drive super-cab Dodge 2500. I don’t think you want to run around downtown Austin looking for parking places in that,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me from the bed.
“What the heck are you doing with such a big truck?” I asked. He smirked as he pulled me into the bathroom.
“This is Texas, baby. Every guy has a truck. You never know when you might need to pull a horse trailer. Besides in Texas, they go by the size of the truck,” he said playfully in his best Texas bad-boy accent.
I halted just inside the bathroom door. “Are we taking a bath?” I asked as he turned and grinned at me.
“No, Hellcat, you are. I’m going to jump in the shower,” he answered with a grin, reaching around the wall to turn his shower on. “If I get in there with you, we’ll never get out of the hotel room today.”
His devilish wink almost made me want to play. I dropped my panties to the floor and climbed into his tub. “We’ll have to go by my place so I can get some clothes,” I called out to him as he showered.
“Not a problem. We’ll swing by there before we run some errands. I know you need to bring some more of your things from your place. I was serious about you staying with me for the time being,” he answered back.
After I’d lathered up with soap, I sank down in the water and leaned my head back against the tiles. As I thought again about Liam giving my car to Dana, I sat upright.
“Liam! My gun,” I yelled out.
“What?” he replied, shutting the shower off and stepping around the corner. He hurriedly wrapped a towel around his waist. The sight of his wet, glistening six-pack abs almost made me lose my train of thought. When he caught me staring at him, he grinned and dropped the towel.
“What was that now, baby?” he said, stalking forward toward the tub.
I shook my head, breaking my gaze at his full-frontal, and looked up at his face.
“My gun,” I repeated.
“What gun?”
“I have a 9 millimeter. It’s in a holster under the front seat of my car! I need to call Dana and warn her,” I said, rising from the tub. He handed me a towel as he scowled.
“What the hell are you doing with a gun?”
“It’s my gun. I bought it for protection.”
“Kelly, do you even know how to shoot that thing?” he asked, pulling up his boxer-briefs.
“Yes, I do. I’m a pretty good shot. I go to the shooting range with Tana’s boyfriend Tom all the time. I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon,” I challenged. The disbelieving look on Liam’s face was beginning to irritate me.
He pulled a toothbrush and toothpaste out of his drawer and held it under the water. As I walked up behind him, his eyes met mine in the mirror.
“I’m sorry, Kel. You just took me by surprise, that’s all. I guess I don’t know any other women your age who have a concealed weapon permit.”
He brushed his teeth hurriedly and then after considering his toothbrush for a moment, handed it to me with a grin. I took it and placed it in my mouth, drawing a chuckle from him.
“I guess I should have known you of all people would be packin’…my little Texas Hellcat,” he teased as he kissed me on top of the head. “We’ll have to go out someday soon and compare weapons,” he challenged.
“You’re on…just name the time and the place,” I retorted.
* * *
“I can see we’re getting nowhere,” Liam said exasperatedly as I folded my arms. We’d been to the third car dealership, and I’d vetoed everything he’d suggested. I simply wasn’t going to pick a car out for him to buy. It just seemed too over the top, and it made me uncomfortable.
“Well, since you won’t tell me, I’ll just have to pick something out myself. You’ll just have to ride with me a couple of days.”
“You’ll be wasting your money, because I won’t drive it,” I retorted.
He smirked at me as he changed lanes. I could tell this was going to be a major fight. He turned back toward an ex
clusive area of town, full of new million dollar neighborhoods and exclusive shops.
“I thought we were going to San Antonio to meet your parents,” I reminded him. He slowed near a row of boutiques.
“It’s a perfect time for you to use these. We’ve got about four hours before we’re expected at my parents,” he said, leaning across the console to kiss me.
“Use what?” I murmured against his lips, not really wanting to break the contact. Kissing Liam was distracting and addictive.
“These.” He backed away, and dropped three beautiful envelopes tied with flirty lime green, brown and blue ribbons in my lap. I cocked an eyebrow in his direction, eliciting a devilish grin.
“Some gift certificates I received from the auction at the fundraiser. I thought you might have some fun shopping,” he said as he opened his door. As he ambled around the front of his SUV, I took the first of the cards out of its envelope. The amount filled in was $5,000.00.
He opened my door as my mouth dropped open.
“Liam, I can’t accept these. You can’t possibly want to give me a present like this! It’s too much,” I complained. He shook his head and then took my elbow and guided me into the first store.
“I told you before, Kel, I certainly didn’t bid on these to give them to my mother. If you don’t use them, they’ll just go to waste. Come on,” he urged as he held the door open for me. I gingerly tested my ankle before I put my full weight on it. It had stiffened up on the ride over. As I limped along beside him, he paused.
“Is your ankle still bothering you, Kel? I thought it was healed,” He frowned as he knelt to look at my foot. Lifting the hem of my jeans, he lifted his gaze to mine, a frown marring his brow. “It’s swollen.”
“I know. I kind of re-injured it yesterday morning…jumping from your balcony.”
He shook his head and stood back up. “I wish you hadn’t done that. Please, Kel. Don’t ever think you have to bolt like that again. I will take you anywhere you want to go, anytime.”
Texas Hellcat Page 13
