"Not in the way you seem to think."
"Then why?"
I was silent, reaching for the best way to put this. One that would make him understand.
"What he did was done to me. I'm the one who has to live with those decisions." And I wasn't entirely convinced he'd had malicious reasons for his actions. It was possible he didn't fully understand vampires. He could have thought he was helping me. If that was the case, I owed it to him to find out.
Liam might not agree with his actions, but the captain had kept me from thinking I was insane. It was probably because of him that I didn't have any deaths on my conscience. I'd been so hungry that first night. He was the one who found me the thing I craved when I didn't know how to myself.
"Does it not strike you as convenient that he reaches out immediately after the Scattered come after you?" he demanded.
"It does," I agreed. The thought had occurred to me, but again, I wanted facts, not speculation, before I acted. "And if I find out he's the reason, I'll take care of that too."
Liam stared at me for a beat longer and then shook his head, his eyes closing. The look on his face was almost pained.
I knew what my demand was costing him. Right now, his instinct was to take care of the threat, but he couldn't, not without losing me. He knew that.
"Give me time," I told him.
"Fine," he bit off, starting for the door. He paused next to it. "But if I find out he presents a more immediate threat to you or anyone else under my protection, I'll end him and take the consequences."
I guess I couldn't argue with that.
"If that's true, I'll help you." It was a promise I hoped I didn't have to keep.
Liam prowled out of the room, the door shutting hard behind him.
I collapsed onto the bed.
That could have gone better.
*
An hour later, showered, dressed, and in a better frame of mind, I picked up my phone and dialed the captain.
The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Until I thought I would have to leave a message. Only the message beep never came.
After what felt like an eternity, the phone clicked and the captain spoke, sounding like he was speaking from a distance.
"Aileen."
Just that. No greeting. No how have you been, sorry I haven't talked to you since you drove off base. Just my name.
"Travis." Two could play that game.
There was a pause. I'd never addressed him by his name before. It was always Captain, sometimes sir, occasionally, Cap.
"I need to talk to you. Can we meet?" he pressed on.
I'd forgotten that about him. He’d always been extremely mission oriented, often to the exclusion of all else. While an asset on the battlefield, it could lead to blinders when not in combat.
I propped my hip against Liam's dresser. "I'm a little busy at the moment."
Liam pushed open the bedroom door, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms.
"Can't you get free? This is important." His frustration snapped and crackled down the line.
I was quiet.
