Again, I look helplessly across the library. I meet his eyes. He shakes his head. “This isn’t over,” he vows. I look away. I can’t take this.
He allows Darragh to drag him from the room.
My father pushes me over to the table I sat at when I got engaged. The last time I took this seat, Liam was sliding a ring on my finger. Now, my father, brother, and Rowan hover over me. They surround me. All look upset, but it’s my father who launches into a tirade. If I thought he was upset with me that day in the restaurant, when I balked at my engagement news, well, I had no idea what my father’s wrath could really look like.
“I don’t know what you’ve done, Taryn Kathleen, but it may very well be the ruin of us.” It’s like someone lit a fuse under his skin. His cheeks are bright red and his green eyes flash with fury. I shrink into my seat, unprepared to see my father this way.
“Da,” Raff tries to interrupt but is silenced with a hand from my father.
“If the Greeks wanted Kian to know that you’ve been their patsy, then the whole clan will know soon enough. They will leak your stupidity to everyone. All of New York will think the Walshes have been funneling them money. That we are traitors to our own people. We won’t survive that type of scandal. We’ll be outcasts.In danger.The clan will come for us.Jesus.What the hell were you thinking, lass?” His voice goes hoarse on the last sentence. Tears prick my eyes.
“Taryn.”
We all freeze to look over to where Liam stands in the doorway.
“Liam. You shouldn’t be here.” Rowan’s words are curt.
Liam shrugs and then shocks us all with what he does next. He smiles. We all flinch with the unexpected motion. “I’d like to speak with Taryn before I go.” His voice is conversational. Kind. He shoves his hands in his front pockets as he walks into the room. Nonthreatening. Casual.
“That won’t be possible,” my father tells Liam. His voice is rough.
“I wasn’t asking, Mick. I was letting you know my intent.” He smiles again. From the corner of my eye, I see Darragh in the entryway.
My Da narrows his eyes. “Do you find this amusing, boyo?”
“Not in the slightest.” Liam nods at me. Holds out his hand. “We’ll only be a few minutes.”
Rowan looks confused, but it’s Rafferty who speaks. “Give them a minute. It can’t hurt, Da.”
“I’m not sure I agree,” Da tells Raff. “We don’t need any more damage done.”
“I’m on her side,” Liam tells my father. He sounds so sincere. “One minute. That’s all we need.”
Rowan gives me a quick jerk of his chin. “One minute.”
He moves to the table and reaches his hand to me. I put my trembling fingers in his rough palm. He pulls me to his side and leads me across the room.
As we walk he whispers in my ear, “I know this has something to do with whatever Sam came to warn you about the other night. We’re going to sit on those ugly ass chairs so you can tell me what happened and what your family knows. I need to understand so I can help you.”
He helps me get seated in a deep scarlet plush side chair in the corner of the room. My every instinct says I should curl up in his lap, which makes absolutely no sense. I have no idea why I want his comfort. I also have no idea why he’s here, smiling at everyone. Is he crazy? Nonetheless, his smile accomplished what I’m sure his fists or words wouldn’t have…because here we sit.
When he’s arranged himself on the chair next to me, he leans over to run a thumb across my jawline. He lifts my chin so I’m forced to look at him. “Go on. I have your back, remember?”
My eyes are glassy when I meet his imploring gaze. “I don’t know what he wanted to warn me about exactly. Sam had been helping me invest for a little over a year now. For California. Before that, I had my savings in a money market account at a different bank, but he said that he could guarantee me higher returns. His family is so wealthy, I thought he had an inside track on something. I didn’t know it was a shell company. I didn’t know I was funding—” I break off. Shudder. I can’t complete the heinous sentence.
He looks like he believes me. I feel lighter. Relieved.
“What did you tell Rowan? Your family?” He says the words in a low voice.
“Nothing yet. My father hasn’t stopped talking about a scandal and family. What a mess the broken alliance is going to create among the clan. How all of the Walshes will be outcasts. I haven’t been able to get a word in edgewise.” My voice is tinny. Forlorn.
Liam nods. “I’m going to have to leave here in a minute, butlisten to me. Don’t mention Sam. He’s Theo’s best friend. A tie to the Greeks. It won’t help you or your family if they know about you trusting him. Tell them thatI’vebeen helping you with your investments. Tie it to me since we’ve been seeing each other for a little over a year now.”
“Wh-what? No, we only just—” He wants me to say we’ve been secretly seeing each other for over a year? That this was all his idea? Yes. He really is crazy.
“We’ve been seeing each other a little over a year now,” he repeats, looking at me meaningfully. “It’s why I wanted to marry you.”
“That’s enough,” Rowan’s voice carries across the room.
