“Quiet,” he shushes me. “I’m picturing you in spandex.”
I swat his chest and he laughs. It’s Liam’s real laugh. Deep and full of joy. Finally his laughter dies down.
“I don’t know, beauty. I said I need to think about this.” I open my mouth and he slaps a hand over it to stop me. “Don’t. I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t disagree with you. I just need a minute. The thought of you in danger fucks me up.”
I lick his hand and he snickers. When he pulls back, he sobers. “I don’t know that we need any extra help at the moment, but if we do,” he sighs. “I willthinkabout it. Look, I need to call my father. I’ve let this go long enough that I’m going to have to tell him what I’ve done. What I’m about to do.”
I shift slightly, propping my chin on his chest so I can see his face better. His expression has turned unreadable again, the one he wears when he’s planning five steps ahead. It’s the same look he had in the O’Tooles’ study the day he told me to trust him.
“You’re nervous,” I say softly.
His jaw ticks. “Of course I’m nervous. This isDa. He’s going to be pissed I didn’t tell him sooner. And he’s going to assume I did it to prove something.”
“Did you?”
He hesitates. “Maybe a little. But it wasn’t just that. I saw an opening and I took it. I knew we could use the Greeks’ own tactics against them. Ryan found the weak spot, and I drove the knife in. I just…” He sighs. “I should’ve told him. Or at least warned him.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He stares at the ceiling like it might answer for him. “Because he doesn’t see me that way. I’m the worthless son. The useless one with a smile and joke.”
“No. That’s not even close to who you are.” My voice is quiet but firm. “You’re smart, Liam. Strategic. Loyal to a fault. You see people. That’s your superpower, even if your father doesn’t always understand how it works in this world.”
His eyes finally meet mine. “It’s not enough, though. Not for him.”
“Maybe not,” I admit. “But you’re not doing this for him. You’re doing it because you know it’s the right move. And he’ll see that. Maybe not right away, but he will.”
He doesn’t answer, just watches me. So I keep going.
“You’re not the son he expects, Liam. But maybe you’re the one he needs. The one this whole family needs. You and Ryan both.”
His hand comes up to cradle the back of my head, pulling me close until our foreheads touch.
“You believe in me more than I do,” he says, his voice rough.
“Nope.” I smile. “I just see you more clearly than he does.” I trace the edge of his jaw with my fingertip. “I’ve seen it, you know.”
His brow lifts. “Seen what?”
“The other side of you. The one your father thinks doesn’t exist.” I tilt my head. “The one I’m told tried to run Sam over in the middle of campus.”
He snorts. “I didn’t try to run him over. Trust me. If I wanted to run him over, he wouldn’t still be walking. That was me being restrained. For now.”
“I know.” I grin. “That’s the terrifying part. Youcanbe ruthless, Liam. Just because you prefer to lead with a smile doesn’t mean you don’t know how to break things.”
His eyes darken, but he doesn’t deny it.
I lean in and whisper, “You scare me a little when you’re dangerous.”
His smile is slow. “Only toward people who try to hurt you.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s not reassuring.”
“It should be.” He wraps his arms around me and flips us so I’m beneath him. His voice is soft but lethal. “I would kill for you, beauty. Doesn’t make me crazy.”
I arch a brow. “No?”
“No.” His mouth brushes mine. “Just crazy about you.”
