“It’s going to be a big job getting everything ready, but if we put in long days, we should be able to get it done before the new oven arrives in two weeks.”
“Don’t forget you have an extra pair of hands,” Liam said.
Leaning into him, I soaked in his familiar warmth. “Does that mean you’ll stay for a bit?”
He kissed my nose, his hand sinking into my hair, holding me close. “It does. You’ll have me for as long as you want.”
It appeared Liam had been serious that he wanted to work things out between us. But I worried how he’d manage helping Gabriel while staying in San Francisco. His brother needed him now more than ever. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be there for Gabriel?”
“You’re the most important thing to me. And Gabriel can still reach me on my phone if he needs my advice. What he doesn’t need is me hovering in the background, interfering.”
Vlad and Tati left a few minutes later, not wanting to leave their puppy by himself for too long. Amara disappeared into the kitchen with Mom, trying out a new recipe. Dad settled on the couch, watching a game and ignoring everyone around him.
If I didn’t help Mom, I usually sat down with him, catching up on emails or reading. But I was at a loss as to what to do this time.
Liam didn’t seem to have the same problem, taking charge like he’d been doing his whole life. His arm wound around my waist, and he pulled me into his side. “You want to spend time with your family?” he rasped against my ear.
I was torn. I missed my family, needing the comfort and familiarity they provided, but I also craved more time with Liam.
Reading the indecision on my face, Liam steered me to the armchair next to the couch. Dropping into it, he pulled me down with him so I was sitting half on his lap. His arm around my shoulder held me to him, and I sank against his side. He adjusted my legs so they were tangled with his, then carefully placed my bandaged arm on his front.
The chair was big enough to make our arrangement comfortable. His movements were unhurried, his actions showing no discomfort.
“Is this okay?” he asked into my hair, placing a chaste kiss to it.
Nodding into his chest, I couldn’t stop the smile from creeping onto my face. “It’s perfect.”
I caught Dad’s eye, and he grinned and winked at me, then turned his attention back to the game.
Relaxing into Liam’s side, I fell asleep to his low, rumbling voice as he talked to Dad.
24
LIAM
“Areyou sure you shouldn’t connect the gas first?” I asked an irate Vlad, who was installing the stove. Once he’d pushed the huge appliance against the wall, it would be impossible to attach the hose for the gas or plug it in.
“I’m not taking orders from you. Maybe you should finish the bathroom. We still need to install the sink.”
Unperturbed by his attitude, I left him to figure it out for himself. The cleanup had gone well, and we’d finished everything on time. Once I was sure Quinn wouldn’t disappear on me again, I went back to Chicago for a few days to make sure everything was okay.
I’d been talking to my brothers multiple times a day. There hadn’t been any incidents, we were still no closer to finding out who had ordered the hit on Dad, and everyone was getting restless.
Our men were stationed all around town. We’d turned over every stone. But whoever we were up against was always one step ahead of us.
One of the guys who took Quinn had escaped, leaving us with the lowly soldiers who had no information on who ordered the kidnapping.
But that was not for now. Because I had a bathroom to finish.
The sink only needed silicone around the sides, and then everything was done. The plumber had already connected and attached it to the wall, but instead of finishing the job, he’d gotten into a heated argument with Vlad and walked out shortly after. I doubted he’d come back, which left me to add the finishing touches to the bathroom.
But I didn’t mind. There was no better feeling than experiencing the smile on Quinn’s face whenever something was finished. And working with my hands had been oddly satisfying. I’d never turn my back on the family business completely, but maybe Quinn and I could buy a house that needed a bit of renovating. I already had my eye on a few in San Francisco and Chicago.
We hadn’t yet talked about where we’d live, but I didn’t want to pressure her, content to split my time between the two for now. Gabriel was doing surprisingly well, only complaining a few times a day. He hadn’t even shot anyone since taking over.
The restaurant was almost ready, the opening scheduled for a week from today. Despite spending long days getting everything ready, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
The time I spent with Quinn was precious. Not only did I work beside her all day, but I was also with her every night. My trip to Chicago had been the only two nights we’d spent apart in the last three weeks.
