Oliver turned around once he reached the door, glaring at Liam. “I wouldn’t give you one even if you were on fire.”
Liam stared down into Oliver’s angry light brown eyes, realizing all of a sudden just how close they stood. He was taller than Oliver by several centimeters, but their height difference was mitigated by the tension Oliver gave off.
“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Liam asked in a low voice.
“Not remotely.”
Liam let his gaze drop away from Oliver’s eyes to his mouth, tracing the shape of plush lips he’d kissed as a teenager but had no memory of what it had been like. Too many years had passed since that moment, but right then, Liam found himself wanting to know what Oliver tasted like. He knew it was unfair of him to want that.
It would be so easy to kiss him.
Oliver seemed to realize just how close they were standing at the same time Liam did. He drew in a sharp breath and rocked back on his heels, putting distance between them. He fumbled at the control panel to the side of the door, pressing his hand against it to unlock it. The door slid open silently, but Liam didn’t look at the home beyond. He only had eyes for Oliver.
“I wouldn’t ever want you to get hurt,” Liam finally said.
“It’s far too late for that.”
Liam knew they weren’t talking about what had happened at Victoria Station, and he hated knowing he was the one responsible for the bitter hurt in Oliver’s voice. A guilty conscience was never easy to carry, and guilt was something Liam rarely felt.
Oliver stepped into his home and let the door slide shut between them. Liam stared at it for a few seconds before he swore quietly and returned to his car. It seemed an apology would get him nowhere in the long run, but he was still determined to try.
9
Memories Will Always Fade
Sunday dawned clear and hot,and Liam would’ve given anything for a lie-in, but that wasn’t on the schedule. After dropping Oliver off last night, he’d doubled back to the UMG headquarters to hand off the solid state drive to Chapman, who was still remotely overseeing the ground crews at Victoria Station. Liam had stayed past midnight to clear up some paperwork and field government calls when Chapman and his deputy chief couldn’t.
He’d woken up that morning to a reminder on his personal tablet that Jamie and Kyle were due to fly in that day, and he shot them off a message apologizing for not being able to greet them at the airport. Liam knew they would understand, but he still had the unenviable position of updating Chapman on the Callahans’ arrival to the UK as his personal guests if the chief wasn’t already in the know.
Liam knew sorting out Jamie and Kyle’s travel plans was a bit more involved these days since Jamie was now officially the First Son of the president of the United States. That required some notification on the British government’s side, so Liam wasn’t surprised when he walked into the hub at 0600 after a terrible night’s sleep to find Chapman already there.
Liam passed over a to-go cup of tea to Chapman as a sort of apology. “Did you get any rest, sir?”
“We’re halfway through quarantine protocols,” was Chapman’s testy response.
Liam figured that was answer enough. “Where do you need me?”
“I’ve a call queued up regarding Ascot’s security parameters. The organizers need reassurance that what they have in place will be enough after yesterday’s fiasco.”
“No security is ever enough these days.”
“That’s not the answer they want to hear. As they’re worried over the royal family’s safety, you’re well placed to handle their concerns.”
Liam nodded. “Understood, sir.”
“And Colonel Wessex?” Chapman finally dragged his tired gaze away from the holoscreens surrounding him. “A little warning about foreign visitors would be greatly appreciated next time.”
“The queen asked me to invite them. I couldn’t very well say no, now could I?” Liam replied in a mild voice.
Chapman stared him down. “You have your orders.”
Liam inclined his head and left the hub for his office. The war room was too busy for the conversation he needed to have and he didn’t want to distract Chapman.
Ascot was two days away now, and despite everything that had happened, no one wanted to cancel or delay the race. No direct threats had been levied at the event or to the royal family, which meant—despite the panic—everyone was holding firm.
“The UMG will coordinate with on-the-ground security to ensure the safety of the guests. Extending the perimeter is vital to guest safety, and I would recommend that gets done today,” Liam said toward the end of the lengthy conference call.
His prompt resulted in another round of back-and-forth with the people in charge of security. By the time Liam managed to end the call, it was three hours later and his stomach was grumbling from lack of food.
