“It was a daymeans things didn’t go your way. Or, I don’t know, you were inconvenienced.” My voice is getting louder and louder. “Bullets going intoyour body… I don’t know, maybe that warrants more than a ‘it was a day’.” I drop my voice to mimic his deep tenor. “Maybe that warrants aHey, Wifey, I was shotphone call. But maybe I’m just being ridiculous thinking you’d clue me in when?—”
“Wifey?” he cuts off my rant.
“Yeah.” I turn to face him.
“It was a shit day. I’m glad to be alive and I’m glad you care.”
Well, that sucked the wind right out of my sails. “Well, good.”
“Today was also shit, but not in the bullets flying kind of way.”
I reach out a hand. I don’t know why. “What was today?”
He takes my hand, presses his lips to my knuckles, and whispers something under his breath.
“What was that?”
“I said, you need your ring.”
I nod, but don’t push that subject. “What happened today, Liam?”
We’re on the toll road that loops around the east side of Denver, heading toward Ken Caryl, when he releases a deep exhale. “This morning, Ayla and Cian and I had to talk with Mom about what’s coming next. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life.”
“I’m sorry.” I squeeze the hand holding mine. “Will you tell me what’s coming next?”
He captures my gaze before returning his focus to the road. “My father is not a good man. And by not a good man, I mean he nearly killed my brother and tried to murder my sister. That’s not hyperbole. It’s a documented fact.”
“That’s… unconscionable.”
“That’s one word for it. The word I’m using is criminal. And today we sat Mom down to explain that we’d no longer hide his secret from the authorities.”
What? “You protected him?” I can’t imagine. I also can’t imagine my dad being anything like that.
“Ayla did and it was her call to do so. Sort of. Sophia and Wills entering the picture changed things.”
“I’d bet. Are they”—I don’t want to thinkit—“vulnerable?”
“Not anymore.” He stares out at the road, weaving through the not-yet rush-hour traffic.
“You’re certain of that?”
“We went to the police today, against Mom’s fervent pleas, brought all the evidence, along with our attorney. Ayla and Ci filed civil cases against him. The county and city plan to file criminal ones as well. That allowed for restraining orders.”
“And your mom?”
“She wants to pretend this doesn’t exist. She’s not defending him. She simply wants everyone to be happy. As if that’s an option. As if it’s that simple.”
“You mentioned Cian and Ayla but did—” I buck up my courage. “Did your dad hurt you?”
He shakes his head. “Aside from being himself? No. In fact, there wasn’t enough to warrant an RO for me.”
“So the gunshots?” I ask as we near home.
“They came from something else. I’m banged up. But I got a surprise out of the deal.”
“You got a good surprise from being shot,” I deadpan. “You need to get out more or something. Besides, I thought you were in Wyoming.”
“I was,” he glowers as we round our townhomes for his garage.
