He rolls his wrist and we shoot forward, my butt wanting tofly backward, and I hold on tighter, letting a yell come through me.
It’s fear and fun, but I can’t tell which percentage of which. It’s liberating and terrifying. It’s exposed but unencumbered.
I get it. Even if I don’t know if I want it.
Power vibrates between my thighs as the warmth of his back seeps into my chest. I lift my chin to see over his uninjured shoulder. We merge onto the highway, and in that instant, fear certainly outweighs fun. We’re going fast, zipping in a way I don’t think Liam ever has with me in his presence.
We’re practically flying. I want to look back to see why while at the same time, shut my eyes to the turns.
I must be holding him tightly, because once we’ve exited the highway for surface streets, he releases one handle, giving my hands around his abdomen a squeeze, before returning it to the gas or brake or whatever he’s doing.
His hands twist. His feet move up and down. We zig and zag until he pulls into a neighborhood with houses the size of university buildings that are equally as ornate.
Holy macaroons.
Without a word, a garage door slides up, and an armed man walks to the edge of the bay, looking left and right before nodding.
Did we just leave one trap to fall into another? Out of the frying pan and into the fire or something?
Liam shows no hesitation with this craziness and pulls us into the bay, the door sliding closed behind us. He taps my hands that might as well be frozen to each other and to his chest, and rubs them a time or two before looking over his shoulder at me.
He’s saying something but the weird four-lined singing is in the helmet and I can’t understand a word he’s mouthing.
Reaching back, he lifts the visor. “Hop off, baby. We’re safe.”
I look from him to the armed man who I recognize as the man with the chili recipe. “Fitz?”
He releases the huge black gun in the strappy thing at his side and extends a hand to help me off the Harley. I accept, nearly tumbling into him on vibrating jello legs.
Fitz looks over my head before a shit-eating grin overtakes his face. He steps back, putting a hand over his mouth.
I whirl on the man behind me, the weight of the backpack not helping my typically terrible balance issues. Liam steadies me, removes the helmet and lifts the bag off me in one fell swoop with his good arm, and extends a hand. We’re almost to the back door, Fitz pulling up the rear, when the door whips open and Ayla’s in the garage.
She pulls me into a hug, all the while talking. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s late, but there’s coffee and dessert if you want it.” She pauses to study her brother. “There’s blood on your pants. You can have Sophia once you stop leaking.”
That’s a lot of info.
“I’m sorry about this, Ayla. I hope we’re not imposing.”
“We’re not.” Liam puts a hand to my back, ushering me ahead of him, right into a huge home with a man who looks like an Italian suit model. His hollow cheeks sit above a chin that looks carved from marble. His dark eyes are piercing. He’s tall, imposing, and…
Liam crowds me from behind as I stare at the man in a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up his forearms, holding Sophia. A scary dog sits at his feet.
If this were an ad for expensive leather shoes or home décor I’ll never afford, it would make more sense.
“Lorien,” he says close to my ear. “This is my brother-in-law, Christian. That handsome boy is Franklin. Christian, this is Lorien.”
The man smiles a knowing smile. “Welcome, Lorien. We’re glad we could take care of Liam while you were away.”
“It seems trouble finds him,” I offer.
“Do you include yourself in that assumption?”
I shrug. “Sometimes.” I look down at the dog. He doesn’t move. No crazy tail wag. No twitching bottom. “Is Franklin… protecting you?”
“Release,” Christian says and the dog bounds for Liam, looking for everyone like a normal pet, not the model-statue-protector he was mere moments ago. He sniffs Liam’s hip and releases a small howl.
“I know, buddy. I’ll go check it out. This is Lorien. You can trust her.” He kisses my temple and walks away, the pup loping quietly behind him, as Poe explains her distaste for being trapped in a shirt pocket for this long.
