“Of course not. I know your husband has put you and your daughter through hell, and all you want is for her to have a normal childhood. But listen, now’s not the time to?—”
“Let my guard down,” she finished for him. “I know. Sorry.” Allison bent down so she was eye-level with a patiently waiting Maddie. “Come on, sweetpea. It’s time to go inside and get cleaned up for dinner.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” he rumbled.
“Just one more push, pleeeeease,” the adorable little girl begged for more.
Though they were separated by several yards of grass, sidewalk, and street, Liam instinctively knew Maddie was giving Allison her best and biggest puppy dog eyes. He chuckled softly. “One more push, and then you really should go inside for the night.”
Allisons’s mouth curved upward into a visible smile. One big push and several giggles later, both mother and daughter were back in the building where he knew they’d be safe.
“Okay, we’re back inside,” she informed him. “So…I guess I’ll just wait to hear from you tomorrow, then?”
Liam nodded despite her not being able to see him. “I’ll call you first thing to let you know where we are with everything.”
“Come on, Mommy!” Maddie’s sweet voice sounded in the background. “If I hurry my baf, I’ll have time to watch cartoons before dinner.”
“Sounds like you have your hands full,” he couldn’t help but grin. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Liam. And…thanks again.”
“’Night, Allison.”
He ended the call and drove away.
Though he probably should, Liam didn’t feel a lick of guilt for watching her from afar like a creepy stalker. It was a necessary part of the job, and he needed to make sure she was safe.
He also needed to know he could trust her.
The latter would eventually answer itself one way or the other. As for Allison’s safety, his gut said she wouldn’t do anything that would risk herself or Maddie, like leaving the shelter without him.
With that particular concern off his plate, Liam was free for the rest of the night. That meant he could finally look into Tommy Gallo and his known associates. But first…
Food.
A drive-thru burger and fries was all that he needed to refuel his tired brain, so he made a short detour on the way to home. By the time he reached his driveway, Liam was popping the last remaining fry into his mouth.
Thanks to the generous salary working for R.I.S.C.’s Delta Team provided, he’d been able to stash away enough cash to purchase his first-ever single-family home. It wasn’t as big or boastful as he could have afforded. But the one-story craftsmanwas in great condition, and it was located on a quiet street in the middle of a quiet, friendly neighborhood.
He dropped the crumpled, grease-stained fast-food bag and cup half-full of nothing but ice into the trashcan positioned next to his garage. Liam made his way along the curve of his sidewalk and up onto the home’s covered porch.
A few minutes later, he was finally locking himself inside for the night.
“Home sweet home,” he sighed, tossing his keys and wallet onto the small accent table next to the door.
It had been a long day filled with phone calls, emails, research, and client meetings. And there were still a few more hours’ worth of work ahead of him before he could crash.
Liam walked past his living room and halfway down the hall to the second door on the right. He smiled damn near every time he entered the personalized space.
It was his spare bedroom-turned-home-office. The place so much of his tech magic happened. Rather than a bed and dresser—as one would typically have in a second bedroom—Liam had turned the space into a technical analyst’s dream oasis.
His desk, which was actually a long, rectangular table, was centered facing the room’s double window overlooking the street below. Strategically placed on top of the table were multiple computer monitors.
Six to be exact.
Some might call it overkill, but not Liam. Multiple screens allowed him to look over data from more than one source at one time. And when it came to his line of work and the information he gathered, the phrase “the more the merrier” rang true.
“Okay, Allison,” Liam spoke to himself as he sat down in his chair and powered up the custom-built PC tower snuggled on the floor beneath the table. “Let’s see what we can find.”
