“I’m pretty good at sniffing out bullshit, Al.”
But Allison refused to give up.
“If I go with you, I can get you into Liberty House. Given Sloane’s connections, she probably knows more about my husband and his dealings than any detective in the city.”
She was referring to the manager of the Seattle shelter who’d helped with Allison’s and Maddie’s initial disappearance. The philanthropic woman was no doubt an invaluable asset, but not one that required Allison’s in-person presence.
“I can go by the shelter myself.”
“You could.” Allison shrugged. “But I know Sloane. Delta Team or not, she’s going to be much more forthcoming about me and my situation if I’m there with you. Plus, the woman adores Maddie, so I know she’ll let Maddie stay at the shelter’s on-site daycare while you and I meet with Knox. Please, Liam.” The persistent woman begged a final time. “Pleasetake us with you.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to deny the woman’s heartfelt request. But as he stood there, held hostage by her gorgeous, pleading stare, all Liam heard himself saying was, “We fly out first thing in the morning.”
CHAPTER 7
The next morning…
“Is that our plane?”
Allison followed her daughter’s line of sight to the private jet idling several yards from where they stood.
“I think so.” She smiled, glancing down at the sweet child.
Maddie was so pure. So innocent. She deserved so much better than the father she’d been given, which was why Allison had decided to force her way onto this trip.
I have to stop running. For her. For us.
“All right, Mads.” Liam rounded the front bumper, his shaded gaze focused solely on the little girl. “You ready for your very first airplane ride?”
Maddie’s tiny hand jerked Allison’s up and down as she began bounced up and down exuberantly.“Yeah!”
The smile he flashed her daughter’s way was so instantaneous and genuine, it filled her chest with a comforting warmth she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“Okay, but there’s one more thing we have to do before you can board the jet.” Liam’s expression grew over-the-top serious.“It’s a very important tradition my team has whenever someone takes their first plane ride on our jet.”
“What?” Maddie’s entire face lit up with excitement. “What’s the tratition?”
Allison slid her focus back up to Liam in time to see the corners of his lips twitch with the urge to smile. Instead, the sexy bodyguard shifted his body sideways before dropping down to one knee.
“All first timers must get a piggyback ride to the plane.” He lifted both hands to the sides of his head before holding them palms-up behind his shoulders. “Otherwise, it’s bad luck.”
“Okay!”
Her daughter ran Liam and put her tiny hands in his. Moving with far more grace than one would expect from a man of his size and stature, he slid the little girl onto his back while simultaneous rising up to his feet.
Allison fell in step behind them as they made their way across the team’s private tarmac. She couldn’t help but chuckle when Liam began bouncing Maddie with each of his exaggerated steps, sending the little girl into a fit of seemingly endless giggles.
She didn’t know much about Liam Cutler, but from what she’d seen so far, she liked. Especially the way he was around Maddie. The pair got along like two peas in a pod, almost as if they’d known each other forever.
Her sneakered feet hit the bottom step, and Allison began climbing the staircase leading up to the jet’s opened door. A heaviness began to settle deep inside her gut. A feeling of dread at the thought of what would happen once this whole thing was over.
Best case scenario, Tommy—along with his merry gang of sleezeballs—would get locked up and spend the rest of their miserable lives behind bars, where they all belonged. She andMaddie would finally be free to live the kind of life they’d always wanted. A life her little girl deserved.
But even then, that sort of life would require yet another fresh start. Another city. And that would mean that, eventually, Maddie would have to tell Liam goodbye.
It was a silly thing to be worried about, she knew. Especially since Liam had been a part of their lives for all of about five minutes. But Maddie was like her in that she trusted empirically and loved with all her heart.
Or at least, that’s the way Allisonusedto be.
