“Yeah?”
“Oh, yes.” He nodded. “Very technical, indeed.”
Though they had more important things to discuss, she decided to play along. Allowing herself the rare moment ofnonsensical amusement, Allison said, “I’ll do my best to keep up.”
She expected him to pop off with yet another exaggerated, smartassed retort. Instead, Liam’s humored expression softened as he stared deeply into her eyes.
“I see you and Maddie together.” He smiled. “You’re laughing and smiling while the two of you play together under the beams of the sun. In the future, you’re finally free to live without fear of being followed or watched. There are no more looking over your shoulder everywhere you go. Just pure, unadulterated happiness and the freedom to love and be loved in the way that you deserve.”
A sudden rush of emotion struck without warning, and she had to blink quickly to prevent a fresh onslaught of tears from falling.
“That sure would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Allison breathed out a nervous chuckle. “I’ve been looking over my shoulder for so long, I don’t remember what it was like before.”
“I’m sorry.”
She gave her shoulder a shrug. “It’s my own fault. After all, I’m the one who chose to stay.”
“Bullshit,” Liam bit back sharply. “Therewasno choice, remember? That’s what you said in my office the other day.”
“I know what I said, Liam. But?—”
“But what?” he interrupted. “You were lying when you said that?”
“What? No!” Her face twisted into an incredulous stare. “Of course, I wasn’t lying.”
“You weren’t lying then? Or now?”
“Neither!”
“Well, it’s gotta be one or the other, Al.” His gaze searched hers. “Because you can’t have it both ways.”
Fury burned beneath the surface, and she was about to tell the handsome bodyguard where he could shove his insulting interrogation. But just as Allison opened her mouth to do just that, it finally clicked.
Liam wasn’t being an ass for the sake of being an ass. He was trying to get her to see that what she’d told him before rang true.
She walked away from Tommy and the terrifying life he’d trapped her and Maddie in the first real chance she had. It took time to build the meager savings she’d kept stashed away. Time to build the courage needed to leave everything she’d ever known behind.
“Thank you,” Allison whispered softly.
“For what?”
“You know what.” She smiled.
Liam held her gaze a moment longer before reaching over and taking her hand in his. With a gentle hold, he told her, “You did the best you could with the resources you had. No one can ever fault you for that.”
She glanced down at their joined hands and curled her fingers tightly around his. “That life you described a minute ago,” she started. “The one where Maddie and I are free…”
“What about it?”
“I want that life.” Her eyes lifted to meet his once more. “Not for me, but for Maddie. She deserves to be happy, Liam. She deserves everything her heart desires. And my biggest fear of all…the thing that scares me even more than the possibility of having to face off with Tommy or his men…is knowing I may never be able to give that to her.”
“Maddiewillhave that life, Al.” The unpredictable man lifted the hand he was holding before pressing his lips to the skin near her knuckles. “So will you.”
The sweet gesture made Allison’s heart whirl with hope and something else she chose to ignore. With a half-hearted tease, she asked, “And you know this because you can see the future?”
“No, sweetheart.” Liam shook his handsome head slowly from side to side. “I know this because I’m going to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. For Maddie…” His intense gaze darkened with a slight pause. “And for you.”
CHAPTER 8
