Turning right, Liam flipped on the hallway light as he led the girl’s mother to the last of the three bedrooms. Allison’s small hitch of a breath sounded when they stepped inside.
“Liam.” She put a hand to his upper arm. “This is your room.”
“I know.” He went to the bed and pulled back the blankets. Careful not to wake her, he gently laid Maddie down onto the mattress before tucking her in.
“Seriously, Liam.” Allison’s whisper cut through the otherwise silent room. “I saw two other rooms on the way here. Maddie and I can stay in one of?—”
He lifted a finger to his lips as he walked past on his way to the door. Following his lead, Allison left the room as well. She stopped long enough to quietly pull the door closed.
Liam waited until they’d reached the living room to begin talking again.
“One of the two rooms you saw is my office, and the other only has a full-sized bed. Since there are two of you and one of me, it makes a lot more sense for you and Maddie to take the king.”
“I appreciate that, but we’ve slept in smaller beds before.” Her blue gaze skittered with a moment of embarrassment. “At the shelter in Nebraska, she and I even shared a cot. So trust me when I say we manage sharing a full-sized bed.”
His eyebrows drew together as he looked down at her with an empathetic stare. Between what she’d told him and the research he’d conducted, Liam felt as though he knew this woman on a far deeper level than merely bodyguard and client.
It was probably why he felt such an electrifying pull to both her and her daughter. He knew so much about them, and yet Liam found himself wanting to know more.
Things like her favorite color or flower. Maddie’s favorite dessert, or which she liked better…dogs or cats.
Liam also couldn’t ignore the familiarities in her story. The abuse and ridicule she’d suffered at the hands of her husband. The need to be free to live a life ofherchoosing.
It brought back a shit ton of childhood memories. Moments he wished like hell he could forget. The yelling and belittling she and poor little Maddie had been forced to suffer…the beatings Allison had so bravely endured… It was all a little too familiar.
Too much like the torture Liam’s own father had bestowed.
You took care of that problem, remember?
Thanks to him, his pathetic excuse for a father would never anyone else ever again. And as he stood in the shadows of his low-lit home, Liam made a silent vow to make sure Tommy Gallo met the same fate.
“One, you didn’t kick me out of anything.” He quietly addressed Allison’s concerns. “And two…” Liam stepped closer, reaching out and resting his palm against her cheek. “You and Mads have ‘managed’ enough, don’t you think?”
“The hotel bed was a full, and she and I slept just fine last night.” Her dimples grew deep with a soft huff of a laugh. “I mean, I may have woken up with Maddie half-sprawled on top of me and the covers on the opposite side of the bed, but we?—”
“Managed?” He sent a playfully arched brow her way.
Rather than respond right away, Allison closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. She was his client, and it was his jobto protect. Yet in that moment, Liam couldn’t seem to find the strength to pull away.
“I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to repay you.” Allison’s lids lifted once again. “Money aside, it’s only been two days, and you’ve already moved us to a hotel, flown us to Seattle, and now we’re here…in your house.”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of you and Maddie having to spend one more night in a shelter,” he rumbled low. “Figured the hotel would work for the first couple of nights, and then we’d move you into something a little more permanent. Tonight’s break-in sped up the timeline a bit, but you’ll both be safe here.”
“What if they show up at your house?”
“Let ‘em,” Liam challenged back.
“I’m serious, Liam.” Allison stepped back, just out of his reach. “It’s one thing to take on certain risks with your job, but this is yourhome. And I’m not about to let you?—”
“Not your choice, darlin’,” he interrupted with a drawl. “Besides, I have a state-of-the-art security system, including several cameras mounted outside that cover the property’s entire perimeter. Trust me, Al. We’re on my turf now, which means this is the safest place for you and Maddie to be. There’s just one more thing I need to know.”
“What’s that?”
Liam waited a beat before flashing her a grin and asking, “Are you hungry?”
CHAPTER 11
The next morning…
