It nags at me though. I wish he were around more. I want to talk to him about what happened, to understand who those men were and what they wanted, and most of all, to find out whether it’ll happen again or not. I think they had something to do with Kieren and the Russians, only I can’t say for sure, because Liam’s not around to tell me.
Eventually I’m tired and frustrated. I decide to call it for the evening and head out to get some groceries. The apartment is pathetic when it comes to food. I’m not sure how Liam survives on beer and cheese while still retaining his impressive physique.
Bastard probably has perfect genes.
I make it to the lobby before I’m stopped. He appears out of nowhere, swooping in through the front door, eyes scanning the space and stopping on me, brows knitting. He comes straight over and grabs me by the arm.
“What are you doing down here?” Liam says, an edge to his voice. His eyes are cold and quiet. If there was anything warm and good between us that night after the wedding, it’s sure as hell gone now.
“Uh, first of all, get the hell off me.” I shake myself loose. “And second, I’m going to the store. You realize you have no food in the house, right?"
“Get delivery.”
“No, I want to cook.”
“Nobodywantsto cook. Food is fuel. Order something.”
“Actually, cooking takes my mind off all the other crap in my life—“ I gesture at him emphatically. “Now stop being a prick.”
He glares at me. I glare right back. I have no idea why we’re having a fight aboutgrocery shoppinglike this is somehow against an unspoken rule. After a few beats, he grunts and steps aside.
“Let’s make this fast.”
I walk past and he falls in beside me. “Sorry, I don’t think you were invited.”
“I’m escorting my wife.”
“You’re annoying her even more.”
“It’s not safe out there, Regan.” His eyes burn death into me. I taste metal and smell smoke. “Don’t fight me on this.”
“You can’t keep using the shooting as an excuse to be a controlling bastard forever.”
“You’d be surprised what I can do.”
Damn it, this is frustrating. I could stand here and make a scene, but that won’t get me anywhere, and I'm getting hungry. With nobetter options, I decide my best bet is to pretend like Liam’s not here at all.
He’s my annoying ghost. I walk a few blocks to a high-end grocery chain. Everything’s organic, fancy, and stupidly overpriced. I grab a cart and try to hum to myself as I stride through the store, but Liam’s always there, one step behind me.
And I notice the heads turning immediately.
A younger woman near the lettuce does a double-take when Liam leans past her to grab a head of romaine for me. An older woman checking peaches nearly drops one, her mouth hanging open, when Liam stretches his back. Another woman grips a banana with both hands, squeezing it hard.
It’s not only the women. Half the men in the store gape at him like he’s some kind of apparition from another world. Liam’s either good at ignoring it or isn’t aware of the effect he has on the people around him, but either way, it’s irritating.
“Do you really have to follow me around?” I hiss at him as I head to the pasta aisle.
“Believe me love, I’d rather be doing almost anything else.”
“Whathaveyou been doing lately, anyway? You’ve barely been around.”
“Little of this, little of that.”
“Shady.”
“Yes, love, I know.” He picks up an apple and weighs it in his hand, rubbing it slowly. “Nice and firm.”
A woman nearby almost faints. She leans on her cart and has to hurry away.
