Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
My mouth dropped open, and I stared at Liam. “What happened?”
“Why don’t you tell him.” My father looked at Liam.
“I saw a man in the backyard crouched behind a tree. He raised a rifle, and I tackled your father, getting us both behind the desk.”
I took his arm and pulled him against me. “Oh my God. Was it one of the McConnells?”
“No,” my father answered. “It was another matter. Personal to me. The bullet was meant for me, so I am now indebted to your young man.”
I hugged Liam to me. “Thank you. That’s…thank you.”
“I’m here to protect you too,” Liam said. “And your father or any of your other family members. I may not have the same skills you do, but apparently I have quick reflexes.”
Dom actually smiled—fucking smiled—at him.
“Go on,” my father said. “Take him and finish your business. I have an investigation to see to.”
“Let me know what you find out.”
“I will.”
I took Liam’s hand, and we headed to the car. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I mean, I would say I was shaken up, but I was already on edge when I got here, so I don’t know if it’s any worse or not. I thought your father might kill me for knocking him to the floor, but then a bullet came through the window, and he realized why I’d done it.”
I snorted. “I bet he was being an ass to you the whole time before it happened.”
“I won’t say you’re wrong, but we seem to have come to an agreement.”
“He better accept you after you saved his life.”
Liam smiled. “I think he really does, but I can’t celebrate it, because now I have to go and meet the family I never knew existed. Is Cathal my cousin?”
“I’m not sure of the exact relationship. Cousin is close enough, but we have some very important things to talk about before the meeting.”
Liam frowned at me, but I opened the car door and gestured for him to get in. I tried to tell myself everything was going to be fine as I circled the car and got into the driver’s seat.
I started the car, then turned to face Liam. After taking both of his hands in mine, I looked into his eyes and said, “I’ve wanted to say this for a while now, at least since the night I had you in the parking lot.”
Liam’s cheeks turned pink. “That was a good night.”
“Yes, it was.” I took a deep breath. I could do this. “I love you, Liam.”
His eyes widened. “Y-you do?”
“Yes, so much. I should have told you last night.”
“I love you too. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you didn’t…that I was imaging this being more than just sex.”
I pulled him to me and kissed him. “It’s a lot more. Marry me.”
His made a strangled sound. “What?”
“Will you marry me?”
“Is this really the time to talk about that?”
“Liam.”
He held my gaze for a moment, then smiled. “Yes.”
I kissed him then, long and hard. When he started to grow more frantic and his hands slipped into my hair, I took hold of them again and pulled away. “There’s something else.”
“That wasn’t enough of a surprise?”
If only. “We made some agreements when we met with Cathal.”
“What kind of agreements?”
“Lucien told him I would marry you.”
Liam narrowed his eyes and pulled his hands away. “What if I’d said no? Wait. You didn’t just say you loved me so I’d agree to your plan, did you?”
Of fuck. I couldn’t let him think that. “No, baby. I swear. I told Lucien I loved you when he asked me why he should help us. You can ask him.”
“You said that—to Lucien?”
“Yes. I know I should have told you first, but—”
Liam pushed my hair off my forehead as he leaned in for a kiss. “I told your father I loved you.”
“Fuck me.”
He grinned and pulled back to look at me. “Do we have time?”
“Sadly, no. O’Keefe wanted something in exchange for his blessing, so Lucien offered for you to be a liaison between our two families.”
Liam shook his head. “I don’t want to be involved, not like that. They don’t even care about me.”
“There are some things that you haven’t been told. You were supposed to know about your parents’ true identities after they passed away. Your real identity wasn’t communicated to you like it should’ve been. I don’t know the reasons, but if we’re going to make this work with both our families, I don’t think this is negotiable.”
Liam pressed his hand to his eyes and exhaled. “I never wanted to be part of this.”
“But you were always going to be if you stayed with me. Are you regretting your choice?”
He dropped his hands and looked at me again. “No. It’s not what I would have chosen, but I’ll do anything if it means I can be with you.”