Liam (The O’Sheas Fitheach #3)

CHAPTER 3

SERA

Once we’d got to the pub where Billie and Ange were waiting for us, pints already on the table, it didn’t take long for us to fill them in on what Simon had done. We’d then had to hold Billie back as she was ready to go and teach him a lesson in manners and family. Our redheaded firecracker had a short fuse, and we’d often had to pull her back when she let it get the better of her.

“Sit down,” I laugh, pulling her back towards the table by the hem of her shirt. “He’s really not worth the agro, doll. It’s probably for the best anyway. New beginnings and all that.”

“What are you going to do then?” Ange asks curiously. “I know you; you’ll have a plan.”

Shrugging a little because I didn’t really have a plan other than to go and visit Draco and his family for a few days, and then I’d make a plan. I explained all this to them.

Billie slaps a hand to the table, “Call Draco and ask if he has room for all of us. We haven’t seen the other lads either since they left. And with them all being hooked up, it will be nice to meet their women to see who they ended up with. You know that where you go, we go. I’m sure with all our qualifications we’ll find jobs around there if that’s where you end up staying.”

When the other girls all nod in agreement, “Fuck, I love you guys.”

“Don’t get mushy on us now, Sera, get phoning,” Evie grins at me, pushing my phone towards me.

So that’s what I did, and as expected, Draco was more than happy to have the five of us turn up for a few days. Once I explained why, he said it was a good thing I’d called when I did because he may have a lead on a job for me. I couldn’t believe it. It was obviously meant to be. JoJo sold her car, and we’d packed up my Jeep and left the next day—four bikes and JoJo following in my Jeep. We left early, hoping to beat most of the traffic by getting up at three in the morning to get on the road.

While getting up in the early hours of the morning didn’t bother any of us who were used to weird hours, JoJo made it known she wasn’t happy about it and moaned to any of us that would listen. She wasn’t best impressed when we laughed at her, but she was in the car on time with a big mug of coffee to keep her going. It was a long drive from Leeds, where we’d all grown up, to the New Forest, but it felt good to be out on the road. And from the hoots and hollers from the girls as we merged onto the motorway and could really let loose, they were happy too.

It was a smooth ride with only a few stops at services for necessity’s sake. I whistled under my breath when we drove up the road to the address Draco had given me, and the mansion came into sight.

Stopping our bikes at the gate, I pulled off my helmet and looked up into the camera. Whoever was on the other side must know who we were because the gates slowly rolled back for us to ride through, following the road towards where Draco was standing with his arm around a short blonde woman who had a baby in a carrier on her chest. He raised his other hand to wave and grinned as he motioned where he wanted us to park.

It wasn’t long before we were off our bikes and being welcomed like long-lost family. This is what I missed about the military: the camaraderie and the feeling of family, even though none of us were related.

Only Evie and I had served with Draco, but Ange and Billie knew of them all, as we’d crossed paths on some of the bases we’d been on.

I loved their wives; they didn’t take any shit and seemed to fit each man perfectly. That made me happy. We’d been there a few days when Draco told me more about the job opportunity with a family that the MC owned a couple of businesses with.

One of the businesses was in security, mostly close protection and bouncing at various nightclubs and pubs. The owner was looking to diversify into fitting security systems but didn’t have the experience or expertise to set it up.

Before I invested any time and energy into this opportunity, I needed to find out if they were trustworthy, though, and wouldn’t stab me in the back like my blood family had.

“Are you sure this guy is trustworthy, Draco?” I ask worriedly. I could feel the frown building and my shoulders tense as I waited for his answer.

“Sera, I promise the O’Sheas are some of the best men that I know. I’d have them at my back anytime. But don’t take my word for it. Ask the Crow ladies what they think. In fact, here’s Molly; we’ll start with her. You know she won’t bullshit you.”

Chuckling, I nodded. In the short few days since I’d met them, I’d learned that if there was one thing Molly didn’t tolerate, it was bullshit.

“Ask me what?” Molly enquires as she walked into their kitchen after putting Sophie down and wasted no time in settling on Draco’s lap.

It was another thing we’d all noticed about the Crows; they liked having their women near them, and if they were sitting, more often than not, their women were either on their laps or sitting next to them. It made my hard heart go pitter-patter at how cute they were. Not that I’d ever tell them that.

“What’s your opinion on Adam O’Shea?” Draco asks.

With no hesitation, Molly replies, “Good guy, loyal, quiet, loves his wife and new kids. Saying that, I’d also like to put it out there that he could be deadly if he needed to be. No surprise given their background, though. Now what you really should be asking is about their dad.”

Even Draco looked confused at that remark.

“Why?”

“Because he’s the first O’Shea and he’s fucking awesome. I love that man to the moon and back. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can imagine that he could be a hard-arse, but have you seen him with his grandkids and his daughters-in-law? The man is a marshmallow. And he’s raised some pretty amazing sons, bar Andy; I guess there’s always one bad apple.

“Plus, he lets us all go and shoot at his range, and he’s always happy to throw knives with me. If I didn’t have the most awesome father-in-law already and I hadn’t met Draco, I’d have been pretty happy joining that family,” she winks cheekily at me with a wide grin.

“Hey,” Draco grouses, digging his fingers into her ribs, making her laugh out loud. I had to smile at their obvious love for each other, even with the teasing. When they settle down, I ask, “So, you think they’d be good to go and see about the job then?”

Molly sits up in Draco’s lap and looks me in the eye, her tone of voice serious. “Se, I promise you won’t regret taking a job with them. The O’Sheas are much like the Crow men; when you’re in and they trust you, then you’re all the way in. They’ll always have your back. They’re loyal to a fault. Draco and I wouldn’t steer you wrong. And honestly, I’d love to have you guys stay close. We can always do with more badass women.”

Drawing in a deep breath, I nod at Draco, “Okay, make the introduction.”

Draco wasted no time in getting Adam O’Shea on the phone, and after a long discussion, it was decided that I’d go see him, but to call before I left so that he’d make sure to be in the office.

In the end, I’d been so nervous that I’d forgotten to call and had driven to the address Draco had given me. The rest of my girls’ squad, knowing that I’d be busy today, had gone to have a look around the town and see if there were any jobs available for them. It didn’t take me long to get to O’Shea’s office, but it was only when I parked up that I remembered to make the call.

The deep voice, with just a hint of an Irish accent, that answered the phone had a shiver run down my spine. After a short discussion, I agreed to go in and wait for Adam.

It was my own fault that I’d have to wait. Adam had asked me to call first for just this reason so that I wouldn’t be waiting around. But I couldn’t help but think that I was glad that I’d come early. It meant I got to meet the man behind the voice without an audience.

I knew from when he’d said his name that he was the eldest of the brothers, and I wondered what the man behind the voice was like and if he was as sexy as his voice depicted. Not that I’d be throwing myself at him, being as he would sort of be one of my bosses if Adam took me on, but still, I could dream. The man sounded delicious.

And when I finally laid eyes on him—oh, yeah, I knew I was in so much trouble because the man was gorgeous.

From the top of his blond hair, which he wore long enough that it fell past his shoulders, to the well-kept beard and bright blue eyes. Even sitting behind the desk, I could tell he’d be tall. This was confirmed when he stood, and I got a proper look at him, from his broad shoulders that tapered to a slim waist, down to thick thighs covered in dark blue jeans.

I took all this in as I walked in the door and held out my hand to him; from the heat in his eyes as he shook my hand, the attraction was mutual. Neither my size nor my scar seemed to faze him. It was a heady moment for a woman who didn’t always feel like she fit with what a woman should look like. And his voice… ‘Fuck me gently, his voice.’

All I could imagine was him fucking me while whispering to me in that deep, guttural, slightly accented way. It made me hot, and I’d only touched his hand. My face flushed slightly as he continued to keep hold of my hand, and I wondered if there hadn’t been a desk between us and if Adam hadn’t arrived right then, if we’d have been able to stop ourselves from climbing all over each other.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how I wanted to look at it, Adam and his wife, Tilly, did walk in the door, and Liam had to let go of my hand, albeit reluctantly, by the way his fingers gripped mine gently before letting go.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I felt Adam and Tilly watching us. Finally, I had no choice but to drag my attention away from Liam and turn towards Adam. I met his assessing gaze before it flicked towards Liam, who got raised eyebrows. Tilly broke the silence by pushing past Adam with a smile on her face and her hand held out.

“Hi, Sera, sorry to have kept you waiting; the scan took slightly longer than expected.”

I totally understood the saying, “She glowed when pregnant,” because Tilly was glowing brightly. She was also gorgeous and matched the man next to her perfectly. They made a stunning couple. It was also comforting to be in the company of another tall woman; it wasn’t often that I was.

Giving her an answering smile, I shook her hand, replying, “It’s no problem; I was early and should have called before I left. I’ve not been here long. Liam’s only just let me in.”

“That’s good then,” Tilly answers, her eyes twinkling with humour. They’d obviously been standing there longer than I’d thought, judging by the amusement on her face. Taking my elbow, she steered me down the passage, telling me, “Come on, let’s go to Adam’s office; it’s far more comfortable. We’ll get a drink, and you can tell us how you came to be in Fitheach. Draco says you were part of his unit.”

She walked me into a big office with a large black desk and a comfortable-looking office chair. There are a further two chairs on the other side. At the far side of the office is a sofa and armchairs with a coffee table and a bookshelf behind it, and I can’t help but smile when I note the family pictures on it. Adam and Liam follow us in, and my eyes are again drawn to Liam. Now that I’m not so caught up in him, I notice that both his arms each have a full sleeve of tattoos. Holy fuck, he just gets better and better.

“So, Sera, tell us about yourself,” Adam prompted, once again dragging my attention away from Liam. I realised then that Adam had been trying to get my attention for a little while. My cheeks flushed in mortification. I really needed to get myself together; what the hell was wrong with me? I wasn’t this swooning woman. EVER! I blamed Liam.

Liam winked at me and grinned, seemingly perfectly okay with the fact that his brother and sister-in-law had just seen me ogling him.

“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter under my breath, except Tilly hears me and starts laughing. Lifting my eyes to the ceiling, I wonder if this can get any worse, especially as Adam starts to chuckle.

“You can be happy that Johnny isn’t here to witness this,” Adam grins at Liam.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, utterly mortified, burying my head in my hands. “I’m not this blithering idiot of a woman, I promise. I’m blaming him and all that,” I wave my hands up and down, “hotness.

“For fuck’s sake,” I lay my head back on the couch then sit up and tell Liam, “You need to leave because I can’t seem to focus with you here. And I need this job. Your brother’s going to think I’m some ditsy woman if this continues and I’m really not. Is it something in the water? I’ve been staying at the Crow MC; I think they’ve rubbed off all their happiness and coupliness. Is that even a word?

“Anyway, whatever it is, it’s rubbing off on me. I have to warn my girls squad that whatever this is, it’s catching,” I continue to ramble as they all laugh at me until I can’t help but laugh with them.

Standing up, I go to the door and open it, waving a hand at Liam, “Come on. Out! So I can hold a proper conversation. You are way too distracting.”

Liam chuckles but gets up and ambles over to the door, only to stop by me, bending his head slightly to whisper in my ear, “I’ll wait for you outside, and we can discuss this. Whatever this is,” he tells me before brushing his lips across my scarred cheek and walking out the door.

Closing it behind him, I lean back against it and lightly bang my head against it before taking a deep breath in and exhaling.

“Okay,” I tell Adam, whose eyes are sparkling with amusement. “I’m ready.” Tilly isn’t helping because she’s clutching her belly and laughing hysterically.

We finally get down to the interview, and I give them my background, including having been a part owner and what my brother had done to swipe the company from under me. When I’m done filling them in on the dumpster fire that my life has turned into, I find them both perusing me before Tilly and Adam share a look and seem to have a whole conversation without saying a word.

Adam turns to me, “I need to speak to my brothers, but instead of working for us, would you consider coming on as a partner? I’m good with running the close protection and bouncers but know fuck all about setting up systems. Tilly will be going on maternity leave in a few months, so we’ll need the reception and admin side to be covered. You say you have your girls with you; are any of them interested in a job? Both for the admin side and for installations. I’ve got a waiting list of people who want systems.”

I’m completely gobsmacked at his offer, “Are you serious?”

“I am,” Adam nods. “I think this could work. Let me speak to Johnny and Liam and get their take on it, and then we can sit down and hash out percentages and money—the pain in the arse stuff.”

“Wow,” I mutter, not knowing what to say. “That would be great. I’ve got some money put away, but it’s not much,” I warn him. “I’ll speak to the girls. JoJo would be good in the office; all three of the others would be good for fitting systems, but I’m not sure they’d want to do it forever. Especially Billie, she’d go nuts if she couldn’t get her hands on an engine.”

“What are you all trained as then?” Tilly asks curiously.

“Evie and Ange are medics, and Billie is a mechanic. JoJo doesn’t have a military background, but she’s Evie’s twin. She stayed home. She had her reasons.

“Me,” I hesitate to tell them what I did when I was in the military, wondering how they’d feel about the fact that I’d killed. “I was a sniper,” I say softly.

“Hard job,” Adam answers quietly. “You’ll have to come to ours and have Da show you his rifle. Hawk often comes to practice and keep his eye in.”

I blink rapidly; it wasn’t often you told civilians what you’d done for your country, and they understood. But then, from what I’d gleaned from conversations with Draco and the brotherhood, the O’Sheas weren’t choir boys. It settled something in me that they didn’t judge. “Thank you,” I say softly.

“Do you have somewhere to stay?” Tilly asks kindly.

I nod, “At the moment we’re staying in one of the cottages at the Crow MC, but we’ll start looking for something bigger now that I know I’ll be staying. It’s a bit tight on space with five of us and only one bathroom.”

“I tell you what,” Tilly says. “Why don’t you and your girls come to ours for dinner. You can meet Colm, Johnny, Maya, and all our kids. There’s a static caravan on the site that’s sitting empty; it’s got three bedrooms, and I’m sure that Liam won’t mind putting up a few of you at his house,” she smirks, making me laugh.

Shaking my head, I tell her, “I’ll speak to the girls about coming for dinner, but it will be up to them if they want to stay or not.”

“Fair enough,” Tilly agrees. “I’ll leave you two to finalise the last few things and go home to give Maya a hand. I’ll see you all this evening.” Standing up, she walks around Adam’s desk to kiss him goodbye, and holy fuck, they’re as bad as Draco and Molly, but it’s beautiful to watch.

Not long after Tilly leaves, Adam and I finish up our meeting, and I get the directions to his place, assuring him I’ll be there with the rest of my squad for supper.

He wants to have a meeting with Liam and Johnny about what we’ve just discussed. Adam doesn’t waste any time, and he’s on the phone to Johnny before I’m even out the door, so I know he’s serious about the business opportunity he laid out.

Walking down the passage, I stop when I find Liam leaning casually up against the reception desk, arms folded, eyes trained on the passage to Adam’s office, obviously waiting for me to make an appearance.

Forcing my feet to move, I don’t stop until my boots bump against the toes of his. “You’d better kiss me,” I inform him, “because if you don’t, I feel like I’m going to combust. And maybe once we get it out of the way, I’ll be able to think more clearly.”

Liam straightens and settles his palms on my neck, tilting my head up and towards him, “ Mo ghrá, I want to do so much more than kiss you, but this will tide us over until I have you in my bed,” he rumbles before taking my mouth in a hard, searing kiss. ‘ It’s everything I could wish for,’ I think, as a small whimper escapes me. Liam wraps his arms around me until I’m tight up against him, and if I had any doubt that he felt the same attraction for me as I felt for him, well, I didn’t anymore—not with his rock-hard cock pressing up against my belly. I shudder slightly as his mouth leaves mine and drifts across my cheek to my ear. “Stay with me tonight,” he rasps in my ear and goosebumps rise on my arms. I didn’t even have to think on the answer.

“Okay,” I agree, titling my head back slightly so I could see his eyes.

“I’m looking forward to having you in my bed,” he tells me. “I may never let you leave, mo ghrá. ”

“Okay,” I repeat, not caring about what I’d just agreed to. I had a feeling I’d agree to the next eternity in this man’s bed if he continued to kiss and talk to me like he had been.

Liam chuckles, “We’re going to have so much fun, mo ghrá . Now, go tell your girls what’s happening. Tilly told me that you’re all coming over for supper.”

“Fuck,” he suddenly grumbles. “We first have to have dinner with everyone,” as if he’s only just realised it.

Laughing, I pull away slightly, glad I wasn’t the only one feeling like giving the world the finger and jumping straight into bed with Liam.

“I’m not sure what it is about you,” I tell him. “I’m never like this. I swear there’s something in the water.”

Shrugging, Liam pulls me closer again, “Maybe, but I’m not going to tempt fate. I’ve learned that when she shows you the one meant for you, then you grab on and hold them tight because, all too easily, things can change and turn to shit.”

Gah, this man. Hugging him, I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heart, “You’re right, life is short. I know this. I say we grab hold of this feeling and ride with it.”

“Sounds good to me, mo ghrá, ” Liam agrees, lips pressed to my head. We were hot for each other, but there was also a feeling of knowing and caring, like we’d known each other in a different time; that’s how comfortable this was.

Still in Liam’s arms, I turn towards the door as it opens to a dark-haired man who had similar enough features to Liam and Adam that I knew they must be related. His eyes flare in surprise to find us wrapped in each other like we are, then a cheeky grin crosses his face, and he smirks at us.

“Oi, oi, what are you two up to? Does Adam know you’re getting nooky in his reception, Liam?”

Liam rolls his eyes but loosens his arms from around me so that I can move but doesn’t remove them completely, keeping one arm wrapped around my waist. And I can’t say that I don’t like it. Any other guy and I’d be itching to have them remove their arm. Not Liam, though; I love the added weight of his arm around my waist and the way he holds me close to him.

Holding out my hand, I introduce myself, “Sera Heath.”

“Johnny O’Shea,” he replies with a grin, his eyes shooting to Liam. “Well now, brother, it seems I’m not the only one who works quick.”

Liam rolls his eyes again, “Sera, this is my younger brother Johnny. You’ll meet his wife and kids tonight. Although how she puts up with him, none of us can fathom.”

Smiling broadly, I hold back my laugh because, under Liam’s frustration, I can hear the affection he has for his brother.

“If that’s Johnny, then get your arses into my office. We have shit to discuss. Liam, let Sera go; you’ll see her at dinner,” Adam shouts down the passage.

A laugh escapes me at his shout, and I allow my head to fall against Liam’s chest. I’d laughed more in the last few hours than I’d done in the last month. Pulling myself together, I push myself away from him, roll to my toes, and press my lips to Liam’s, “See you tonight, handsome.”

Then I leave before my libido decides that I should stay and bang the man like a screen door, whether we are in the office or not.

Calling Evie’s number, it doesn’t take me long to fill the girls in on what’s happening as I drive back to Crow Manor. Once there, I pack my bag, taking it with me to add to my saddlebags while I wait for the girls to arrive. I’d just finished strapping them onto my bike when I hear footsteps coming up behind me.

“It went well then?”

Turning around, I find a grinning Draco with an amused-looking Reaper standing next to him.

Playing it cool, I agree, “It did.”

“We heard,” Reaper chuckles.

Raising my eyebrows, I wait for them to fill me in on what they’ve heard. “Maya is married to Johnny,” Reaper starts to tell me, but I hold up my hand, shaking my head. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to say any more.”

“Are you good?” Draco asks, concern clear on his face. Immediately, I know what he’s asking; my heart warms at the concern in his voice. Why couldn’t my brother have been like Draco? He cared more about my wellbeing than my own blood. And it seemed the Crows and the O’Sheas were closer than I’d realised. That alone made what had happened this afternoon with Liam easier to deal with; I’d never felt anything like this before. I’d assumed instant attraction was a myth, but it seemed not. You just had to be in the right place at the right time.

“It hit me like a freight train,” I tell them. “I wasn’t expecting it. I mean, the man is fucking delicious.

“Oh, stop,” I mutter when they both squirm slightly at my words. “He didn’t even seem to notice my scar or the size of my arse. I’m still reeling at the fact that he’s interested in me at all. I mean, I’m not the most feminine woman out there, and looking like he does, I’m sure he has plenty of company when he wants it,” I tell them, still feeling slightly confused at the events of the afternoon.

“Sera, you are more than your scar,” Reaper informs me seriously. “And as for the other bit of that sentence, you’d better not have been putting yourself down. Because let me tell you, there are a bunch of men here who’d tell you that it isn’t about how you look but about how you are as a person and how you treat others. Our ladies would be pretty pissed if they heard you putting yourself down about your size.

“There’s no rule that says men should prefer one body type. Yes, there are men who want women like that, but I’m sure they are pretty shallow men themselves. Like goes for like.

“I can assure you that most of us are pretty simple; we want a woman who will stand by us through thick and thin and be able to handle the hard shit when it hits the fan. Someone we can laugh and have fun with and know, no matter what, you’ll be there no matter what life throws at us. That’s what most of us want.

“I can assure you that Liam took one look at you and knew you were that person for him. Don’t start sabotaging yourself now with doubts, because trust me, you being you is exactly what he needs. He has a hard job as the leader of his crew, and he’ll need a strong woman to help him. From what I know of you, you are all that and more.”

“Well, fuck,” I mutter, wiping at my eyes. “I think I’ve laughed and cried more today than I have in a month. Thank you, Reaper; those words mean a lot.”

Reaper nods in acknowledgement, “Good, and while I’m sorry for how you ended up here, Draco and I are also glad because we’ve missed having you lot around. I know we didn’t serve together, but we saw each other often enough that we all came to care for you and your squad. Don’t overthink this thing with Liam. Have a good time tonight. You won’t regret being part of the O’Shea’s; I can promise you that.”

“Here come your girls,” Draco interrupts as a rumble of bikes comes down the road. It’s not long before my girls’ squad is pulling up in the garage, JoJo on the back of Evie’s bike so that I could use the Jeep today.

“We’re just going to go and grab some of our stuff,” Ange tells me as she hurries past us with the rest of the girls, who all call out greetings as they pass us on their way to the cottage. We watch them for a minute until they disappear. I know it won’t take them long because we haven’t unpacked, knowing this was just a temporary place to lay our heads down.

“Are you moving?” Draco asks with a small frown.

Shaking my head, I tell him, “Not yet, but Adam wants to talk to the girls about doing some work for him while we set everything up, and because it will be late, he and Tilly arranged for us to sleep there.”

“I notice you said, ‘not yet,’” Draco grins at me.

Blushing, I lower my head, “I’m going to take your word for it and stay with Liam for a while to see where this will go. It may be a stupid idea because it looks like I’ll be going into business with them, but for once in my life, I’m going to say screw it and just go with the flow. I’m not going to worry about anything except enjoying life.”

“That’s it, girl. Life is too short not to,” JoJo agrees with a nod as she walks up to us, an overnight bag over her shoulder. A tinge of sadness crosses her eyes, and my heart hurts for my friend. “Now, I need to know all about this hunk of deliciousness that seems to have turned my usually level-headed friend on her head.”

Amusement whips through me at her words, and I laugh out loud and then even harder as both Reaper and Draco make a hasty retreat, obviously not wanting to hear what I have to say about Liam.

“I think I’ll wait until you meet him in person so I can get your opinion without mine colouring it,” I grin when JoJo growls and jokingly stamps her foot, playfully pouting at me.

“Here,” I say, handing her my Jeep keys, “I’m guessing you’ve had enough of bikes.”

“You think right, my awesome friend. I don’t know how you all do it. My arse was hurting ten minutes into the ride,” she grumbles as she climbs into the Jeep.

It doesn’t take long for the others to join us before we’re off, with me leading as I more or less know where I’m going. Adam meets us at the gates and lets us through. I wonder at the security and the warning signs but figure they’ll tell us eventually.