45
45
Liberty
I made sure all my things were once again packed away in my suitcases before leaving the apartment and heading to the office. Even though Wallace had hired me to control me, I couldn’t just walk away. I would turn in my resignation today, and if he made it difficult, then I would have to leave. I hoped he didn’t because I could use the two weeks to find a new job and an apartment. Getting a lease would be easier if I was employed too.
Sleep hadn’t come easy for me last night with all that Liam had said replaying over and over in my head.
While in the shower this morning, I had finally come up with how to handle this job and Wallace. He rarely played by anyone’s rules but his, but I was going to hope for once that he did.
When I walked off the elevator, my coworkers all looked at me. Some smiled, others looked annoyed, and a few scowled. They were young and female. I wanted to stop and tell them that Wallace Gabler wasn’t someone they wanted to add to their mistakes in life, but I didn’t. They could hate me if they wanted to, but I’d be gone soon, and one of them could have my office.
As soon as the door closed behind me, I sighed in relief. At least I didn’t have to work out there with them all making assumptions about me. But then if I was out there and not in this fancy, private office, then they might like me more.
Rubbing my temples, I stared at the desk. I had a list of things I needed to do today for the Miami and Orlando stores, but my focus was gone.
I could think of little else but Liam. He was there, invading my head, reminding me that for once, I might get that happiness. If I wasn’t terrified to trust him. Sure, he’d been convincing last night, but what happened when he got tired of me? What if he didn’t love me as much as I loved him? He’d already given his heart to Etta. Was there enough left to share it with me? All these things had plagued me as I lay in bed last night.
Sitting down behind the desk, I turned on the computer and tried to decide what to do first. The door opened before I had a chance to decide. Wallace walking into the room only made things worse.
Heaving a sigh, I glared up at him.
“Good morning to you too,” he said with a smile and walked over to set a cup of coffee in front of me.
I recognized it.
“Lavender mocha with a touch of honey and skim milk,” he said, looking pleased with himself for remembering my order.
“I’m pregnant. I can’t drink that. Too much caffeine,” I told him.
He frowned. “Oh yeah. I didn’t think about that.” He moved the cup and sat down on the edge of my desk. “I’ll get decaf tomorrow. Or we can always take a coffee break.”
Not in this lifetime or in the next.
“I don’t take coffee breaks. We have stores opening. No distractions, right?” I reminded him of his own words yesterday.
He smirked. “Well, that doesn’t apply to you. If I’m the distraction at least.”
Vomit.
I picked up the resignation letter I’d typed and printed out yesterday after the meeting. I had held on to it, wanting to be sure this was what I had to do. Seemed it was, but I’d known it would be. My things were already packed. Even if I didn’t move out today, I would be ready as soon as I found somewhere to move to.
He took it from me, scowling at it. “No,” he said and handed it back.
I didn’t take it. “You can’t control me resigning, Wallace.”
“Why would you do this? You sent me a résumé. I felt like I’d won the fucking lottery when I saw your name on that paper. I handed you a job for people with four-year degrees and years of experience. You have a kick-ass apartment. But because you have to work with me, you’d give it up? Just because of me? You hate me that much?”
I opened my mouth to tell him it was more of a dislike. Hate was too strong of an emotion for how I felt about him. But the door swung open as Liam stalked inside. Tensing, I stared at him, trying to figure out why he was here, but the seething look he gave Wallace stopped me from asking.
“If you don’t get off her desk and move away from her, I will burn every goddamn building your family owns to the ground,” he snarled as he walked up to Wallace, towering over him.
Even when Wallace shot up off my desk, he was still a good three to four inches shorter. His shoulders weren’t as wide, and his biceps were nowhere near as thick and solid as Liam’s.
“SECURITY!” Wallace shouted, then sneered at Liam. “You don’t get to come into my office and threaten me.”
Liam’s dark chuckle sent a chill down my spine. I knew I should stand up and do something, but I couldn’t seem to figure out what. My eyes swung to the door. I expected security to come rushing inside, but no one appeared.
“Go ahead, little boy, why don’t you call for them again? I don’t think they heard you,” Liam taunted him before grabbing the collar of his oxford and shoving him up against the wall. “Go on now,” he urged.
“SECURITY!” Wallace yelled again. “You’ll go to jail for this. I’ll press charges. You shouldn’t have put your hands on me.”
Liam leaned closer to him. “You keep talking, little boy, and you won’t live to see if I go to jail.”
Finally, I shot up out of my seat. I was not letting Liam go to prison for Wallace Gabler. He wasn’t worth it, and I needed him. If he was behind bars, I’d not be able to have him.
“Liam, let him go. I’ll walk out with you,” I told him in a calm voice.
“You wanted time,” Liam said as he held Wallace up higher until his toes were struggling to stay on the ground.
“Get security, Liberty!” Wallace demanded.
Liam slammed his head back against the wall. “Be careful how you speak to her, you son of a bitch,” he warned him.
“Liam”—I touched his arm—“please. Stop.”
He turned to look at me, and the crazed gleam in his eyes eased some. “You wanted time. I gave you all I can manage before going insane.”
“It’s not even been twenty-four hours,” I pointed out.
“Exactly,” he replied.
“I can’t breathe,” Wallace gasped.
Liam turned back to the man he was strangling with his own shirt. “This is what’s going to happen. Your security is currently unavailable. In fact, you’ll be needing to hire new ones. The ones you had left with some of my men to have a few drinks. As for your office staff, none of them have called the police, nor will they say anything to anyone about this. If you fire one of them for it, you’ll go missing.”
“You can’t do that,” he rasped.
Liam slammed his head against the wall again. “I didn’t say you could talk,” he said, sounding annoyed. “I can do it, and I did. Now, I’m going to let my woman get her things, and then she’s walking out the door with me. Do you understand?”
Wallace glared over at me. He felt like he was losing, and I knew he’d retaliate.
“You’ll regret this,” he spit.
“Dumb fucker,” Liam growled, then planted his fist across his jaw.
Wallace’s head slumped forward, and Liam let go of him. His body crumpled to the floor.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“He’s not dead,” Liam said, moving over to me.
I looked from the heap on my floor up to Liam. He bent down and covered my mouth with his. The hard warmth of his lips and tickle of his beard was like waking up from a bad dream and realizing it wasn’t real. His tongue slid over my bottom lip, and I opened for him. Grabbing his arms, I went up on my tiptoes, desperate to taste more.
In the distance, I heard someone clear their throat, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to continue savoring this.
“Could you move it outside, Liam? It’ll be less of a mess to handle if we leave now,” a man’s voice said.
Liam groaned, pulling back from me, his eyes locked on mine. “Yeah,” he replied in a gruff voice, not looking away from me.
“Come with me,” he said as his hands gripped my hips.
With Wallace on the floor, unconscious, I knew I couldn’t stay here.
I nodded. “My purse,” I told him.
He let go of me and went to take it from my desk, then came back, sliding his arm around me. I saw the massive man standing at the door. I recognized him. He’d been in Liam’s office that day at the club. When the Mafia was there.
Liam had brought the Mafia here?
I blinked up at him as he glanced over at Wallace, then back at Liam.
“Tell me you didn’t kill him,” the large man said.
“No, but he wouldn’t shut up,” Liam replied.
The man nodded, as if that made complete sense. “We will finish up here,” the man told him.
Liam led me through a completely deserted office and to the elevators. I scanned the area, looking for someone, but I only saw another familiar man. This was the one who had come out of Liam’s office to hurry him up after he took me out in the hallway because I’d interrupted their meeting. He didn’t appear frightening. He was more of a head turner in a pretty-boy way. Not like Liam.
The man smirked at me as if he had read my thoughts. A sadistic glint in his eyes made me stiffen.
“It’s fine,” Liam said, pulling me closer to his side. “He’s a psycho bastard, but he’s with us.”
I nodded and leaned against Liam until we were safely in the elevator, going down.
“He is going to press charges,” I said, clinging to him. I didn’t want him to go to jail.
“No, he won’t,” Liam replied, then kissed the top of my head. “I swear.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know him, Liam. He doesn’t like to lose, and you just humiliated him. He will be furious.”
Liam chuckled. “I doubt it, but I really hope he’s stupid enough to try.”
The elevator opened, and we stepped out. The lobby was like upstairs. Empty. Where was everyone?
A tattooed man with short platinum-blond hair stepped around the corner and nodded at Liam. I glanced back at him as we left, trying to figure out if he was Mafia or Judgment.
Was that how the place had been vacated? The Mafia had done all this?
“Your suitcases are already in my car,” Liam said when we stepped outside.
I stopped and took a deep breath before looking at him.
“I said I needed time. And just because I left with you doesn’t change that. I left because I had to choose you or Wallace, and it will always be you. That isn’t even a choice. But, Liam, I want to be someone you respect. I want to do something that makes you proud. I want my son to have a mother he is proud of. I’m thirty-one, and I’ve not accomplished anything. I have no college degree, I can’t afford a car, and now, I have no apartment.”
Liam grabbed my chin, and his eyes narrowed. “For starters, that shit about your car was me being a fucking dick. Being able to afford a car doesn’t give a person worth. And there are millionaires who don’t have a college degree. That doesn’t matter either. As for an apartment”—he shook his head—“darlin’, you are my home. You will be our son’s home. A structure doesn’t mean shit. A house is an empty shell without the soul of the home inside of it. You’re that for me. You’ll be that for our son. Not every kid has that kind of mom. They aren’t blessed with someone who is willing to fight for them, who will give up anything for them, who will endure pain to save them from it.”
Liam brushed back some hair that had blown into my face.
“You’re my hero.” His words, thick with emotion, were said with pride shining in his eyes.