7. Liam
7
LIAM
E va ran out of the solarium, and I wasn’t strong enough to resist staring at her as she went. I’d held that luscious ass in my hands once, and it was a mistake I refused to repeat.
Seeing her in that black bikini was torture. It was as close as I’d ever get to seeing her uncovered, and it was both a blessing and a damnation. A blessing because I could now have the visual to fantasize about. But a damnation because I shouldn’t be dreaming about having her again.
Even if I had ample time to lie around and enjoy casual sex with her, we were ill-fated to not get along. She was too prickly. I was too prejudiced.
That prejudice was fading, though, and it irked me how much these Constellas chipped away at the biases I'd held against them from day one.
“They’re in the fucking Mafia, though,” I said on a call with an old army friend. Ethan was one of the good ones I’d toured with. He retired a few years ago, but we’d stayed in touch. In fact, he was one of the men I considered reaching out to when I debated not signing up for more of the army. Located in Brooklyn, he was sort of nearby. After a week of being in Dante’s mansion and catching up with Tessa, though, I was wondering if I should be hasty to leave.
I didn’t want to mooch, and Tessa and the others never implied that I was, but I felt comfortable to stay here with Olivia, where we were guarded and safe, until I figured out what else I could do.
This morning at breakfast, where I encountered Dante again, he posed the possibility of my working for the family.
“So?” Ethan replied.
I cringed as I paced in the guest room. Olivia was napping, but if I kept my voice low, I wouldn’t disturb her. I still glanced at her as I walked by, both to check that she was resting and just in the marvel that she was mine and I was a father. It had yet to fully sink in. “So?” I replied. “They’re criminals.”
“Yeah, but in the scheme of all the good and evil out there in the world, who gives a shit?”
“That’s blunt.”
“It is, but it’s true. You take any organization in the world, any entity of power, and you know it’s corrupt. Or it had been. Or it soon will be.”
“I know.” He had valid points. No government or leadership on the face of this earth was free from corruption. Religions, clubs, cults, gangs. They all had equal likelihood of succumbing to one evil or another. “It’s part of human nature.”
“Yeah. Damn right. you get a group of people together, and they’ll figure out a way to hoard power. We were pawns in the government’s power, serving how we did. It’s no different from any organized crime family. Just… domestic, I suppose.”
“True, but it’s not an easy jump to consider.” I hadn’t told him any specifics. I didn’t mention the Constella name. I wasn’t stupid. But after Dante’s job offer to join as a Constella soldier, I wanted a fellow serviceman’s opinion.
“At least it’s a respected crime family wanting you on board.” Ethan’s chuckle was dry and raspy, just like it was when we fought together. He hadn’t changed a bit. “Everyone fears the Mafia. Not like it’s some lowlife MC or biker gang trying to pull you in.”
I snorted a laugh. “Yeah, right.” I did have a motorcycle. It was supposed to be delivered whenever I had an address to ship it to. It was a purchase that better suited my nomadic life. Without a house to keep up while I was touring, I could store my bike far easier.
Not anymore. Now that I had Olivia, I had to do all the typical adult shit that everyone did when they settled. I needed a home, an address for my bike to come to and also to serve as a residence for me and my daughter. To obtain that, I needed a job, a source of income before I considered draining my savings from my time in the army.
“Consider it,” Ethan advised. “Sleep on it. You’re welcome to bring your kiddo and crash here. My grandson stays during the summers, but there’s plenty of room.”
“I appreciate it.” I disconnected and mulled over what he’d said. It was all valid. Any powerful group was prone to a bad rep from one source or another. The military I’d served for had its own select few who were corrupt and selfish.
Human nature. That was what it boiled down to. But I wasn’t making a choice for just myself. I had Olivia to consider. If I signed up for a job with the Constella Family, I’d risk her losing her only family. If anything happened to me on the job, she’d have no one.
But what else would I do? After my career in the army, something in security or law enforcement was all that I’d be trained for. All I’d be interested in. A desk job wasn’t in the cards. Another trade would require me to learn it.
I stopped and watched Olivia sleep, her tiny chest rising and falling with her cute face so relaxed in the bliss of sleep. It still hit me so hard that she was mine, the product of a one-night stand. I couldn’t remember much about Pamela. That was how insignificant she was in my memories, and likewise from her perspective about me if she never felt the need to tell me that I had a daughter. Yet, she’d given me the most important person in the world.
I know I’m still figuring it out, Liv. I’m learning as I go. But I swear I will always try to do my best for you.
Which meant getting a damn job and a place to live.
I groaned lightly and ran my hands through my hair as I paced again. It should be so simple. Say yes. Join the Constellas. Take up Dante’s offer to stay in one of the many guest houses they had. But I struggled, anyway.
Tessa had been spending a lot of time with me in the week since her engagement party. Over and over, she relayed how she’d met Romeo. That he’d killed her rapists. And when he'd saved her from threats.
On one hand, I was glad for the man avenging my old friend. On the other, though, I was worried about how close danger clung to them.
Later, when Nina joined one of our conversations, she explained how she and Dante had met. That her loser brother lost her in a bet and Dante rescued her.
Both their stories helped me understand that they were capable of doing good, but I was too guarded to be convinced that quickly.
“Knock, knock.” Nina whispered it after she gently rapped on my door and opened it. She peeked inside, smiling at me.
“Oh, hey,” I said, letting her in. As if I had to let her in. This was her home. I appreciated that she respected my space, though. It was getting hard to remember that I was a guest with how they made me feel included. “She’s still napping.”
“Oh.” She pouted. “I was hoping we could play.”
I laughed once. “With what?” I shook my head at how Pamela went out of her way to deprive Olivia of any toys. Each parent would have their own style, it seemed, and I was not a crunchy sort of guy. There was nothing wrong with toys and actual books with fantastical creatures in them.
“Well, we had a blast in the kitchen with the pots and spoons yesterday.” She grinned, stopping me from walking out of the room. “I really appreciate that you’re letting me babysit her. It’s practice for me.” She placed her hand on her belly.
“As if you won’t be a perfect mom,” I teased. While I knew Nina long ago because she was Tessa’s friend, it was nice to befriend her as an adult now. She’d offered to watch Olivia while I went to the store for some necessities, and I got the impression that this was as good for her as it was for me and Olivia. “Thanks again.” I stopped at the door. “Wait. Can I borrow a car?”
“Yeah. I think Franco’s downstairs. He’ll find you something.” She smiled and sat near the crib where Liv slept.
I headed down to the first floor, finding both Franco and Romeo. I did my best not to smirk or cling to my guardedness around them, but it was hard to lose that edge of defensiveness. Romeo was a lethal man, a killer, and not just on the battlefield like I had been. Franco was just as deadly.
Here, though, they deceived me, smiling and looking laidback as I came down the stairs.
“Hey, just who I was hoping to talk to,” Franco said as he spotted me.
“Oh, yeah?”
Romeo nodded. “My father told us that he asked whether you’d like to work for the family.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to the side. While he didn’t look intimidating and wasn’t pressuring me, I felt the weight of expectation.
I grimaced and rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t know…”
Franco shook his head. “You’d fit right in.”
“You check out,” Romeo added.
I grunted, annoyed at this intrusion of privacy. “Looked into me, huh?” I crossed my arms.
Romeo nodded while Franco smiled. “Do you think we’d be so stupid as to let a stranger stay in this house without a security clearance?”
“No. And I don’t blame you, but?—"
“And do you think I would be careless with my fiancée’s life to allow a stranger near her?” Romeo asked.
No. And I’d be pissed if you slacked in protecting her.
I sighed.
“What’s your biggest concern?” Franco asked.
“Because it’s not every day we find a trained fighter like you. With sniper abilities too,” Romeo said.
“It’s a big shift. Going from the military, to civilian, to… Mafia.”
“You don’t seem like the sort of person to be hung up on labels,” Romeo countered. “At least not when Tess describes you as the guy who rolls so well with punches.”
I shrugged. “It’s just different is all. Besides, after leaving one institution, I’m reluctant to join another and be a dime-a-dozen employee for a big organization again.”
Franco held up his hands. “Hey, no pressure. But please think about it.”
“We’re here to talk about the offer whenever you want to discuss it,” Romeo said.
“I appreciate that.” I did. I was grateful for a hell of a lot that they’d offered me in this last week alone. “I will think about it.” I intended to, not only because I had to provide for Olivia but because I was slowly getting tempted with the security I could have here—when I wasn’t in danger on the frontlines. “But before I do, is there a car I can borrow?” I faced Franco. “Nina said I should ask you for a ride.”
“I can drop you off,” Romeo offered. “I’m on my way out.”
“Thanks, but I was hoping to make a few stops. I’m past due getting Olivia some things.”
“Ah.” Franco nodded. “I’m sure we can find you something.”
Romeo shook his head and pointed behind me. “Don’t trouble him with a car, finding parking and all. Eva can take him out.”
“I can what?” Eva snapped, coming closer from the entrance to the kitchen where she’d come from. She barely spared me a glance.
“No. No, that’s not necessary.” Fuck no. Anything but forcing me to deal with the icy brat.
“Yeah. You can help get Liam where he needs to stop. You’re used to navigating the city,” Romeo said.
“Why me?” she sassed, smirking. “We have tons of drivers who could do the same thing.”
I shook my head. “Really. No. I’ll figure something else out.”
“Eva. Stop being a pain. Help the man out, huh?” Romeo raised his brows, likely confused about why we were both shooting down his idea to volunteer Eva to help me.
Franco was no help. He grinned, amused.
“I’m not here to be a mooch.” I stepped back. “It’s fine. I’ll figure out something easier.”
Eva narrowed her eyes at me. “Are you implying that I’m difficult?”
“I think… you’re proving that you are without any help from me.”
Her jaw dropped. “I’m not difficult.”
Romeo and Franco shared a look.
“Just… never mind.” I turned, desperate to be further from the woman I couldn’t stop thinking about day and night. Her insistence to avoid me was telling enough. I wasn’t alone in wanting to keep this distance between us. The tension was still there, raging and building with pent-up energy and attraction. A storm was brewing, and it seemed so much safer to keep a buffer of space from her. Because the only alternative was to reach out for her and show her how much I’d missed her since I’d taken her into that closet. It was agony seeing her and knowing she was off-limits.
“No. I’ll take you.”
“I said never mind?—”
She growled, grabbing my arm. “And I said let’s go.”