13. Liam
13
LIAM
O livia eventually calmed down.
I couldn’t say the same for myself. After I laid her in her crib, I sat in the silence of the guest room and regretted how I’d lashed out at Eva. She’d tracked me back here, wanting to see me, but I couldn’t handle any sympathy or concern after what I’d gone through tonight.
I showered and cleaned up my cuts and scrapes from fighting back those bikers, but being in the shower stall and under the massaging water pressure reminded me of our shower we’d shared. How she came apart with me so beautifully like we were made for each other.
I was a mess, inside and out, but mostly in my head. I was livid that anyone would target me just because I’d been spending time here with the Constellas. Tessa was the only reason I’d come—to check on her and catch up—but that was no excuse for hanging around.
No reason to explain why I’d been shopping with Eva and so eager to protect her from that sniper.
If pushing her to safety marked me as one of them, if that action declared me an ally of the Constellas…
Then fuck you, Reaper. Fuck you all.
I would never hesitate to defend another, especially in something so impersonal as a distant shot from a sniper. That was cold-blooded murder. An assassination.
As I lay in my bed and tried to relax to rest, my mind ran a mile a moment with the fear that Eva could ever be killed. Or hurt. With or without me in her life.
She’d come to matter that much, regardless of how constantly I’d coach myself to push her away and keep my distance.
I cared, and I’d fucked it all up by telling her that I felt the opposite.
When I walked in and saw her holding Olivia, it hit me hard. The image of her with my child was a peaceful, safe one. One that I liked and would’ve taken another moment to savor if I hadn’t been hurt and pissed.
Eva wasn’t just someone to fuck and have fun with. We were toxic, opposites and so combative, but when we came together, it just made sense.
Realizing how much my feelings were changing was a challenge to accept. Facing that realization when I felt wounded and targeted—unjustly—had me fighting it all the more.
“Dammit,” I muttered, knowing that I’d need to apologize and somehow explain that I hadn’t meant a word of what I'd shouted. I didn’t want to scratch an itch with her. I wanted more than a causal fuck buddy.
And that means I need to stick around and make it right.
The next morning, I headed down to breakfast, hoping that I’d see Dante. For once, he wasn’t making breakfast. Tessa was.
“Hey,” she greeted, quickly smiling at Olivia waving at her.
“Hi. Hi. Hi.”
I couldn’t help but be in a better mood. No matter how shitty I slept, hearing my daughter’s little voice so peppy and happy improved my outlook on life.
“How are you doing, Liam?” she asked as I set Olivia in the high chair that I’d bought for her. It was compact and easy to stow away, not taking up much space as we overstayed as guests in this house.
“I know you’re fine. You’ve always been so tough. But about… why that happened last night.”
“Also fine.” I glanced at her as I strapped Liv in. “I was hoping to see Dante.”
She raised her brows. “To tell him that you want to take off?”
I shook my head. “To accept his offer.”
She set her hands on the counter and tilted her head to the side. “You do?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Because of last night?”
“Because it makes sense.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “What that vet said to me in the bar got to me. I slept on his unsolicited advice, and things seem clearer now. It is weird to readjust to civilian life, but I need to figure out a path forward.” I gestured at Olivia. “For her.”
She nodded, smiling softly. “Yeah, you do.”
“You’re the closest thing I have to family, Tess, and if I can find another ‘family’ through you…” I shrugged. “Then I’d be an idiot not to appreciate it. Fitting in with a group is a blessing in disguise. While I’d never join a bunch of idiots like those bikers, I feel like I’ve already been indoctrinated here, with the Constellas.”
“And you won’t worry about working for the ‘bad guys’ or anything like that?”
I smirked at her. “As if I’ve always been a saint.”
She laughed. “No, you haven’t, you smug, stubborn bastard.” She winced and covered her mouth, catching herself too late for cursing around Olivia. Fortunately, she was more preoccupied with the toy on the high chair tray to care about what was said between the adults.
“If I’m going to be identified as someone within the Constella Family, then I may as well act the part,” I added.
“I’m glad you’ll stay.” She looked down and furrowed her brow for a pensive moment. “I worry every day that Romeo could be hurt. Dante, Franco, all of the men. And now, I’ll worry about you too, but I already had been doing that.”
I approached her and pulled her in for a hug. “And I’ll be as careful as I’ve always been.”
She hugged me back for a long moment, then released me with a bright smile. “I think he’s in his office. They’ve been up all night tracking the bikers and looking into how to retaliate.”
Now that’s something I’d love to get onboard with. The fucker who gave me this black eye would be reuniting with my fist in a bad way. As soon as I could make it happen.
I headed to Dante’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” he called out. Even through the door I heard the fatigue in his voice.
“Morning, Liam.” It was just him in here, despite Tessa implying that Romeo and Franco had been up with him all night, following up. “What can I do for you?” He looked me over, like taking inventory of the wounds I’d incurred last night. But he wouldn’t make a fuss about them.
“You can hire me,” I said as I stood at the ready, hands behind my back.
He reclined in his chair as he swiveled it to face me. “About time.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What?”
He huffed a single bark of laughter. “It’s been hard reminding myself that you’re not already one of us. You’ve fit in since day one.”
Not sure about that… Because I was fitting myself in your niece that first night I was here…
“You care about Tessa. Nina too. You’re learning to take care of Olivia. Some men are just born with the innate need to serve and protect, and no matter where you are, you are a soldier at heart.”
And Eva. But he wouldn’t know about that. I nodded once. “I’d lay my life on the line for any of them.”
“I can see that.” He stood and extended his hand for me to shake. “And I’d be honored to recruit you. However…”
Dammit. I hadn’t counted on a catch.
“Not just yet. You’re still getting used to Olivia. Learning you’re a father isn’t something to rush.”
“I’ll look into finding a sitter for when I’m on the clock.”
He deadpanned at me. “As if we won’t have enough staff here wanting to help with her.”
I smiled. “But I would like to find somewhere for us to stay. I’m sorry that we’ve been overstaying this long already as we visited.”
“No worries there.” He patted my back. “We’ve got a lot of work being done on our properties, but there are a few houses in the area you can take your pick from.”
Assuming my salary will cover it? “I appreciate that. I’ll pay you back once I start receiving pay.”
He chuckled. “Pay that we haven’t even discussed. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
“No,” I insisted. “I’ll pay you back for your generosity.”
Looking me dead in the eye, he smiled. “You already have. I’m already in great debt to you , Liam, for your instinct and willingness to protect Eva.”
I sobered at the reminder. Covering her and making sure she was safe was likely the reason the Devil’s Brothers had targeted me and picked a fight with me last night. But I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
“I’d protect her a thousand times again,” I replied, meaning every word.
He nodded and patted my back again. “I respect that, Liam, and I appreciate it. We’ve been going through a lot of changes in the family lately. Nina and Tessa coming into our lives. A baby on the way. Even you and Olivia fitting in with us. But Eva will always be the woman I consider my daughter. She’s always mattered to me, and I will never stop fearing for her safety as we navigate the rising tensions with our enemies.”
I swallowed, feeling put on the spot with his open admission of feeling vulnerable about her. This was becoming an awkward moment, like this wasn’t a matter of me accepting his job offer and to work for his Mafia organization but more like it was a meet-the-parents sort of thing.
Dante had no clue how much Eva meant to me. As someone to play around with. Someone to share a quickie in the shower with. Even as more, as a woman I’d want to date and keep as my partner.
No one here knew that we were keeping up an affair in secret. And if this Mafia boss were aware…
How mad would he be?
He seemed so cool with me, not like a hard ass crime lord, but this was the woman he considered his daughter. His precious niece.
At the very least, I bet he would’ve wanted a heads up that Eva and I were…
I mentally cringed, hating myself all over again for what I said to her. I hadn’t been thinking straight, reacting to the new and real threat of really wanting her. Committing to the army was easy. I struggled with committing to Dante’s organization, but I’d gotten there. Settling and committing to one woman for more than a quick lay? Now that was the riskiest thought of all.
But for her, for Eva…
I was already in too deep to backtrack now.
“I consider myself a good judge of character, Liam,” Dante said. “It comes with the job.”
I laughed lightly, nodding. “I imagine it would.”
“I’ve had a good feeling about you from the moment we met.”
“That’s impressive, considering I had to look clueless and bewildered that night I arrived.”
“Becoming a father is never easy.” He chuckled. “And I can only sympathize with how suddenly you learned about Olivia. But I had a good feeling about you from the beginning. You don’t need to tell me or promise that you’ll keep my family in your best interests. That you’ll protect Eva no matter what. I know it. You are a loyal man through your actions and guardedness, and I’m honored that you’ll fight with us and support the family.”
He was accurate. I would be loyal. And if I had to personally protect Eva again, I damn well would, without hesitation.
But with matters of the heart, I wasn’t so sure.
I doubted that I could resist her forever. That if she accepted my apology for how I lashed out, we’d be able to keep our hands off each other.
Now that I would be working for the Constella Family, this was a business deal keeping me here near her.
I had to be careful, more than ever. This gig wasn’t something that just anyone could walk into like I had. I wouldn’t take it for granted, which meant I’d need to improvise about how I could get away with sleeping with the boss’s niece.
If she’ll give me the time of the day again.