Chapter 35
Liam
Iwas happier than I had been in months.
Walking into the library, I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of books and leather. I’d never particularly liked those smells before, but tonight they made me smile. It was Friday night and quiet. Most of the students were hanging out in each other’s dorm rooms or had gone out.
But Ren…she wasn’t like anyone else, and according to Nash, she had been very quiet since her run-in with Vadin at lunch. Of course, my class had gone late, and I missed the showdown, but I knew she had been a total badass.
I jogged up the stairs to the second floor and smirked when I saw her at her favorite table. Her head was down, a waterfall of white hair blocked most of her face, and snowflake earphones kept her focused on her reading.
She didn’t notice when I walked around behind her. Teddy Swims was singing just loud enough for me to hear him. I stopped a few feet away, waiting to see how long it took for her to sense me.
I stepped closer. Ren lifted her head, and her body went still.
When she looked down at her textbook, I shifted so that I was only a foot away.
She grabbed her earphones and put them around her neck.
When she looked to the left, I leaned to the right, moving just enough to keep out of her line of sight.
“Hello,” Ren called out.
“Hello, Little Rabbit.”
She screamed, leaped to her feet, and grabbed a textbook, holding it like a baseball bat. As soon as she realized it was me, she sagged.
“You jerk. You scared the crap out of me,” Ren said, scowling. I ducked and laughed as she threatened to throw the textbook. “God, I’m so jumpy after that stupid text, and you guys are not helping.”
Chuckling, I wrapped my arms around her.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. But you’re just so adorable when you’re scared.”
“I don’t like being scared,” she said voice softer.
I tipped her head up and nipped her lip.
“Have you gotten another one?”
She shook her head.
“Good, then it was probably a sick prank. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“No, you’re not. I can still see you laughing behind your eyes.”
“Guilty,” I said with a grin.
“So, you’re my babysitter for the evening?” Ren put her hands on my chest. “You’re a very sexy babysitter, but you seem…overly jubilant.”
“Overly jubilant?” My eyebrow arched at the description. “That is a new one for me. But yes, I’m very happy.”
“Oh, and what has you this giddy?”
Smiling, I kissed her softly.
“You know that asshole biker my sister was dating?”
Ren tensed up.
“Yeah?”
“She dumped his sorry ass. I told her that guy was no good. I’m happy she finally saw reason.”
Ren relaxed and smiled.
“Phew, I’m so happy she told you. I really didn’t want to keep it from you.”
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“What do you mean, keep it from me?”
Ren searched my face.
“You’re talking about Nora and Drew, right?”
“Yeah, but how did you know they split up before me?”
She snapped her mouth shut and blinked as she tried to slip out of my hold.
“No, no, no, Little Rabbit. You’re not slinking away from the conversation.”
Ren’s face went bright red. Normally, that would be a sexy turn-on, but she was hiding something from me, and I didn’t like it.
“What exactly did Nora say,” Ren asked, looking sheepish.
Letting her go, I crossed my arms.
“That they split because he’s a jerk, and I didn’t have to worry anymore.”
“Okay, that’s all you need to know.”
Ren tried to sit down, but I grabbed her hand. She slowly turned back.
“Liam, just leave it. You got what you wanted, right? He’s out of her life.”
“Yeah, but you knew before me. Nora wouldn’t have messaged you. Especially, about this. Don’t try to lie to me.”
She rubbed her face. “Ugh, why can’t you just let it go?”
“Because that’s not me. Now, tell me, what the hell is happening here?”
With a sigh, Ren sat on the edge of the desk.
“Fine, but you need to promise me that you won’t freak out.”
“Do I look like the kind of guy who freaks out?”
Her cynical gray eyes flicked up and down to take in all of me.
“Tell me, Little Rabbit, that’s an order.” She tilted her head and narrowed her gaze, silently telling me I was pushing it. “Please, tell me,” I added.
She swore and tilted her head back before taking a deep breath in defeat.
“Last night, when Theo and I were picking up dinner, we saw Drew with another girl. I knew that you’d been trying to tell Nora that he was bad news, and you telling her again was not going to go well. Plus, you would be furious. So, Theo drove me to the gym, and I showed her the photo I took.”
“You weren’t going to tell me?”
“No, because it was Nora’s decision, and it was only going to create a bigger fight between the two of you if you went off on her about him. I assumed that she had told you everything, but she didn’t, which means she didn’t want you to know, and I did the right thing.”
I held out my hand.
“Show me the photo.”
“No.”
“Ren, I’m not asking this time. This is my sister we are talking about.”
She glared at me, and I saw the strong, fierce woman who was destined to be a queen.
“And we’re not in the bedroom. I don’t take orders from you, Liam.”
My lip twitched, along with other parts of my body. Fuck, that was hot.
“You can either show me the photo, or I tell my sister you told me the whole story, and I still want to see the photo.”
Her jaw dropped.
“You’re blackmailing me?”
“Nope, I’m giving you two options. Either way, I’m seeing the fucking photo,” I growled.
“Why can’t you just leave well enough alone?”
I stepped up to the table, grabbed her phone, and held it out to her.
“Show me the photo.”
“Tell me why this is so important to you,” Ren said.
“Because, no matter how tough Nora is, she’s my sister, and this guy hurt her. I need to see the photo. I need to know what finally made my sister, who was dead set against me telling her what to do, text me and say she split with him out of the blue.”
Ren sighed, taking her cell.
“Don’t make me regret this,” she mumbled.
She opened her photos, and there it was in full color, Merlin and some sweetbutt, the cheating bastard. I knew he was fucking around. I could feel it, but seeing it flipped a switch inside of me. I forwarded the evidence to myself and handed Ren her phone back.
“Where are you going,” Ren asked as I marched for the stairs. “Liam? You can’t go after him.”
“Watch me. No one hurts my family,” I said, and jogged down the stairs.
Ren was hot on my heels. She grabbed my arm, and I glared at her.
“Think about this first. Drew has an entire motorcycle club behind him.”
“That is half the point, Ren.” I spun around and faced her.
“Don’t you get it? He humiliated my family.
Took advantage of my sister. And the entire time, he’s been laughing it up with our business associates.
In no world, not with him or anyone, do they insult my sister or me and walk away.
And so we’re clear, I’d be the same way with you.
Now, I’m leaving. I suggest you call Blake to study with you. He’s working out.”
Her hands fell away from my arm.
“Liam, there has to be another way than you going to confront him.”
“There’s not.”
I started to walk away, but didn’t get three strides before Ren stopped me cold.
“I’ve already lost so many people I love, Liam. I can’t lose you, too. Neither can Theo. It will crush us both.”
That hit me hard. I slowly turned around, and her eyes shimmered with tears. Despite the fear evident in her gaze, she stood tall, chin up, defiant as ever.
“I know you can kill this guy. That’s not in question. But if they shoot you, you’re still dead. Please don’t do this.”
The urge to rip Merlin’s head off still raged, but Ren was right, and I should’ve realized it. She’d been through hell, Theo was still wading through it, the last thing they needed was for me to go off half-cocked.
A tear trickled down her cheek as I returned to her. Taking a deep breath, I let go of some of the anger and regained my usual composure.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I…”
Ren wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight.
“I know,” she whispered.
No two words had ever made me feel so much. My heart ached, and my head hurt. I hadn’t been myself lately. That was glaringly obvious.
It was time to face the fact that I needed to get my shit together because I was no good to anyone like this.
Releasing Ren from the hug, I ran my finger along her collar.
“Thank you for being you.”
“Come on, I stole some brownies from the cafeteria for us. I’ll even let you take the one with frosting,” Ren said, making me smile.
“You’re such a rebel.”
Grabbing Ren’s hand, I let her ground me. I was so used to being the rock that it felt odd to be on the receiving end.
Ren squeezed my hand, and something around my heart released, something I hadn’t noticed was wound tight enough to snap.
I’d been pretending I had a grip on everything, pretending I wasn’t slowly unraveling.
But Ren had just pulled me back from a dangerous edge.
And what scared me most was that I needed her more than the control I’d spent a lifetime mastering.