Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
Sam was numb. It was like she was watching a movie.
She knew what was going on, but she wasn’t actively participating in it.
Except she really was. They’d waited until they were given the go-ahead to grab their stuff, and Liam and Sophia helped them pack up what little they owned and load it into his SUV.
They had to leave her car behind because it was blocked in by all of the emergency vehicles. Not to mention it was part of the crime scene. It had sustained a few bullet holes.
Stress upon stress. Now she’d need to make an insurance claim for her car. First her home, then her car.
She shivered. They’d almost died today. For what? The fact the girls had told them about a trash-can fire? Nothing about this made any sense.
Sam was no longer worried that this was connected to the Mob. It had to be the kid from the outlet center.
Liam was certain they hadn’t been followed. Given his career and experience, she was confident in his ability to do his job. But how could they have known where to find them otherwise?
She wanted to close her eyes and sleep for a week. Or any amount of time, actually, if when she woke up, she discovered this was a nightmare. It hadn’t worked for the Mob. And it probably wasn’t going to work for this.
The car stopped moving. She looked out the front window to see that they were parked in Liam’s driveway. Wow, she had no recollection of the drive over here. That’s what she got for zoning out.
She didn’t have the energy to climb out of the car. Her entire body felt like rubber. No matter how many times her brain told her arm to open the door, it wouldn’t listen.
Her eyes started to burn, and her breath came in rapid gasps. The sounds in the SUV faded to a ringing, and her vision blurred.
Had the doors just opened and shut?
Her chest constricted. There wasn’t enough air.
The atmosphere next to her changed, and she was pulled from the SUV and jostled around until she was sitting in someone’s lap, strong arms wrapped around her and holding her tight. She faintly registered the closing of the car door.
She was safe in these arms. She closed her eyes and burrowed into the safety.
A hand rubbed up and down her arm, and words were whispered into her hair. She couldn’t hear what was being said.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Her body relaxed with each breath, and with that, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she couldn’t fight it anymore. She’d used the last bit of her energy fighting the panic attack, and she couldn’t manage to stay awake.
Sam breathed in the smells of citrus and sage like she was standing in an orange grove. Except she wasn’t. She was cradled against something warm and firm.
Her head rose and fell with the inhales and exhales of Liam breathing beneath her. His heartbeat steady against her ear. Was this what a real relationship felt like?
Liam’s arms tightened around her. “It’s okay. You’re safe.” His voice was gravelly.
They were still in the SUV. Liam had pushed the front seat all the way back and held her in his lap. His seat was leaned slightly back.
She tried to move to get out, but he held her tight against him.
“Slow down, would ya? Your elbow in my chest isn’t that comfortable, and my legs are asleep.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She covered her face with her hands as heat crept up her neck.
He gently grasped her fingers and pulled them away so that he could make eye contact. “Are you okay now?”
The compassionate concern in his gaze set flutters in motion in her stomach. This wasn’t good. Unable to speak for fear her voice would betray her, she nodded.
“Good. I was worried.” He brushed the hair from her face.
Her breath hitched as his fingers lingered on her cheek. She closed her eyes and relished the moment. She’d never felt more cared for than she did right now.
“Sam.” Liam’s voice was a husky whisper.
She opened her eyes. He stared at her like he felt something too.
It wouldn’t take much. Just lean up a couple inches, touch her lips to his.
He cradled her face like he could read her thoughts.
Another time, another place, and she might do it. Throw caution to the wind, lose control in what could be. But this wasn’t just about her. So she pulled back. “We should go inside.”
Liam blinked. The warmth in his face was replaced by the serious marshal she was used to. “Right.”
He opened the door. She maneuvered to climb out of the SUV.
“Oof.” He grunted as her elbow slipped and jabbed him in the chest.
“I’m sorry.” She jerked and hit him in the face with her forearm. “Oh no.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Will you stop moving?” His breath whispered against her cheek, raising goosebumps along her neck. She needed to get as far away from this man as she could.
He helped her out of the vehicle before rotating until his legs hung outside.
“Do you need some help?” He’d sat for however long with her in his lap.
“No. I’ll be fine, just a minute.” He flexed his feet and rotated his ankles, then bent his knees.
She grimaced. “How long was I out?”
“About thirty minutes.”
Her heart raced. He’d held her the whole time. “I’m sorry.”
He smiled. “I wish you’d quit saying that.”
“Well, I am. I’m such a wreck.” She rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand.
He stood up out of the SUV and grabbed her hand. “I’d say you’ve handled the past week pretty well, considering. I saw you were about to lose it, so I sent the girls inside.”
“Thank you. For”—she nodded at the SUV—“helping with that. And everything else. I’m used to people protecting me. But that’s because it’s their job. You? You make it feel personal. You don’t treat me like a job. You treat me like I’m something worth caring about.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Everyone should have someone who looks out for them like that. You’ve never had that? In a boyfriend?”
She shook her head. “I’m sure you’ve read my file. You know about my mother and the last man I dated.”
He reached out and grasped her hand. “Sam, you are like no other woman I’ve met. So strong. Resilient. You care deeply. I wish all women were like that.”
“I sense an ugly ex hiding in your closet.”
“Yeah, she jetted once Sophia became a permanent part of my life.”
Sam smiled softly. “That’s her loss. You’re a great man, and Sophia’s worth sticking around for.”
Something flashed in his eyes. Before she could decipher it, it was gone. He dropped her hand and took a step back. “Shall we go into the house now?”
“We need to get our things. Let me go get Bella.”
“I can help.” Liam popped the rear hatch and grabbed the bags.
She followed behind him, carrying the one bag he let her carry.
“While you were sleeping, I texted Sophia and told her to put clean sheets and a blanket on my bed for you.”
She stopped dead in her tracks. “I’m not sleeping in your bed.”
“Well, the only other option is sharing the couch with the dog.” He opened the front door.
“That’s perfect.”
“She snores.” He dropped Bella’s things next to the couch.
“It can’t be that bad.” She clung to her bag.
“I insist on you taking my bedroom. You’ll rest more comfortably than on this springy old couch.”
“And you can sleep comfortably on it?” She quirked an eyebrow at him.
“I don’t sleep that much.” He took her bag from her arms, turned around, and waltzed down the hall.
She followed quickly behind him. “You’re kind enough to let us stay with you. I can’t let you give me your bed.”
“Well, that couch isn’t big enough for the both of us, but I’m willing to give it a try.” He continued down the hall.
They passed a bathroom and came up to Sophia’s room, where the girls were sprawled across her bed, watching television. “It’s about time y’all came in,” Sophia yelled as they passed by.
The room next to Sophia’s was a small home office. A giant bookshelf full of books almost took up one wall.
Liam disappeared into the next room.
Her steps slowed as she entered. A queen-size bed with a simple black headboard was pushed to the right side of the room. A dark-blue comforter and matching pillows made the bed. There was a matching nightstand and chest of drawers. Black curtains hung over the lone window.
He tossed her bag onto the bed and turned to face her. “What’s it going to be?”
She chewed her bottom lip. “I just don’t want to put you out.”
He sighed. “You can go ask Sophia about my sleeping habits. She’ll confirm that I don’t sleep as much as the average person.”
“Fine. But promise me the minute you get uncomfortable or can’t sleep, you’ll take your bed back.” She fisted her hands on her hips.
“It won’t happen, but I promise.” He stuck his hand out, pinkie up.
She narrowed her eyes at his hand. “What are you doing?”
“It’s a pinkie promise. You put your pinkie out, and we hook like this.” He demonstrated with his other hand. “A pinkie promise can’t be broken.”
She just stared at his hand.
“You seriously don’t know what a pinkie promise is? I thought all girls did. I’m going to have to talk to Kayleigh about this.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“I didn’t even think about how this would affect your girlfriend. Is she going to be okay with this whole”—she waved her hand around the room—“situation?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend. Kayleigh is my sister, Soph’s mom.”
“Right.” She gave a small smile, remembering that he’d told her. “You’re doing a good job with her.”
Unlike the way she’d grown up. A mother in a prison—not a physical prison like the one Sophia’s mom was in, but a prison of addiction. How would Sam’s life have been different if she’d had an aunt or uncle to step in like Liam was doing?
“I’m doing the best I can, but sometimes I wonder if I’m going to be enough. You know?”
“Oh, I do.” She glanced over her shoulder and out into the hall. “I’ve been helping raise Bella since she was a newborn.”
“Wow. That was a lot to take on for someone so young. You were, what…fourteen when she was born?”
“Yeah.”
“Uncle Liam,” Sophia called from down the hall. “Can we order pizza tonight? I’m starving.”