Liam #2
“Besides”—my mother smiles, attempting to break the tension—“that will only bring Liam and Taryn to visit us sooner. I have baby pictures you can see.”
Stilted chuckles surround us as our siblings try to help my mother with her attempt to move this conversation forward.
My bride takes a deep breath. Steadies herself. “If you’ll be staying in the city through the weekend, Mrs. McGuiness,” Taryn offers, “perhaps you’d meet with my mother and me to talk more about the reception. I’m a planner, and it’d be nice to get some things formally arranged.”
And, just like that, she’s fixed things. Katie Walsh startles but smiles with approval. “Yes, dear. That’s a lovely idea. Absolutely lovely.”
My mother’s eyes actually fill with tears. “I—I hadn’t planned on staying, but I’m sure I can. Isn’t that right, Kian?” She looks giddy.
My father sighs and nods. “Of course, mo ghrá.”
“And, please, call me Aisling,” my mom tells Taryn. “There’s more than one Mrs. McGuiness now.”
Taryn sucks in a breath but nods. My mother’s smile could light the room. And Taryn’s mother looks, well, satisfied. I decide this is a good time to make our escape. Things can only go downhill from here.
I push back from the table. “Taryn and I have to get settled into our new place,” I announce. “Thank you all for this.” I nod around the table.
Everyone rises to say their goodbyes.
“Remember what I told you,” Nolan growls in my ear as he gives me one of those half hugs. Yes, I remember his threats.
“She’s mine to protect now,” I tell him. “I’m looking forward to the privilege.”
He nods begrudgingly. “Don’t fuck this up.”
I shake my head. Gotta love his faith in me.
Once I get Taryn settled into my vehicle and hop into the driver’s side, I turn to face her before I start the engine. “You okay, beauty?”
She starts laughing. I smile.
“I’m sorry,” she giggles. “I don’t know why I’m reacting this way. Am I okay?” Hysteria bubbles from her chest. “Am I okay?”
Her laughter shakes the car, wild and messy, and it’s not at all what I expected. Hell, I thought she’d be quiet. Sullen. Maybe even furious with me. But this?
She’s laughing so hard, she can barely catch her breath, tears streaking down her flushed cheeks, and something in my chest tightens. This isn’t amusement—it’s shock. The kind that hits you when the ground drops out from under your feet.
I reach over, brushing my thumb under her cheekbone, catching a tear before it falls. “Hey,” I say softly, but firmly enough to cut through her hysteria. “It’s okay, beauty. I’ve got you.”
Her laugh hiccups into a sound dangerously close to a sob.
“I mean it,” I tell her, letting my hand rest warm against her jaw. “We’re going to get through this. Trust me. I’ll handle the hard shit, and you just…breathe. That’s all I need from you right now. We can figure out the rest later.”
Her eyes finally meet mine, wide and searching.
“You were brilliant back there,” I continue.
“Telling everyone you’re planning to go to law school in Chicago?
Smart move. You didn’t flinch, Taryn. Not once.
I saw it—and so did they. That’s what it means to be tough, even when they all expect you not to be.
You’re still the same person, beauty. The girl who takes what she wants.
That hasn’t changed.” I know that’s her fear, and it may be too soon, but I want to address it head on.
She swallows hard, the laughter fading to shaky silence.
“I’ll make this work,” I promise, the words coming out rough but certain. “For you. For us. You’ll see. Trust me a little longer, yeah?”
She blinks at me, her breath catching like she’s trying to steady herself. “I don’t know if I can trust anyone right now,” she whispers, voice soft but edged with truth. “But I want to trust you, Liam. I really want to.”
I lean in a little, close enough to feel the warmth of her breath. “Then trust what you’ve already seen in me,” I murmur. “I’m not letting you fall. Not now, not ever.”
Her lips part, like she wants to argue but can’t quite find the words. My hand slides from her jaw to the back of her neck, my thumb brushing the soft curve of her hairline.
“We’re in this together now,” I tell her, my voice low, steady. “No one else matters. Not your father. Not mine. Just us.”
Something shifts in her expression, some mix of fear, disbelief, and…maybe the tiniest flicker of relief. Like she does want to believe me. Like maybe part of her already does.
She exhales, a shaky sound that hits me straight in the chest, and I pull her into me. She doesn’t resist, just melts against me, her hands gripping my shirt like I’m the only solid thing she has left. And damn if that doesn’t do something to me. To be needed. Trusted.
I hold her tighter, and something shifts in my chest. Because, I know I’m right.
It’s just me and her now, holding each other together.
And hell if I’ll let anyone take that from us.
Anyone who tries—Greek, Irish, or otherwise—will find out just how far I’ll go.
I’ll burn every alliance, every man, and every dollar to ash if it means keeping her safe.
She’s my line in the sand now. And God help the man who thinks he can cross it.