Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
But hashing out what Gerald did or didn’t do couldn’t be handled while standing in the middle of his destroyed apartment.
Technically, they were standing in the middle of a crime scene, and that just made things fucking complicated.
To add to the fun, there was always a chance Gerald’s place was being watched by the people he owed. Seth’s job was to keep Liam out of danger.
“Liam, we need to go to your place. Now.”
The older man stared at him, eyes glistening, but his lips were pressed into a hard, mutinous line. He wasn’t done raging, and Seth couldn’t fucking blame him.
“We’ll go to your place, have a drink, and brainstorm. It’s too dangerous for us to stay here any longer.”
Liam finally gave the smallest nod and led the way through the carnage to the front door. Seth didn’t breathe easily again until they were in his car and on the expressway, heading across the Ohio River to Liam’s apartment in Northern Kentucky.
The apartment complex wasn’t too different from Gerald’s, except that Liam had managed to find one almost completely surrounded by woods. The rush of the city wasn’t far from his doorstep, with its surplus of shopping and restaurant options, but the swath of trees helped to create a feeling of being away from all that chaos.
As the headlights swept over the dark trees, Seth could see how Liam was drawn to this location. The man seemed like he was born to be out wandering in nature. He wouldn’t be surprised in the least if little birds and deer came right up to him in greeting.
But the thick grouping of trees also offered excellent cover for people trying to hurt Liam. Never gonna happen. No one was touching Liam again.
After parking, Liam allowed him to repeat the same process he went through at Gerald’s. There was no sign of anyone watching them, and Seth led the way into Liam’s, which was completely untouched.
The two-bedroom apartment was nicely furnished, and the appliances looked newer than what they’d found in Gerald’s. Unfortunately, Liam’s place was on the first floor. Great if they needed to make a quick escape through a window or the patio door, but it was also bad because it made his home dangerous in terms of someone trying to sneak inside.
After quickly shutting the blinds and confirming the sliding patio door was locked, Seth started his check of the space. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all open, leaving no area for a person to hide. While the walls might have been white, Liam had filled the rooms with color, from the rugs covering the floor to the abstract paintings on the walls. And on nearly every flat surface were pictures of his family—four brothers of roughly the same height and size, and one beautiful sister who stood among them like a warrior princess. There were several others containing an older couple who were likely Liam’s parents.
“Whoa,” Seth said on an exhale when he flicked on the light in what turned out to be the spare bedroom. It was almost completely filled with boxes.
“Yeah,” Liam muttered. “It’s mostly books and some random stuff. My house in Michigan was much bigger, and I’m still working on downsizing. And with trying to get the shop up and running, I really haven’t bothered with this stuff.”
“I understand.” He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Liam. “I’ve lived in Cincy for at least three years, and I think I’ve still got a closet full of boxes I never bothered to unpack.”
Liam didn’t say anything, and Seth continued on to poke his head into the bathroom. At the master bedroom, he stopped cold at the sight of the massive king-sized bed that dominated the open area. Black sheets were twisted from where Liam had slept there the night before. Images of his large body stretched out across the mattress, his pale skin seeming to glow in the darkness, danced through Seth’s brain. Memories from their one night together jumped into the party, and Seth nearly groaned against the rush of blood to his dick.
Yes, he wanted to feel Liam under him, on top of him, inside of him all over again. He craved it more than air, but it was not fucking happening.
No repeats.
No drama.
No complications.
He stuck to the plan.
The same damn plan that had ruled his life since he’d been a kid.
But for the first time, instead of giving him a sense of freedom, it felt like a chain holding him trapped. Instead of being able to breathe free, he felt choked.
Something had changed, but Seth shoved the thought down with his tempting daydreams of Liam. Now wasn’t the time. Liam was in danger, and his one and only priority was keeping him safe.
With his mind set, Seth checked the closet and under the bed before returning to the main room. Liam was standing at the kitchen counter, a bottle of whiskey and two glasses in front of him. He poured a healthy swallow into one and then held the bottle over the second glass. “I understand if you can’t. Being on the job and all.” Liam paused, licking his lips. “But I hate to drink alone.”