Liam
The Murphy Boys Series
Book 4
By
Holly c. Webb
Dedicated To The Dreamers, The Lovers And The Story Tellers
I would like to begin by thanking my husband. Thank you for believing in me, and encouraging me to follow my dreams. You are my best friend and the love of my life. Thank you for all your help, patience, your support and your unconditional love. You are my happy place
I love you xx
Special thanks once again to Gem Evans. Gem, you are one of life’s true angels. You have no idea how truly awesome you truly are. Thank you for all your help and support, (even if it does involve a whip from time to time lol). I am honoured to consider you my friend and my partner in crime. x
Thank you to Denise Hammock Carmichael and Vera Fowler for all your help and support. For helping me make this book the best it could be and for your continued friendship and love. You girlies are awesome.
Thank you to Carol Evans for everything you do to help get my words out there. You’re a rock star. Also Louise Rhodes, Laura Rossi and Stina Anderson. Love you ladies so much xx
Thank you to Sally Orchard, from Under The Lilac for editing my books so beautifully.
Big thank you to all the wonderful ladies in Holly’s Luscious Readers. Thank you all so much for your support and for brightening every single day.
Finally, a big thank you, to you the readers, for taking a chance on me. I hope you love reading this book as much as I loved writing it. This journey would mean nothing without you all
Love Holly x
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Liam, The Murphy Boys, Book 4 ©
Holly C. Webb has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
Cover design by Holly C. Webb
Book design by Holly C. Webb
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For further information, contact the author at [email protected]
Chapter 1
Liam rolled on his side smiling, as he watched the most perfect bare ass walk across the room, then disappear through the bathroom door. Yawning, he stretched out on the bed and looked around the room he was in.
He needed to get his stuff together and make his excuses to leave. If only he could drag himself away from the gorgeous Laura that was.
It had been his first weekend off in weeks, and he had just spent the last two days shacked up in this tiny bedroom, with the most athletic, bendy blonde he had ever met. This girl had done things to him he had never imagined were possible, but now it was time to get back to reality, back to his life.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed on the nightstand next to the bed. Liam sighed as he reached out, picking it up.
Liam looked down at his phone and realised he had several missed calls from his mother, and a few more from Callum. The text message that had just come in was from Landen. He sighed, pressing open on the message, as he wondered what could be so important.
Where the hell are you? Dad’s sick. You need to get to the hospital, NOW!
Liam sprung up in bed, his heart thumping in his chest. His dad was sick; he needed to get his shit together and get out of there right away.
“You’re leaving,” the pretty blonde said, as she appeared at the bathroom door once more, still completely naked. She really was a vision, but right now, Liam didn’t have the time to take it in. He grabbed his jeans and t-shirt from the floor, as he quickly scanned the room for his boxer shorts.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you have a cute butt?” The girl purred from the doorway, as she watched a naked Liam searching for his underwear.
“They have,” Liam said with a grin, turning to the girl. “But right now, I’ve got to go. I had boxer shorts, have you seen them?”
The girl gave him a wicked grin, then glanced up at the light shade that was hanging from the centre of the ceiling.
Liam followed her gaze, spotting his boxers hanging from one of the crystals on her knock off chandelier.
“How did they get up there?” Liam asked, but his response was a giggle. He reached up pulling them down, then quickly pulled them on. “Thanks, Laura.”
“It’s Lara,” she corrected him, giving him an impatient look. “Aren’t you going to stay for breakfast?”
“Sorry, Lara,” he corrected himself, as he pulled on his jeans, then his t-shirt. “But I have to hit the road. I’ve a family thing.”
Liam slipped on his shoes, as he grabbed his coat, but stopped when he reached the door of the bedroom, turning back to Lara. With a smile, he closed the distance between him and the hot blonde, he slammed his mouth against hers, then gave her a smile.
“I had fun,” he said, looking into her eyes. “We should do this again.”
“I’ll give you my number,” she purred as she leaned into him, licking his top lip. “You can call me anytime.”
“Sweetheart,” Liam said, biting down on her bottom lip. “I’m a cop; I’ve already got your number.”
He slapped her across her bare ass and smiled once more, before he turned towards the door, then hurrying out of the room.
When he reached his car, he called Landen back, hitting speaker phone as it rang, before he started the engine of his 1967 Mustang.
“Finally!” Landen’s voice came through the speakers in the car. “Where the hell have you been? We’ve been calling you for hours.”
“I didn’t hear my phone,” Liam sighed impatiently. “I was… busy.”
“With your latest conquest no doubt,” Landen retorted as Liam rolled his eyes.
“Whatever, Landen,” he groaned, not in the mood for yet another lecture from one of his brothers. “What’s happening with Dad? Tell me he’s okay.”
“They think it’s a heart attack,” Landen replied, suddenly sounding more concerned than angry. “The doctor is with him now. They’re getting ready to take him to surgery.”
“Isn’t Dylan with him?” Liam asked, knowing that Dylan would want to be the one to take care of their father.
“He is,” Landen sighed, sounding a little more upset than Liam had first realised. “But as Dad is family, they won’t let him treat him…”
“But he has treated us before,” Liam replied, confused. “Why won’t they let him this time?”
Landen didn’t respond for a moment. Instantly Liam got a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Because this is serious this time,” Liam said, feeling the blood drain from his body, as a shiver ran down his spine. “Isn’t it?”
“They don’t know,” Landen replied
honestly.
“Fuck!” Liam breathed out. “Okay. Well, I will be there soon. Tell Mom I’m sorry for not answering the phone sooner.”
“I will,” Landen assured him before they both said their goodbyes. The moment Landen hung up, Liam hit the switch for the sirens on his car, as he pulled out into the early morning traffic.
Fifteen minutes later, he was climbing into the elevator, taking him to the second floor, where the receptionist told him to go.
As he hurried down the corridor, he spotted Callum and Landen standing in the corridor, deep in conversation. When Landen looked up and saw him coming, he smiled, almost looking relieved.
“Is there any word?” Liam asked as he reached his two brothers.
“They’ve taken him down to surgery,” Callum said, as he too turned to look at him. “Dylan is with him.”
“And Mom?” Liam asked, worried about his mother, knowing that right now she was probably falling apart.
“She’s in there with Finn and the girls,” Landen replied, nodding toward the door that led into a waiting room. The same one they had sat in after Landen was hurt a couple of years before, the same one they sat in waiting for news of Emmy after she and Finn were in the crash, and the same one his family sat in waiting for news of him after he took a bullet to the shoulder, saving Amelia.
Liam hated this room so much. He took a deep breath before he stepped inside, where he found his mother sitting next to Finn, staring into space. The look of terror on her face broke his heart.
“Mom,” he said, as he hurried toward her, a feeling of guilt wrapped itself around his heart. Why hadn’t he answered the phone earlier? He should have been here sooner, instead of fucking some random chick. He should have been here to talk to his father before he was taken to surgery.
Nell looked up. The moment she saw him, her eyes glazed over with tears, as she stood up, wrapping her arms around him.
“Liam,” she breathed out, hugging him so tightly that he could barely breathe.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he whispered, feeling a lump of grief form in his throat. “I should have been here. I should’ve heard the phone.”
“You’re here now,” Nell said as she released him from her embrace. Holding him at arms-length, she gave him a warm smile, but still her tears broke free, trickling down her face.
“He’s going to be okay, right?” Liam asked, sensing things were much worse than he had believed. “He’s going to make it?”
“Of course he is,” Nell replied, but the look in her eyes said something different. She was scared, but she wasn’t going to admit it.
“He’s got to be,” Finn said suddenly from beside Liam. He turned to look at his brother, and his heart hurt to see the sadness and fear in Finn’s eyes. “He promised to walk Emmy down the aisle next month, just like he did with Amelia. So he has to be okay.”
“He will be, Sweetheart,” Nell said, turning to Finn, softly touching his face, as she gave him a reassuring smile.
“Dad won’t let you down,” Liam assured him too, but he knew his words were as much to convince himself as to convince his brother. Finn just gave him a smile before they all took their seats once more. Liam took the empty seat next to his mother just as Callum and Landen walked back into the room.
They all sat there in silence for the longest time.
As they did, Liam looked around the room. He looked at all his brothers and smiled to himself. Landen was sitting with Amelia, their hands entwined in each other. Then he looked at Finn. Emmy had her head resting against his shoulder, as her fingers softly stroked his hand, offering him comfort. Finally, he looked at Callum. He had his arm wrapped around Georgie’s shoulder like she was the only thing that was keeping him from spinning off the face of the earth.
Liam knew his brothers were all happy and for the first time he could ever remember in his life, a tiny stab of jealousy shot through him. He wanted someone to sit beside him, holding his hand, offering him comfort. Right in that very moment, Liam wished that he had someone that loved him as much as Amelia, Emmy and Georgie loved his brothers; and for the first time in the longest time, he thought of Lexi, as instantly his heart ached with sadness.
Lexi had been the one girl that had gotten under Liam’s skin. She had been the one who just got him. The one that was strong enough to sort his wild butt out. She was now the one that he would forever measure every other girl against, knowing that no one could ever come close to her.
He had met her the night he graduated from the academy, and soon she became his reason to live.
She was in the bar he was celebrating in with his friends when Liam spotted her, and straight away, he knew he was in trouble. He watched her for the longest time, taking in every inch of her beautiful face. She was stunning. She had long, dirty blonde hair that tumbled down her back in soft curls. She had a round, beautiful face that lit up every time she smiled. She looked to be about five foot three, but in her killer heels, she seemed taller. She was perfect in every way.
Finally, knowing he couldn’t wait any longer, Liam knocked back his drink and walked across the bar.
“Hi,” he said when he reached where she was standing with her friends, giving her his most charming smile.
“Hey,” she replied, giving him a shy smile in return. Her eyes met his. They were the warmest amber he had ever seen. They were completely captivating. That was it; Liam was hooked.
From that moment on, Lexi was all Liam wanted. She became the centre of his world, and he became hers.
She was a photography student, and in some ways, a free spirit just like Liam. Still, she knew what she wanted with her life. She had her future all mapped out. A future Liam wanted more than anything else in the world to be part of.
That was until the night he made the single biggest mistake of his life.
It had been a particular shitty day on the job, so Liam and his partner, Scott, stopped at a bar for a few drinks to unwind before heading home. Lexi had driven up the coast to see her parents and Liam didn’t really fancy going home to an empty apartment. Somehow, they ended up back at this party in some random apartment. That’s where Liam met Sam; a fiery redhead who seemed to have just one thing on her mind. She wanted him, and she was not going to take no for an answer.
Liam knew the second it happened; it was a mistake. He couldn’t get out of the apartment quick enough. He hated that he had been so weak, but he was drunk and stupid, and for a moment, he just wanted to forget about his crappy day. Still, he knew that there was no excuse he could give that would make it right. He also knew that he needed to tell Lexi the truth. He loved her too much to lie to her.
If he was honest, he had expected her to cry and scream, but in his heart, he never believed she would walk away. But she did. He would never forget the look of hurt on her face as he told her about Sam. He begged and pleaded with her to give him another chance, but deep inside, he knew the moment he saw the hurt on her face that there was nothing he could say to make it right.
That night, she walked out of his apartment, and out of his life. Taking with him the best part of the man he was.
“Are you okay, Sweetie?” Nell asked Liam, pulling him from his thoughts. He instantly turned to look at her, she gave him a smile as if she was reading his mind. Dylan was the only one who really knew about what had happened with Lexi. Everyone else just knew that they broke up and that Liam was devastated.
“Yeah,” Liam assured her, pushing all thoughts of Lexi from his head, as he suddenly stood up.
“Where are you going?” Nell asked, giving him a questioning look.
“I’m going to get some coffee,” Liam replied, giving her a smile. “Does anyone else want anything?”
Before anyone could reply, Dylan appeared in the doorway of the room, still dressed in his scrubs and cap. Everyone turned and looked at him expectantly, as there was a collective gasp in the room. They all held their breaths.
“It’s not over yet,” he quickly explained. �
�Though Doctor Browning shouldn’t be much longer. So far, everything has gone exactly how it should. Dad is doing great, no complication. We are about to take him off bypass; then we will be finishing up. He should be up in the ICU in about an hour or so.”
“Thank you, Dylan,” Nell said before she released a relieved sob. “Thank you for letting us know.”
Liam instinctively hurried back to his mother and hugged her tightly once more.
“I should get back,” Dylan said before he turned and hurried out of the room.
“He’s going to be okay,” Liam assured his mother, as a wave of relief washed over him. Sure, the surgery wasn’t finished, but it was going well. That was all he needed to hear.
“I know,” Nell sobbed softly, as she tried to force a smile. “I was just so scared. I can’t lose him. He’s my best friend.”
“I know,” Liam said, pressing his lips against her forehead before he hugged her tightly. “He’s going to be okay, Mom. I know it.”
It was almost two hours later when Dylan finally returned to the waiting room and told them that Sean had been moved to the ICU, and he was doing well.
Dylan said that only two could go see him at a time, so Liam said he would go with Nell. He needed to see his father, to see for himself that he was okay.
Dylan led Nell and Liam along the corridor to the ICU, then to the small glass cubicle where Sean was. He remembered the last time he walked into this place. He was with Finn after the crash. He remembered how broken Emmy looked. Liam really believed that Finn was going to lose her that night, just like he lost Lexi, but the difference was, Finn didn’t deserve to know that heartbreak, unlike him. He hated that life was cruel and unfair.
He remembered how Finn cried as he stood by her bed, and Liam promised himself he would never allow himself to love someone so much again. He never wanted to feel that broken; as broken as he had been when Lexi left him.
But as he stood there outside his father’s room, he knew in his heart something had changed. He wanted someone to love him as much as his mother loved his father. He wanted someone to care whether he was alive or dead.
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