by Kennedy Fox
He nods, closing his eyes. “Just don’t go outside or get into any trouble. If my phone rings and it’s Liam, answer it. He’s going to check in later if he can.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be a good girl,” I tease, then turn serious. “Tyler?”
“Yeah?”
I fall to my knees and wrap my arms around him the best I can in his lying down position. His body stiffens as I take him off guard, but then he relaxes and wraps his free arm around my back. “Thank you for risking everything for us.” I smile against his chest, hoping he understands how much his sacrifice means to me.
“Liam would do the same for me without hesitation,” he states matter-of-factly, and I wonder about what they’ve been through already.
“I would too,” I admit, pulling back and grinning. “Good night, get some sleep. Those dark bags under your eyes aren’t a good look for you.” Then I grab my stuff, turn off the light, and leave him be.
As soon as I walk into the bedroom, I sit on the mattress and pull off my shoes. Then I fall back, closing my eyes and taking in several calm breaths. I won’t be able to think straight until Liam checks in and tells us what happened.
Does Victoria have a gun? A knife? Will she try to silence Liam before he can beat her at her own game? Obviously if I’m thinking about these things, Liam already has. Being a bounty hunter has allowed him to always be two steps ahead of his opponent, but when it comes to the goddamn mob, he needs to be miles ahead. I wish I could do something more, but this situation is out of my control, and it makes me feel helpless. I hate this.
Right now, all I want to do is call my sisters. I wish I could talk to Sophie and Lennon and tell them everything that’s happened so they’ll stop worrying. I want her to know I’m with Tyler, Mason’s old trainer, and that I’m safe. There’s a lot of explaining to do, but I don’t even know where to start. They need to know who Victoria really is and how this affects all of them. The magnitude of it hits me like a ton of bricks because it doesn’t seem real. So much has happened in so little time.
Chapter Ten
LIAM
Relief doesn’t even properly explain what I feel when I get Tyler’s laptop and see all his files. The pictures and the audio—the evidence of her lies and betrayal to her family—give me everything I need to demand a divorce. Her hands are going to be tied to do whatever the fuck I say when I shove it all in her face because with one click, I’ll email everything over to her father, and I’ll be damned sure she knows that, too.
After ending the call last night, I checked on Victoria, and she was sound asleep. She hasn’t been feeling well, so there’s no way of knowing when she’ll be up again puking her guts out or asking for something from me. I need to act fast if I’m going to sneak out of her penthouse.
Deciding to wait a few hours, I slept until five and then left a note saying I was leaving to get her something to eat and drink. The smoothie shop across town is her favorite and opens early for the gym rats, so it was believable. I went over to Tyler’s first and found what I needed to finish this shitstorm.
Since I’m a nice guy and all, I did go and get her stupid strawberry-banana-flavored drink after I picked up the prints of the digital photos I ordered. I’m making sure my presentation is clearly laid out, giving her two options.
One: File for divorce and sign the papers, letting me and everyone I love go for good.
Two: Tell her daddy the truth and let him decide her punishment.
If she’s smart and wants to live, she’ll pick the former.
“Where the fuck have you been?” she shouts the second I walk into her room. She’s leaning against the headboard, raging pissed.
I’m fully confident she’ll be changing her attitude in less than five minutes.
“Didn’t you read my note?” I ask nicely, setting her smoothie down on the table next to her bed.
“You left almost two hours ago.” She holds up her phone. “I get a notification every time someone opens the front door.”
I restrain from rolling my eyes. Of course she fucking does.
“Well, my dear wife, I had some errands to run,” I say in an overly sweet tone, which immediately makes her suspicious as she eyes me carefully. This is the first time I’ve left for more than an hour, knowing if I didn’t return, she’d give Maddie my punishment.
Not this time.
Victoria throws the covers off her body and pushes herself off the bed. “You better watch your tone, Liam.”
“Or what?” I ask, crossing my hands in front of me with a large manilla envelope between my fingers.
Her eyes lower, and she finally notices I have something. “What is that?”
I bring it to my chest and slowly open it, pulling out the first eight-by-ten photo of her and Mickey fucking in his car. “I’m so glad you asked. Let me show you.”
The moment she lays eyes on it, her evil grin drops. Her shoulders straighten as she swallows hard. “Am I supposed to know what this is?”
The photo is dark, and you can’t one hundred percent see who the people inside are, but unlucky for her, Tyler took multiple shots of the car, the license plate, and even used night vision settings to get clear shots of their faces.
“Maybe these will help jumpstart your memory…” I set one after another on the bed, letting her see each one of her and Mickey.
Them sneaking into a bathroom.
Them in a dark-lit bar in a corner, her lips attached to his cock.
Them in his bed, completely naked.
I’m not even gonna ask Tyler how he got that one.
A shiver runs through my body at the lengths he went to get these. Grateful doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel.
“Where the fuck did you get these?” she finally hisses after examining each picture, knowing she can’t argue her way out of it. It’s crystal clear who the people are in them.
“What’s it matter, princess?” I dip my head down and speak low, “You’re not the only one with friends in low places.” Then I take out my phone and play one of the audio files I sent to myself. Tyler managed to record them talking, and it’s when Victoria calls him Mickey Baby and he calls her Sweet Tits. She waves a hand in the air, and I turn it off.
“Big deal,” she scoffs, crossing her arms. “You won’t do anything with them.” Her confidence is laughable, considering her bottom lip is trembling.
“On the contrary, I think Daddy dearest wouldn’t be so happy to see his only daughter with the family’s nemesis. Didn’t the DeFrancos betray your family? Mickey’s grandfather stole millions and tainted the O’Leary name for generations, causing a forty-year brawl between them. Amazing what you can find when you know the right people.” I smirk, then continue while her jaw hits the floor. “Not to mention what Johnny will do once he finds out Mickey’s the one who knocked you up and is the real father. I doubt Daddy’s going to welcome Mickey into your family with open arms. I’m guessing more like a bullet between the eyes. Wow…” I shake my head in amusement. “Imagine the horror on his face when he learns of your betrayal. You said it yourself. You wouldn’t put it past your father to kill you if you stepped out of line. Those poor babies. Gonna be orphans. Or dead too.”
She inches closer, reaching out before clamping her fingers around my arm. “You won’t do that, Liam.”
“And why’s that?”
Victoria retreats and places her hands on her hips. “I have Maddie.”
“Hmm…that’s right.” I put a finger on my chin, pretending to be concerned. “You give me a divorce, and I won’t send these to your father.”
She scoffs. “You send those to my father, and Maddie pays.”
I tsk. “I’m pretty sure you and Mickey will be the ones paying.”
Victoria walks around me and grabs her iPad from her nightstand. “I’ll tell my men to kill her.” She returns, standing in front of me. “Unless you hand everything over. Duplicates, copies. Everything.” Victoria looks me dead in the eyes, and in about
five seconds, she’ll realize Maddie’s gone.
I lean down and whisper softly, “Then do it.”
Her eyes widen in shock. “Liam, I’m serious. If I give the order to shoot her, they won’t think twice about it.”
“And your father will know the truth.” I shrug. Victoria swallows hard. “Oh wait…” I snap my fingers, smiling. “I don’t need to bargain with you because you have nothing I want, and I have everything you want.”
“What does that mean? You’d never let Maddie get hurt.”
“Correcto.” I point my finger at her. “Why don’t you show me how she’s doing on your little surveillance cam?”
Immediately, she signs into her iPad and opens the app, then logs on. I watch as she swipes, looking from room to room in the cabin with no one in sight.
“This is impossible,” she mutters.
Walking behind Victoria, I look over her shoulder. “Hmm…interesting. Looks like it’s empty.”
“What the fuck did you do?” she shouts, tossing her iPad on the bed. “Where are my guards?”
“Like I said, princess. You’re not the only one who has connections.”
She grinds her teeth, contemplating her next move. Before she can walk around me, I grab her wrist and pull her back into my chest. With my lips to her ear, I speak low. “Don’t think so. You’re not the only one with a gun, and as much as I’d really hate to use it, especially on a pregnant woman, I will if I have to defend myself.”
I managed to get a gun from Tyler’s place since I knew Victoria kept one in her bedroom. Shooting me was her only option to get out of this, but I’m not about to let her do that. “You have two options,” I whisper in her ear. “Give me a divorce and this all ends for good. Confess I’m not the father so your dad doesn’t come after me, and we both walk away without pissing him off. Or he gets all the evidence of your betrayal. If he doesn’t kill you for it, he’ll for sure wipe you of your little trust fund, and you’ll be out on your ass. In fact, he’d probably keep you alive and feed you to the wolves instead. Plenty of people would love to get their hands on a mafia princess.” I hum, knowing it’ll piss her off. “You could shoot me now, but just know if I don’t come home in one piece, the photos will be sent to him from someone else. Either way, baby, you lose if you don’t obey my orders this time.”
“Let me go,” she growls.
Slowly, I remove my arms, and she jumps away. “Just stay married to me for a year, after the twins are born, then I’ll grant you the divorce. I’ll tell my family it’s my fault, and no one has to know the whole story.”
Oh, hello bargaining. I expected you.
She’s desperate. Neither options are favorable to her, but I gotta say, the truth not being revealed should be an obvious choice.
“No,” I say firmly, then twist my ring off and flick it into the air. She watches with horror as it flies across the room. I’ve been wearing that dreaded thing since we announced the marriage in July. To keep up the act around my friends, I wore it at all times. Feels good to finally get rid of the damn thing. “I want papers drawn up today. We both sign and then await a court date. You let me walk away and leave us alone, for good.”
She shakes her head. “Being a pregnant divorcee would be as bad as the truth. I can’t.”
I shrug nonchalantly. “Okay then.” I take my phone and start swiping.
“Wait! Wait, please!” She reaches for my cell, but I retreat so she can’t grab it. Victoria stays silent as if she’s trying to buy time, but my patience is wearing thin. It looks like she needs a reminder of what she’s done.
Shoving my phone in my front pocket, I steeple my fingers. “Let’s go down memory lane, shall we? You start fucking Mickey DeFranco. Damn, he must be good because you kept going back for more. Even though you told me months ago you don’t do relationships, I’m thinking you have real feelings for him. You know it’s wrong to be with him, so of course it has to be a secret. No one can ever find out. But…oopsies. You fall pregnant. Now what? You’re Catholic, so abortion is out of the question. However, getting hitched without a big church ceremony would be more forgivable, but who’s gonna be the lucky bastard to walk down the aisle with you?” I snap my fingers. “JJ’s gambling buddy. He owes the family a shit ton of money, so saving my life and my debt being forgiven meant I now owe you big time. I’m desperate and thankful to be alive, so I take your six-month agreement and become your husband. If only that was the actual deal you stuck to. You knew the only way for me to believe you’re pregnant is for us to have sex so you coerce me into it, knowing my hands are tied due to your threats of hurting my friends or telling your father. If he found out our marriage was a sham, he’d kill me instantly, so I had no choice. So that brings me to the moment you arrive at my house two weeks ago with my father and announce you’re having twins!” I flash a crooked smile at her. “You have me followed, ruin the only relationship I’ve ever wanted, and then you fucking kidnap the woman I love. So please, Victoria, tell me how I should have any fucking sympathy for you…”
“You won’t hurt me,” she states oddly. “You’re a lot of things, but you’re not a monster who’d hurt a pregnant woman.”
I see red at her challenge, as if I’m weak and should buy into her pity party. She’s trying to use reverse psychology on me, and it’s not gonna work. I stalk toward her until her back presses against the glass balcony doors, then I lower my face to hers. “You’re absolutely fuckin’ right. I’m not like you or your family, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have you thrown off this balcony. I’ll make sure it looks like a goddamn suicide. After all, you did betray your family and you’d rather die than face your father. Right, honey?” I mock in a snarky tone. “You wanna play this fucking game with me?”
Victoria swallows hard, and it’s the first time since we’ve met that I see real fear in her eyes. The last thing I want to do is hurt her, but scaring her into releasing me is the only option I have left. She has to believe I’ll really send the evidence to her father, and since it’s my only weapon, I’m using it to my maximum potential.
“Fine,” she says softly.
I tilt my head. “What was that?”
She groans, narrowing her eyes at me. “I said fine!”
Slowly, I reveal a satisfied grin. “Good. I’m glad you finally came to your senses. I really didn’t want to have to go to plan B.” I shoot her a wink, which makes her glare at me harder.
“What was plan B?” she boldly asks.
I’m so fired up with adrenaline rushing through my blood, I don’t think twice about grabbing the gun out of my waistband, taking the silencer out of my back pocket, and twisting it to the barrel. Then in one swift movement, I point it at her head and undo the safety.
She inhales sharply with a gasp, shock and horror written all over her face.
“As I said, I’m really happy we came to an agreement.”
“You are a monster,” she says.
I shrug. “Guess I learned it from the best.” Then I lower my weapon, clicking on the safety, and shove it back into my jeans. “And, Victoria, if you do try anything, I know where your little boy toy lives.”
“You’re cruel,” she spits after I walk toward the bed. “Maddie was never in danger. She was at a luxurious cabin with cable, food, a gym, and a hot tub. I didn’t hurt a hair on her.”
“You did the second you blackmailed her into leaving me,” I retort. “And I’m gonna be watching you until the second our divorce is finalized. In fact, you better look over your shoulder for the rest of your life because trust me, I have no problem giving your father that info. He might be able to accept his grandchildren are half DeFrancos, but he’ll never forgive you, and he won’t spare Mickey’s life,” I remind her. “So from this moment on, you stay in line. You mess with me or anyone I love, and he’ll find out. I’m not the only one who has copies either. You have one week to get our divorce papers drawn up and signed. Got it?”
Chapter Eleven
M
ADDIE
Ever since Liam confirmed he got the computer, I’ve barely breathed as we wait for the news that he’s confronted her. Not knowing what’s being said or how Victoria’s reacting drives me insane. I know Liam can take care of himself, but that bitch is a fucking psycho. What if she lets him leave and then retaliates ten times harder? She has an abundance of resources and money and could end all of us with a snap of her fingers.
From the phone conversation with Liam and what Tyler has told me, there’s enough evidence of her affair that would shun her from the family. But will it be enough for her to let Liam go and give him a divorce? I can’t help but feel like no matter what he does or says, it’ll never be over.
After an hour of pacing in the bedroom and doing some yoga, I decide to try out the bathtub and hopefully ease my mind. I’m too worked up to sleep even though my body is tired. I won’t be able to fully rest until Liam is here, and I can feel his heartbeat against me.
“Maddie?” My eyes bolt open at the sound of Tyler’s voice on the other side of the door.
“Yeah?”
“Doing okay?”
“Yes, I’ll be out in a moment,” I call out and realize how cold the water around me feels. Shit, I must’ve dozed off.
Once I’m dry, I change into my last pair of clean leggings and an off-the-shoulder sweater, then make my way into the living room. If we’re going to be here a while, I’ll need some supplies and a washer and dryer. Victoria’s bathroom was stocked full of beauty products, and I was able to do my laundry there every few days. Considering I couldn’t bring a lot of things with me, I’ve been limited on my wardrobe.
“Tyler?” I ask when I don’t see him sitting on the couch.
“Kitchen,” he shouts.
“Are you making me your delicious eggs and bacon?” I chuckle though it’s closer to lunch. My nap in the tub was over two hours long and my skin is all pruney now. “Though, I’m kinda in the mood for—”