Her words were steady, but Liam could hear the wobble in her voice just as clearly as he heard her distress. The next sound he heard was the phone being slammed and a sob tearing from her chest.
He wasn't going to just sit there and let her suffer. Not when he could do something about it. Not when every cell in his body needed to do something about it.
He stood and ripped the front door open to see Izzy sitting at the dining table with her head in her hands. She didn't even hear him come in over her violent sobs.
In five long strides he reached her and pulled her into his arms. She startled with the first touch, but the thread had snapped and she couldn't control it any longer. She let him hold her, let him speak soft words to her, and he willed his own strength to seep into her.
"Shh, I have you, love."
His shirt was soaked through within minutes and her fingers wrapped around his arm, holding on for dear life. It nearly cracked his heart wide open.
"Tell me what is happening, Isabelle. Tell me what I can do."
When she finally got her sobs under control, she let loose. She told him everything and Liam had never wanted to tear something apart so badly in his entire life.
She told him about the deal her father made with Christopher. She told him about the drugs and the threats, the way her parents had done whatever he told them and the way he had manipulated all of them. She told him about his violence toward her and her fear that it would only get worse.
Her anger built right along with his until she pulled away and started to pace in front of him. She wiped under her eyes when the tears continued to fall and used the towel on the cupboard to wipe her nose. He longed to hold her again, but he knew that the space was desperately needed at the moment.
"He's the very bane of my existence," she stated with a huff. Her cheeks flushed and she tugged on her ear like she had so many times before when she was feeling uncomfortable or unsure. "He is a scoundrel and a liar. He has manipulated my parents into thinking I don't know my own mind and I would be a miserable fool if I actually married him."
Liam stared at her while she worked through her anger. She told him how Christopher - the bastard - had convinced her parents that he would take care of her. How, out of desperation, she agreed to the marriage with the condition that she was given a month away. She told Liam that she had a plan, but it would take a miracle to get out of the marriage. She worried that telling him all this was a mistake and she apologized for it before she continued on, letting it all out. She told him about her suspicions with her father's business. How there was no way she would be forced to marry the man if there wasn't something big happening, or at least she hoped that was the case. Her voice rose as she spoke and it took everything he had not to wrap her in his arms.
He resisted, though, and let her get it all out. It had been festering inside of her for a long time.
When she suddenly stopped pacing and looked up at him, he was ready for anything.
"I won't do it. I won't go through with it, Liam."
He stepped closer to her, until her chest was just inches from his, and wrapped his big hands around her upper arms. As he gazed down at Isabelle still huffing and puffing with anger, he knew in that moment that he would do absolutely anything for her.
He would die for her.
Once she looked up at him, her breathing slowed and the fire in those stormy grey eyes burned out. She calmed and listened as he spoke.
"No one can make you marry the bloody bastard, Izzy. You have a right to be scared and upset and I'll do whatever you need me to do to make it better. I've a mind to fly to the states and kill the man myself."
She snorted loudly before covering her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh dear, that did not sound attractive at all."
Liam chuckled and pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. She wrapped her arms around his waist, sniffing with the lingering tears.
"It sounds like there is more going on then you really know, Izzy. I don't like it one bit. What is it that you can do?"
"I need to call my aunt and see what she can find out for me. She doesn't speak with my mother, but her husband still speaks to my father once in a while. I'm sure he can find a way to get some information."
Liam grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the phone, holding the handset out to her with a determined expression. "Do it now, love."
Isabelle took a deep breath and moved to a bag sitting on the kitchen cabinet. She removed a small book and flipped through the pages. When she found what she was looking for, she took the phone from him and started dialing.
Liam stood beside her, offering his comfort while she worked through her emotions as the line rang.
"Uncle Trick, it's Isabelle... yes, I know it has been a while... yes, I am doing okay. I am calling from Ireland so I don't want to take up too much time. Is Aunt Neddy available?"
Isabelle listened, her smile slipping as she closed her eyes.
"Okay, I understand. Will you please have her call me when she gets back from the retreat? It's very important... yes, I know Uncle Trick and I appreciate it, but I think it would be better to speak with Neddy. I will need your help, too, though."
She rattled off the phone number for her aunt to call and said her goodbyes to her uncle.
He took the phone from her and placed it back in the holder. She didn't look up at him right away and his chest tightened all over again. He reached out and lifted her chin before cupping her soft face. "I won't let anything happen to you, Izzy. It will be alright in the end."
"How can you promise that when you'll be thousands of miles away."
Liam couldn't hide the shock and pain he felt knowing that she was still going to return to the states and face Christopher. "You are really going back?"
"I have to. I have to solve this and help my parents out of what is happening. They are still my parents, Liam."
He nodded and pulled her into his arms once more. He knew he would do whatever it took to help his parents out of any mess they found themselves in. But that was a different situation altogether. He trusted his parents with his life and Izzy had no reasons to trust hers with a single thing.
It wasn't long before they found themselves back in front of the fire wrapped around each other. It felt so incredible to hold her in his arms as they silently listened to the fire crackle and pop. He'd already been falling fast for Isabelle, but there was no doubt that he was soaring for her now.
His fingers combed through her soft hair and she hummed now and then, sending his heart racing for her all over again. He tried to keep his eyes open, tried to stay alert and leave when the time was right, but tearing himself away seemed so wrong.
When Isabelle's breathing finally evened out, there was not a damn thing on earth that could make him move. So he fell asleep, covered in everything Isabelle.
Chapter 8
Izzy
Isabelle didn't want to open her eyes.
She was too comfortable and too blissfully warm. Opening her eyes would take it all away so she kept them shut. She was deep in that limbo she always reached for, but this time she knew exactly where she was.
Liam shifted behind her and her lips stretched into a pleasant grin.
He had stayed all night on that sofa with her. At first, he'd held her in his arms while she rested her head on his chest. The rhythmic sound of his breathing and the feel of his chest rising and falling had lulled her to sleep. Somewhere during the night, however, Liam moved them both to lie on the sofa and he wrapped around her, his front to her back.
The memory of her episode of devastation the night before hadn't faded, but the actual devastation was no longer so painful. Liam made the fear and loathing she'd known just drift away. It was in his arms that she discovered her life couldn't be determined by anyone else but her. She had the control to change it. To mold it into something wonderful.
She just needed to figure out what mold to use.
Liam shifted again, the arm wr
apped around her waist moving back until his hand rested on her hip. Such an innocent place to touch, yet, the feel of his warm hand there sent a fire through her veins. She wanted more. Wanted it so badly she was sure he could feel it whenever he looked at her.
But she was afraid of the consequences.
If she invested any more of her heart into the man, she wouldn't make it when the time came to leave. And she would leave. There were too many things to resolve back home before she could move on without the need to look back. Her parents at least needed that from her.
"Are ye awake?" Liam mumbled sleepily.
She kept her eyes shut and refused to accept that her sanctuary was about to move away from her.
She felt Liam's breath on her neck and his fingers at her hip contracted. Her pulse quickened and this time she couldn't force her eyes to stay shut. They fluttered open, only to shut once more from the bright sunlight shining through the window.
Goose bumps raised on her skin and Liam's breaths came quicker. She felt not only his breath, but his lips touch the back of her neck before he sighed.
"Isabelle..."
His fingers relaxed and he ran the palm of his hand up her waist and along the back of her arm. His lips once more touched the sensitive skin of her neck and a shiver ran down her spine.
"Isabelle, I need..." He groaned softly when she moved her leg to a more comfortable position between his. "God, I don't want to move."
"Don't move," she whispered.
He dropped his forehead to her hair and inhaled deeply. "I need to get up, love. I promised Ma I'd help her today and I'm already late."
Isabelle pouted and shook her head. "Just a few more minutes."
She felt him laugh before his arm wrapped around her waist once more and his lips returned to the back of her neck. "Yer impossible to say no to."
Her pout disappeared and in its place came a beaming smile. "I'll remember that."
"See that ye do."
The room was quiet. The only sound she could hear were Liam's breaths and the birds chirping outside. It was so incredibly peaceful.
She slowly opened her eyes again and took in the room in front of her. The fireplace was dimly glowing with the hot coals from their fire and the beams of light shining through the window reflected off the particles of dust in the air. She watched the shadows on the floor creep back so slowly, hiding away from the light of day.
How long had it been since she'd taken the time to notice those things?
She felt them every day. She felt the way her body woke to a new day, but it had never been like this.
This felt like a miracle.
She moved her legs again, smiling at the soft groan coming from Liam.
"Has it already been a few minutes?" he mumbled. She felt him push himself up to a sitting position and maneuvered her legs onto his lap. "Did ye sleep well?"
She rolled to her back and looked up at him. His hair was a mess and the scruff on his face, that he always kept neatly trimmed, looked like it grew during the night. Those blue eyes were gazing down at her and she wanted to ask him what he was thinking.
"I did. Very well."
"Me, too."
Several tense minutes passed before they both eventually decided it was time to get up. Liam helped her stand.
"Would you like me to make you some breakfast?"
He grinned before leaning down and kissing her forehead. "I thank ye, but I've got to get going. I'll be back for ye in a few hours."
Izzy nodded and ran her fingers through her hair, hoping it wasn't a complete mess. She knew what she looked like in the morning and her sudden embarrassment reflected in the color of her cheeks.
"Ye look lovely, Izzy," Liam stated, grabbing her wrists and pulling them away from her hair. "Yer stunning in the morning, love."
She remembered the endearment from the night before. He'd said it several times while she sobbed in his arms. It didn't impact her the same way it did this morning.
Liam must have sensed a change in her demeanor because his smile fell and he rubbed a hand down his face as he turned away. His frustration was palpable, but Izzy couldn't figure out why he looked like he was so anxious to leave.
She reluctantly followed him to the door and welcomed the brief hug goodbye.
He looked back twice before climbing in his truck and driving away. She was once again reminded that their situation wasn't that simple. There were too many factors in the way and Liam was just protecting himself from any disappointment and hurt, the same way she was.
After the night before, he now knew that her circumstances back home were darker than she'd let on. Maggie was right.
Liam would get pulled down into the dark with her and she couldn't let that happen.
***
"They're here! They're here!"
Finny shouted and waved her arms as she rounded the house to greet Liam and Isabelle. It was still pretty early in the day, but Finny had insisted Izzy come and have a swim with them before supper.
Unfortunately, Liam didn't tell her this until they were in the truck on their way to his family's home. She was in her yellow sundress once more and wasn't sure how she was even going to swim. Not that Isabelle had a bathing suit anyway, but Liam insisted she wouldn't need one.
From the look of Finny, Izzy finally knew what he meant.
The young girl's clothes were drenched and her dark hair was slapping her in the face as she came hurtling towards them.
"Come and swim now. Colin got the rope stuck for a moment, but he finally got it down and we're ready to swing. Ye must try it, Izzy!" She clapped her hands and stopped directly in front of her, being mindful not to get her wet. "And Jerry is here and he is really good at throwing me into the water. I don't think he'll be able to toss you, but maybe Liam can. Come on, come on." Finny took off at a dead run, barely taking a breath before she looked back and frantically waved them over.
Liam shrugged his shoulders when Izzy gave him a questioning look. "I'll certainly try," he chuckled.
"I can't swim in my dress, Liam. And there's no way I'm swimming in my underwear either."
His eyes grazed up and down her body, forcing all the blood in her veins to rush up to her face for the thousandth time since she met him.
"Aye, I don't think it will leave much to the imagination if ye swim in that dress, Izzy. And swimming in yer unders will get me into a lot of trouble."
She crossed her arms over her chest, fighting the need to melt into a puddle right there in front of him. She confidently raised a brow. "Well, then what do I do?"
He didn't answer, but instead gave her a wicked smile and followed after Finny.
The sound of laughter grew louder and louder as they made their way around the back of the house and down a path through some trees. Izzy caught a glimpse of Colin flying through the air before he splashed into a river. A girl, who looked an awful lot like Mary Brannock, and a boy Izzy had never met before, cheered from the edge of the water as Colin broke the surface.
"Ye made only one full rotation, but yer height was better," the boy shouted to Colin.
Finny went running down the riverbank to the water's edge and dove in, making them all turn to see Liam and Izzy.
"About time ye showed up," Colin called, looking at Isabelle as he swam towards them. His hair matted to his forehead and he flicked his head to sweep it away like boys do.
"Ye don't have to swim, Izzy," Liam muttered beside her. "But the water is nice this time of day and I can guarantee that Finny will get ye in there eventually."
"What am I supposed to do, just jump in with my clothes on?"
"Aye, that's the best part," the Mary look alike said. She was in trousers and a shirt, soaked to the bone and shivering slightly. "I'm Cara, it's a pleasure to meet ye, Isabelle."
"Same to you, Cara," Isabelle returned with a bright smile. Liam's sister was certainly beautiful, she understood why her brothers had a hard time letting boys chase after her. "Liam has told me a
lot about you."
Cara smiled and stepped towards her, gesturing to the boy still sitting on the bank chatting with Colin. "That's Jerry."
It was apparent that Jerry meant a lot to Cara because her entire face lit up when she said his name and her cheeks flushed pink when he waved their way. Jerry's dark blonde hair was cut very short and his face looked like he should be in Hollywood, not in Rathnew Ireland. He looked like Sean Connery from James Bond and Izzy couldn't help but blush right along with Cara. Not to mention his wide shoulders and sculpted chest were things of beauty.
"He's very handsome," she said a little breathlessly.
Cara giggled, nodding eagerly and beaming at Izzy. Liam cleared his throat, making Cara jump and school her expression. A mischievous smile still lingered on her face, though. "Ye'll need a pair of my trousers and I'll bring a shirt as well. That dress will not hide very much at all."
Cara took off running back towards the house and Jerry watched her leave only to get smacked on the back of the head by Colin. The boy was certainly brave since Jerry had to be at least a couple years older than him. That, and he was double the size of Colin.
Movement beside her caught her eye and suddenly, Liam was stripping off his shirt.
"What are you doing?"
He glanced toward her and then with that same wicked grin, dropped his trousers. "I'm going for a swim, Izzy."
"In your underwear?" She was desperately trying not to look at his muscled chest and hard stomach. Jerry had nothing on Liam Brannock.
That's when she looked over at the other two boys on the bank and saw them both in their underwear. She almost turned around and walked back through the trees, but Finny was already calling for her and Izzy couldn't bring herself to disappoint the sweet girl.
"We do this every week in the summer, Izzy. Don't be shy. They're just boys."
Liam held back a laugh while Izzy reached out to smack him in the arm. She stopped in mid air, knowing full well that if she touched him, it would be a huge mistake.
He sauntered towards the water and dove in, making Finny squeal with excitement when he swam her way. The sun glistened off of his wet skin and took Izzy's breath away. She was struggling to swallow when Cara sidled up next to her.
Protector (The Brannock Siblings Book 4) Page 12