Chasing Shadows (First Wives Book 3)

by Catherine Bybee

  Avery ran a hand through her hair. Everything Sasha was saying made sense in a twisted, fucked-up way. “So I’ve wasted my time searching nightclubs.”

  “No. Not entirely. You know where he isn’t. We know he isn’t in jail. What did I say about Homeless Men Three and Four?”

  Avery had to think for a minute. “That they would buy drugs until they hit rock bottom or die.” Jesus . . . was she chasing a dead man?

  “We stop searching clubs and start searching rehabs and morgues.”

  Avery held a staring contest with Sasha. “You knew all of this before we sat down to eat, didn’t you?”

  “I suspected. Between what you’ve told me and what the police have found . . . or more importantly, haven’t found, I’ve drawn my conclusions.”

  “Then why waste time with all of this?” Avery waved her hands around her, as if including the entire city in her argument.

  Sasha stepped closer, her face nothing but harsh lines of sobriety. “Because you need to learn who this man is on your own so you can accept whatever it is that we find. Me telling you who we are looking for will always raise doubt in your head.”

  Avery sighed, ran the back of her hand against her chin. God, she was tired. With a deep breath, she asked, “Okay. Where do we start?”

  Sasha stepped back. “Tomorrow.”

  “But—”

  “You need to eat again and sleep. Warriors only enter a battle rested and fed.”

  Avery glanced at the tattoo on her arm and resigned. “Okay.”

  Sasha glanced behind Avery. “Take her back to the hotel. I will call on you in the morning.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Avery turned around so fast her head spun. “Liam.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Liam had to force a smile to his face.

  He’d been tracking Sasha’s location via Reed since he landed. He dropped a bag off at Avery’s hotel and taxied to Times Square. Having never been to New York before, he found himself turned around more than once while GPS tangled with the tall buildings and sometimes had him on the wrong side of the street.

  The two of them walked into his line of sight, and Liam stopped behind Avery right as Sasha described Avery’s attacker. Even though he stood right there, Sasha’s eyes never left Avery.

  Slowly, as Sasha’s conclusion settled in Avery’s head, Liam noticed her entire posture sink. For a brief moment, he thought she might just slump to the ground right in the middle of Times Square.

  Now Avery was staring at him, and they were the clog of traffic as people walked by.

  Eyes hollow, lips swollen . . . Liam reached out and traced a hand to the bruise on her cheek. His simple touch and she closed the gap between them and pressed her face to his chest.

  “I’m sorry,” she choked out.

  Liam wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her hair. “It’s okay.”

  “I was such a child.”

  “It’s okay, Princess.”

  She hugged him tighter.

  Liam closed his eyes and held her. “I’ll get her back—” He glanced up and Sasha was gone.

  Avery disengaged long enough to look around.

  “Where did she go?”

  Avery shook her head. “I’m sure she’ll be back.”

  Liam brushed a hair behind her ear and cradled her cheek in his hand. So many words needed to be said . . . instead, he brushed his lips against hers.

  She kissed him back with a sigh.

  “C’mon. Let’s get you back to the hotel.”

  Liam kept an arm around her and signaled for a taxi.

  Thirty minutes later they were in her room and he’d ordered room service.

  “I had to come to New York,” Avery started.

  “I know that. You have me now, you didn’t need to come alone.”

  A small dining table stood on one end of the suite. The two of them sat across from each other. Liam kept both her hands in his as they talked.

  “It’s hard for me to depend on other people.”

  “I put that together,” he said with a slight smile. “Here is the beauty of a truly committed relationship. You’re allowed to depend on someone else. When you’re hurting, they hurt, so it’s on both your radars to fix the problem. Just because you zone out doesn’t stop the other from caring.”

  “The last thing I wanted was to hurt you.”

  He squeezed her hands, saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Finding out that your girlfriend is three thousand miles away chasing this Spider guy all by herself wasn’t painful, it made me feel helpless. I’m here. You don’t have to do any of this alone.”

  “I see that now. I’ll try.”

  “Do or don’t do. There is no try.” His words were there to make her grin. They succeeded.

  “You’re quoting Yoda?”

  “Whatever it takes to make you smile.”

  She brushed away a tear. “I’m so tired.”

  He summoned her with a crook of his finger, and she slid out of her chair and onto his lap. His hands traveled once again to the bruise on her cheek. “How many more scars am I going to find when I undress you?”

  She rocked her head back and forth. “A few.”

  He somehow thought that meant a dozen.

  The thought of anyone hitting her made him boil. He downplayed her bruises so that he could keep from losing his shit. “You let them get close enough to punch you?”

  Avery’s laugh started slowly. “Have you been talking to Brenda?”

  “It does sound like something she’d say.”

  She placed her palm to the side of his face. “I feel so much better with you here.”

  “Good thing.”

  “Don’t let me run off again.”

  Let her?

  “Is that a demand?” he asked.

  “It’s a . . .” She caught herself. “Yeah. It is.”

  He grinned and leaned in for a kiss. “You got it, Princess.”

  Hours later, after he’d seen Avery eat more than he’d seen any woman consume before, he drew her a bath, counted her bruises. He poured her a glass of wine while she soaked in the tub, and then sat on the edge of the thing, rubbing her feet.

  And they talked.

  She told him about the beating. In her words, it was as if he felt every blow and every needle from the hospital. But her delivery of the attack lacked the heat he expected. A testament to her tired state. He imagined that she’d be fired up about Spider after a night of rest.

  Liam, on the other hand, poured himself a drink from the minibar to keep from searching every street in New York to find the guy. Not to mention the assholes from bars two, three, and four.

  “More people stood up to help than stood back to watch,” she told him when talking of the last fight.

  “No more New York nightclubs without me,” he told her.

  “Is that a demand?”

  He smiled and without hesitation said, “Yes.”

  “One for one.” She moved her hand along the bubbles hiding her nudity.

  “I have another demand,” he said.

  “Pushing your luck.”

  He took a drink from his cocktail and leaned his head against the harsh porcelain of the hotel wall. “No more lying. If you don’t want to answer the question or tell me something, then tell me that. But don’t lie.”

  She nodded. “I’ll try.”

  He hiked a brow.

  “I will,” she amended.

  Liam pushed off the edge of the tub. “Finish your bath. I need to call Reed and give him an update.”

  “I’m sure Sasha already has.”

  “What Sasha is going to say to him won’t keep your gaggle of friends away. What I’m going to tell him will.”

  “Liam?”

  He turned at the door.

  “Thank you for coming.”

  He crossed the room in two steps and kissed her quickly. “Always.”

  By the time Liam made it back into the
bedroom of the suite, Avery was curled up in a ball on the bed, asleep.

  Liam stood at the door and watched her.

  He loved this woman. With every ounce of baggage and bundle of insecurities she had, he loved her. The sassy mouth, the attitude, her independence. He loved all that, too. He couldn’t help but feel like they’d gotten over the biggest hurdle and now all he had to do was keep his promises and show her she could depend on him.

  All she needed to do was let him love her. He’d do all the rest.

  He moved around the room, turned off lights, stripped his clothes, and slid into bed beside her.

  She turned into his arms the moment he settled, and draped a bare leg over his. “I missed you,” she whispered.

  “Shh, go to sleep. You need to rest.”

  Her hand resting on his chest started to move. “I do need to sleep. But I need you more.”

  She lifted her hazel eyes to his.

  “Are you sure? You’ve been on empty.”

  Velvet fingertips fresh from the bath brushed against him, and his cock jumped into her palm. “I’ll let you do all the work.”

  He kissed her softly, slowly.

  Her lips moved over his as if drinking him in.

  “I thought I was losing you,” he whispered. He traced her back, careful of the places where he’d seen her bruises. Felt the tips of her breasts against his chest.

  “I’m here and I want to feel you.”

  Her words were all the invitation he needed. Liam rolled her gently on her back and held her arms spread out, intertwining their fingers. His lips lingered on hers, and he tasted the soap from her bath, drew in her scent as he dipped his way down her neck, her shoulder.

  The tips of her breasts were already tiny nubs, asking to be licked. When he pulled one into his mouth, she arched against the mattress, her fingers squeezing. He spent time on one, moved to the next, and moved gently over her bruises, tiny kisses meant to soothe the pain she must have felt when receiving the blows that caused the colors to erupt.

  Avery wiggled her hips and opened her legs as he settled in lower. She twisted her hands away from his and threaded them through his hair. So damn soft, this spot, the one where her hip met the top of her thigh, loved the feel of his tongue. He sensed her need even before he felt her lift one knee and place her foot on his back. Oh, yes . . . this was his. All his, so he kissed and nibbled until he found the place inside her that made her grab the back of his head and keep him exactly where she wanted. She tasted like sunshine and smelled like dreams.

  “Oh, please . . . more. Liam, more.”

  Her breathy request was all he needed. If she wanted more, she’d get more until she told him to stop. Much as he wanted to make love to her all night, he wouldn’t be that selfish. He pulled her swollen flesh between lips and tongue, found the right angle, and found her rhythm. When she was close, he moved his fingers inside of her until she stiffened under him, and he tasted everything she had to give.

  “Liam.” His name was a cry.

  He kissed her aftershocks, felt her thighs quivering next to his cheeks.

  “Come here,” she said, looking down at him.

  Crawling up her body, he captured her kiss, his erection screaming.

  “Inside. I need you inside.”

  He smiled into her kiss. “Demands?”

  “Hell, yeah.”

  Reaching down, he found his pants, unearthed a condom from his wallet, and pulled it on.

  Avery smiled and drew him closer.

  “I’m a lucky man,” he told her as he gave her what she demanded.

  So warm.

  Like home.

  “Take me,” she told him, her legs wrapped around his waist, and he shifted his angle to move deeper.

  “So good,” he managed as his thrusts became quicker, her tiny cries became a sharp inhale and a word of encouragement for more . . . everything. When everything inside of her gripped all of him, his rush of release rivaled hers.

  A satisfied smile met him when he opened his eyes. He collapsed back onto the bed, careful to not crush her.

  “We do that really well together,” she said in his ear.

  “Imagine how much better it will be when I learn every spot, and every desire.”

  She wrapped lazy arms over his back and kept her legs entwined with his. “We’re already off the charts, I’m not sure it gets better.”

  “That’s a challenge I’m happy to accept.” Her laughter warmed his heart. “I love you, Avery.”

  Her smile waned but didn’t disappear altogether. “Liam, I’m not ready to—”

  “I know, Princess. You don’t have to say it back right now. I know the words don’t come easy, which just means that they mean more when you do say them. I can wait. I’m not going anywhere. I need you to know how I feel so that when you do tell me you love me, I know we’re all in.”

  Her smile softened, and he knew he’d eased her into the thought of loving him completely.

  “How is it you know me so well already?”

  He lowered his lips to hers again. “Because I love you.”

  “Is that going to be your ending statement from here on out?”

  He nodded. “Yup.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “If he’s dead, he didn’t come in as a John Doe,” Armstrong told Reed when he called first thing the next morning.

  “Thanks for looking into that for me.”

  “That part’s easy. Anything else I can do for you?”

  “Not unless you’re willing to hack into hospital databases.”

  “Ha. No. I actually like my job. What are you looking for?”

  Reed sighed.

  “On second thought, don’t tell me. I don’t need any marks on my record.”

  Reed laughed. “Probably for the best.”

  Armstrong smiled. “How’s Avery?”

  “Better. Still in New York, but no longer searching the gutters. Her boyfriend is with her.”

  “Boyfriends tend to do the most damage when suspects are caught.”

  “Depends on the size of the fish we pull from the ocean. He’s levelheaded.”

  Armstrong leaned on his desk, tapped his pen to the notebook in front of him. “Anyone else I need to worry about?”

  Reed sighed.

  “You know what . . . you’re right. I don’t need to know that either. You call me if you need any legal information I can share, and let me know how it all works out.”

  “That I can do. Thanks again.” Reed hung up.

  Yeah, Armstrong really didn’t want to know how Reed and his group operated.

  Sasha knocked on their hotel room door at ten in the morning. Good thing, since Avery slept until eight and had finished her breakfast right before.

  Sasha wore tan slacks and a silk blouse. Her conservative outfit made Avery pause. “Are we going to church?”

  She shook her head. “Visiting hours. Go change. I’ll wait.”

  Avery didn’t argue.

  After she’d woken up that morning feeling like the hundred-pound weight on her chest had lifted, much of the fight had left her system.

  She’d cried. While it might not have seemed like much to the average person, the reality was she hadn’t shed one tear over herself since everything had gone down. The tears, she realized after she’d woken up, weren’t over Spider, but Liam. She almost lost him.

  There was no reason for him to chase her to New York, but there he was. She saw the look in his eye when she took off her shirt and he took in the footprint size bruise on her hip. What he had said about her pain being his . . . she got that now. Later, when he made love to her and cherished every piece she allowed him to take, he awakened something new inside.

  I love you, Avery.

  The words echoed in her mind all night. Not that she had to wait long to hear them again. Liam meant it when he said they were his ending statement. When he saw the worry on her face, he kissed her and said he knew how she felt.

  Be
fore she took her morning shower, she sent a group text to the First Wives. I’m feeling much better. Liam is here and helping me through this. I love you all.

  The replies were rapid and all held the same sentiment. We love you. We’re here. Call if you need us. Come home soon.

  Avery returned to the living room of the suite.

  Liam smiled and Sasha sent a look of disapproval.

  “What?”

  “Boots?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  She shook her head. “You’re disappointing me. You need a purse.”

  Avery sent Liam a look that said What the hell? and okay at the same time.

  She returned with her purse.

  “Chloé, good.” Another scan from Sasha. “Did you bring any jewelry with you?”

  Avery stalked back into the room, wearing the earrings and bracelet she’d bought to wear in the clubs.

  Sasha released a frustrated sigh and they left the hotel. Instead of getting in a cab, they walked across the street and straight into a department store. Sasha marched them into the men’s department, picked up a Friday casual jacket, and shoved it in Liam’s hands. “Put this on.”

  Liam shrugged into it.

  Avery had him turn around. Not only did it fit, it managed to kick-start a flutter in her chest. “Looks good.”

  “Why are we dressing up?”

  Sasha didn’t answer. She took the coat from him and moved to the service desk.

  Liam reached for his wallet, but Sasha had already swiped her card.

  After the clerk removed the security tag, Sasha took the jacket from her hands and gave it back to Liam.

  “No one has bought me clothes since my parents,” he told them.

  Sasha stood to his side, smoothed out the arms. “It’s two thousand dollars, feel free to pay me back. Or don’t.”

  Liam’s jaw dropped.

  Avery grabbed his hand and they continued through the store.

  Sasha stopped at a makeup counter, flagged an attendant, and pointed to Avery’s face. “Fix this.”

  Okay, just because Avery hadn’t brought all her concealers and moisturizers didn’t mean she needed fixing.

  Only with one look in the tilted countertop mirror, she realized she did.