Keeping the Spy

by Victoria Pinder

"I called my sister-in-law."

  "We could have stopped at my house for my own clothes then."

  "I wanted to ensure you were safe."

  "I can't afford to ruin designer clothes."

  "Kate won't charge. The clothes are free."

  "She does have her own her fashion company. I'll let it slide." Sherry whiffed the plate of food he placed in front of her. "And the food smells delicious."

  Liam laughed.

  "Guilty. But I like a good breakfast in the morning and we had an early morning run already. This should be enough energy for the day if it has to be."

  "Got it." She picked up her fork and scooted her chair closer to him and the table. "We agree on good food. Anything else about your personal tastes you want to share?"

  He picked up his fork as well then admitted, "You're beautiful in the morning."

  She might have been absolutely wrong all of those years. If only he spoke to her years ago. Her cheeks flushed and she stared at her plate.

  "Liam, I was engaged. Now, I don't trust myself."

  "Then let's talk about daily life until the case is solved. You can't go anywhere without me."

  Sherry dropped her hands in her lap and stayed stiff.

  "Liam, people will talk. Our town isn't that big and we went to school together. Besides shouldn't we have this conversation. After the tests come back that the chip has everything you were seeking and I'm free?"

  "I don't like how we left the information." Liam admitted how his gut stayed low. "Harry has a copy and who knows what happened."

  "It was a safe house." She blinked and stared at him. "Do you really think someone broke into a CIA spot and stole the information?"

  "It happens." Liam broke their gaze and glanced at his plate. "The food is getting cold."

  Someone knocked at the door and Liam sucked in his breath.

  "Stay here. I'll see whose here."

  He walked into the other room.

  The second he left, she massaged her temples. His house was like high school, where everyone clearly talked and came by to see for themselves.

  He called out from the other room, "Prepare for the Collins family, Sherry."

  His mother. She stood and brushed her white pants to ensure she had no stains anywhere. A moment later, Liam opened the kitchen door and let his mother, his brother Sean, Sean's wife Gigi, his brother Daniel, Daniel's wife Kate, his brother Gerard, and Gerard's wife Nicole all in. Her face turned red as Liam asked, "Where's dad?"

  His mother stepped around him and went to the coffee maker. "He's taking a shower and came home late from work last night. He'll be here shortly."

  Liam glared at Sean, "None of you could stop her?"

  "We didn't want to." Gerard interjected.

  All her life, she wanted family. She fidgeted with her pendant again.

  Liam shook his head.

  "Is this payback for how I helped bring you and Nicole together?"

  His other brother, Sean pointed at Daniel then said, "Liam acted like cupid in all our lives."

  Cupid meant they all wanted to set her up with him. Her face felt hot as her fingers traced her necklace and neck line.

  Daniel shrugged. "So we're here to pay you back."

  There had to be a way to stop them all.

  Liam placed his hand on her spine which sent all sorts of tingles through her. "Sherry is just a friend. There is nothing romantic going on."

  Right. At most they'd be friends. She'd be stupid to think there was more here than protection and her adrenaline probably caused her to think this Valentine's day she might actually fall in love.

  "Didn't I almost get shot at or kidnapped because you wouldn't go into the donut store because she was there?" Gerard took the first step forward. "You have a crush on her."

  A few months ago, she helped out a friend and covered her shift when Gerard came in and borrowed her phone. No one mentioned being shot or kidnapped. Her lips trembled. The Collins family must clearly like women in danger.

  Sean held Gigi's waist and hugged her. His brother's wife then added, "Liam, I'm first in line to say that Sherry is super amazing. I never liked Victor, but I'm not sure you're good enough for her."

  Gigi was clearly her favorite person right now. Sherry smiled at her.

  Sean dropped his hands to his side.

  Liam glared her. "Gigi, you're supposed to be on my side."

  She winked at him. "You do like her. I knew it."

  Sherry hugged her stomach and glanced at her shoes. If Liam liked her then she might get a chance at real love on Valentine's.

  Her phone beeped that she had a text message. She hadn't even known her phone was on. She fished it out of her bag and read the message. Work beckoned. She licked her lips and met Liam's gaze. "They want me at the library today. Melissa called in sick."

  "No." Liam's body went rigid. "We'll talk about it after our guests leave."

  Someone coming after her was a good reason not to go to work. She'd prefer not to die in the book stacks. Before she could say anything, his phone across the room chose that moment to ring. He wrinkled his nose and went to get it. He looked at the number and then nodded at her.

  "I have to take this in the other room. Be right back."

  She hugged her waist as he walked out of the room saying, "Hello."

  Alone with his family wasn't good. Sherry stood up, and surveyed her seven guests. At least she recognized everyone and her heart wasn't racing like any one of them might kill her. She straightened her spine.

  "Is there something I can get for you?"

  "Don't worry about us." Nicole Wyman the former movie star and now the US senator's wife asked her, "You don't remember me Sherry?"

  Memory lane wasn't where she wanted to go. Being on the run seemed less intimidating and she lost her guard. She swallowed.

  "High school was a long time ago."

  Nicole stepped closer. "And you had a major crush on Liam. I caught you crying because he had to kiss my cheek in the high school play."

  Gigi stepped forward as well. "Hardly tactful Nikki. Kate, Nicole, and I want to invite you to lunch, without the men."

  On the run for her life meant she had to skip out on lunches until the case was solved. At least with all these people around, thoughts of Valentine's with Liam where he might kiss her again and mean it didn't float into her subconscious as often. She shook her head.

  "No. The last time we went out to eat, I ended up volunteering for one of the Collins family charity events."

  The fashionista, Kate, told her, "Honey, you know volunteering to help us was MOM's NAME way to keep you close to the family for whenever Liam grew a spine."

  There was a knock at the door. Sherry's spine turned like icicles, until she saw his mother was at the stove and she started to clean. Everyone acted so normal. Daniel Collins turned and walked out, "I'll get it."

  Her dog barked and she glanced out a window and saw Liam was outside with Joe throwing a stick as Daniel went around to join them. At least no one shot at them. Perhaps Liam had taken care of everything and saved her so she could go on with her life.

  A moment later, she heard Conall Collins, the patriarch of the family, and the library's largest donor, at the door. A knot formed in her throat the second he walked into her kitchen.

  "Sherry Worthing is part Irish, on her grandmother's side." Conall told his wife.

  Sherry whipped her head around and Mrs. Collins was serving tea to her daughters-in-law.

  Mrs. Collins shrugged without acknowledging her husband and handed Sherry a cup. "Now if Liam had brought you home for breakfast as I told him, we wouldn't be barging in here unannounced. I needed to see for myself that you were with my son, finally."

  "With?" Her lips parted though she couldn't move. "My fiancé just died."

  The entire Collins family stopped talking all at once. Sherry shivered from the sudden stillness.

  "Didn't your fiancé set you up to be killed?" Kate Collins broke through t
he silence. "None of us thought you truly loved him to begin with and with that history, we didn't think he was an obstacle."

  This was all insane. Even if she started to feel something for Liam, he hated her for too long. She pressed her lips together to figure out her words. Right now, none of this should matter to her. At any moment, someone might want to kill her if she walked outside the door. She straightened her spine.

  "I don't know how I feel about anything right now. I'm hoping Liam helps and me and that I can go back to my normal life."

  "I'm sure freeing you is the plan." Gigi smiled and held her husband's hand who walked in with all the men. Gigi then continued, "We have to get back home to the children and we overwhelmed you with our loud welcome. Please come over for tea soon. We'll keep it simple, and plan a benefit for the library."

  "I won't be able to say no then."

  Sherry followed them into the living area and toward the front door to say goodbye. As they walked out the front door, Sherry smiled at Gigi and her family.

  "Thank you for coming. I'm sure we'll talk soon."

  Gigi surprised Sherry with a fast hug and then walked to the door. "You'll make a great sister. Don't rule out Liam yet."

  Rule out the hottest guy in town ever? She wasn't stupid though and right now her world made her dizzy. Sherry stood there, without a word, as the rest of the family hugged her goodbye.

  This was the strangest Valentine's. Surreal didn't begin to explain it.

  "Sherry," Liam's mother hugged her and adjusted her winter jacket. "Plan on coming to dinner soon at my house. It will be a nice family affair. Collum, get your hat."

  His mother and father were the last to leave. Liam walked in from the kitchen with Joe at his heels. Sherry's entire body shivered. Did he have any idea what his family thought about them? She locked the front door and turned to face him.

  Liam tucked his phone in his back pocket and she saw how his muscles rippled under his shirt. He hadn't even tried to be sexy. He just was.

  Then Liam petted Joe and told her, "Sherry, we have to talk."

  Yes, they absolutely had to talk. She also had to keep her mouth shut. Her sudden crush on him couldn't possibly last a lifetime.

  9

  Liam

  Lunch across the street. He had to ensure that no one saw them and that he protected Sherry, at all times, even if they were simply crossing the yards. Inside his parent's home, they would be safe. He installed the security system there and that system had been enough to protect his family in the past.

  They probably shouldn't go. Joe barked as he returned the stick to him from the backyard. Liam took it and threw it into the green manicured lawn. The motion detectors around his home and unseen lasers kept the backyard that led to his brother's house secure, but his parents were literally across the public street.

  He hadn't caught the person who set Sherry up and likely wanted to kill her. Until he had the guy or girl in custody, nowhere outside was safe.

  Sherry hummed up the stairs of his house as she dressed.

  The only good part of Valentine's day at his parents is that he wouldn't think about kissing her again. He adjusted his tie as he heard her blow dryer stop.

  In a few minutes, she'd descend from the stairs, probably looking like the angel she always was. His body tightened.

  Luckily his phone rang and he saw his boss's number. With luck, they knew who was after Sherry now. He hit 'talk' on his smartphone and answered, "What did you find out?"

  His boss coughed through the line and Liam had to hold the phone away from his ear. Then he said, "Your suspicion on Dwayne was right. No one in the bureau authorized him to interfere with your investigation."

  "He knows where I live."

  Liam hit the wall lightly with the backside of his fist, and the piece of art above him shook. He stopped. At least he stockpiled his house with safe rooms and enough ammo to protect a third world country. His parents across the street also had state of the art rooms where a nuclear bomb wouldn't kill them. Once he had her across the street and then home, he'd never take her out again. He squared his shoulders. Only his mother would be reason to risk his neck.

  "I'll handle this."

  His boss asked, "Should I throw away your resignation letter?"

  A life without these threats would be the best Valentine he could offer Sherry this year. He took the stick and then led Joe into the house. He petted the dog who stopped at his bowl as he heard Sherry singing upstairs. He swallowed fast.

  "No. This is my last mission. I will get everything for you and end any threat against Sherry."

  "Good." Sherry's voice descended from the stairs. He turned and stared at her lush curvy figure on the top step. In the black skirt and pink blouse, he couldn't breathe. She was gorgeous. She took a step down as she then said, "I need you, Liam."

  Need. The word from her mouth made his body hard and ache to reach out to claim her. His lips pressed together and he wasn't sure he moved. Her light curl in her hair gave him the appearance that she was wild and untamed. As she came closer, her heels clamped against the floor and he flinched as her brown eyes gazed into his. Not speaking was never good near her.

  His lips burned to kiss her. He turned away and told his boss, "I'm on this. I will report back to you when I have news, sir."

  "Every eight hours, check in." His boss answered back.

  In eight hours, it would be Valentine's evening. He'd like nothing more than to carry Sherry up the stairs and to his bedroom.

  "Yes sir." Liam hung up the phone without another word.

  Sherry stared at him and flung her hands to the side. "Don't go silent on me, again, Liam."

  Not good. He refused to let his racing heart interfere. He had to speak, but his voice wasn't there. He took a deep breath, as much as he could, and then finally squeaked out, "You're beautiful."

  She placed her hands on her hips to brush the sides down as she gazed at her shoes. "Is it professional enough for where your mother might trust me with donations to the library?"

  Every curve on her body was accentuated when she brushed her hands. She needed to stop as his hands might sweat again, like in high school. Bullets and bad guys never unnerved him like she did. He stepped away and handed her a jacket and then clutched his own. At least the topic was banal and he could handle it. He swallowed.

  "My mother trusts you for far more than that."

  Her face lost all its color. "I'm ready for your parents. So, let's get going."

  With her eyes that wide, he prayed what he said hadn't sounded like a marriage proposal. A chill raced up his spine as he opened the door.

  "It will work out."

  Work. Yes. He had to get her across the street and then home. She brushed her hand against his shoulder.

  "I don't know believe in fairy tales, but I hope you're right."

  Security in house showed no signs of danger outside; however, security cameras and systems were never 100%. He offered her his arm and she took it. She still smelled like an ice cream sundae, and he wanted to lick every inch of her body. He stiffened as his skin tingled in awareness of every leaf that rustled in the wind in the video feed at the door. She zipped her jacket and stared at him as she licked her lips. The impulse to kiss her overwhelmed him again, but then an alarm went off on his security camera.

  He swallowed and then stared at the black car with unknown plates. "We're not going."

  His eyebrow arched. "Are you sure?"

  Steel raced through his spine. "Those plates are new. Let me find out. No one will get inside here."

  "I trust you." She unzipped her jacket, as his heart almost came back to a normal speed. "Go and find out."

  He placed his hand on top of hers.

  "Come with me."

  "I'm fine."

  She walked into his living area.

  "Okay. Look. Stay here and don't go near any windows until I know."

  He rushed into his study and read the report on the car plates as h
e texted his brothers 'later.' Seconds later, he calmed down and realized it was the neighbor, Lee's oldest daughter's boyfriend. He must not want her parents to see him pick up the girl. He rolled his shoulders. Everything was fine. With steel now in his spine, he returned to the living room and called out, "That was the neighbor's boyfriend. False alarm."

  An intake of breath as Sherry stared at a family painting of his parents made him turn.

  "That's me on the right."

  "I know and I assumed the car was Josh's. He's come to the library before. His parents expect him to be a doctor."

  "So that's why you didn't follow me." He narrowed his gaze. Nothing seemed different. She'd been in here already. "What then? What are you looking at?"

  She pointed toward the wall and to the rug his mother hung on the side.

  "The tapestry must be ancient."

  "My mother put it there when I bought the place." He shrugged. "Some ancestor bought it cheap. I don't know the history."

  She glanced at the mahogany floorboards. "I shouldn't be here."

  He took her arm in his and nodded his head as she glanced at him. "Yes, you definitely should. Come, I want to show you something."

  She hugged her waist and kept her head down as she followed him. He led her to the tapestry and then pushed past it.

  "See the wall?"

  "Yeah."

  "Put your hand here and don't move it."

  "Here?"

  She stilled, like he told her life depended on it. He brushed his hand against her shoulder, "Relax."

  "What are you doing?"

  "Your hand and fingers prints are being remembered. Ten more seconds."

  "For what?"

  "Push."

  She pressed her palm harder and then used both hands to thrust herself onto the wall. The wall gave way and revealed his bunker. She swallowed and then proceeded in.

  "This is safe room. How cool."

  Liam's footsteps were inches behind hers.

  He called out, “Lights are on the left."

  Her hand reached out into the total darkness then she found the switch. With a twist, the room illuminated, and she dropped her shoulders.

  "I thought these only existed in movies."