by Trisha Grace
“You make me sound like a spoiled brat.”
He shrugged and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I like spoiling you.”
She laughed softly and grabbed her phone. Not today, she typed and sent the message to Edward Eolenfeld. She showed him the message she sent. “I’m not going to give in to you all the time, you know that, right?”
Liam nodded slowly.
“And …” She pursed her lips and drew a deep breath through her nose.
“You can’t cut them off. They’re a part of your life.”
It was her turn to nod. “I’m s—”
“Don’t.” He cupped her face. “Don’t apologize for that. It isn’t your fault.”
“But it hurts you.”
He shook his head. “It isn’t your fault.”
It sure felt like it, and Helena wished it didn’t have to be so. She cracked a smile even as cold fear wound around her heart. Liam didn’t care about her connections now, but would it always be this way?
What would happen when they stepped out into the real world? What would happen when he saw the reality of how entangled she was with the Eolenfelds?
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows drawing closer as concern seeped into his gaze.
“Nothing.” Or maybe everything.
“What’s with the van outside?” Elias asked the moment he spotted Liam standing on the second floor, looking down at them.
Liam had been on his computer when the motion sensor alarm pinged his phone, alerting him to his brother’s arrival.
“Did she say no?” Cassian asked the moment Liam came down the stairs.
“No. Something else happened.” Liam frowned at the bags Killian and Elias were holding. “I’m not sure if we should have dinner tonight.”
“What happened?” Trevor asked.
“Helena’s been having a stalker issue.” Liam sat on the couch and explained what happened with her laptop and the sketchbook she’d gotten.
“It must be Bobby,” Elias said from the lazy-boy chair. “That brat seems obsessed with her.”
Liam rubbed a hand over his mouth.
Trevor narrowed his eyes. “You think so too.”
“Yes and no.” Liam brought his ankle to his knee. “He’s different with her. He cares about her; I don’t think he’d hurt her. He seemed genuinely concerned when he thought she was injured.” He sighed. “But he’s rough with her too.”
And Liam had experienced, firsthand, how Bobby could be. Even Helena had admitted Bobby could be cruel.
Cassian shifted, leaning his arm on the couch’s armrest. “Who knows she’s here? She wasn’t supposed to stay. She intended to get her brother and go.”
“I never asked.”
“Bobby definitely knows.” Killian nodded slowly. “It must be him.” He clapped his hands and pointed at Elias and Trevor. “Beasts one and three. You two go rough him up and make him confess.”
Killian had always called Trevor, Liam, and Elias beasts one, two, and three respectively. Trevor was already padded with muscle and Liam had begun working out. So they were larger than the rest. Later, Elias started hitting the gym because his competitive streak made him not want to lose out to his brothers.
Unlike all the times Bobby used that name for him, it never really bothered Liam when Killian used it.
In fact, it sort of gave Liam another perspective—that being a beast wasn’t always a bad thing. But that wasn’t something he had allowed himself to believe until now.
If he could use his scar and size to scare whoever was harassing Helena into stopping, he would do it.
“Use your muscles and fighting skills for something useful,” Killian continued. “Cassian and I will help you with tonight’s dinner. The date must go on.”
“I’m not sure if she’ll be in the mood for a date,” Liam said.
“She will once we tell her that Bobby confessed to being the stalker.”
Liam shook his head. “I have the stalker on camera. I couldn’t see his face, but it doesn’t look like Bobby. Too small.”
Elias shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe he hired someone to put the sketchbook there.”
Maybe. “Bobby could’ve hired someone to hack into her computer, but he couldn’t have drawn those sketches. Those were … professional. It would take time to learn how to draw that well. Bobby doesn’t have the patience or the discipline.” He twisted his jaw to the side as he thought about the sketches.
“What did the stalker draw?”
Liam sighed heavily. “Her.” He couldn’t make himself continue his sentence.
Trevor nodded slowly. “Maybe you should call the cops. Especially since the stalker seems to be escalating.”
“She doesn’t want to. I’m not that keen on it either,” Liam said. “The police would need to investigate. They’d probably speak to everyone she knows. If word gets around, it might anger the stalker. I don’t want him releasing her videos out of anger.”
“You want to find him and delete the videos first.” Killian leaned forward. “Shouldn’t be too difficult for you.”
“I’m going to open up doors for the stalker to hack back into her laptop.”
Killian nodded once. “Then you’ll have a direct line to him.”
The brothers all handled different areas of their business. Though Killian was venturing into the gaming industry, he had helped Liam with the online security side the longest. He understood a thing or two about hacking though he never tried it himself.
“You’re going to hack back into the stalker’s device?” Elias asked.
“He won’t get caught,” Killian said simply.
Cassian rubbed his index finger against his lower lip. “We’re still in discussions with Pentagon about the latest contract. They might have their eye on us. Security check and all that.”
“I’ll set up a separate network. I won’t get caught.” Liam had learned coding and hacking from forums, but with all the hours spent cooped up in the mansion, he’d had plenty of time to get good at it. And he was.
“Okay.” Cassian shrugged and leaned back on the couch. “Do what you need to.”
Elias laughed as he scanned their faces. “This is fun. It’s the first time we’ve all done something together besides work.”
Which was true. Killian and Elias came by most often. They would even have their meals here at times, but Liam never joined them. Sometimes he wondered if they were simply dropping by to make sure he hadn’t died in front of his computer without anyone knowing.
“You should date more often.” Elias gave Liam a smack on the shoulder. “You go deal with the stalker. We’ll set up the place.”
Just then, four men came trotting down the stairs along with George.
Liam turned his face away.
“Mr. Black, I think your wife’s going to take up all the closet space if you don’t get up there.”
The rest of the men laughed.
“We offered to help her move the boxes, but she insisted she was fine.” The supervisor strode over and extended his hand. “You sure know how to treat your missus right.”
George’s jaw dropped when he realized the supervisor had broken away from the group. He took a step forward, then froze when Liam stood and shook the supervisor’s hand.
“Thank you.”
“Good luck with your closet.”
Liam laughed. He didn’t bother to watch everyone’s reaction. He could feel the stares on his back as he jogged up the stairs. “What are you doing?” He ran over and took the pile of clothes Helena was carrying.
“Moving them from your bed to mine.” She shook out her arms. “I’m not sure I can fit all this in the closet.”
“It isn’t that much.”
“Enough to last me the rest of my life.”
He frowned.
“You have a lot of clothes for someone who doesn’t go out.”
“Cassian’s mother.”
She nodded.
Liam put the clothes
down on the bed. “Helena.” He looked at her for a moment and tried to find the right words.
“What?”
“Do you need money?”
Her brows drew together. “Why? Were there holes in my shirt the other day? It was probably from falling halfway down when I climbed out the window.”
Liam wanted to kick himself for being the reason she felt desperate enough to do something so crazy. “No. It just doesn’t sound like you have a lot.”
“I have enough.” She smiled sheepishly. “I’d just rather save the money for a rainy day.”
“You don’t have much in your bank account either,” he said, then quickly rushed to explain when the line between her brows grew deeper. “Your budget spreadsheet was open in one of your windows when I was checking through your laptop. I just saw the number. I didn’t look at anything else.”
She turned and headed back toward his room. “Bail isn’t cheap. Nigel isn’t working. Rent. Electricity. Groceries. I’m basically feeding Nigel and Bobby whenever they’re around. Sometimes Nigel would borrow money from me.”
“So Bobby has money for Nigel’s drugs but not for you?”
“I don’t see why I should take his money.”
“He’s eating your food and staying at your place.”
“He isn’t officially staying at my place.” She made a face. “I don’t want a cent of Bobby’s money.”
Liam admired that about her, but that didn’t stem the annoyance of knowing how Nigel and Bobby were sponging off her.
“But we’ll be fine if you have to stay over at my place. I promise we’ll have food. I already have queries about some new projects, so don’t worry about money.”
Liam’s lips curled. He wanted to laugh when he realized he never told Helena that he had money—a lot of it. She’d never asked, and the topic just never came up. He was about to tell her that when she moved into his room.
“I’m not sure all these clothes will fit in the closet.” Helena scooped up the remaining clothes on the bed, and Liam took them from her.
“There are forty-one rooms in this place. I’m sure there’s plenty of closet space.”
“Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight.”
Liam shot a glare over at Elias, who was leaning against the door frame. “What are you doing up here?”
“Cassian sent me up to check if your wife has any dietary restrictions.”
Helena’s brows drew together.
“For dinner,” Elias said.
Liam swallowed his frustrated sighed. “Cassian sent you?”
“He sent Trevor. I volunteered.”
“Of course.” Liam looked over at Helena. “Any special requests?”
“I don’t like lamb. Besides that, I’m good.”
“Perfect.” Elias glanced into the room. “Need help with the boxes?”
“Yes, please,” Helena said before Liam could reject the offer.
Elias took out his phone, typed a message, then entered the room.
Liam went into Helena’s new bedroom and put the clothes on the bed while Helena and Elias grabbed the boxes. He wasn’t surprised to hear them talking as he started to stack the boxes still lining the hallway.
“Me?” Helena said to Elias.
“He’ll go with you if you ask,” Elias said.
Liam stopped what he was doing.
“He’s been stuck here for way too long,” his half-brother continued.
“So I shouldn’t talk to Mr. Eolenfeld about leaving this place to Liam.”
“Please don’t.”
“What if he likes it here?”
“Helena, look around. He deserves better than to live in this rotten place.”
“But it should be his choice, right?”
“Even if it means locking him in this prison?”
Silence.
Liam got up. He didn’t want Elias forcing Helena into anything.
“I’ll talk to him about it,” she said as he got to the door.
Liam stepped into the room just as Elias pulled Helena into a hug. He cocked a brow.
Elias stepped back the moment he noticed Liam. “She promises she won’t steal your closet space.” He grabbed a stack of five boxes and slipped past Liam.
“I won’t steal your closet space,” Helena said solemnly.
“I heard what he said to you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You were eavesdropping.”
Liam walked up to her. “I’m not sure how I feel about you conspiring with my brother.”
“I’m not conspiring with him.”
He arched a brow.
“So, what do you think? Do you want to leave?”
Liam shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve never thought about it.” This place was all he’d known for a long time. “I like it here, especially now that you’re here.”
“But she won’t be here for long.” Elias leaned his shoulder against the doorway. “Right?”
Liam walked over to the door and put his hand on the edge of it. “Get out.” He slammed the door closed.
“He cares about you,” Helena said.
Liam pulled her to him and kissed her.
“What’s that for?” she asked when they broke the kiss.
“No reason.” He gave her another peck on the forehead. “Do you still want to have dinner tonight?”
“We still have to eat anyway.”
“Well, since you’re so excited about it.”
She laughed softly. “I can’t wait.” She rolled onto the balls of her feet and kissed him. “Better?”
“Much better.”
Chapter 14
Liam backed up Helena’s system and files onto a hard drive before going into her system files to open up a loophole for her stalker to find. While he worked, Helena sat on the couch across the room.
Despite the space between them, he could feel her frequent glances his way.
Whenever he looked over, her eyes were on her tablet, so he continued setting the bait for her stalker.
When that was done, he leaned back in the office chair and watched Helena work. He smiled as she tipped the tablet to one side and chewed on her lower lip while she sketched.
Then her gaze flitted back to him.
She froze, like a deer caught in headlights, when their eyes locked.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Working.”
He narrowed his eyes and got up, and she flipped the black cover over her iPad. “That isn’t suspicious at all.”
She blinked innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really?” He strode over, and she hugged the tablet to herself. “What are you working on?”
“The character for the new game Judith’s working on.”
“I see.” He sat next to her on the couch.
“Stop staring at me.”
“You’re always staring at me.”
She put the iPad away. “Why don’t Kelly and George look you in the eyes?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Too beastly to look at.”
“I don’t believe that. They care about you.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that—”
“That you look nothing like a monster.” She leaned over and gave him a peck, right under his eye and right on his scar.
Liam was too stunned to do or say anything.
“Here.” She put the iPad on his lap.
He looked down at it, and she put her hand over the cover.
“I want you to promise you won’t get angry with me.”
His eyes slitted.
“Promise?”
He nodded slowly, and she removed her hand. Liam opened the iPad. On the screen was a sketch of him in what looked like a warrior costume. “What’s this?”
“The main character of Judith’s new game—if you’ll allow it.”
“The villain is the main character?”
She tutted. “You’re the hero.”
“I thought Bobby was you
r hero,” he mumbled.
Helena licked her lips and closed the cover over the iPad.
“Sorry. Sorry. I just …” He sighed. “I …”
“I can’t change the past. I wish I’d never taken that drink.”
“That wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know, and that …”
“Monster?” She nodded. “Richie was a monster.” Her lips flattened into a thin line. “It hurts you, doesn’t it? The fact that I’m linked to Bobby like that.”
“Yes. No.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I meant it. I’d send him a gift basket for what he did for you. I just … I don’t know. The two of you have a history, decades of a relationship.”
“You make me sound really old.” Her lips curled. “I’m only twenty-four.”
“More than one is plural.”
She laughed softly. “Are you hurt or jealous?”
“I’m not jealous.”
Her head bobbed up and down. “I wish you were.”
He arched a brow.
“I don’t want to be another person who has hurt or is hurting you.”
Liam took her hand. “I wouldn’t have thought anyone could make jealousy sound like a good thing, but you just did.” He drew a breath through his nose. “Yes, I’m jealous. I don’t want to behave like a petulant child, but I’m jealous.”
Her lips curled. “Yes, I’ve known Bobby for as long as I can remember. But we’re not together. In some ways, he’s like a dysfunctional brother to me.”
Dysfunctional brother. Liam smiled. He liked the sound of that. Running a finger down her temple, he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “What am I to you?”
Her gaze broke away.
Liam hooked his finger under her chin and angled her face back to him. He wanted to be everything to her. He wanted to be the one protecting her from now on. He wanted to have her spend the other decades of her life with him.
Which was insane. He couldn’t say that to her. Not when they’d only met a week ago.
But he knew.
“We’re …” She blinked. “I don’t know.”
“Okay,” he said. “I don’t want anyone else to hold you like I do.”
She grinned. “Okay.”
“And you won’t let anyone else kiss you.”
“Okay.”
He nodded.