I look down and take it from him, unfolding the soft white material before realizing that it’s another onesie with the words Whiskey Made Momma Do It on it.
“Oh God,” I giggle and lean over to lock our lips together, taking my time to explore his mouth. “I love it. She will as well.”
“Good. There might have been another reason why I was late, though.”
“And what would that be, Jensen?” I ask as I fold the onesie and return it to the bag he brought it in.
“Me,” a voice says from behind me. I know exactly who it is before my body can even move, her accent giving her away. The tears spring to my eyes as I get up and face her head-on while cupping the palm of my hand over my mouth.
“You’re here? Holy shit.”
Quinn shrugs and walks around the seat to pull me into a full hug. Between the two of us, I’m not quite sure who is crying harder. Her shoulders shudder as we share an overwhelming amount of emotion. We’ve kept in touch since I got my new phone, but I had no idea that she was planning on flying over.
I pull away from her but don’t let go as I inspect her up and down. I feel like it’s the first time that I’m physically seeing who my friend is for who she is, and she’s gorgeous. Her light blonde curls are tight and silky smooth. A dusting of freckles pops against her fair skin that looks incredibly vibrant and healthy. With what little makeup that she has on, she hides the scars that I know are there, but even if I could see them, it wouldn’t matter. She’s beautiful in a classical way. “You look lovely, Quinn. How long will you be staying? You’re staying with us, right? Right, Liam?” I turn to look at him.
He stands and walks up to me to place a kiss on my cheek. “If that’s what you both want. Once she’s gotten on her feet, I thought that she could take care of the loft for us.”
“Wait, what?”
“Surprise?” Quinn says and smiles up at Liam. “Your husband has been helping me a lot more than I’ve been letting on. Aside from paying for therapy and my medical bills, he was paying for my apartment in London as well. But after a long conversation with him last week while you were passed out beside him, we came up with the idea of moving me here. I don’t have anyone back in England, so really there’s no point to being there when the only two people whom I trust are here in Chicago.”
“How . . . Liam? How have you not told me any of this? You couldn’t keep your mouth shut about my being pregnant, but you can make all of this happen?”
“Just know that I care and that I love you, Isla,” he says as he places his arm around my waist.
“He stated that he’d help me find a job here as well, but I’d like to talk to you about that, though. I’m not so sure that Liam will be able to help me with it.”
“Of course. Holy shit, you can work here. I wouldn’t mind hiring you on at Blended.”
“Here?” she asks as she looks around the library. “What is it? A pub?”
I giggle before answering her. “In a way, yes, but it’s more of a library. We sell the world’s best whiskeys here.”
“Whiskey? Oh no, I cannot stomach that shit stuff. I’m actually more into fashion than anything else. I’m sure that there’s something that I’ll be able to do in the city, right?”
I gasp and clap my hands excitedly. “Holy—I have the best idea.”
“Yeah?” Liam asks.
“Oh yes. Come on, I know just the person that we need to talk about it.”
“Right now?” Liam asks and squeezes my side.
“Yes, and then we can go get lunch or whatever she wants to do.”
“All right, eager beaver.”
“Okay, good. I’ll be right back.”
Liam watches me warily as I turn around and march my pregnant ass over to Wade and Hadley who look like they are consumed in their own whiskey-laced world.
“Brass?”
Wade looks up at me and grins. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes. God, yes. That’s Quinn Welsh. She was in the hole with me, and she’s possibly one of the reasons that I got out of there in one piece and with my baby girl in tow.”
“A girl?” Hadley pipes in and moves to the edge of the seat.
“Yes, it’s a girl. We found out yesterday.” I beam at the two of them.
“Holy shit, congratulations. So does this mean that I can get Lola Marc to make her little outfits? And Wade here gets to put up with a little Isla.”
“Absolutely, and that’s kind of my reason for interrupting your little lovefest.”
Hadley turns away to look at Wade. They stare into each other’s eyes for a moment before she turns back to me. “What is it that we can help you with?”
“Well, I was hoping that Lola might have a spot open at her boutique for a new employee? Quinn said that she’d love to delve into that industry.”
“I know that Lola would love to help. I’ll send her a text and ask if she’s there. Maybe you can swing by now if she is.”
“I’d love to do that. Thank you, Hadley.”
“Of course.”
I watch her exchange a couple of text messages before she looks up at me again. “You’re all set to drop by.”
“Thank you!”
I kiss Wade’s cheek before walking back over to Liam and Quinn who are deep in discussion about her moving into the loft.
“All right. We’re all set, and we need to make a stop after lunch.”
“Where are we going?” Quinn asks as she blows a spiral curl out of her face.
“It’s a surprise.”
After lunch, Liam left the two of us to head over to Lola Marc’s Boutique, claiming that he had some work for RW to do, but I know otherwise. That man is probably off buying even more baby shit than what I walked in with yesterday.
My phone goes off as I put my Porsche into park. I pull it out of my pocket to check it as Quinn glances out of the window.
Does this mean that I’m getting some serious head tonight? We might have to keep it down, though. I might appreciate your screams, but I doubt that Quinn will.
I can’t help but giggle as I type out my reply: It means that you’ll be up all night, yes. You might need to gag me in order to stop my screams. I enjoy what you do to my body too much.
We jump out of the vehicle and walk over to the entrance of the store.
“Welcome to Lola Marc’s. It’s relatively new, but everyone who is anyone in Chicago now buys from here. It’s well on its way into the national market, and the next sector that they plan on overtaking is international. It’s thriving, really.”
“It’s stunning,” Quinn says as we walk inside. She turns to face me while walking backward and bumps right into a tall, scruffy-looking man.
“Jesus,” he says as his phone is knocked out of his hand.
“Bloody hell, I’m dreadfully sorry.” Quinn spins around on the balls of her feet, and I watch as the two of them go speechless. They both stare at each other in a brief moment of silence as I get a better view of this gorgeous man.
I know that I’ve seen him before, but for some reason, I cannot place his dark blonde hair and hipster-looking outfit.
“Good God, Holden, don’t scare my customers away,” Lola yells from behind him.
He doesn’t turn around.
He doesn’t even respond as he refuses to take his eyes off of Quinn.
I chew on my inner lip and walk around the two of them to Lola as she watches them take each other in.
“Hey, it’s good to see you again.”
“It’s Isla, right?”
“It is.”
She gives me a polite hug and folds her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry about that dummy. He was just picking up Owen’s phone. He left it in my purse after we had breakfast this morning.”
“Owen? The man that you were dating on New Year’s Eve?”
“The very one. Holden’s his brother. We’re still not official or anything, but I guess that we’re together. I don’t know. He’s got some commitment is
sues.”
I turn back to her as Quinn and Holden start to speak to each other.
“I’m sure that he’ll come around. I mean, I didn’t expect to get married to Liam-fucking-Jensen, but here I am.”
“Wait . . . you two got married? Does Addy know?”
I bite down on my lip and shrug, and it’s now that she notices my pregnant belly.
“Holy shit . . . he knocked you up?”
“That he did,” I say with a giggle as I start to braid my hair over my shoulder and tie the end off. “So I wanted to talk to you about Quinn. She just flew in from England today. Now, I’m not sure if you know what happened to me, but she was involved as well.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry. Hadley told me about it, and she texted me about Quinn. I just wanted to meet her before I said yes, but she seems to be preoccupied with Hold.”
“It’s all right and thank you. I know that she’s going to freak out. I’ll grab her before Holden over there tries something on her.”
Lola laughs as Holden hands Quinn something before shaking her hand and walking around her and then out the front door. I watch him throw a glance over his shoulder at her while he walks away from the storefront.
The faint curve on Quinn’s lips that’s slowly turning into a beam is one of the few times that I’ve seen her smile from the heart.
“Well, well, well, what was that about?”
She tries her damnedest to wipe the cheesy grin off of her lips, but it doesn’t work worth a shit. “I don’t smoke, but I could do with a fag right about now.”
“A what?”
“A smoke. A cigarette.”
I giggle and nudge her side. “While you’re in the U.S. you might want to refrain from calling it a fag . . . and yeah, he’s not bad looking.”
“Holy balls, he is flipping gorgeous. Isla, I would shag him.”
I burst into a fit of laughter, and she joins in with me just as Lola walks up to us. I manage to straighten myself up, but Quinn is still flushed and blushing at the same time.
“Hi, you must be Quinn? I’m Lola Marc.”
“Oh, goodness, I’m sorry, yes, I’m Quinn Welsh. It’s nice to meet you, Lola. You’re the owner, correct?”
“I am indeed, and I would like to offer you a position here if you’d like it.”
“That’d be brilliant. I’m so sorry to meet you like this—I’m knackered after that flight.”
Lola smiles and shakes her head. “Nonsense. You look great, and I’d love to have you help me out. I’ll have you work every aspect of the boutique as well as my private orders, and you can decide on what you enjoy the most.”
“I’d love that. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Shall we trade contact information before you fall asleep on me or maybe fall into a daze and follow Hold out the door?”
They laugh together as I look around and pick out a few items while they trade information and small talk.
A little over three hours later, Quinn is passed out in one of the guest bedrooms while Liam is asleep on the couch with his head on my lap when his phone starts to ring. I glance over from my position next to him to see if it’s anyone I know. My stomach drops at the sight of Adriana Hugh’s name and bikini-clad body on his screen.
I look down at him and ruffle his hair a bit. “Liam?”
“Mmm?” he grunts out and turns to face my stomach. He places a kiss on it before opening his eyes and moving a hand underneath my loose-fitting tank to touch my bare skin.
“Adriana is calling you.”
“Huh?” He gets up and rubs his eyes to clear them of sleep just as his phone stops vibrating. I hand it to him anyway and get up to cross the room to the kitchen where I pull out a pint of chocolate ice cream and a spoon before leaning against the island counter to dive into the thick, decadent treat.
“Isla?”
“Mmm?” I answer as I put a spoonful into my mouth and close my eyes as the sweet creaminess starts to melt on my tongue. It’s silky . . . heavenly . . . blissful . . . and luxuriant until it’s interrupted by my dickweed.
“You’re upset with me because she called?” he asks from a few feet away.
I tilt my head to the side and shrug as I scoop another spoonful into my mouth. I moan out softly as the wintry mixture overtakes my taste buds again. Just as I’m about to suck down another mouthful, he grabs the spoon out of my hand and takes the container off of the counter before stepping back and leaning against the opposite one while facing me head-on.
“Don’t you dare, Jensen.”
“Or what?” he asks as he loads the spoon up with my favorite flavor.
“Or . . . I won’t blow you for a month.”
“Nah, doll, you’re too horny to deny me that. I do, however, want you to speak to me. Why are you upset?”
I sigh and throw my head back before providing him with the truth, knowing that he’s going to think of me as a pathetically covetous wife. “You have a picture of her in her bikini as her caller ID.”
“Mrs. Jensen, do I sense a hint of jealousy?”
He sticks the spoon into the pint container, leaving it on the countertop, and closes the distance between us, lifting me onto the island before running his thumb over my bottom lip. His other hand pushes my legs apart so he can stand between them.
“Possibly, but why do you still have that picture?”
“Honestly? I didn’t set it as her caller ID—she did. And I don’t even recall taking it.”
I stare down at the floor because I know that I’m being petulant, but I cannot help it. He’s mine, damn it.
“You own me, Isla. Nobody else has ever had the privilege.”
I cough out a laugh and nudge his chest. “I think that I need a little more chocolate.”
He steps away from me for a moment, and when he’s back, he’s holding a spoonful of the chocolate goodness up to my lips.
“Take some.”
I lean in to take a bite, but he pulls the spoon back and meets me with his lips instead. I move my hands up his defined chest to his rounded-out shoulders before he pulls back and places the spoon in front of me.
This time, he allows me to get the spoon into my mouth, but he pulls it out soon afterward. I moan once my lips slide closed and he leans in to place a peck against my now-cold lips before he feeds me more.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes.”
“Given the choice, would you want my lips or more chocolate?”
“You,” I whimper as he teases me with his lips against my neck when Quinn walks into the kitchen.
“Oh shit, I’m sorry. I have the worst timing out of anyone I know.”
I pull away from him as she steps closer to us with her arms folded over her chest. I give her a welcoming smile as Liam places the remainder of the ice cream on the spoon into his mouth and runs his other hand up my bare thigh to the fabric of my spandex running shorts.
“You’re fine. Can I get you anything?”
“Actually, I just came for some cold water, but I wouldn’t mind a bite to eat.”
“Help yourself,” Liam says as he pinches my inner thigh and kisses my neck before moving back to the couch to grab his phone. I watch as he heads down to the basement where I know I’ll hear the pounding of his fists against a leather punching bag soon.
“What would you like? I’ve pretty much got the entire store in here. Liam is great at meeting those late-night cravings. I could make us some pancakes?”
“He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”
I blush as I return the ice cream to the freezer. “He is.”
Only once we are done cleaning up does Liam emerge from his workout session with a damp T-shirt and wet hair. He takes a seat on the couch, looking even more stressed than he was when he left to beat some sense into an inanimate object.
I walk over to him and sit on his lap while Quinn opts for the recliner to the side.
“What’s eating at you?”
It takes him
a few seconds to look up at me, and when he does, I can see that he’s fighting to keep something in. “Liam? Please?”
He shakes his head, and I cup his face. “Talk to me? At least tell me what it’s about?”
“I received an email from my new head of security at Remission Worldwide concerning Grady Kent.”
My blood turns cold at his name.
“And?”
“And the fucker escaped from prison.”
“Wait, I thought that your men took care of him?” I glance over to Quinn who is now listening to our conversation.
“No. Every other fucker who was down there met his fate the day we seized the compound, except for Kent.”
“You spared him?”
“Not exactly. I wanted him to suffer, and he will. My men were the ones who found him after he escaped, and now he is in the sole custody of RW. They flew him down to Australia this evening. It’s now my decision as to what happens with him. Before I was able to give them orders after the raid, the authorities got involved, and it was too risky to kill him in cold blood.”
I glance at Quinn whose eyes are as wide as saucers.
“What are you going to do?” I ask and angle his face so that he’ll actually look at me instead of speaking to the wall across the room.
“I have no idea, Isla. My killing a man has never been premeditated before, and I’m not entirely sure that I want to start that now.”
“Then don’t. I’d rather not have you lose yourself because you feel as if you owe me his heart.”
“What do I do, Isla?”
I pull his lips to mine and kiss him gently before giving him my answer. “Have him locked up as far away from me and our baby girl as possible.”
“Are you sure? You don’t want more?”
“Yes, I am sure. He deserves to suffer, even if it’s from a prison cell rather than a pain-filled death.”
The following day, Liam and I make arrangements to head to Sydney, Australia, which is a lot earlier than we’d planned on going. We need to get there before they decide to move Grady again. I don’t believe that Liam got an ounce of sleep last night, and I don’t blame him for it either. I believe that he’s made up his mind on what he’s going to do in regard to Grady, but he hasn’t said anything to me about it yet.
Intertwined: A Redemption Novel Page 32