The truth settled into Liam’s bones. His brothers were right. He’d been running since Switzerland, thinking geography could outrun guilt. But it followed him everywhere.
Maybe it was time to stop running.
“I love her.” The admission emptied him out and took…well, everything, really. Left only fear.
“And that is why you need to trust God, Liam.” Luke. His big brother, meeting his eyes.
“I don’t know how, I think?—”
“You jump.” Logan gripped his shoulder. “That’s why they call it a leap of faith. You jump…and trust.”
Jump and trust.
Like bungee jumping. And he didn’t know why that thought zinged through him, but…okay, yeah. Liam blew out a breath, looked up at the expansive airport, the chaos.
“How do I?—”
Luke put a hand on his shoulder. Logan’s hand still gripped the other.
“Lord,” Luke said, “please help our bro here to trust You. Help him let go and trust and receive Your joy.”
Right here? Right now?Liam glanced at Luke, who had his eyes closed.
Then at Logan, who winked at him.
He drew in a breath. Closed his eyes. “Okay. Um…God, I…I’m so scared. Please save Nimue. And help me trust You—believe You—no matter the outcome.” His throat squeezed. “Even when You feel far away, help me to trust. Help me”—he exhaled—“jump.”
And just like that, some of what had been suffocating him since Christiana’s death released a little. God and he still had work to do, but today the weight was lighter. Today there was more hope than fear. More joy than anger. Today he remembered that God wouldn’t leave him, and He wouldn’t leave Nimue.
Luke squeezed his shoulder. “Now get out of here, will you?” He let him go. “We’ve got a plane to catch.”
Liam laughed and Logan got up, hugged him.
When he stepped back, Logan wore a frown. He turned his back to the airport activity. “Those Bratva guys you mentioned. How lethal are we talking?”
“Why?” Liam stilled.
“Guy in the dark jacket, standing by the stairs. Been watching you for ten minutes.”
Liam glanced at him.
“Don’t look—for cryin’ out loud,” Luke said.
“Why would they be here?” Logan said.
“I don’t know. But I need to get back to Nimue.”
His brothers exchanged one of those wordless looks that came from sharing DNA.
“You and Luke could pass for twins in bad lighting.” Logan leaned closer. “Clothes swap. Luke and I’ll wander toward the food court, see if Shadow Boy follows. You slip out the back.”
Liam tugged at his sweat-stained shirt. “Fair warning—these clothes have seen better decades.”
Luke’s mouth quirked. “What’s family for? Though I feel sorry for whoever sits next to me on the plane.”
The restroom swap took five minutes. Liam emerged in Luke’s clean jeans and hoodie—foreign feeling after days in the canyon. In Liam’s borrowed gear, Luke looked like he’d been wrestling bears.
Liam’s brothers strolled toward a restaurant, casual as tourists. The shadow hesitated, then followed their retreat into the crowd.
