Page 62 of The Tower

But for now, he could have her. And that’s exactly what he intended to do. After all, fair was fair. Once he was done, she’d be free of her father. Until then, he’d extract payment for his services.

And once Victor was behind bars, Liam would go his merry way. Because even if a future was possible with Victor Reed’s daughter, Sasha deserved someone a hell of a lot better than him.

With a sigh, he returned his attention to Leo. “You need to go. If Alex or Marge find out you’re with me, it won’t be pretty.”

Leo shrugged. Unlike Liam, the baby of the family had his mother and older brother wrapped around his finger. And that was despite a long list of fathers angry about their defiled daughters, store owners pissed about their stolen merchandise, and police with raised hackles about everything but Leo’s breathing.

“Just watch yourself, ok?” Leo said.

“There’s irony. You telling me to watch myself.”

“Yeah, well, you have that look.”

“I have a look?”

“When you’re trying to figure something out,” he explained. “Like some unsolvable cybersecurity problem you’re tackling at RSC.”

“There are no unsolvable problems.”

“Yeah, well, then it’s the look you get before you remember that and find an answer.”

Liam chuckled. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Can’t help it, bro. I know you’re just using her to turn the knife in Reed’s belly, and I respect that. But be careful. Fucking around with Victor Reed’s daughter? It could get messy.”

“Don’t worry,” Liam said. But what he didn’t tell Leo was that it already was.

Nineteen

Unicorn Spotting

I know you’re just using her to turn the knife in Reed’s belly.

The words I overheard shouldn’t have stung. I’ve known his motives from the beginning. It’s not as if he’d been coy about wanting to bring my father down.

I’d gone in with eyes open, backflips, and cheerleader pom-poms waving just from the possibility that Liam Grimm could get me away from my father and Desmond Bane and a future in which I remain a prisoner in a gilded cage with a man I despise.

More than that, Grimm’s offer came with a coveted gift with purchase—the chance to bring down my father’s business entirely.

All I had to do was give him my body. And my blood.

It had all been so very transactional. So much so that I’m surprised we didn’t pop into one of those all-night notary places after we fled the gala:

Sasha Reed (Damsel) does solemnly swear that in exchange for services rendered by Liam Grimm (His Royal Hotness) in the protection of Damsel’s person, the downfall of Damsel’s father, and the rescue of Damsel from a hideous future as 1.) the wedded wife of Desmond Bane (Evil Troll) and 2.) the subservient daughter of the aforesaid prick of a father, Damsel will hereby provide her very blood for analysis and her body for … whatever His Royal Hotness desires.

So, yeah. Eyes open. A business deal.

Sterile. Businesslike.

And yet …

And yet somehow everything that has happened since we left Grimm Tower feels different. His gentle touch when he’d cleaned my feet. The way he’d carried me back to the hotel, safe in the circle of his arms.

Liam Grimm had done that. A man with a reputation for being cold and hard.

I’d let my perception be swayed. I started to believe I’d been wrong about him. I’d started to trust him.

Hell, I’d started to like him.