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“Liv is still down as next of kin for her daughter’s father… he’s not coming back, just come straight here, I gotta go check on her. Love you, Ro.”
“Love you too, I’ll see you soon.”
I hang up the call, tipping my head back and wondering what the hell happened, and why she’s still his point of contact.
* * *
A little over two hours later, I’m racing up the stairs in the godforsaken shit hole building Liv’s apartment is in. I need to get her out of this place.
I don’t bother knocking on the door, I just burst straight through it, finding Alex and Connor in the kitchen, plating up some Thai food.
“Brother, thanks for coming straight here, she’s in her room…” He glances to her door then back to me, something passing in his eyes. “She was at work when she got the call. About fifteen minutes later, she received another call, and she hasn’t spoken since the second call.”
Killian walks in the door with Bells just as I ask, “Do we know what happened?”
He places a file on the counter but tells us before anyone gets a chance to look.
“He was on a classified mission in an undisclosed country. The file has been heavily redacted. I managed to get some of it cleared but not a lot. It states that he was captured behind enemy lines, sometime in April, and his body was recovered almost three weeks ago.”
Connor hands us a beer, and Killian sighs, kissing Bella on the top of her heard before continuing.
“I don’t know the content, but I do know the other call she received was from the courts.”
Just then, we hear the door open, and Liv walks toward us, confusion filling her face. Her eyes are swollen and bloodshot. She opens her mouth to say something––I don’t know what––but I don’t give her time to speak before I’m pulling her to me. I wrap my arms around her as I feel her body convulse with silent sobs.
I say nothing as I walk us back into her bedroom, closing the door behind me. I sit her on the bed as I kick off my shoes and unbutton my jacket, taking it off and placing it on the dresser.
I look back over at her. She’s watching her feet, wringing her hands. I climb onto the bed, positioning myself so my back is against the headboard, and I pull her to me, tucking her against me and wrapping my arms around her as I let her sob.
“Let it out, mo ghrá, I’ve got you.”
We lie like that until she cries herself to sleep in my arms. I slide my phone out of my trouser pocket and message my brothers.
A few moments later, they are knocking gently on the door before opening it.
Kill steps forward and looks down at her as Connor hands me a bottle of water. I nod my thanks to him and place it on the bedside table, right next to a picture of her––and I’m guessing her little girl. She’s a cute kid, a mini version of Liv.
“She can’t stay here… and I don’t want her at my apartment, but I don’t think she should be alone.”
“She can stay with Lex and I, but are you sure you don’t want her with you? Maybe she would feel more comfortable with you…”
I start to shake my head but Kill cuts in.
“Con is right, man, that lass fell asleep in your arms, it’s clear that you’re both comfortable with one another––”
“I said no. I can’t have her in my space, that close to me all the time, I just can’t. I’ll stay here until she wakes up, but then you need to get your women to help her pack. I’ll find her a place to stay, but right now she needs to be with someone.”
I glare at them both, making sure they don’t push this. They both nod and tell me ‘okay’ then head back into the main room with the women, leaving me to stew over my thoughts.
I can’t tell them why she can’t stay with me; I can’t tell anyone why I can’t have her close to me. Or at least not close enough to be in my home.
I need her close enough to make sure she’s okay.
Pulling up the internet on my phone, I search listings in the East Midtown area. I know she won’t be happy, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her live anywhere else. I need to know she’s near my apartment.
Thirty minutes later, I’ve paid the lease on an apartment for her. It’s closer than I planned, and I don’t know how she’s going to feel about it. I just need to make sure my family don’t tell her where I live. She won’t be happy she’s being forced to move out of this place, and something tells me that she won’t move at all if she knows how close she’ll be to me.
Chapter 11
