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“What are you talking about?” Liam asked. “Vanguard has your back. You and Destiny are close. I’m here, and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“That’s why I need to call Tessa. She’s been helping me out, and what have I been doing? Ignoring her.” Roxie winced. “I can’t believe she’s doing that for Vanguard. For me. I don’t want to be that person, a bad friend. Or a weak woman who falls for a line and gets sucked into a situation that ends with the smell of burning flesh and blood all over my face.” The hollow expression in her eyes rocked him to his core.
Now that she’d opened up more was starting to emerge. Because she trusted him?
Liam leaned his hips back against the counter. “You’re exhausted. We both need rest.” They could talk all night, and it might be good for both of them to get a lot of things out. But she didn’t need to sit in the sadness over their missed opportunity. Tonight he’d rather focus on what might be.
Another miracle. One that gave them a future, and a hope.
She let out a long sigh and nodded. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“I don’t think I could’ve handled it if it was anyone but you who found me behind the building. It would have been a lot harder.” She lifted her gaze from her hands. “You make things easier.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get your call.”
“Me too.” He stared at her, unsure what to say next except that it was late and they both had things to do tomorrow. “I’ll get you something to wear to sleep.” He also grabbed what he needed from his room so he wouldn’t have to go in and disturb her.
He left her gun on the nightstand and brought his into the living room. His couches were great for sleeping on—he’d fallen asleep many times watching a late movie or during a baseball game.
She stayed by the bedroom door.
Liam eased in, not moving fast, and kissed her cheek. “Sleep well.”
“I’m sure I will.”
He walked away from her because anything else was dangerous territory. He had to be the person he wanted to believe he was, one who did what he said he believed. Not because life was about following the rules he’d been taught to follow. But because he wanted to be a man of integrity. The kind of man he’d believed his father to be.
All of that had fallen apart. He wanted to prove it wasn’t true, but if Vanguard pushed and it came out, then he’d have to acknowledge that his father had been a dirty cop. The alternative was that they found more to the story, and he had what he needed to bring the real conspiracy to light.
Becoming an officer like his dad had been about safeguarding the secret or finding out the truth. But that was years ago, and there were innocent lives to protect now. People like Karina and Roxie. To shield them, men like Raphi Obolensky needed to be behind bars.
And of course, the man targeting Roxie.
Whoever he was, Liam was going to find him.
TWENTY-ONE
Raphi Obolensky sat back in the booth against the red velvet seat. The table had been cleared of dirty dishes by one of the new servers. He’d watched her the entire time, pleased when she seemed aware of his attention.
Karina shifted beside him. He covered her knee with his hand, then squeezed her leg just above it so she knew he had not yet given her permission to move from his side.
She covered his hand with hers and stroked it, as though he wasn’t digging his fingers in hard enough to leave bruises. She managed a wobbly smile. “I wasn’t leaving. Just getting more comfortable here with you.”
He let go because the feel of her hand on his made his skin crawl. He was tired of her and ready to move on, but the message had to be clear, nonetheless.
No one walked away from him.
He hadn’t drawn the attention of the police by having his men drag her out of her house for his own amusement. Only so that no one else would ever think to try to go around him the way she had. Playing both sides. Keeping the police close, when he was the only authority here.
In Benson, Raphi Obolensky was king.
She ran two fingers over the bruise on her cheek she hadn’t quite managed to hide with makeup. He liked her better with the blemish—since it gave a clear signal to anyone else with ideas.
After the disaster of his brother attempting to usurp his position, the climate right now meant he had to be swift and exacting with all punishment.
