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“I want you to know the place and the people who work for me, and I want them to know you, too.” I smiled at that. He was willing to be with me in front of his employees. “I want them to know who they should die to protect if it comes to it.”
“What?” That last part startled me.
“It’s just protocol.” Something told me he was being dismissive, but I relented anyway.
“Sure, no problem. I’ll be there.”
The tension had stolen the moment, so I got up and followed the scent of pizza, bringing the box to the couch where we eat buck naked. Soon enough, we were back to the start. I didn’t get to finish my last piece before Liam yanked it from my hand and started kissing me all over. It was clear that, for him, the night had only just begun.
We made love again on the floor, and then again on the counter, and still again on the bed until I couldn’t take it anymore. I was completely spent, my muscles aching all around, my pussy raw and hypersensitive from his unrelenting hunger.
We met at Dea Tacita before dinner. Liam showed me around the place and introduced me to everyone. Mainly big, bulky, angry-looking men. I already knew Mike, Carl, and Jimmy, but there were probably another twelve or fifteen men there, not counting the ones prepping the bar for opening time. Max, Alison’s friend, was there, too, flashing me a small smile in acknowledgment.
I met every one of them, and as per Liam’s instructions, I tried my best to memorize their faces. It was just too much, too fast, but he was adamant and kept pushing me to remember.
I sat down on Matt’s chair in his big, manly office on the top floor. There was a huge floor-to-ceiling window overseeing the dance floor. And right there, it clicked. Liam had seen me from this window on my birthday. He knew exactly where I was, except when I went to the bathroom since the hallway was tucked away in the corner.
I was ready to tease him about it, but when I spun the chair to face him, Liam had a hard expression on his face. There was something bothering him, probably since yesterday.
Not that I didn’t like the dominating handler he turned into every time he was troubled. But there was something serious poking at him.
“Jamie, I want you to listen to me carefully now.” He turned the chair further towards him, lowering himself to my eye level “Whenever you feel that you are in danger, I want you to come here. Even if it’s just a strange feeling that you might not be safe. This is where you run to. Each one of these men will protect you. Do you understand?”
“Why would I be in dan-…”
“I asked you if you understood what I said.” He cut me off, his tone dead serious, and dipped in a darkness that chilled my bones.
“Geez, yes, I understand. What’s going on, Liam?”
“Nothing. You know the dangers from my line of business. I want you to know that you always have a safe place to run to if you need one.”
There was definitely something up, but I also knew this was not the time to push for answers.
“I can’t stay with you tonight. Carl will take you home, and Jimmy will stay the night, standing outside your door.”
“Absolutely not.”
“It wasn’t a question, Jamie. Someone has been leaving red roses on your damn doorstep. Do you know how easy it is to get inside your apartment?”
“No.” I reluctantly answered.
“Let’s just say that I’ve seen you sleep more times than you can count, and up until right now, you had no fucking idea.”
“What? How?”
“I had a key made and swapped out yours. As simple as that. Jimmy stays.”
I glared at him in disbelief before nodding, accepting his non-request.
Carl drove us to Tremont as agreed, and Jimmy stood guard outside my door. It was hard to sleep when my mind was running wild, both because of Liam’s confession and the fact that maybe someone was following me. Who could be leaving those damn roses that made me smile every morning?
After a ton of effort, I finally managed to fall asleep, still pissed that Liam had stalked me that way. My dreams were a blank, though, and I woke up with the same burning revolt I was cuddled with last night.
The morning went by in a blur as I avoided Liam. Whatever I needed to say to him had to wait for privacy. But there was a piece of my mind I needed to give him. How could he have done that? Violated my privacy that way?
Around lunchtime, I was waiting for the elevator to meet Alison for lunch when Mr. Night Stalker walked towards me, and somehow, as a damn miracle, whatever resentment lived in me simply melted at the sight of this heavenly man.
“Are we going?” Alison said from behind me as she stepped out of the elevator. My eyebrow raised in a question I didn’t need to voice, her answer seeming like she lived inside my head. “I was hungry, and you were taking too long.”
