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Horrified that she could read me so easily, I spun away from her, pulling the rest of the items I needed out from the cupboards and fridge. She laughed, moving to lean against the island. When Liam moved with her, some of the tension eased. I didn’t like him standing so close to me. I kept worrying I’d say something and set him off again.
Like he could hear my thoughts, Liam cleared his throat, drawing my attention. “I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was rude. It wasn’t my intention to scare you. I’ve had a lot on my plate but that’s no excuse for my behavior.”
Sucking in a breath, I shook my head. “No, I was the one who was rude. I’ve had to be in the past in order to get men to listen to me. I shouldn’t have acted that way, especially to you.”
Since my focus was on the conversation, I didn’t notice Jaime until he nudged me out of the way, taking over the meal prep without a word. A muscle twitched in Liam’s jaw but Jo’s hand rested on his arm and he stayed quiet. I didn’t know what the issue was between those two but it almost seemed like they couldn’t be in the same room which was odd given that they were family. Then again, I can’t even be in the same city as my family so I suppose I shouldn’t judge.
“I hope you’ll consider staying on, at least until the contract is up. Finding a decent lawyer in this city is nearly impossible,” Liam continued. “Especially one with the backbone to tell me when I’m doing something wrong.”
A part of me wanted to accept. The reasons I accepted the job were still there and I knew I could do the job well but…
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I can find someone better to replace me but–”
He interrupted me before I could finish. “I got a call today from a man who shares your last name. He implored me to find an excuse to fire you because he said you’d take my business down with each of your failures. He must really have an issue with you given that he was willing to call me.”
My back stiffened and fury swept through me. I knew my father wanted to see me fail so I’d come crawling back to him but I didn’t think he’d outright seek to destroy my career. And it begs to question how the hell he figured out where I was working so quickly. I scowled, narrowing my eyes on Liam.
“And what did you say?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I said if he called me again, I’d fund your defamation lawsuit against him.”
A smirk pulled at my lips. Dear old dad must’ve just loved hearing that. I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of issues he had with Liam but I knew they weren’t allies and it probably pissed him off to know Liam was backing me. It made me wonder how far he was willing to go to get me to come back.
Lifting my chin, I clenched my fists as my sides. “I assure you, Mr. O’Connor, that I’ve never failed before and I have no intention of starting now.”
He nodded. “Good. And I expect you to continue to be honest with me if I’m making a mistake.”
At my horrified look, Jo laughed. “Too late. You were already honest with him. Can’t go back now!”
ChapterFourteen
The O’Connors stayed long enoughfor Jo to eat something and let her stomach settle. I went back and forth between calling them a normal couple. Other than his job title he seemed like any other husband, attending to his pregnant wife and talking about work. A few times I saw that dark look cross Liam’s face when he checked his phone or the topic got too heavy, but at least around his wife he kept his moodiness to a minimum. I almost wanted to beg her to join me every time I had to meet with him because he wasn’t as terrifying when she was around.
I didn’t even notice at first but somehow I was manipulated into agreeing to stay on as his lawyer until the building was finished. I was so angry about my father trying to intervene in my career, I threw myself at the work so I could stick it to him and show him what he lost. And now I was expected to point out every time Liam was making a mistake? My stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought. When it comes to my work, I’m confident but going up against Liam O’Connor seemed like a recipe for disaster.
Jaime was pretty quiet while Liam was here. I’d grown so used to him being bright and bubbly, I wasn't sure I liked him so muted. He made Jo some food and sat on the couch, his attention on Samwise while we spoke.
When Jo yawned for the third time, Liam finally made the call to head home. She didn’t argue with him, taking his hand when he offered it to her.
“Thanks for the food. And if Liam gets out of hand, just tell Jaime to send me in. Taking care of him is part of my job,” she smirked.
He raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a heated look, and she snickered, pulling him towards the door. I walked them out, shutting the door quietly behind them. When I turned around, Jaime was still on the couch, watching me with a look surprisingly similar to his cousin’s. I was aware that I allowed him to kiss me before but that was entirely a matter of circumstance. I wanted to piss off Gavin, I wasn’t interested in starting something with Jaime. I had too much work to do.
“Well… thank you for staying to talk to me.”
He smirked. “Pretty sure Jo did all the heavy lifting. She’s right, if Liam’s being a dick, she’s the one to go to. She’s fearless and he can’t say no to her. Especially after she got pregnant. It’s basically her get out of jail free card.”
It didn’t look like he was in a rush to leave and since he was kind enough to get me back here and make sure I was okay, I didn’t want to toss him out the minute Liam was gone. I headed for the kitchen instead, cleaning up what little dishes he left behind while making Jo her food.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about our conversation from earlier.”
I went rigid. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
He stepped closer. Close enough that when I reached for a new dish, he brushed against my elbow. “Bullshit. You didn’t run from Liam because he was being a dick. You were triggered and fucking terrified. Who the hell hurt you?”
Sighing, I flicked the water off my hands and dried them with a towel, spinning to face him. Leveling him with a look, I crossed my arms.
“I’m not discussing this with you. It’s none of your business. And from what I remember, Mr. O’Connor only said I needed security during theworkday. So unless there’s some sort of danger you aren’t telling me about, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
