CHAPTER FIVE
Liam stepped outside the Cherry Hill police station a few minutes after midnight and scanned the parking area. A tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in black camouflage pants and a black t-shirt leaned against the hood of a PSI SUV.
He headed toward his team leader. “Thanks for picking me up, Trent. How is Piper?”
“Confined to the hospital for observation until tomorrow morning. Grace said she will be fine.”
Liam took his first free breath in hours. Grace St. Claire worked in Memorial Hospital’s ER. “I want to see Piper,” he said when Trent set the SUV in motion toward Otter Creek.
“It’s late.”
He stiffened. “Your point?”
“Visiting hours are long over and I hope Piper is sleeping.”
Anger simmered in his blood. No one was keeping him from Piper, not even a big, bad Navy SEAL. “I don’t plan on having a long, in-depth discussion with her. I need to be with Piper, Trent. She’s….” He paused, afraid to even voice out loud the first word that popped into his head. Everything. She was everything to him. Liam shrugged. “Mine. She’s mine.”
Bravo’s leader slid him a speculative look. “Like that, is it?”
“Who’s with her?”
“Simon’s at the door. Matt is in the room with her.”
“Any problems?”
“Aside from repeated questioning by the police, no.”
He scowled. “Why are they badgering her? I’m the one who pulled the trigger and dropped those two clowns in their tracks.” The Cherry Hill detectives had grilled him for hours.
“Have you been cleared?”
“Not yet. The detectives who questioned me said it looked like the shootings were justified but the final call on whether or not to file charges would come from the district attorney.” Their attitude, though, said they both thought he should be tossed in jail.
“The Fortress lawyer is on standby. Zane has been forwarding all the information about your case so she’ll be up to speed if she’s needed.”
“Let’s hope I don’t need her.” Liam didn’t want Piper to see him in a bad light. The prospect of the man she was dating being brought up on charges for killing two men might end their relationship before it had a chance to flourish.
Pain gripped his heart. He prayed that didn’t happen. “I had no choice, Trent.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Liam spent the rest of the drive to Otter Creek recounting the events of the night.
“You did what was necessary to protect Piper,” Trent said when he shut off the engine near the emergency entrance at Memorial Hospital. He turned to Liam. “If faced with the same circumstances, would you make the same choice?”
“Absolutely.”
A nod. “We have your back. Focus on Piper. The rest will sort itself out.”
Liam followed his team leader to the bank of elevators inside the hospital. On the fifth floor, they walked the corridor to Room 5235 where Simon kept watch. His best friend glanced up as they approached.
Simon clapped Liam on the shoulder. “About time the cops sprung you. How much hardware did you lose?”
“The Sig, the Beretta, Ka-Bar, and boot knife.”
He flinched. “Sorry, man.”
“I’ll get the Beretta and knives back eventually. Don’t know about the Sig.” Liam inclined his head toward the closed door. “How is she?”
“Piper has been asking for you.”
Was that good or bad? Depended on whether or not she wanted to cut him loose. Trent laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Yeah, time to man up. If she wanted to stop dating, he’d do everything possible to change her mind because he was crazy about Piper Reece.
Liam tapped on the door to warn Matt he was coming inside. He didn’t want to add another bullet wound to his collection.
He pushed the door open and slipped into the darkened room. Rounding the corner, his gaze locked on the woman huddled under a sheet and blanket. Even with the dim lighting, Liam could see the bruise forming on one side of her face.
Matt crossed to his side. “She’s been restless,” he murmured. “Wakes every hour to ask about you.” A slow smile curved the medic’s lips. “I tried to tell her you could take care of yourself. For some reason, she insists on seeing your ugly mug before she’ll believe that.”
Maybe he had a chance with Piper. “Go home to Delilah. I’ll take over the watch. Take Simon with you. Trent will keep watch in the hall.”
“I’ll be back in the morning with Delilah. We’ll bring clothes for Piper and a loaner SUV from PSI.”
“Thanks.”
With a nod, the medic left.
Liam sat in the chair Matt had vacated and settled in to watch over Piper while she slept. Now that he was in a quiet place, he allowed his mind to replay the events of the night, processing and cataloging everything. Once again, he analyzed his options to defuse the situation and came up with nothing. He’d had no choice but to pull the trigger both times.
Life was precious, and he never took one lightly. Still, if faced with the same situation, Liam would make the same decision to pull the trigger. If he’d hesitated, he could have been killed, leaving Piper in the hands of two killers. That was unacceptable on every level. He wouldn’t have a problem accepting the deaths and moving on. Would Piper?
She stirred and moaned softly. “Liam,” she whispered.
He stood and sat on the side of her bed. “I’m here, Piper. Sleep now.”
The woman stilled for a moment, then relaxed into deep sleep.
Liam remained in place until he was sure she was out again, then returned to his chair. They repeated the same sequence twice more. The last round, Liam scooted his chair against the side of her bed and threaded his fingers with Pipers. This time, she settled into a dreamless sleep.
He allowed himself to fall into a light doze, knowing his team leader would prevent anyone from sneaking into the room.
At five o’clock, Piper stirred again. Liam sat up and squeezed her hand. “Piper?”
Her eyelids flew up. “You’re here.”
Liam went motionless. Was this it? Was she going to dump him? “Do you want me to leave?”
“No! I thought I was dreaming. I’m happy to see you.”
Thank God. “How do you feel?”
“Better now that you’re here. Did the police clear you?”
“Not exactly. The detectives will complete the investigation and send their findings to the district attorney. He’ll decide whether or not to file charges against me.”
Piper scowled. “You were protecting me and yourself.”
“Everything will be fine.”
“How can you say that? The police want to put you in jail.”
“Hey.” Liam sat on the side of the bed and cupped her cheek with his palm. “The Fortress lawyer is in the loop. She’s a sharp lady, a real shark in a courtroom. If I end up in court, I’ll have the best legal defense money can buy. My boss and my teammates have my back.”
Piper nuzzled her face against his hand. “I’m sorry, Liam.”
“For?”
“Maybe ruining your life.”
“You didn’t ruin my life, Piper. In fact, you’re the best thing to happen to me in a very long time.”
Her trademark sunny smile appeared. “Flatterer.”
“Nope. Honest. I hear Dr. Anderson is springing you this morning.”
“I hope so. I need to get out of here.”
Liam tilted his head. “Don’t like hospitals?”
“Who does? No, I need to check on a…” She stopped.
“Check on what?” he prompted when she remained silent.
“A former boyfriend.”
His eyebrows soared. “Why?”
“He’s the reason I closed the shop early. Gavin called and begged me for help yesterday.”
“What kind of help?” And why did Liam want to find Gavin and punch him in the face?
“He’s in trouble and doesn’t trust anyone but me to help him.” Piper recounted her phone conversation with her former boyfriend, ending with, “Gavin sounded terrified.”
“You think this is a legitimate crisis on his part?”
“We dated for a little more than a year, Liam. I know every nuance of his voice. He was scared.”
What kind of man called a woman he used to date for help? Liam figured he wouldn’t elevate his own standing with Piper if he pointed that out to her. “Did he say what he wanted?”
She shook her head.
“While we wait for the doc to arrive, tell me about Gavin. Start at the beginning. Where did you meet?”
“We met at a friend’s birthday party. Gavin works for a gaming company. He’s creates video games.” Her gaze skated away from his.
What was she hiding from him? “He any good?”
She named a couple war games and three strategy games that Liam enjoyed playing. “He created those, huh?” Might have to find himself new video games from a different company.
Liam kissed the back of her hand. “Piper, look at me.” He waited in silence for Piper to turn her face toward him. “I’ll find out why you were kidnapped and who is desperate enough to take the risk. I won’t stop until I know everything. It’s the only way I can protect you. You’ll make my job easier if you’re honest with me.”
“You think I’m lying?”
“I think you’re hiding a secret. I need you to trust me.”
“How can you say that? I trusted you with my life on the highway last night. I just don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not something I’m proud of, okay? Can we just drop it?”
“Your life is at stake. Tell me. Please.”