Twenty-Three

Liam

 

 

 

I held her in my arms, unable to take my eyes off the man I’d beaten the shit out of who was now unconscious on her floor. He was too much like the assholes who had raped Sophie. Arrogant, egotistical. I was willing to bet small-dicked as well. And just like those assholes, the one on her kitchen floor had gone down way, way too damn easy.

At least if he fought back I could have expelled a decent amount of rage and fury that had laced my blood as soon as I heard her cry out in pain when I’d stepped into her house. I’d needed the fight. Needed the battle. Instead, I still had too much adrenaline racing through my system, a woman passed out and shivering in my arms, and a prick on the floor I wanted to crush with my boot.

I closed my eyes and released a deep, long and shaky breath. The asshole on the floor didn’t matter.

All that mattered was Claudia. It hadn’t taken long to find her home address and since that was what her text had said, I’d come straight here with a car Anne had waiting for me at the private airstrip.

I’d barely made it. If I would have been five minutes…two minutes…thirty seconds later…

I ground my teeth together and slammed the door on that thought.

Claudia was safe. Sleeping. Her throat would be bruised because that fucker had gripped her hard, but she hadn’t been violated.

I needed to get out there. Her weight settled into my lap and her fingers curled into my shirt.

She’d told me she loved me.

I couldn’t even process it. Doubt she realized she said it out loud.

Yet, the asshole who had tried choking her to death said he was her fiancé.

We had a lot of talk about. Another mess to clean up.

I had questions but the answers didn’t matter. She was mine. She would always be mine. After seeing what I’d walked in on, no way in hell was she ever leaving me again.

Fuck that.

I stood, fixing my hold on Claudia but she didn’t stir. She needed the sleep and I needed her to see a doctor. First things first, we needed to get home.

Wherever the hell that was, it didn’t matter. We’d pick a place and make it ours together.

Scanning the kitchen to see if Claudia left anything she’d need, I swiped up the papers scattered on the island. Real Estate Deed jumped out at me, but I tossed them on Claudia’s lap as I held her in my arms and moved toward the door.

After I had her settled in the front seat, papers folded in her lap, I went back inside and grabbed her keys, purse, and shoes. She wouldn’t need any of that shit again, but I didn’t want evidence we were there. Eventually, that dick was going to wake up and I wanted to be in the air again.

She stirred in the passenger seat when I was minutes from the airstrip I’d left just over an hour ago. Felt like days. The entire car ride, I’d kept glancing at her, concern bubbling beneath the surface of my skin.

I drove one-handed, one hand on the wheel, one on her thigh, brushing her warm and soft skin, hoping to rouse her.

As she opened her eyes as I slowed to a stop at a light that would take us to the private airport, they immediately flew wide and her hand clasped to her throat.

“Don’t talk,” I said, my hand on her thigh tightening as she grimaced. “You’ll be sore. Just rest until I can get you some water.”

“Okay,” she croaked.

The light turned green and I turned, struggling to peel my eyes off her or the way her eyes filled with tears.

She was still rubbing her neck as I pulled to a stop near the hangar and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the plane was still there. Anne had thought of everything earlier, securing me not only a private jet but paying for my use for the next two days, not knowing when I’d be able to get out of Savannah.

It’d take hours to file a new flight plan, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get her on the plane, in the bed, and hold her until she stopped crying and shivering.

“Liam,” she groaned as another sob hit her and she fell forward.

I yanked off our seat belts and pulled her into my arms as close as I could get to her with the console between us. “Shhh…you’re safe.”

“You saved me,” she cried. She shoved her forehead into the crook of my neck and clung to me like she couldn’t breathe without me suffused to her.

I would never complain.

“I was so scared. And he…he…”

“He didn’t do what he wanted.” I tightened my hold on her and pressed my lips to her temple. “I will never let anyone hurt you. Ever. And when you’re ready, we’ll get on this plane, fly to wherever you want to go, and we’ll stay there for as long as you want.”

She trembled in my hold, sniffling and crying. Even her cries sounded like her throat was scratchy and with every sound she made, I fought the overwhelming desire to go back and fucking murder the bastard I hoped was still passed out on that kitchen floor.

I definitely broke his nose. Maybe his cheekbone.

It wasn’t nearly enough.

As soon as Claudia and I could talk, and I found out who he was, I’d destroy him.

“I’m okay,” she whispered. “I’m okay and you saved me.”

If she wasn’t still crying, my chest would have swelled with pride. I hadn’t done anything different than be a decent man, but I liked she thought of me as her savior.

I’d do my damnedest to live up to it.

“Ready to get on the plane?” I asked.

She nodded against my shoulder and pulled back.

When her face was inches from mine, I swiped away her tears with my thumbs, cupping her cheeks in my palms. Then, I leaned forward, slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away from me, but she didn’t. I brushed my lips across hers once, then twice. “I’ll always save you, Claudia.”

She huffed out a hoarse laugh and nodded. “I know.”

Flashing me a timid smile, I brushed away the few remaining, drying tears on her cheeks and dropped my hands from her face.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.”

She climbed out of her seat and I met her at the front of the car. Lifting her hand to her forehead, she scanned the horizon, turning in a slow circle. I gave her time for whatever she was thinking and when she turned back to me, her hand fell and reached for mine.

I took it and squeezed. “I never want to come back here. Ever again. There’s nothing left for me.”

The Real Estate Deed told me that might not be true, but I’d wait for her to talk about it. The prick might not have violated her, but he still assaulted her and terrified her. I knew from what Sophie went through I had to wait until her to want to talk about it.

And none of it would happen until she could speak without sounding like she’d had her throat shredded.

 

***

 

I was on the couch on the airplane, guitar in my lap, my notebook and pen next to me. After we boarded, Claudia told me she wanted to go back to New York, so we were thousands of feet in the air, soaring along the East Coast and words were finally flowing.

My reputation was being restored. My sister had stood up and taken all of her power back, something she thanked me for, actually thanked me for when she clung to me on the stage what felt like a lifetime ago but was just more than twelve hours ago.

And in the bed at the back of the plane, Claudia was sleeping after I had her drink water. I lay with her and held her until she drifted back to sleep and while I didn’t want to tear myself away from her, lyrics and melodies spun in my mind, forcing me out of the bed.

“Captivated By You” was now officially done.

It was my best work yet.

Perhaps that’s what happened when a man realized he’d fallen in love, side-swiped by a beautiful brunette.

Words continued to come, even while I kept one eye on the door to the bedroom, anticipating her waking at any moment.

We hadn’t been able to get in the air until after nine o’clock and we’d only been in the air for a couple hours. But two plane rides in one day, the stress, the assault…all of it was taking a toll.

I was exhausted, but lyrics continued to invade my brain, making sleep impossible.

I dipped my head, strumming my guitar with my head down when I felt Claudia’s presence before her bare feet appeared in my view.

“Hey,” I said, lifting my head. I swung my guitar to the side and pulled her into my lap. “How’d you sleep?”

She had a bottled water in one hand and she took another drink before answering. “Better. My throat hurts, but not as much.”

“Good.” I had to bite back a growl but as she settled against me and sighed, the anger was easier to push aside.

We were silent for several moments. By the tension in her shoulders even as she rested against me, I knew Claudia was struggling with her thoughts and most likely her memories, so I comforted her by running my hand up and down her back. She was still wearing the same black dress she’d worn that morning at the press conference, but I didn’t have clothes for her to change into. I knew all she’d want was to get out of it, wash off the day and the reminders of that asshole, and most likely, burn it.

“I never liked him,” she said. Her voice was so hesitant, I tensed for what was coming. “Harrison, I mean.”

“But you were going to marry him?” I still couldn’t erase the way he’d called her his fiancée. The way his face twisted as he called her a cunt. Goddamn it. Why didn’t I kill him when I had the chance?

“Sort of. I considered it, but mostly my dad was indebted to Harrison’s dad, Edward. Big time. Harrison and Edward are both lawyers and are also the trustees of my trust fund. When I was still a teenager, my dad made a deal with Edward that I would marry Harrison some day. I didn’t know until after my parents were dead.”

My arms tightened around her. “Did you want to marry him?”

She turned to me and I found I couldn’t look at her. I kept my gaze focused on the windows across from us, where all I could see was the black sky. Her palm pressed to my cheek and pulled me to look at her. “It was what my parents wanted, Liam. For awhile, I tried to like him, but slowly I realized I couldn’t stand him.” Tears filled her eyes and she took a deep breath, her chin trembling as she tried to continue. “I thought if my dad had wanted him for me, he’d be a good man.”

“Fuck,” I whispered and pulled her against me. “You don’t have to keep explaining, just know that I’m going to destroy him.”

“I just want to stop thinking about him,” she cried.

“You will. I’ll make sure of it.” I gave her a couple moments to let it all out before asking, “What was the Real Estate Deed stuff about? I grabbed the paperwork when we left.”

“I don’t even really know,” she said, shaking her head. “He controls my trust and said he’d used the funds to buy the house for us before it went up for auction like it was supposed to. When I told him I didn’t want it, that was when he got angry, and…”

“Stop,” I whispered. “Say no more.”

I’d seen it. I didn’t want to hear about it. That could wait. I just wanted her next to me. I gripped her in my arms and rose to my feet.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking you to the bed. I want to hold you and be next to you when I tell you I love you.”

Her head jerked. “What?”

I kissed her lips quickly, kicking open the door to the bedroom at the same time. “You heard me,” I said. We reached the bed and I climbed onto the mattress on my knees, setting her down gently. I followed, rolling to my side next to her as she curled into me. “I knew it before you took off this morning, and if I hadn’t known it then, I would have definitely known it when I walked into your house and saw him with you. No one will ever hurt you again, Claudia, not while I’m in your life, which I plan on being for a long time.”

“You love me?” Her hand brushed against my cheek. I turned and kissed her palm before she slid her hand down my neck, to my arm and traced the ink on my knuckles. I watched every fascinating, gentle brush of her hand on mine.

I’d memorize the feel of her. Her scent. The way she laughed and brushed her hair out of her eyes. I’d memorize every damn thing about Claudia Townsend.

“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s fast, it’s early. I get all of that. But I want you to know that when we get back to New York, the first thing I’m doing is calling your aunt and getting that contract torn up. I want nothing in between us. No more secrets. Nothing that can keep us from each other.”

She shook her head. “She won’t let you. They’re strict and would never allow it.”

“Then we live like it’s not between us and when our time is up, we keep living like it never was between us.”

She tipped her head back. Sweet, chocolate eyes met my gaze. I’d owe Anne a helluva lot for forcing me to go to Infidelity with her.

She hadn’t just saved my career. She’d given me everything I wanted out of life.

This woman. In my arms. My bed. My homes. On my tour bus. I’d take Claudia with me wherever she wanted to go, whenever she wanted it. She’d had enough pain for a lifetime and I’d see to it she feared no more.

“You’re a very good man, Liam Allistor,” she teased, lips lifting into a grin. She’d said it before. It meant more now. “I love you, too, you know. I don’t care who you are or what you do or about your money. I just love everything about the man you are.”

She’d already told me. Hearing it while she was fully awake and alert meant an infinite amount more.

“Good.” I brushed my lips against hers. I wanted to take more. Give her more. Give her everything. But like I had to do before, I’d wait. Tonight wasn’t the night, not after her day. Not after Harrison. My dick, slow to get the message I was trying to send it still hardened, but I pulled away from her kiss and settled her against my chest. “We’ll figure everything out, Claudia. And everything will be smooth sailing from here on out.”

It was a promise I’d die trying to keep.

Because Claudia Townsend was a woman worth dying for. I might not have known her long, I certainly didn’t know everything about her, but that didn’t matter. My dad had always told me that the heart wanted what the heart wanted and you were a fool to fight it.

I might have been arrogant, bossy sometimes with a loose hold on my temper. I was also rarely patient.

But damn it, I was definitely no fool, either.

“I love you,” I told her again, kissing the top of her head. “I always will. I promise.”

She leaned up, pushing off my chest and grinned. The first true grin I’d seen from her in days and fuck, it did things to me. “I promise to love you too. Always.”

We sealed our promise with a kiss, thirty thousand feet in the air, flying toward our future. We continued kissing, relishing the moment and the quiet and the past that would soon be far behind us until we landed in New York, and our forever began.