7. Kate

Ilay in bed, terrified of the one man I’d trusted to keep me safe. He says I’m safe now, but how can I be when he so easily, in the middle of a group of men in his home, murdered someone else who probably trusted him?

I try to explain it all away. Liam killed him because he drugged me. Maybe the man was bad. A mole. But even with excuses, it doesn’t take away knowing how easily, callously, without a thought, Liam killed him. Like the man was a gnat. His life was worth nothing.

Eventually, exhaustion overtakes me and I fall asleep. I wake early the next morning rested, yet still afraid. I have my strength back, and I know that I need to try and leave this place. It’s a foolish plan knowing what I know now about Liam, and yet, I can’t stay.

I find warm clothes in the drawers and a heavy coat and boats in the closet. I have no idea how far I’ll need to walk before I find help, so I need to get as warm as possible.

Maybe I can locate keys and take a car. Good God. Am I really going to steal a car from the leader of an organized crime gang?

For a moment, I sit fully dressed on the edge of the bed, wondering what is crazier; trying to escape and hope I can reach Elena and Lucy, or staying and hope that Liam doesn’t decide I’m not worth the hassle just like he did with the man yesterday.

I’m probably dead either way, but if I try to leave, at least I’ll know I fought for my freedom.

I rise and open my door. It’s quiet in the hall. The sun is barely up, so if I’m lucky, I can sneak out before anyone else awakens. I tiptoe along the hall and down the stairs.

While stupid, I know I can find help faster by car than on foot, so I search around near the front door for keys. Not finding any, I quietly make my way toward a swinging door that I imagine is the kitchen. I push it open and glance in. I don’t see or hear anyone.

I enter and look around, not finding keys. I’ll have to hoof it. I see a wooden block with knives and decide to take one for protection. Just my luck, I’ll stab myself. But I’m tired of being afraid.

Tired of bad men dictating my life. I think back to Elena and the risks she took to free herself from her father. Lucy risked everything to save me, going as far as killing her own father.

I need to be brave like them. Even if it results in my death, I’d know I wasn’t a wuss who laid down and died.

I turn and see three men sitting in an alcove watching me. Terror streaks down my spine. I back away saying nothing. When I exit the kitchen, I run for the front door, yanking it open and rushing out into the bitterly cold morning air. I hurry down the steps, the freezing air biting my cheeks, making my eyes water.

But I ignore it as I follow the driveway and pray the road isn’t far. Any minute, I expect a man to grab me or shoot me, but I keep moving. I glance back and see no one. Maybe whatever demon had possessed Liam was gone and he’d decided I could go.

I pull my coat around me, covering my face with the collar as I make my way up the drive.

“Where are you going?”

I stop short and whip around. Liam is standing not far behind me. Where had he come from? How hadn’t I heard him?

I hold my knife up. “I’m leaving.”

His eyes are cold, dead as he steps forward and rips the knife from my hand. “I told you, you’re not to leave the house.”

I turn to run, my first steps sliding on the snow before I find traction. But I don’t make it far before an arm wraps around my waist and jerks me back against Liam.

I fight, but he effortlessly hoists me over his shoulder and turns back to the house. He’s holding my legs so tightly, I can’t kick him, but I punch him in the back, hoping I’m hitting his kidneys.

“Let me go! Help! Somebody help me!” I’m screaming as loud as I can, hoping neighbors, if there are any, will hear me and call the police.

He marches up the steps and into the house. A group of men watch as Liam carries me up the stairs.

“Don’t let him kill me,” I beg the men.

A few smirk. All have an amused expression. Do they really find murder funny? God… how did my life come to this?

Liam carries me back to my room, tossing me on the bed. He sets my knife on the bedside table. “Keep it if it makes you feel safer.”

“You’re a murderer! I thought you were the FBI, but all this time…” I’m sick at the idea of how much I liked him. How much I wished he’d like me back. How much I wished he’d touch me again like he had before.

He leans over, his face right in front of mine. “I am a murderer. I killed Igor, the man who gave you over to Fiori. I’ve spent the last few days killing all his men as well. Do you have a problem with that?”

“You shot that man yesterday.”

“He drugged you.” Liam’s words come out nearly as a growl. “He died because he put his hands on you.”

He’s saying words that sound like he’s protecting me, but all I can see is how he’d shot that man in the head. Hear how Cherry told me he was the Boss in the Bratva. This isn’t the man I thought he was. I can’t trust anything he says.

I shove him away and reach for the vase of flowers on the bedside table, hurling it at him. It slams against the wall, shattering into pieces, one of which ricochets and hits Liam in the cheek.

He touches the spot and looks down at the blood on his fingers.

Now, I am dead. I have nothing to lose as I scramble from the bed and reach for the knife.

Before my fingers can wrap around it, he’s on me, pinning me to the bed with his body. He grips my wrists, pushing them over my head.

“Don’t test me,” he growls out. “I don’t want to hurt you.” His blue eyes drift down my face, hovering over my lips. I flash back to when he’d first moved me back to New York. He’d looked at me the same way. Longing ached in my chest as I’d waited to see what he’d do. He’d kissed me and I’d been enthralled by it. Did he want to kiss me now?

Who is this man who for so long looked out for me, protected me? He’d held me and kissed me and even touched me intimately. He may not have been gentle then, but there was a tenderness to him. I’d felt safe in his arms.

Now, he’s pinning me to the bed. His fingers are biting into my wrists. Anger is radiating off him. My heart cracks as I realize how much I cared for him. Wanted him. Needed him. Believed in him.

“What happened to you?”

His gaze drifts up from my mouth to my eyes. Our gazes hold, and for a moment I think I see the old Liam.

The one I trusted implicitly.

The urge to kiss him is strong, even as I know it would be idiotic because he’s not the man I thought I knew.

Something crosses his features. I’m not sure what. Regret? Guilt? But in a flash, it’s gone and I wonder if I imagined it.

He pulls away, scrambling off me. He strides to the door, leaving without a word. The door slams so hard, it rattles the room.

I close my eyes, and as the adrenaline tanks until I’m shaking, I weep into the pillow.

Why did this happen to me?

Why had my father decided to work for organized crime? Why had I befriended and helped Elena, a Mafia princess? Why couldn’t Liam be the hero I needed him to be?

Alittle later, Cherry shows up with food. “When you didn’t come down, I thought I’d bring you something.”

I stare at her, feeling a little bit like Alice falling into the rabbit hole. “These men are murderers.”

She gives me a sympathetic smile. “They can be. They’ve been killing for you.”

I feel sick to my stomach at that. “No. They’re killing because Liam told them to.”

She cocks her head to the side. “Why do you think he’s doing that? I’ll be honest, we’re all a little surprised. Liam didn’t want to be Boss. But here he is. Because of you.”

I shake my head. “No. None of this is because of me.”

Her eyes are piercing as she gives me a serious look. “Would you rather be with Don Fiori? Because I can tell you now, you’d be in a way worse state if?—”

“That’s different.”

“How? Killing Alex was no different from killing Fiori or Peprov.” She leans toward me. “Liam will kill anyone and everyone to keep you safe. You should be grateful.” She’s annoyed at me as she stands back. “I’ll be back later to get the tray.”

I eat because I don’t have anything else to do. When I finish, I sit in my room until the boredom nearly kills me. I decide to wander through the house as Liam said I could.

Downstairs, it’s quiet, and I wonder where everyone is. I consider making a break for it, but it’s dark out, with temperatures falling way below freezing. I explore, finding a locked office, a library, and a game room, where I can hear a few people talking. Off the kitchen, there is a door with stairs that go down to a basement. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that’s not a place I want to explore.

I go to the library and grab a few books to take back to my room. I return upstairs and decide to check out the bedrooms.

I try not to think about why I’m interested in seeing Liam’s room.

Maybe it will tell me something about him so I can understand how he’s gone from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.

The first rooms I knock and then open when I don’t hear anyone appear to be guest rooms. When I get to the final door at the end of the hall, I reconsider this foolish mission. I should go back to my room and read. But curiosity gets the best of me. I knock, and when I don’t hear anything, I enter.

The room is magnificent. Like mine, it has wood walls and a large stone fireplace. It’s larger with a sitting area near the fireplace, a mini-office area at the other side, and double doors out to a deck. The décor is warm and inviting, nothing like Liam.

I move to the bathroom to find a large tile shower and a clawfoot tub large enough for two. For a moment, I wonder what woman has shared this tub, this room with him. Jealousy spikes, but I remind myself that he’s a made man, a murderer.

I go to the desk and riffle around, careful to put everything back where I found it. I don’t find anything useful until I open the side drawer and find a cell phone. It’s likely a burner phone, which could turn out to be a good thing for me.

I listen for a moment to hear for anyone approaching. Quiet surrounds me. With shaking hands, I pick up the phone. Who should I call?

At first I think to call Elena, but then I decide to call Lucy. She came in like gangbusters at the warehouse and killed her father. I need someone like that to come and save me here.

I dial her number and wait.

After three rings, she picks up. “Hello?”

“Lucy?”

“Kate? Are you okay?”

“No… Liam kidnapped me, and he’s a killer, and he’s not really in the FBI, and…” I ramble incoherently. “I can’t be here. You have to help me.”

There’s a pause on the other end. “Let me see what I can do.”

“Thank you.”

I hang up, delete the call, even knowing that doing so isn’t foolproof to keep Liam from knowing I broke the rules again. I put the phone back exactly how I found it and shut the drawer. I pick up the books I set down and head back to my room.

Now I just have to wait until Lucy arrives, maybe with reinforcements, to save me.