“That could take years, Bill. I’m not waiting that long.”
“She’s finally happy, Liam. Please. For her happiness and safety, don’t do this yet.” The man was desperate and I frowned as I looked at the back of Hannah’s head.
I came here to win her back, and instead I was going to walk away from her again. The only woman I wanted and I had to stand on the sidelines and watch her live her life without me. One day I would convince her, but today wasn’t going to be that day.
“Tell her everything,” I finally said to Bill and he nodded.
“Take everyone off of her,” Bill demanded.
“Absolutely not.” I shook my head.
“She is not a target but she is moving to New York. If Salvatore gets wind that Teresi’s men are watching her, he will suspect she’s important to one of you and make her a target anyway. Get the men off of her.”
Bas put his hand on my shoulder before my rage started to rise and I looked at him, “He’s right. I can keep tabs on her remotely and watch out for anything. The first sign of trouble and we’ll put the men on her right away.”
I didn’t like this at all. Hannah was going to be closer to the danger that surrounded us and be completely unprotected. The logic of keeping eyes away from her by not being attached to her at all was sound. She didn’t exist to Salvatore, but she would if I had men on her.
“Fine,” I growled.
“She’ll work for me. I’ll have eyes on her,” Declan said, and that made me feel slightly better. The King brothers wouldn’t let anything happen to her when she spent the majority of her time at her new job with them. She’d be completely invisible to dangerous eyes.
“I’ll tell her and if she’s ready for that life, I’ll contact you.” Bill said, and I nodded.
He turned and walked away from us as I looked at the back of Hannah’s head. The speeches were over, the ceremony was done, the hats were being thrown, and I was going to walk away from the only woman I would ever love.
Declan made his move and walked over to Hannah as she was surrounded by her family and friends. Her high school friend, Oscar, who now played for Pittsburgh’s football team, had his arm around Marcus, the hockey player. I remembered two of the three times I felt severely protective and jealous over Hannah. Only one of those times was justified and I already took care of the Derek problem. Ashley was hugging Hannah and crying with her because everything was working out exactly how they planned. Declan reached out his hand to Hannah and, based on Ashley’s widened eyes, he was offering Hannah the job.
Everything she worked for came to fruition and I was a miserable son of a bitch. Happy for her but pissed that I had to watch it from a distance and couldn’t celebrate with her.
“Right woman, wrong time,” Bas said to me as he gripped my shoulder.
He pulled me towards the exit and we left the building without the woman I had come here for.
Chapter 35
Liam
4 Years Later
“Where are you? What is that noise? We were supposed to meet for dinner?” Bianca hissed through the phone pressed to my ear.
I was supposed to meet her but the moment I saw Hannah, Ashley, and whoever that man was that was with her, I had to follow. I wasn’t going to stop. It was the first time I’d seen her in four years and six years since I last held her in my arms.
Once I saw her, I knew I wouldn’t walk away from her again. I’d do anything within my power to win her back. I’m not the same man she knew. I won’t walk away again.
I’ve been watching Hannah from the second floor of the bar for a couple of hours now, completely standing up the woman I’d been casually seeing. Which is why she’s on the phone with me bitching.
“Sorry, something came up.” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Hannah as she played pool with a couple of guys. I hated the way they kept looking at her ass in those jeans. That was my ass. My fingerprints were bruised on that ass at one point and I'd put those marks there again.
“Sure, a bar. Dammit Liam. I thought you were proposing tonight,” Bianca hissed and that pulled me from a trance.
“Bianca, I told you a long time ago I was not looking to get married,” I reminded her.
“We have been together for six months, Liam!”
Six months and she wanted a proposal? We weren’t even living together, not that I would live with anyone if they weren’t Hannah. She was the only one I would even consider sharing a life with.
After hearing a loud sigh, I said, “You’re right.”