Page 97 of Unfinished

Liam

There was a louder than normal knock on my door telling me Hannah was pissed. I calmly called out, “Come in.”

“Where do you get off putting in a work at home request for me?” Hannah seethed, standing in the doorway.

“I don’t think you understand the type of danger you are in.” I leaned back in my office chair.

“Salvatore is not going to snatch me from work when I’m surrounded by people.” Hannah tried to reason with me but I shook my head.

“Agosti has plenty of people to do his dirty work and you never know where or when he will attempt to take you, which is why you’ll be working from home.”

“I am not going to be a prisoner here, Liam!”

“You aren’t a prisoner, don’t be dramatic.” Shit, that was the wrong thing to say based on the widening of her eyes and the absolute death glare I was receiving, “I mean you are free to do what you want, I or my bodyguards will be with you. Since we both still have to work, we will do our work from home instead of two separate locations. Declan understands what’s going on.”

“Liam Teresi! I am not doing this with you! Find a safe house for me because I’m not staying here with you.” She waved her hands around and I was on my feet and rounding the desk. I took long strides towards her. She backed up quickly, and I stopped suddenly. There was no mistaking the fear in her eyes. She had never looked at me like that.

“What the fuck?” I asked quietly and her eyes widened like she realized what her reaction was. She turned and ran off to her room, where she closed and locked herself inside.

I went to her door to push this conversation even though I shouldn't, “Hannah, we aren’t finished talking.”

“Yes we are!”

“Open the door, Hannah.” I was trying to keep my tone as calm as possible, not wanting to trigger her further. Her reaction wasn’t normal and I wanted to understand why she had that reaction. It was quiet in the room for a minute but then I heard the lock click and she opened the door before going to the bed and sitting down. I stood in the doorway and leaned against it.

“You need self-protection in the form of firearms. You throw a punch with better form than most men. You’ve barely dated since we separated. What happened to you?”

“Liam, I went through something and it changed me. I told you before I’m not the same person you knew back then. If I tell you what happened it’ll change everything you think you feel for me.”

“Think? I know exactly how I feel about you and nothing you went through would change those feelings. Again, what the hell happened?” I questioned keeping my tone soft.

“Chad,” Hannah admitted.

“What did that asshole do?”

“The day after we last saw each other he came by the apartment. He … he was still upset about you and was pissed that I ditched him.” I felt the vibration of anger through my body. Even knowing the words that were about to come out of her mouth, but I didn’t stop her. I wanted her to confirm my suspicions.

“What did he do?”

“He raped me.” She looked up at me.

“I’ll kill him.” I uncrossed my arms and stood up straight.

“He’s already dead.”

“How?”

She looked at me with a hardness in her eyes. “I killed him. My dad helped me dispose of the body on one of his construction sites. He’s not even a missing person. His mother died when he was a kid and his father must not have cared that he hadn’t heard from his son.”

“You killed him?” I wasn’t expecting that. I never thought Hannah was someone with that kind of a dark side.

“I did.” She shifted on the bed. “Liam, there is a darkness in me that was never there before. Hell, my recently made ex-boyfriend was killed by you and I’m in your apartment. I feel zero guilt or anything about Derek’s death. That’s not normal.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty about Derek at all. That guy was an asshole who was turning abusive. You got out in time and his death isn’t on you, it’s on me.”

“Maybe, but I should feel something. If not guilt over his death, maybe fear of you.”

“But you don’t fear me.” I tilted my head.

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