Page 64 of Blood Money

There was a big crowd that week, and I was sure the air-conditioned fellowship hall drew in people as much as the food. The heat was brutal for anyone out on the streets. I thought about Liam and prayed he was continuing to charge the generator and that he was getting enough air at night.

As I watched people come in looking bedraggled, pale, and dehydrated, I decided Liam had been homeless as long as I could stand it. When I was done here, I was going to find him and talk some sense into him. He wasn’t staying in that storage unit one more night.

About halfway through my shift, I got the sensation someone was watching me. I assumed it was a former client, I’d seen one of them here plenty of times. I always acted like I didn’t recognize them. I wasn’t me when I was here. I wasn’t Valentino Marchesi, enforcer and loan shark, one of the deadliest men in Boston and son of a legendary assassin. Here I was just a guy who knew what these men, women, and children were going through. I could give my money and my time to help them while reminding myself how quickly life could change.

When the sensation grew more intense, I looked up and saw Liam standing in the doorway. I wanted to keep my eye on him, but I looked away quickly, afraid he might bolt if he saw me staring. I kept glancing at him out of my peripheral vision as he stood there.

My phone buzzed. I glanced at it after filling another plate. It was Tony. He was currently watching Liam’s storage unit. I signaled to another volunteer that I had to step away for a moment, and he took my place.

“This better be important,” I said to Tony. “You know I’m volunteering tonight.”

“There’s a guy here who’s clearly keeping an eye on the unit. He’s got to be the brother or cousin of the guy who went after Liam before. I’m thinking it’s the asshole you saw the other night.”

Shit. I’d been hopeful when the guy disappeared before we left the diner, but he really was after Liam. “There’s no way in hell the first guy was a random stalker who just got fixated on Liam.”

“No, it doesn’t look like it.”

The guy staring into the diner had disappeared shortly after I’d noticed him. I’d figured he saw me looking, and it spooked him. But I’d hoped I was wrong, and he wasn’t watching Liam after all. “Keep your eye on the guy. Liam’s here, so I’ll keep him with me.”

“Good. Don’t worry about me. I’m not letting dickface out of my sight.”

“Report back if you think there’s any significant change.”

“Yes, sir.”

A few minutes after I returned to my serving station, Liam entered the church and joined the line. His hunger must have won out over whatever was keeping him outside.

I was sure it had thrown him off to see me in church. He knew how to act with me at Pound, but this was different, and if he was here, that meant he’d run out of food and not bought himself more. He was going home with me tonight. He was worth whatever fight I had to wage. I’d been stupid not to take him home from the beginning.

You were keeping him safe. What will your father do when he finds out?

I wouldn’t let Dom go after Liam. I would do whatever it took, and Vito would help me.

When Liam reached the front of the serving line, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I watched as he was served salad and bread. When I handed him a plate of baked spaghetti, I let my fingers brush his and saw him shiver. For just a moment, he looked up. Our eyes met, and I smiled. “It’s good to see you.”

He nodded, then hurried along when someone yelled that he was holding up the line.

When things slowed down a little, I asked the woman working beside me if she could cover for me while I took a short break.

She was happy to, so I headed to where Liam had sat to eat his meal.

He looked up well before I reached the table. He must’ve sensed me approaching the way I had sensed him standing in the door, hesitating to come in.

“I guess you’re wondering why I’m here,” he said as I pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

“I assume you wanted a good meal.”

He nodded. “I saw a sign while I was walking around today, and I thought I’d see how it was.”

“I’m glad you did.”

He met my gaze then. “Why haven’t you been back to the club?”

“You’re going to keep asking until I give you more details, aren’t you?” I’d managed to avoid his question the night I’d come to the club after his shift, but I doubted I could do that much longer.

“It’s only the second time I’ve asked, but yes.”

Damn, I’d missed his smile so much. “My father wasn’t happy with the body count I was racking up. He thought we were going to attract too much attention, so he forced me to take some time away from Pound.”

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