Page 70 of Blood Money

“Liam, baby, you should’ve told me that to start with.”

“Why? You told me you weren’t running a charity. Why would I think you would care what the money was for?”

He blew out a long breath. “Most of the people who come to us aren’t thinking about anyone but themselves. They want to save their own ass from something they got themselves into. You’ve been hurt, and there’s no one to help you. You want to take care of your sister, and you don’t deserve the financial burden you were hit with. Ava should be able to go to school without it ruining you. I imagine she wants you alive when she’s done.”

“Of course she does, but wishing away the bills didn’t to a damn thing to get them paid.”

“Does she know how you got the money?”

“Yes, and she knows I’ve been working at the club. She hates it and she keeps threatening to leave school. I can’t let her do that.”

“We won’t,” Val said.

“I don’t have a lot of options. I’m kind of at the end of my rope. I really shouldn’t be here. You need to take me home so I can get what I need for my shift at Pound.”

“No.”

I pulled away from him and moved to the side of the bed. “Please, Val. If you care at all, let me work off the debt. I don’t need your family after me on top of everything else.”

He shook his head. “You’re not going back to that storage unit. You’re not going to live there, and you’re not going to work at the club anymore. I’ve had enough of other men looking at you.”

“Then what the hell am I going to do? Run? How far would I get before your father found me, even if you refused to look?”

“Baby, I didn’t bring you home just for the night, I brought you home to stay. This is your home now, and you don’t have to work anywhere because I’m going to take care of you.”

His words nearly made me fall off the bed. “Are you fucking serious?”

“You won’t accept an apartment from me, so you’re moving in here. You’re not staying in that storage unit one more night.”

There was no way this was happening. “I can’t do that.”

“I’m not giving you a choice this time.”

“You can’t pay my debt. You already told me that.”

He grabbed my arms and pulled me toward him. “I’m going to do it anyway.”

When I met his gaze, I could see how determined he was, but I couldn’t let him do this. “I can’t fuck up your life too. I’m bad luck.”

He gave me a gentle kiss. “You’re the best luck I’ve ever had.”

“Better than your father taking you in?”

“Yes.”

I scowled at him. “You can’t mean that. You don’t have to say things like that to me.”

“But you are, because I don’t have to be afraid with you. Do you really want to leave?”

Of course I didn’t. But needed to. “No. I want to be right here with you, but I don’t understand what this is. What is happening between us?”

“How many times have I told you that you’re mine and I’m going to protect you?”

“But—”

“You deserve this. You deserve to be cared for. You’ve been carrying way too much of a burden on your own.” He pulled me into his arms, and I let myself relax against him. I wasn’t going anywhere.

“That’s what Ava says, but how else is she going to get what she needs?”

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