Page 116 of Relentless

“It’s hard to act normal under scrutiny.” You couldn’t relax, knowing a screwup would bring the enemy down on you with a weapon drawn. While Liam didn’t think Gino Romano was spying on him and Piper, someone in his household was.

He led Piper to a garden bench and bent to retie his boot. While he dealt with the shoe lace, Liam slid the piece of paper Gino had given him into his boot. As he finished tying the lace, he scanned their surroundings, noting two people in the shadows at the edge of the property, watching them. Guards or someone else?

Not sure what they were dealing with, he pressed a button on his watch, alerting Zane that he might need assistance soon. If he didn’t call off the alert within the next fifteen minutes, Z would notify Trent.

When he sat on the bench beside Piper, he gathered her against his side. “We have company.”

She groaned. “I’m thinking about asking you to find a deserted island to take me to when we leave here.”

Liam chuckled. Sounded like a great plan to him. Sun, sand, surf, and Piper. A perfect way to pass his leave time. “I’ll see what I can find.”

“Thanks for coming to Hartman with me, Liam.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “I meant what I said before. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

Piper brushed his lips with hers. “I love you, Liam. I’m looking forward to being Mrs. Liam McCoy.”

Before he could do more than tell her he loved her, heavy footsteps hurried up the path toward them. Recognizing one of the two security guards approaching, Liam stood and placed himself in front of Piper.

“You need to come with us,” said the guard named Moe. “It’s Mr. Romano.”

Piper stood. “Is he all right?”

“I don’t know, ma’am. I’m supposed to take you to him.” He turned to Liam. “Just the lady. Mr. Romano said she’d be back in a few minutes.”

Liam caught Piper around the waist and held her against his side. “That’s not how this is going to work. Either I go with Piper or she doesn’t go inside that house.” And that was something Romano knew.

That knowledge plus the body language of the two men indicated they had a different agenda, one that didn’t bode anything good for Piper.

He eased Piper behind him again. “What’s going on here, Moe?”

The guard shook his head slowly, holding up an empty hand. “Look, I just know what I was told. The lady won’t come to no harm.” He and the other guard moved forward.

The second man lunged at Liam who shifted so the roundhouse punch thrown at his jaw missed, throwing the guard off balance.

Liam countered with a rabbit punch to the ribs. As his opponent dropped to the ground with a gasp, he caught movement from Moe in his peripheral vision. Liam turned to face off with the other guard when Moe pressed something against his side.

Liam heard the snap and knew he would be too late to escape. An electric current ripped through his body. He dropped hard when his muscles locked and refused to obey his mental command to move and protect Piper.

Moe pressed the trigger again and Liam’s body jerked with the second jolt from the stun gun. As the darkness closed in, Liam felt Piper’s arms around him and heard her begging the guard to stop.

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