Page 14 of Relentless

“Piper has been asking for you.”

Was that good or bad? Depended on whether or not she wanted to cut him loose. Trent laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Yeah, time to man up. If she wanted to stop dating, he’d do everything possible to change her mind because he was crazy about Piper Reece.

Liam tapped on the door to warn Matt he was coming inside. He didn’t want to add another bullet wound to his collection.

He pushed the door open and slipped into the darkened room. Rounding the corner, his gaze locked on the woman huddled under a sheet and blanket. Even with the dim lighting, Liam could see the bruise forming on one side of her face.

Matt crossed to his side. “She’s been restless,” he murmured. “Wakes every hour to ask about you.” A slow smile curved the medic’s lips. “I tried to tell her you could take care of yourself. For some reason, she insists on seeing your ugly mug before she’ll believe that.”

Maybe he had a chance with Piper. “Go home to Delilah. I’ll take over the watch. Take Simon with you. Trent will keep watch in the hall.”

“I’ll be back in the morning with Delilah. We’ll bring clothes for Piper and a loaner SUV from PSI.”

“Thanks.”

With a nod, the medic left.

Liam sat in the chair Matt had vacated and settled in to watch over Piper while she slept. Now that he was in a quiet place, he allowed his mind to replay the events of the night, processing and cataloging everything. Once again, he analyzed his options to defuse the situation and came up with nothing. He’d had no choice but to pull the trigger both times.

Life was precious, and he never took one lightly. Still, if faced with the same situation, Liam would make the same decision to pull the trigger. If he’d hesitated, he could have been killed, leaving Piper in the hands of two killers. That was unacceptable on every level. He wouldn’t have a problem accepting the deaths and moving on. Would Piper?

She stirred and moaned softly. “Liam,” she whispered.

He stood and sat on the side of her bed. “I’m here, Piper. Sleep now.”

The woman stilled for a moment, then relaxed into deep sleep.

Liam remained in place until he was sure she was out again, then returned to his chair. They repeated the same sequence twice more. The last round, Liam scooted his chair against the side of her bed and threaded his fingers with Pipers. This time, she settled into a dreamless sleep.

He allowed himself to fall into a light doze, knowing his team leader would prevent anyone from sneaking into the room.

At five o’clock, Piper stirred again. Liam sat up and squeezed her hand. “Piper?”

Her eyelids flew up. “You’re here.”

Liam went motionless. Was this it? Was she going to dump him? “Do you want me to leave?”

“No! I thought I was dreaming. I’m happy to see you.”

Thank God. “How do you feel?”

“Better now that you’re here. Did the police clear you?”

“Not exactly. The detectives will complete the investigation and send their findings to the district attorney. He’ll decide whether or not to file charges against me.”

Piper scowled. “You were protecting me and yourself.”

“Everything will be fine.”

“How can you say that? The police want to put you in jail.”

“Hey.” Liam sat on the side of the bed and cupped her cheek with his palm. “The Fortress lawyer is in the loop. She’s a sharp lady, a real shark in a courtroom. If I end up in court, I’ll have the best legal defense money can buy. My boss and my teammates have my back.”

Piper nuzzled her face against his hand. “I’m sorry, Liam.”

“For?”

“Maybe ruining your life.”

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