Page 57 of Relentless

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Piper finished tying her shoe laces and stood, uncertainty swirling inside her. Going to her hometown, the epicenter of danger dogging her, seemed foolish. Barone’s henchmen were everywhere in Hartman. She and Liam wouldn’t be able to walk anywhere without tripping over at least one of them. Being spied upon while they were in town made her skin crawl.

The upcoming trip didn’t intimidate Liam and Simon and made Piper wonder about their missions. Did they walk into similar danger all the time?

She thought about Liam’s actions on Highway 18. He made himself a target to free her from the kidnappers. Were his actions out of character because she was involved?

Stupid question. Liam wouldn’t shy away from danger. He was a protector at heart. His professional skill set highlighted his willingness to do the hard job of protecting his teammates by pulling the trigger and taking a life. How many people would fire that shot, knowing the results? Not many. Liam McCoy was one of the strongest men she knew, inside and out, and she was blessed that he wanted to be part of her life.

She grabbed her purse and walked into the living room where Liam and the others discussed options.

“How do you feel?” Matt asked.

Ever the medic. “Better. Have you spoken to Delilah?”

His eyes lit at the mention of his wife. “She and Molly have the shop covered.”

“Molly is working there now?”

“She is Delilah’s bodyguard.”

Piper blinked. “Bodyguard?” She shifted her attention to Liam. “Did I miss something while I showered?”

He held out a hand. “Come sit with me while I explain.”

Oh, boy. That didn’t sound good. She took his hand.

“I’ll keep watch from the balcony while you talk,” Trent said. He gave a hand signal to the others and the rest of Bravo exited the suite, leaving Liam and Piper alone.

“Tell me what happened.”

Liam pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand. “Zane called.”

“What did he say?”

“The man in Wicks who asked you on a date is Jared Spencer, the Marine I told you about. Z confirmed his identity with the security footage from Wicks.”

Cold chills surged over her skin. The man with a grudge against Liam had tried to pick her up. Why? “Molly is working at Wicks in case Jared tries to hurt Delilah.”

“That’s right. The other wives of Bravo and Durango also have operatives with them for protection.”

“Why did Jared want to take me out?”

“Using you to draw me out.”

She nudged him with her shoulder. “Good thing I turned him down.” Piper expected him to at least smile at her teasing.

Instead, he captured her mouth in a hot, deep kiss. Whew! The man could kiss. She was fast becoming addicted to his arms holding her tight against his chest and his mouth on hers.

When Liam lifted his head, he said, “I would have hunted Spencer down and killed him if he touched you.”

One look and Piper knew he wasn’t joking. She stroked his stubble-roughened cheek with the fingertips of one hand. “For your sake, I’m glad that wasn’t necessary.” He had too many deaths on his conscience. There would be more, she knew. A hazard of the job. If he wasn’t excellent in his work, the members of Bravo wouldn’t make it home from a mission.

He stared. “I believe you mean that.”

“Good because I do mean it.”

“You’re more concerned with how this affects me than the impact on you.”

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