Page 58 of Relentless

“This surprises you?”

“You don’t know the number of women who asked me how many people I killed in my military career and then with Fortress. You haven’t.”

“Why would I? You protect the public and your teammates. All I care about is how it affects you.”

“Doing my job means I’ll bring danger right to your doorstep.”

“Teach me how to protect myself and you.”

“Are you sure you want to be involved with me, Piper? You have to be sure because the more time I spend with you, the harder I’m falling for you.”

Piper stared, heart hammering against her rib cage. Did that mean what she thought? “You’re falling in love with me?”

“Hard and fast.”

“Liam.” How could she respond without giving away the secret she’d hidden in her heart for months?

“I won’t walk away unless you tell me you don’t feel the same.” His lips curved. “Even if you do say it, I’ll do everything in my power to change your mind. I’ll use every skill in my arsenal to convince you to give me a chance to win your heart. Be sure, Sunshine.”

Piper leaned in and kissed Liam, her arms circling his neck. After a long series of increasingly deep kisses, she looked into his eyes and took the gamble of a lifetime. “I’ve been sure for months.”

Liam’s eyes lit and he drew in a shuddering breath. “Thank you for trusting me. I’ll guard that gift, and treasure your heart with every breath.”

She might be falling in love with him but that didn’t mean Piper had forgotten what she suffered at Gavin’s hands. Where Gavin’s rejection hurt, Liam’s would devastate her. “Where do we go from here?”

“Forward, one step at a time. We enjoy our courtship. I want to warn off other men in Otter Creek so they won’t attempt to steal you from me. Will I rush you to make a deeper commitment?” Liam shook his head. “The pace is yours to set. More than anything, I want you to trust me with your whole self, including your heart.”

“That might take months.”

He brushed his lips over hers. “Snipers are known for their patience,” he murmured. “I’m excellent at my job.”

She fanned her face. “I think the temperature rose by fifty degrees in here.”

Liam chuckled.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything. I’ll answer if I can.”

“During your phone call to Zane, he mentioned IDs. What did he mean?”

His expression sobered. “Preparing for the worst-case scenario.”

“Which is?”

Liam kissed the back of her hand and threaded their fingers together. “Are you sure you want to know the truth?”

“Always. Holding back information because of your job I’ll accept. I can handle difficult news.”

A slow nod. “I asked Zane to prepare alternate IDs in case Gavin didn’t give us enough information to take down Barone and we aren’t able to find what we need to finish the job.”

A ball of ice formed in her stomach. “Why would we need alternate IDs?”

“Barone has a long reach. If we can’t dismantle his organization, we’ll have to go on the run.”

“You can’t be serious. This isn’t a movie. We’re talking about running from Barone for the remainder of our lives. Constantly looking over our shoulders, worried one of Barone’s thugs is after us.” Dismayed at the prospect, Piper shook her head in denial.

“It’s a choice between living or dying.”

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