Page 22 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

“I have a plan for the future of my syndicate. For the future of the De La Cruz name. I amnotmy father or my uncle. There are innocent lives at stake. Innocent lives that Geraldo and his lackeys take advantage of and torment. My sister is safe now, which is one person off my list. But I can’t abandon the rest. Business owners, women, and children. They need me to protect them. And I will.”

“So will I,” Madison chimes in over a mouthful of chicken.Aproperly cooked and seasoned one at that. God, how did I let her eat that disgusting chicken back on the island?I’m shocked she only raised her brows at the poultry dish placed in front of her before digging in.

Fucking adorable.

“No, you won’t. You’re staying here,” Liam states. Turning to me he asks, “What was the point of even keeping her?” He’s calmer now. His voice still holds a threat to protect his woman, but there is understanding.

“If you both would have just waitedonemore day and went to the meeting, this would have all been over by now. Every man that was meant to die that day would have been killed at that meeting. I have no doubt you would have slaughtered them all. That’s just the consequence of war. No other syndicate or cartel would have batted an eye. Madison would have gone home with you and I would have hopefully been alive long enough for Selena or I to tell you the truth. Since that didn’t happen, and you raided the island, only half the men were killed and Geraldo was left alive. Fortunately, I was able to think of a new plan under the pressure of a gun pressed to my sister's head.Thank fuckyou took the deal, Killian. That left Sel safe, Liam able to go home and not be on my uncle’s radar any longer, and Madison under my protection. I still need her to keep Geraldo convinced that nothing is astray, but I’ll figure it out.”

“What a fucking disaster, Diego. Why didn’t you just ask me for help?” Killian asks with genuine curiosity.

“We both know you wouldn’t have helped me. Your father was dying, you were about to be the new leader, and starting a war didn’t seem like something on the top of your to-do list.”

Killian rubs the five o’clock shadow on his chin. “No, I wouldn’t have. Taking Madison and Selena was a huge fucking risk. Anything could have gone wrong.It still can. But you officially have my attention. Those motherfuckers need to die.”

“Agreed.” Liam and Declan say in unison.

Liam’s armswrap around my waist from behind and his chin rests on my head. We are in the bathroom of one of the guest rooms here in the pool house. Everyone agreed to reconvene after I freshened up.

Killian still doesn’t fully trust or like Diego, but after privately talking to Selena, he’s calmed down a bit. Declan and Killian are with him now, trying to plan the best course of action moving forward.

Me? I’m staring at the shower, but have made no attempt to move an inch. Exhaustion hits me hard—even after my quad espresso. I sway on my feet and Liam’s arms tighten around me.

“Tell me what you need, baby,” he says gently against my neck.

Spinning around, I press my lips to his. “I need you to let me help you guys with this,” I whisper against his lips. Liam pulls away, putting space between us, and looking at me like I just punched him.

“Why are you so hell-bent on helping? Diego has your mind all sorts of twisted right now,” he groans in disbelief.

“He isn’tforcingme to do this.Clearly, he let me go. Diegonever meant to hurt me. He was just protecting his sister and all those innocent people.”

“It was a stupid fucking plan. Goes to show the kind of leader he will be.Regardlessof whether he planned to hurt you…or not...youdidget hurt, Madison.In more ways than one.” He taps my temple with his index finger before caging his arms around my body again.

I’m tired and extremely irritable, so I lash out. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean,Liam?” I wiggle myself out of his arms. He just pulls me back in.

We're back to this game again.

Push and pull.

“It means that he has your mind in a place that isn’t healthy. You aren’t thinking clearly. To the point that you were joking and laughing with him and not even realizing it. That mankidnappedyou, let unspeakable things happen to you—which I could kill him for—and then made you believeyouhad to finish whathestarted.You don’t.Let me and Killian handle this. You’re safe now, baby.” He massages the tension out of my shoulders, then leans over to turn the shower on.

He isn’t completely wrong. If I’m being honest, Iamseeing Diego in a different light. I still don’t believe he is the monster everyone makes him out to be. He only shows that side of himself to those who truly deserve it. Underneath the monster mask is just aman—like Liam or Killian—who wants to do the right thing with his power. With the incredibly difficult cards he’s been dealt. And I’m not sorry for believing that. Because if I looked at him as a monster, that would make Killian and Liam one as well.Then what would that make me for loving them?

Liam clasps my face between his palms and kisses my forehead. “I’m so fucking sorry this happened, love.”

I unzip Diego’s sweatshirt and peel it off me. Liam tugs me forward by the band of my sweatpants and loosens the string. They fall and bunch at my ankles. I kick off the flip-flops Diegogave me on the boat ride here before stepping out of his sweatpants. Liam’s eyes linger on the tank top covering my body, his blood staining the places he touched me earlier. After a few harsh blinks, he grabs the hem of it, clutching it tightly. His bruised knuckles come up and caress my cheek.

“Did he or anyone touch–” I interrupt him before he can even go there.

“No. No one touched me like that.”

“Hands up, darling.” Summoning the rest of the energy I have left, I obey. He lifts the shirt over my head and drops it onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor. I took off my split-open sports bra back in Diego’s bathroom.It’s not like it did much to support me anyway.That leaves me standing in just the black lace thong.

Goosebumps spring up across my skin and my nipples harden. Watching Liam’s pupils dilate stirs something in me. Something raw and carnal.I want him. As exhausted as I am, mentally and physically, Ineedhim right now.

He on the other hand seems hesitant.

Nervous even.

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