Page 3 of Mysterious

“Thanks, Doc.”

CHAPTERTWO

Liam

When he andthe nurse leave, Mia rushes over to the right side of my bed. “Does this mean I get to meet the people in that picture you showed me?”

“I think so. I’m guessing at the very least my mother and father are out there, although the nurse mentioned something about the waiting room being full of my family, so some of the cousins and aunts and uncles might have come too. My mother probably made my injury sound way more serious than it actually was.”

Gently pressing her palm to my chest, Mia shakes her head. “It was very serious, Liam. You got shot. Somebody put a bullet into your body. I don’t care what that doctor said about it looking worse than it actually was. It was terrible. I thought you were going to die right there on the street. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”

For the first time since I met her all those weeks ago, she sounds like she was genuinely concerned about me. Now as I look at her, it’s hard to see the petulant client and the overwrought woman I chased into the street last night.

I cover her hand with mine and sigh, knowing I shouldn’t be touching her like this, not even to show my kindness and gratitude for getting the ambulance to take care of me. Mia is the woman I protect. We’re not supposed to be anything more.

The problem is it’s clear to me that we both know we are something more than merely client and bodyguard.

With a gentle smile, she says, “I’m just so happy you’re going to be okay.”

Before I can respond, my mother, father, and Wilder come walking into the room, and I immediately see my mother’s a mess. Her eyes are red like she’s been crying, and her cheeks are all flushed.

“Liam! Honey, the nurse just told us you’re going to be okay. I was so worried. When we got the call that you’d been shot, I felt like I was going to pass out right there in the kitchen,” my mother says breathlessly.

She never disappoints when it comes to being emotional about her children.

“I’m fine, Mom. Honestly.”

Hoping to direct the attention away from my injury, I smile and say, “Everyone, this is Mia. The woman I work for.”

The way the words come out sound odd, like I’m trying to hide something, but none of them were a lie. I do work to protect her. That I don’t want to share with anyone, including Mia, how I feel about her isn’t a lie.

Well, maybe a sin of omission.

My family members all look over at Mia in unison as if they rehearsed the move, and I see my father raise a single eyebrow before looking back at me. I know what he’s thinking. It’s written all over his face.

What’s written all over my mother’s face is utter adoration. “Oh, it’s so nice to meet you!” she gushes. “I’ve seen your picture a million times, but you’re so much more beautiful in person.”

“The same with me, Mrs. Jackson. When Liam showed me the picture of you and your husband, I thought you were so pretty, but in person, you’re just stunning. I guess that teaches us not to believe what the media shows us,” Mia says sweetly, instantly charming my mother with her compliment.

Patting under her eyes, she says, “Oh, thank you. That’s so nice of you. I was worried I looked terrible after crying so much. I was so scared when we found out Liam had been shot.”

As they enjoy their mutual admiration society, my father asks, “So do you know who shot you?”

Typical Kane Jackson. He noticed how beautiful Mia was and where her hand was on my chest, and then he immediately moved to wanting to know the details of the crime.

I shake my head, wishing I did know who the son of a bitch was who thought it was okay to take a shot at me. Assuming it was me he was aiming at, of course. I can’t be sure of that yet, but I’ll find out who did this to me. That’s a given.

“No idea. We were downtown and there was some traffic, so I didn’t notice anyone odd and certainly no one aiming a gun at me.”

My father frowns and lets out a heavy sigh. “I hope the police find this person quickly.”

Interrupting all this seriousness, Wilder walks around the side of my bed and sits down in the chair to my left. “So does this mean you’ll be coming back to your place sooner than you expected?”

I look over at him and roll my eyes. “No.”

Mia adds, “I need Liam to be my head of security for my upcoming tour, so he’s going to be working for me for a while.”

Her information clearly makes Wilder’s day, if his grin is any indication. “Good to know.”

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