I raise an eyebrow. “It feels like I have a lot of weight on my shoulders.” I toss in a heaping dose of sarcasm with that, but Liam just gives me a look like he adores me.
When we reach the department, we head inside and up to the third floor where I notice all eyes shift to us. Penny is one of them, so Liam stuffs the flowers toward her. “These were found in Abby’s room. It’s a flower that she’s allergic to.”
“Huh… interesting,” she says.
“Oh! It is Liam!” Matthew announces as he comes out, sounding quite strange and formal. “I bought donuts…”
Liam scrutinizes him. “Why the hell would I care if you bought donuts? Like… are you wanting me to watch you eat a cream stick or something? Sounds weird and creepy. Michaels, I’m being sexually harassed. Matthew wants me to watch his cream stick.”
“I boughtyoua donut. And Gabriel one too, of course,” he says as he holds them out to Liam who warily takes the box.
“Penny, Penny, come back. Please search these donuts for traces of rat poison or arsenic.”
Matthew gapes at him. “What the fuck, man… I mean… I would never… poison you?”
“The question mark there at the end makes it seem that much more likely to be poisoned,” Liam says as he holds the box out. “Penny, please. My life is clearly in danger.”
I grab them before something can happen to them because the idea of eating donuts sounds delightful.
Chris starts by and gives Liam a smile. “Morning. I was just running out for a coffee. Would you like one?”
“What, so you can cry into it?” he asks before hesitating. “But yes, I want one. Gabriel wants one too.”
“Of course,” Chris says cheerfully.
Liam’s eyes narrow as he looks around himself in suspicion a moment before Donna comes out of Michaels’ office and buzzes right over. “Michaels ordered pizza for lunch later from that place you recommended.”
Liam quickly grabs me and clamps his hand over my mouth and nose. “Gabriel, there’s been a gas leak. They’re all lightheaded and confused. Get in the elevator. We don’t want it to spread to us.”
I bat him off. “So if there was a gas leak, you’d just save me?”
“I wouldn’t want to get it from them,” he says with a grin before turning to the people around us. “If any of you continue to try to be nice to me out of… p… p…” He closes his eyes like it hurts him to say it. “Pity, I will make your lives even harder than they already are. Trust me…it can be so much worse.”
Matthew glowers at Liam. “We’re not pitying you. We’re being nice.”
Liam shudders. “Well, I don’t like it, so knock it the fuck off. I don’t want you guys thinking I’m mean to you because of some childhood trauma. I’m mean to you because I enjoy it! It fuels me. It makes me sleep better at night.”
Matthew holds his hand out. “Then give me my damn donuts back.”
“No! They’re mine now!” Liam objects. “I take it this means the asshole is claiming he’s not guilty and we have nothing on him?”
“Sure does. Kenny Marsh won’t give us anything,” Michaels says. “We’ll get it figured out. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not the one who should be worrying. He should be,” Liam says. “I assumed as much when it was dead silent on your end. Now instead of pizza, I would like lobster and steak.” He pats Michaels on the shoulder, like a simple touch seals the deal.
Michaels sighs. “You’re getting pizza like the rest of us.”
“Pizza is what my mom ordered the night we were taken,” he says.
Michaels freezes. “I’m so sorry. I’ll get you whatever you want.”
Liam just laughs as he heads to his office.
I give Michaels an apologetic look. “Pizza is more than fine. He eats pizza all the time,” I assure him. “He’s just being difficult and enjoying it.”
“Liam difficult? Never!” Matthew says.
I enter the office and see that Robinson is out, so it’s just Liam. He pats his leg, and I’m confused about what he wants until I realize he wants me to just trot on over and sit on his leg.