Page 120 of Somebody's Watching Me
Liam tapped two fingers on her back. Their sign to hold for a moment. Having attended countless Fairweather events together, they used signals to work the crowds. Two to hold, three to move on, and a solid pat on the ass meant it was time to go.
She obeyed without even stopping to question him.
“Ex-military. First name likely Edward,” Liam said. “Walking with the drunk mermaid.”
“Yeah, I see him. He definitely is or was military with that haircut,” Rowan replied. “Facial recognition is already processing.”
“You’re doing that on your phone?” Jamison asked, and she heard Annabeth faintly repeating the same question through her earpiece.
Rowan chuckled. “This is me,” he said as if that explained everything. “Edward Hampton from Oregon. Ex-marine, now unemployed.”
“Ex-Marine, huh?” Scanning the crowd, Liam nodded. “Let’s see if he belongs to Sinclair.”
“He’s dating Jan,” Jamison said. “And she’s harmless.”
“We’ll see.” Liam patted her ass. “Get ready to wiggle, worm.”
She wasn’t ready, and almost dug her heels in when he guided them deep into the crowd. Making their way to Izzy and Abe’s table, she gripped her wine glass so hard she thought she mightsnap the stem.
Izzy didn’t so much as glance away from Abe when they arrived. “The giant?”
“That’s the one.” Liam set his glass on the table. “Abe, stop looking.”
Abe stiffened, snapping his head forward. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Can I help?”
“Yeah, actually, you can.”
Liam released his hold, and immediately, the terror over not having him as her anchor seized Jamison. She went to follow, but he gave her a look that said to stay put.
“I’m going to talk to Rowan. Izzy is going to come with me, and you and Jamison are going to stay right here,” Liam explained to Abe. “If someone approaches, watch her drink. They could slip her something. If someone speaks to her, get on your phone and pretend not to listen. We can hear everything through the mic.”
Izzy stood and made her way to Rowan and Annabeth, but Liam hesitated, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I’m less than twenty feet away.”
“That’s too far.”
“I know.” He tucked her hair behind her ears, wanting her vision unobstructed. “But we’re just going to see if Eddie, or anyone, approaches.”
“Yes, he’s going to approach,” she hissed, watching Jan and Eddie fill their appetizer plates at one of the food stations. “Jan just told me he fucks her like a machine, so I think that means we’re now best friends in her drunk mind, and any good drunk best friend will come to the rescue of the other if they see them standing all alone at a party.”
“Abe is with you. Sit at the table with him.”
“I can’t!” she whisper-shouted over the music. “This dress… stop smiling, William.”
He didn’t listen. “I told you I didn’t like it.”
Downing the last bit of her wine, she set her empty glass next to his. “Go.”
“I’ll be back in less than ten minutes.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and was gone.
Thunder rumbled closer this time, and Abe glanced up. “If it rains, we’re both screwed.”
Hell, he was right. “Liam could have at least dumped us under some sort of shelter.”
“Sooooo, what’s going with you two?”
“I have no clue. He is literally hot one minute and cold the next.”
“He’s also losing his mind trying to figure this all out.” Abe rolled forward to get out of someone’s way, bumping her calf as he did. “I’m sure he’ll cave once things get back to normal, but I wouldn’t expect him to fold too quickly.”
