Page 88 of My Best Friend Is Broken
I pull him close, wrapping my arms around him and breathing in the familiar scent of his shampoo. “I’m going to keep you safe,” I promise. “No matter what happens, no matter what it takes.”
“I know.” His arms tighten around my waist. “But Nicky? You need to know that I trust you. With my life, with everything. So whatever you need to do to keep all of us safe, you do it. Don’t hold back because you’re worried about me.”
The permission, the trust implicit in those words, is both a gift and a burden. Because he’s right, I have been holding back, trying to shield him from the full reality of what I am and what I do. But if the Russians are coming, if this situation deteriorates further, I might not be able to maintain that separation.
He might see me at my worst. Might witness the violence I’m capable of when protecting what’s mine.
And I can’t guarantee that won’t break something between us.
“When does he arrive?” Liam asks, pulling back to look at my face.
“Tomorrow afternoon. I’ll need to do security upgrades today. Cameras, reinforced locks, panic buttons.”
“Then we’d better get started.”
He says it so calmly, so matter-of-factly, like turning our home into a fortress is just another item on the to-do list.Like he’s not scared or worried or having second thoughts about tying his life to mine.
Looking at him now, all steady and determined and willing to face danger because it’s the right thing to do, I’m struck by how much he’s changed from the broken man who came home from prison. He’s found his strength again, his purpose, his ability to care about things beyond his own survival.
And I’m about to throw him directly into the fire.
But maybe that’s what love means in my world. Not keeping each other safe from all harm, but standing together when danger comes. Being strong enough to face the darkness as partners instead of one person trying to protect the other from their own life.
“Alright,” I say, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Let’s get ready.”
As we spend the afternoon installing security measures and preparing the guest room, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re standing on the edge of something. That the relative peace we’ve built over the past weeks is about to be tested in ways neither of us can fully predict.
But looking at Liam working beside me, determined and capable and choosing to face this with me rather than running from it, I think maybe we’re strong enough for whatever comes.
We have to be.
Because the alternative, losing him, failing to protect what matters most, isn’t something I can survive.
Not now. Not ever.
Chapter twenty-nine
Liam
The knock on the door comes at exactly two o’clock, punctual in a way that suggests military precision rather than casual timing. I open it to find Nicky standing protectively behind a beautiful man, a large suitcase beside them, and an expression on Nicky’s face that’s equal parts determined and apologetic.
“Liam, this is Molly,” Nicky says as he gestures for Molly to step inside.
“Hi!” Molly greets me with a bright smile that seems to light up the entire hallway.
He’s wearing skinny jeans, an oversized jumper in a shade of pink that shouldn’t work but absolutely does, and his blond hair is styled in a way that probably took an hour but looks effortlessly perfect.
“Thanks so much for having me. I know this is a huge imposition, and I promise I’ll be the best houseguest ever.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, meaning it. “Really. We’re happy to help.”
Nicky hauls the suitcase inside while Molly does a quick spin of the living area, taking in the apartment with an appraising eye.
“Oh, this is gorgeous! Nicolo, you didn’t tell me you had such good taste. That sofa is to die for.”
Nicky’s phone buzzes, and the warm expression shifts to something more serious. He checks the message and grimaces. “I have to go.”
My stomach drops slightly at the thought of him leaving, but I keep my expression neutral. This is what we agreed to. This is what happens when you love someone in his world.
