Page 34 of Taming Liberty

“I think it’d be kind to give Annie the code to your gate. That way, when you’re gone, she can check on Liberty. Not that she needs to be checked on, but … you know what I mean.”

I drink from the bottle and wait for either Lib or Anna to make a move. At least a minute passes.

Sawyer taps the rock, his frustration building. Several beats pass before he takes a drink of beer and flattens his palm on the rock, getting ready to stand. “All right, fine. Go fuck yourself.”

He goes to push himself up, but I grab his arm to stop him. I finally turn to look at him and shift my eyes, gesturing to the boulder. He glowers at me but sits.

I turn my head to peek at Jasper who’s still watching the women but I’m sure is also keeping an eye on us.

I turn back to Sawyer, slyly tilting my head to Jasper. “Do you trust him?”

Sawyer looks over me at Jasper, then shakes his head. “Not in the slightest.”

“And yet you’ve been putting him in charge of the manor.”

Sawyer huffs, then looks up at the women. He cups his hands around his mouth. “You two jumping sometime today?”

“It’s so far down!” Anna squeals.

Sawyer doesn’t reply, but with a roll of his eyes, it’s obvious he isn’t buying her excuse. “She’s jumped off that cliff at least four times before today.” He grumbles. “If Liberty wants to talk to Annie alone, it’s fine. She isn’t my problem anymore.”

I nod slowly. “Duly noted.”

“As for the other thing,” he says, his voice lowered. “I trust just about anyone more than I trust you right now.”

“You sound like a spoiled little boy.”

“Fuck you,” he sneers, but it’s low enough it sounds more like he’s saying it to himself.

“You’re angry with me, and you’re trying to show it in an attention-seeking, passive aggressive way. It’s ridiculous, Sawyer, even for you.”

His jaw tightens as he bristles.

“You need to be careful with him,” I continue. “He isn’t loyal to you, and neither of us know why he’s truly here.”

“He wanted to live on the island.”

“Why now, after all this time? You think he all of a sudden has a taste for coconuts?”

Sawyer considers this a moment, then waves away the idea. “You’re the one who has no loyalty, Angel. You would choose to throw away everything I’ve built for a girl you hardly know.” He grunts and hovers his beer half tipped to his lips. “Don’t even fucking talk about loyalty.”

He downs the rest of his beer while I force myself to ignore the comment. I’m tired of hearing his whining about Lib. Yes, I know, I went against him a few times. I remember. But, my God, I would think we’d be immune to the regular world troubles of ‘bros before hoes.’

He tosses the bottle into the water, carelessly tainting this natural beauty.

“He invited Chaffer to the manor,” I say, my voice no longer hushed. Sawyer looks around me, his face flushed. I turn to peer at Jasper, but he’s gone.

My eyes roam until I spot him climbing up the cliff. My spine stiffens, and my muscles itch to follow. Lib and Anna are still up there, neither of them making any move to jump.

“That son of a bitch,” Sawyer growls.

I glance his way before standing. “I think we should do something about him.”

His brow wrinkles. “I put up with a lot, Angel, butdo notsay dumb shit like that. You know everything he has on us, and so does he. The second we even think about crossing him, he will rake us over the coals.”

“I understand it’s risky, and in the past, he’s been of use, but if we don’t move soon, we don’t know the kind of damage he could cause.”

“Right,” Sawyer deadpans. “And I’m sure this has nothing to do with the fact that he wants to fuck your girl.”

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