Page 2 of Taming Liberty

I ignore him and press on, the mob parting with each step I take. I know I’ll need to have a conversation with Sawyer, but right now I want to get Lib to my house as fast as I can. Besides, I’m having a hard time thinking straight, so I don’t trust myself to try to explain anything right now.

And Lib... Jesus, what is she feeling?

I glance at her over my shoulder as I hurry toward the staircase, but she doesn’t meet my gaze. She stares ahead, her eyes glazed and face pale. Is that how I looked the night Beth died?

I look straight, blinking the thought away. Sawyer’s right behind us, and he speaks, but I can’t hear what he’s saying because screaming below us draws my attention. I spot a petite woman with a scrappy ponytail and glasses that are crooked on her nose. She’s charging up the stairs while we descend.

“You murderer!” she screams, her eyes directed behind me. Lib’s hold on my jacket tightens.

When the woman reaches us, she tries to circle me, but I turn to shield Lib. She beats a fist against my chest.

“You killed her!” she wails.

I hold her at arm’s length and narrow my eyes. “Enough.”

She doesn’t let up, rearing back for another swing. I catch her fist just before it reaches my shoulder. She sobs and cries out her pain, and I finally recognize the woman as Lily, Desiree’s friend.

There are too many people around, too many voices, and it’s becoming overwhelming, too chaotic for my head to handle in this state. I spin and grab Lib, hauling her over my shoulder before hurrying past the woman down the steps. I stride through the manor, the roar of voices gradually receding behind me. The people I do see along the way avoid eye contact, slinking out of my way as I draw near.

When we get outside, I stride across the courtyard, forcing myself not to look over at Desiree’s body. There was a crowd surrounding the body when I looked down from the balcony, but now there’re only a handful of lurkers pushed farther back by a couple of guards. Abandoned sandals litter the poolside, and American pop music plays for no one.

It isn’t until I’m through the gate to my house, no one at my back, that I realize I can set Lib down. I stop and slowly put her on her feet. I try to meet her vacant eyes in the dark, but she stares through me.

“Hey.” I cup her chin. Still nothing. I open my mouth, consider saying more, but I can tell she’s lost within herself. Her shaking has stopped. Her tears have dried. She could maybe walk, but she’s on autopilot.

I pick her back up, cradling her in my arms this time as I walk the rest of the way to my house. When I get inside, I take Lib straight to the couch and lay her down as gently as I can. She stares off into space, her head turned slightly.

“It’s going to be okay,” I murmur, although I don’t know if she can hear me.

My chest tightens when I touch her shoulder. I close my eyes and try not to picture Beth, try not to relive my past. Not now. Not when Lib needs me here in the present.

“It’s going to be okay,” I whisper again, this time for my benefit.

I open my eyes and smooth my hand down Lib’s arm then back up again.

My front door opens, and I shoot up to see Sawyer walking through, Jasper on his heels.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growl.

Sawyer’s eyes widen with astonishment, and he puts his hands up in an ‘I come in peace’ gesture. Jasper stands to the side, his hands in his pockets and a nearly imperceptible smirk on his face.

Sawyer tries to peek over the couch at Lib, and I walk around to stand in his way.

He frowns, genuine concern shining in his eyes. “Is she all right?”

“No, she isn’t.” I look over my shoulder at her, then turn back to Sawyer. “She just watched me murder someone.”

Sawyer’s eyes narrow with skepticism. Jasper laughs, and my glare snaps his way.

“Come on, Angel. You’re kidding, right?” He elbows Sawyer. “Even Sawyer here isn’t going to buy that bullshit.”

“She’s just a woman,” I say. “She isn’t capable of throwing someone off a ledge. I realize how it may have looked, but I also don’t care. Now get the fuck out of my house.”

“What did you just say to me?” Sawyer asks incredulously.

“We will,” Jasper jumps in. My eyes move to him. “But the girl’s coming with us.”

My hands ball into fists, and my jaw clenches until my teeth protest.

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