Page 82 of Silent Girl

“Don’t worry, babe, I happen to be a fan of your bodily fluids.” He winks.

“Let’s never mention this again. Come on, if we don’t go down to the dining room, Dad will send one of the boys up here to get us.” I reach for Liam’s hand and lead him out of my bedroom.

“So, we just go and have dinner and pretend that today didn’t happen?” Liam asks me.

“That’s usually how it goes.” I shrug.

“That’s fucked up, Aliyah,” he says.

“I know. I’m sorry. You don’t have to stay. I get it if you want to leave.”

“Are you staying?” he asks.

“Yes.” I answer.

“Where you go, I go,” Liam tells me.

ChapterThirty-Eight

Iglance around the house as I follow Aliyah through the hallways. Nothing looks out of place. From the sounds of it, I was expecting to see everything smashed and shot up. But other than a few bullet holes I’ve seen in the walls, there isn’t a single piece of broken glass. We were in that room for hours. So long I lost track of time. I do know that it’s now morning. So it’s been at least half a day.

This is next-level messed up. The fact I had to spend the night in a panic room with my girlfriend, because her family is into criminal activities, should have me running. But it doesn’t. I can’t think of anything that would have me leaving this girl behind.

When we enter the dining room, her father is seated at the head of the table, all three of her brothers filling the spots on one side. Aliyah pulls me around, opposite them, and sits in the chair closest to her father. I pull out the seat next to hers.

“Are we really doing this, Pops?” Vinny asks.

“Yes,” Jacob says. “You two have a game tonight. Are you going to be good for that? I’ve made excuses for you both for missing morning skate,” he says, looking from me to Grayson.

“I’m good.” I nod.

“You good, Gray?” Jonah elbows Grayson in the side.

“Gray, what’s wrong?” Aliyah asks her brother when he groans at the contact.

“Nothing, just got a graze,” Gray answers her.

“You got shot?” Aliyah gasps, stands from her chair, and rushes around to the other side of the table. “Show me. Why isn’t the doctor here?”

“It’s fine, Lia. The fucker only scratched me. I’ve had worse injuries from playing hockey,” Gray says, swatting her hands aside.

“Still, you shouldn’t play tonight, if you’re already hurt,” Aliyah says, then turns to her father. “Dad, tell him he can’t play.”

“Lia, if I don’t play, who’s going to make sure your little boyfriend here doesn’t get smashed up out on the ice?” Gray laughs.

“How I’ve managed to stay alive before I joined the Knights is unfathomable,” I deadpan.

“We’re playing Montreal. You really think they’re not going to come at you with everything they’ve got?” he asks me.

“We’ve played them three times already. I’ve survived.” I shrug. We’ve also won all three times we’ve gone up against my old team. I’m not worried in the slightest about doing it again. They can throw everything they have at me. I’ll still be standing in the end.

“Suit yourself. I’ll step back tonight and see how you fare.” Gray shrugs.

“Don’t do that. If he gets hurt, I’m gonna kick your ass, Gray,” Aliyah threatens her brother as she moves back to her seat.

“Aliyah, I’ll be fine,” I tell her.

“If you’re not, I’ll kick your assandhis,” she says, pointing from me to Gray.

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