Page 105 of Liam
Nylah leaned against Liam while slipping her fingers into Cody’s. Safe. It was a word she had to keep repeating in her head. The building they ran their business in was destroyed, but it was the lives that counted. And tonight, somehow, everyone they cared about was still breathing.
CHAPTER30
Liam moved around his kitchen as he prepared dinner. He had a pot roast on but was extending his skills to make an apple pie for dessert. Nylah had let slip a week ago that it was a favorite of hers, reminding her of her childhood. Usually, he’d just buy a pie from Courtney, but she still hadn’t re-opened The Grind, so he was doing it himself.
So far, it didn’t look terrible…but it also didn’t look great.
The events of a few weeks ago were never far from his mind. The explosion. The fact that Nylah had been chased through the damn streets with a gun. Even Violet being both Steve’s daughter and Hawk was a shock he was struggling to accept. But at least now, they knew why Steve had been blocked at every turn when he’d tried to get them access to things on the case. It had been Trey all along. A man Violet had seduced and used. Hell, it had even been Trey who’d put Bryce Burger forward as a suspect. He was a decoy. A weak attempt to distract and keep the attention off himself.
Liam layered the pastry on top of the pie, his jaw grinding at the memory of the list of names Steve had given them. All the men who’d been part of that online hate group, and everyone Violet and Trey had made contact with. They’d all been arrested, and it would be a long time before those directly involved saw the outside of a prison again, if ever.
Liam could finally sleep well, knowing his loved ones were safe.
Voices sounded from the bedroom. Nylah was on a video call with her brothers. Cody had left a week ago, but Liam would forever be grateful to the man for his part in keeping Nylah safe that night. He had no doubt that had he not attacked Trey, Violet would have shot Nylah, then walked outside and finished off Jason.
His gut clenched at the thought, acid filling his chest.
He’d just slotted the pie into the oven when his phone rang from the counter. A small smile stretched his face when he saw Callum’s name.
“Hey, Cal. How’s Vermont treating you?”
Callum and Fiona had decided to get away for a week and had rented an Airbnb on the East Coast.
Hell, a lot of his team were either away or actively planning a trip. They all needed some down time with their loved ones after the events that had taken place, before they began to rebuild Blue Halo.
“It’s good, except for the damn house cat, Toby.”
Liam frowned. “What’s wrong with a house cat?”
“Fiona’s now convinced we need our own cat. A black one with a white stomach, exactly like him.”
Liam laughed. “I’m surprised an Airbnb has a house cat.”
“Technically, it doesn’t. The owners live close by, so this cat thinks it has two homes. I don’t blame the thing. Fiona feeds it, pets it. Hell, she let him sleep in our room last night. I’d be confused too.”
Liam shook his head, the smile still on his face as he checked on the pot roast. Steam billowed when he removed the lid to the slow cooker. “Other than that, everything okay?”
“Yeah. I just got off the phone with Wyatt. His team’s doing well. They’ve started to rebuild Marble Protection.”
Relief splintered through Liam. Relief that they’d only lost their places of work and not any lives. That theycouldrebuild. “Good.”
“I wanted to check in on El and Ned. You visited them today, right? They doing okay?”
Liam’s muscles tensed. He fucking hated that innocent people had gotten caught up in the crossfire of a war that had nothing to do with them. “They’re both doing okay, El better than Ned. She’s being discharged tomorrow. Ned’s gonna need a bit more time, but hopefully he’ll be okay to go home soon.”
Callum sighed. “I’ll try to visit him when I get home tomorrow.”
“He’d like that.”
Callum cleared his throat. “Also, got some good news. I found a new location for Blue Halo.”
Liam’s lips twitched. “You telling me I have to get my ass into the office again already? I can’t even get a month off?”
“Youwanta month off?”
His friend knew him too well. He loved being home, especially because this was where Nylah was. But he also lived and breathed his job. Taking assholes down. Protecting innocents from the bad guys.
“Nope. Send me the address.”
