“My family.” I sense his hesitation, a need to break this news to me with sensitivity.
“Correct.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“She’ll be put into Guardian’s Personal Protection Program.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Are you familiar with witness protection?”
“I am.” Then I pause. “Wait a minute.” I take in a deep breath. “You’re telling me I won’t get to see her?”
“Correct.”
“Can I speak to her?”
“That won’t be possible.”
“Why not?”
“Those that took her will want her back.” He pauses, waiting—I suppose—for me to catch up. “She won’t be safe until we deal with that.”
“And any contact with me puts her at risk.”
“Not just her.” He takes my hands in his. “If your family knows Sybil reached out, they’ll assume she told you everything about her abduction. It puts you at risk.”
“You think my uncle might do something?” A sharp pain stabs my heart.
I want to go back to yesterday when I was oblivious to all of this.
“We can’t rule out the possibility.”
“This just stinks.”
It does way more than that. It totally sucks.
“Let’s make a pact.” Liam takes my hands and leads me down the street.
“A pact?”
“Yes. When I get confirmation about Sybil, I’ll share, but after that, we don’t speak about her. It’s too dangerous if anyone accidentally overhears. We don’t talk about what happened on the twenty-fifth floor. We go back to the basics.”
“Which are?”
“You and I have been dating. We’re out tonight to have fun and get engaged.”
“Do we have to do the engaged thing?”
“From what you’ve said about your mother, it’s best to put that roadblock in front of her. Mitzy has access to Belvedere security systems. That will lead her down many paths. In my experience, however, the stuff people want no one to see ...” He rubs the back of his neck. “They keep that at home, far away from work. We need access to your uncle’s home.”
“I hate going there.”
“But you do go there?”
“Every Sunday for brunch. Attendance required.”
“What about your boyfriend? Your newly engaged fiancé?”
“My mother will drop dead.”
“Perfect.”
27
MARIA
After our encounter with the would-be muggers, Liam takes me to a nightclub.
A techno beat pumps through the speakers. Black lights flicker and flash, turning the inside of the club into an eclectic mix of color and sound. All around us, bodies bump and grind on the dance floor.
Liam takes me right to the center, where everyone can see his filthy moves.
The man’s body is built for sin. If he can move like that on a dance floor, what can he do in the bedroom?
Not that I need to know.
Not that I should be thinking about that at all.
Not that it’s exactly what I want to experience first-hand.
As far as clubbing goes, I’m not dressed for a night on the town.
Liam is.
He ditched the bulletproof gear but kept the black suit. I’m in a modest skirt, my favorite silk blouse, and sensible heels. The only reason we get into the club is because of Liam’s megawatt smile.
“I’m done.” I lift up on my toes and try to shout over the music.
I head to the bar, hoping to find a seat, but Liam yanks me back to his side, spinning me around as if he planned the whole move. I’m beginning to hate that about him.
In addition to being drop-dead gorgeous, my Hollywood hunk is Fred Astaire on steroids. He tears up the dance floor with moves that shouldn’t be legal. He’s the kind of dancer capable of compensating for his partner’s weakness.
I’m an exceptionally inept dance partner. It takes a man like Liam to make me look good.
“We dance until dawn.” Liam pulls me to him, spinning me like a top. The entire time, his steely gaze scans the room. “I don’t see your friends.”
By friends, he means my security detail. If they’re worth half of what my uncle pays them, they should’ve found me by now.
The way Liam whispers in my ear is beyond amazing. The heat of his breath skates down my skin, making my fingers curl.
“Come on, princess, let’s grind. Time to dance dirty.” He leans in, towering over me as those hips of his go to work. Arms hanging loose, he’s a sinuous gyration of shoulders and hips. Every female in the club stares at us.
At him.
When they look at me, jealousy and animosity shoot from their eyes. They’d eagerly claw my eyes out if they could, and they would. Except Liam makes it clear to every man on the dance floor that I belong to him. By the way he holds me, he tells every woman he has eyes only for me. That makes them hate me even more.
He’s possessive, protective, and selfishly keeps me for himself. Those few men brave enough to make an attempt to lure me away, meet Liam’s fierce stare and sinister growl. To a man, they back down like baby cubs.
Liam pulls me close. He wraps an arm around my waist, placing his palm flat against my back. We traverse the dance floor again. His hands slide up suggestively from my waist to my shoulders and continue on to the back of my neck, where his fingers tangle in my hair.
Controlling me by my head, he takes me for a series of spins. His dominant and determined moves make me look halfway decent.
But my feet hurt.
And I’m tired.
There’s no news of Sybil, at least not that I know about. Liam hasn’t checked his cell phone since we got in the club.
“I’m done dancing.” I try to stop for a break, but Liam isn’t having it.
“We’re making a scene.”
“I know. That’s why I want to stop.”
“That’s why we can’t.”
“You sure?”
“The entire purpose of tonight is to be seen. That’s why I won’t let any of these assholes dance with you. You’re all mine.”
“What about you? Are you mine as well?”
“Have you seen me look at another woman?”
Come to think of it, I haven’t, but I don’t want him to know I’m insecure.
His left hand slides down to my hips. His other hand twines in my hair.
“I’m tired.” I want to know how things are going with Sybil. The Guardians must have some kind of status update.
“Not yet.” Liam leans down, growling into my ear.
The possessiveness of that tone makes my spine tingle. He releases my hair, letting it fall down my back, but that’s only so he can grab my hips again. This music calls for suggestive moves, and Liam knows how to grind.
We practically fuck with our clothes on.
“Do you have to be so suggestive?” I blow out a breath as he wraps his arms around me.
“You don’t like my moves?” He leans down, nuzzling my neck, as his hips gyrate, grinding against mine. His heated breath sends another wave of shivers rushing down my spine.