“Blood.” Finn grinned. “Your woman is one hell of a shot.”
Liam grinned back. “That’s just the tip of it.”
Finn raised an eyebrow. “Why am I not surprised?”
Liam paced the alongside his car. “So what do we know?”
“Shooter is wounded, has been in both of your houses looking for something and has tried to take you both out.” Finn ticked off all the things Liam was thinking.
“Exactly,” Liam said. “This is personal.”
Finn shrugged his shoulders. “So who have you pissed off?”
Liam folded his arms and shot him a look.
“Okay. So who have you pissed off recently?”
Liam shook his head. “All I can think of is that it’s one of your men. Some weren’t happy you wanted to pick me. I’m still an outsider to many of them.”
Finn ground his teeth and gave him a cold look. “You are my brother. Nothing about that is being an outsider.”
Liam stared at Fnn for a moment. For the first time since hearing the news, he was starting to feel like having a brother wasn’t such a bad thing.
“Okay, forget the who,” Liam said. “How?”
Finn frowned. “How what?”
“How do we catch this prick?” He grinned. “I’ve got an idea, and it might just work if you’re on board.”
* * *
Meg woke up in her brother’s bed, somewhat disoriented. She hadn’t slept nearly as long as she needed, but her eyes just wouldn’t stay closed any longer. After she had left the recovery room and returned to the waiting room, she had been surprised to find only her brother waiting for her.
Her phone flashed the time, nearly two in the afternoon. She might as well get up. Liam told Cage he would come by in the afternoon. Meg just hoped Liam had a plan for taking out the shooter. If they just waited around, they were going to get picked off, and from what Kace had related, the police didn’t have much in the way of leads.
She snatched the phone off the nightstand and quickly called the clinic.
“Hello,” she said into the phone. “I’m checking on my dog, Harley.”
“One moment please.”
Meg took several deep breaths, waiting.
“Hello, Meg?” Whitney said over the phone.
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” Meg laughed into the phone.
“I’m sleeping here to check on Harley,” she said quietly.
Meg’s heart swelled. “Thank you,” she whispered and took a moment to compose herself. “So how is he?”
“Doing well,” Whitney said with excitement. “I think we can say he’s safe now.”
Her heart danced at such great news. “I thought you said we had to wait?”
“I did, but he’s doing so well, I think we can give him the all ,clear.” Whitney said. “However, his recovery is going to be a hard road. But with a little work, he’ll be a happy puppy again.”
She listened to all the rules about working with Harley. They sounded like hard work, but she’d do what she had to in order to make it up to her wonderful dog.
When she hung up, Meg climbed out of bed and went into the living room. Liam and her brother were in deep conversation when she came in.
“How did you sleep?” Cage asked and glanced at Liam.
“Fine,” she said and eyed them both. Something was going on.
“Heard anything from the vet?” Liam asked and ignored her questioning eyes.
Meg smiled at them both. “He’s doing well. The doc says he’s out of the danger zone.”
“How long until he gets to come home?” Liam asked.
“Not for another few day,” she said and grabbed a bowl of cereal from the kitchen. “She wants to keep him on fluids and antibiotics for a bit longer.”
She watched as Liam turned to Cage. “Can you go visit?”
Cage nodded, and when she sat down, both of the men turned their guilty faces her way.
“All right,” she said, grabbing a spoonful of cereal. “What the hell is going on?”
“We’re going to a cabin in the woods,” Liam said.
Meg nearly choked on her cereal. “Are you kidding me? Harley still in the hospital.” She glared at them both.
“Exactly,” Liam said. “This guy was hit by you, and he’s going to be frantic to take us out for whatever reason. What if the next time he doesn’t miss or worse, hits one of your family?”
Meg’s heart seized at the thought. The last thing she wanted was to put more people in jeopardy.
Meg sighed and looked across the table.
“When do we go?”
Chapter Sixteen
Meg had been surprised to find a bag packed in the car with clothes for the both of them. But then, Liam had always been meticulous when it came to preparation. She had to admit she was more than a little nervous that she didn’t know the whole scope of the plan, but Liam wanted to make sure that above all, her reactions would be normal.
They had been driving for an hour. When they turned off the road, Liam hit a button on a stopwatch. The country dirt road jumped around under her, and she wondered what he was up to. After a few minutes of bouncing around, she spotted a cabin in the distance. She smiled at how sweetly situated it was next to a creek in back.
When they had pulled up in front, Liam hit the watch.
“Five minutes, forty seconds.” He frowned. “It’s not much time.”
He selected a contact on his phone and put it to his ear. Meg watched him at work and wondered what he planned to do.
“We’re in,” he said stiffly. “Turn it on, and be ready. Last thing I want is a fucking gun battle.”
Her head jerked toward him in alarm.
Liam still faced forward, talking to the person on the phone.
“Just,” he glanced over to her, and she felt her heart race with worry, “don’t leave me hanging. I’m really counting on you.” Liam nodded. “You’re right. Thanks.”
When he hung up, Meg’s stomach hurt slightly.
“Gun battle?” she said.
Liam took her hand in his. “That’s what we’re trying to stop.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.” She shook, and for the first time, she really thought she might have gotten into the wrong line of work.
Liam pulled her to him in the car and wrapped her in his arms.
“You couldn’t have stopped what happened to Harley,” he said. “He was brave, and that’s what we need to be. There’s something about the two of us that this person is trying to get to, and I’ve got to know figure it out.”
Meg took a deep breath.
“It’s not going to get any better,” he said. “This guy is out for blood, and as soon as he gets what he’s looking for, he’s going to stop at nothing until we’re dead.”
Meg shivered. She’d gotten into fights, and even been shot at, but there had never been someone aiming for her. Even when she’d been held hostage by the Russians, it had really been a matter of just being there at the wrong time.
“You’re right.” She sighed. “I just hope you brought enough stuff in case it comes down to a fight.”
Liam grinned. “Every inch of the house,” he said. “We get this guy inside, he’s ours.”
A chill gripped her. Being in the house with the shooter would be dangerous.
She followed Liam out of the car and into the little cabin. It was cute. Most of the furniture was far nicer than she expected. The decorations had been kept to a minimum, but she was sort of glad. The idea of having to stare at a fish or deer’s dead eyes all night creeped her out. She might not have an issue with hunting, but that didn’t mean she wanted to see it in any other form but on a plate.
Meg groaned when she walked into the kitchen.
“We forgot food,” she grumbled.
Liam walked past her and opened up the fridge. She was surprised to see there were a number of things to eat, so they would be fine for at least a couple of days.
He shut the door and turned to her. “I figure we unload. I’ll show you where all the guns are located, and then we’ll make some dinner,” he said.
Meg gave a little frown. “Aren’t you worried about a surprise attack?”
Liam shook his head. “He’s been attacking at night for a reason. I figure he’s got a reason to hide.”
Meg nodded. He was right. She needed to stop thinking like a victim and start thinking like the trained professional she was. This bastard wasn’t going to get the best of her.
* * *
“I had no idea you knew how to cook.” Meg beamed up at him.
He knew really shouldn’t feel so proud about making steaks, but the way she was looking at him he just couldn’t help it.
“It’s just steaks.” He cleared his plate before she saw the blush blooming on his cheeks.
He jumped when she came to stand beside him at the sink.
“I don’t know. I thought they were pretty fantastic.” She leaned close and grinned. “Don’t tell my dad, but you’ve got him beat.”
Liam grinned right back at her. If there was one thing Mr. Allen prided himself on, it was his steaks.
“Besides, it was more than just steaks. That salt-encrusted baked potato was the best I’ve ever had, and I have no idea what that spice on the vegetable kabobs was, but I could eat those all day.”
He laughed and started up the water in the sink to wash the dishes.
“No, you don’t.” She bumped him with her hip.
“You cooked. I’ll wash.”
He stared at her for a moment as she started in on the pile of dirty dishes. It was strange to see her so domestic. If he was being really honest, it felt right. To be there with her, sharing in daily chores.
“I’ll dry,” he said and cleared his throat.
Meg smiled at him and handed over a dish.
In comfortable silence, they worked together, and he found himself wondering more and more what their life together could be like.
While he dried off the last piece and placed it back in the cabinet, Meg wiped down the counters. He was glad to learn she was just as meticulous as he was.
Liam looked to the clock on the wall. Not even seven. It was going to be a bit longer before it even started to get dark.
He watched as she bent over to pick up something off the floor and bit back a groan. He knew what he’d like to do until then.
Meg turned and winked at him. He was glad to see her in such a good mood. The call from the vet this morning had helped, and knowing Cage would be stopping by when she couldn’t had helped.
“I think I’m going to take a shower,” she said. Her eyes seemed to be undressing him.
“Meg,” he growled.
She tossed up her hands and shot him a doe-eyed look. “I’m just saying.”
He watched the sway of her perfect ass as she left the room and groaned to the empty kitchen. There was nothing he would like more than to follow her, to mold his body around hers as she squeezed him.
Liam felt his dick harden as he tried not to think about it, but with every pulse down south, he found it was the only thing on his mind. He groaned and stomped around the cabin to check to make sure things were set. He didn’t want to be caught with his pants around his ankles…literally.
When he reached the bedroom, Liam grabbed out a black outfit and placed it on the bed. He tucked the white t-shirt and sweats he loved to wear when he was relaxing under his arm. After lifting up the mattress, he pulled out a few extra guns and his phone. He didn’t really expect a gunfight, but he was always of the mind that you prepared for the worst. Since a gun battle would mean all sorts of things, he just hoped that for once his hunch about a single shooter was right and that he wasn’t going to get them both killed by following his dick.
* * *
Meg sighed under the gentle spray. She had really hoped he would come in with her. The tension was starting to mount, and she needed a release. What better way than with an actual release? Besides, if she was going to face down their shooter, she didn’t see any reason not to express her feelings. It might be her last chance.
She shuddered at the thought of something happening to Liam. Harley had been hard enough, but she could see him doing the exact same thing.
Shutting those ideas out, Meg massaged her aching breasts. She had been aching for his touch. Never in her life had someone been so attentive to her needs. Her fingers skimmed her nipples, and she moaned at the contact. Not wasting any time, she slipped her other hand down to her slick lips. Her fingers swept between her lips, and she pulled the slickness across her clit. She reached out with the hand from her breast to the tiled wall and leaned forward.
“Lean over more,” Liam growled.
Meg jumped and turned to look at him. With the curtain pulled back, he stared at her fingers circling her slick folds.
She leaned forward, so he could see better. She wasn’t surprised when she felt his fingers join her own.
“This what you were planning on doing?” he asked. She gasped as he sank a long digit deep inside.
“Yes,” she groaned and pressed back against his hand. His finger wiggled deep inside her. Her hips bucked wildly, and an orgasm rushed over her. The force of it made her knees shake.
“Shit,” he groaned.
Liam pulled his finger from her and rubbed her juices all over her hungry pussy.
“That was fucking amazing,” he said and leaned forward over her back. She felt his cock brush the inside of her thigh and hissed when it bumped her clit.
When the head hit her entrance, she moaned loudly. She wanted him hot and hard. Meg pushed him into her.
“Meg,” he nearly shouted, and she stopped to look at him. His face was pained, but she could see he was trying to control it. “I’m not wearing anything,” he bit out.
Meg stilled. This was it. The choice. Take the step or keep like they had been.
“I’m willing to take things as they come,” she said quietly.
“What?” he said from behind her.
Meg pulled away and turned around to look at him.
“I love you,” she said. “And it’s not a question for me. I’m tired of playing games with you. I want a family. A family with you.”
He was going to run. She just knew it, and she could have just kicked herself for it. They had only started dating, and here she was trying to pin him with children.
“With me?” he said quietly.
Meg stepped into his arms. “You are the best man I’ve ever met.” She peppered kisses all along his chest. “We don’t have to decide now.”