“Well, now, I may be a lot of things, young lady, but the one thing I’m not is bought. Carlo doesn’t own me. Sit back down.”
“Fuck you, I’m leaving,” Willow spits at him.
“Hey now, you trying to teach your son those kinds of manners? Sit down. I also meant what I said when I said you’d have to trust me. Sit down.”
Liam eases Willow back down into the metal chair, Frank still clutched to her chest, bubbles blowing out of his little nose. Liam wipes the boy’s face with his hand, grimacing before rubbing the wetness across his jeans.
Rubbing circles across Willow’s back, Liam tells her to give Detective Peters a chance to explain.
Willow glares across the table at the detective, who ignores the hate in her gaze. “Okay then, here’s what we do. Liam, you’re going to call your guy and tell him you’ll take the job. Then, you’re going to tell him you found her and set up a meet. We’re going to wire you both up and send you in.”
Liam feels Willow start to shake under his hand, hears her breathing coming short. Fear is radiating off her. Even knowing that she’ll be with Liam and under police protection isn’t enough for her. Liam can tell she’s going to say no. And that’s exactly what she does.
Turning to the detective, Liam asks him to give them a few minutes. Detective Peters nods and walks out the door, leaving them alone in the small room.
“Willow. Look at me!”
Willow looks up at him, fear and anger warring across her face. He knows she thinks he’s betrayed her by bringing her here.
“We need to do this, Willow.”
“No. I’m not doing it. I’m not putting Frank in danger like that.”
“It’s the only way. Carlo won’t get anywhere near Frank. I promise. I’ll be there.”
She bites into her lip and vigorously shakes her head no.
Liam drops onto the floor beside her, one hand resting on her knee, the other on Frank’s back. He stares up at her, willing her see in his eyes what he doesn’t want to say out loud. When all she does is stare down at him, her eyes beginning to take on the blank look he saw earlier, he makes his choice.
“Willow, I love you.”
Her eyes narrow at him.
“I love you and Frank and I’m not going to let anything or anyone hurt either one of you. We have to do this. And we can trust Peters. He’s here to help up and he’s as honest as they come. Please, Willow? Let’s get rid of Carlo for good. Then, we can start over somewhere else. Just the three of us.”
Her face softens as she looks at him, he can see the fear leeching away from her features. “You love me?” she asks softly.
“Yes, God help us all, I do.”
She takes a deep breath and looks down at the little boy cradled in her lap. “And what about Harriet?”
Liam hesitates as he says it. Something that he’d spent months and money trying to find her had come to a bitter end. He knew what Willow wanted and he knew that all it took was a promise to make sure that it was all put to an end.
“Maybe your grandma’s right and I should put the past behind me. Harriet’s done it and maybe that’s why she’s back home?”
“I don’t care if she’s done it. At the end of the day she’s my mom. I can’t sit and watch knowing that I could have stopped her death.”
As Liam nods, Willow blurts out, “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Liam takes a deep breath. “Good. I’ll go get Peters, let him know.
Just then the door swings open and Peters steps back in. Liam colors, a bright red flushing across his face, and Willow gives Peters a questioning look. Grinning, the detective points at the camera in the corner.
Chapter Twenty One
Liam
They’re in a motel, just the three of them, arranged for them by the police and across town from their apartment building. A young cop in street clothes dropped them and then returned later with bags full of burgers from a local fast food place. Fra