His tongue meets mine, and I savor the bitter taste of Guinness on his tongue. I didn’t think I’d ever like the taste of it as much as I do now.
“Guys, mission please.” Gemma’s voice startles me away, and I pull myself up. Liam grips me tighter and presses a last kiss to my closed lips. Our moment reminds me that we also have cameras on our bodies, giving Gemma a front row seat.
“Sorry,” I say, mostly for her, even though I’m not the least bit sorry. I’m about to clarify that to Liam when I see a character who looks wildly out of place move behind a curtain. “Behind you,” I say subtly, leaning into Liam like I’ve had too much to drink. “Follow my lead.”
“Mo.” His eyes give me the warning his mouth doesn’t.
“Just trust me.”
I see him want to argue, but then he thinks better of it and follows closely behind me. I turn my smile up to eleven and wave out into the crowd. There’s no one there, but I want anyone watching to think we’re just two people greeting a friend and looking for a place to hook up.
I walk through the curtain like I know what I’m doing, allowing the beat of the bass to propel me, an extra confidence in my step with a soundtrack for my movements. Behind the curtain are stairs that lead down into the basement. I know that because I’ve been in this part before; the only difference is, instead of a uniform and a stick-up-your-ass bun, I’m wearing a revealing dress and my hair flows in waves around me as I pull Liam down the stairs.
He keeps up, and I only pause slightly when I hear Gemma’s voice again. “Remember, he might know who Liam is, guys. If he recognizes you, you need to get out.” Her stern warning makes me shiver, but I take the opportunity to turn to Liam the moment we hit the bottom of the stairs, giving him another kiss. He’s not expecting it, his face already stern, but I giggle like he’s the funniest guy in the world and implore him with my eyes to follow along. His mouth immediately breaks out into a grin, following my lead, and I turn us so he’s walking backward. I’m all over him, my hands in his hair, his lips on mine, and I look over his shoulder, noticing there are more than fifty people down here.
We find a place to sit, a foot of space on a bench Liam snatches up before pulling me onto his lap. We are both eyeing everyone around us, looking for anyone or anything that doesn’t belong. We keep our heads bent together, talking low and whispering like two lovers who haven’t left the honeymoon stage—which, when I think about it, is true for us.
“I got him,” Liam says quietly, keeping his mouth on my neck while looking over my shoulder. I tell my libido to chill out and focus, but it’s damn hard when his lips are caressing my skin.
“Liam,” I start, but he’s already standing.
“He saw me—he’s bolting.” One minute we’re making out, and the next Liam is chasing someone out the back door and I’m left to catch up with him.
“Liam went after him!” I yell, letting Gemma know to get her ass here now. Hopefully she was already doing that, but I grab my gun from where it’s secured on the inside of my thigh and chase after the man who just messed with my psyche.
Busting through a door into the back alley, I immediately hear the gunshots, but I don’t know who’s shooting at what. It’s dark as hell and there are plenty of drunkards going to and from the bar, but none are keen on noticing what’s happening.
I finally catch a glimpse of Liam ahead of me, and just as I take a step toward him, a shot rings out and his silhouette goes down.
Tears spring to my eyes and my breath leaves my body in one word. “No!”