Once Upon a Friendship

As soon as the words flew so passionately out of her mouth, Gabrielle knew she’d made a huge mistake.

She might just as well have told Liam Connelly that she was in love with him.

* * *

LIAM PULLED TO a stop at a yellow light and turned to look at Gabrielle.

She returned his stare as best she could.

What did they do now?

How did they pretend there was nothing going on between them? It was hard enough knowing that he’d never be the type of husband she needed, one who was all in with his wife for the rest of his life. He’d be faithful, she was sure of that. But his eye would wander. His mind. His desire for her would wane.

But the thought of losing his friendship...

He kept staring at her. Letting her see him, too. And she wanted nothing more than to give in to the powerful feelings between them.

And let the future take care of itself.

A horn honked behind him. The light had turned green.

Liam looked away.

She knew he’d let go of her.

And that it was for the best.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SHE DIDN’T CARE that it was a Friday night. Wouldn’t have cared if it was in the middle of the night. Gabrielle rode the elevator up with Liam. She got off at her floor. Waited for the doors to close, for him to reach his floor, and then she fled.

Down the stairs.

And out the back door, climbing into her car and tearing out of the drive before a security guard could alert Elliott Tanner—if he’d been instructed to do so—that she was on the loose.

Driven by an anger so strong it was scaring her—and still not caring—she sped across town. Little things like gates and guards and security cameras, even the threat of jail, weren’t going to stop her.

Or even concern her.

Liam had given her the only access code she needed. He’d told her, the day she’d sprung him from jail, how he’d managed to get on his father’s property, only to find him not there. He’d related the obvious agitation of a housekeeper who’d helped raise him. Who loved him.

Related, too, that his arrest had come for trespassing at Connelly headquarters, with no mention of an additional charge at the home of Walter Connelly.

Betting on the fact that Walter didn’t know Liam had visited his home that day, she was expecting the spare key to the gatehouse to be right where Liam had returned it after using it.

She parked far enough away to avoid security cameras. And kept to the brush as she half ran in the directions Liam had described when he’d told her about his breaking and entering escapade the last time he’d been to his boyhood home.

Almost as validation that she was doing the right thing, she found the gatehouse while it was still light outside. Found the key, too.

And made it to the front door just as Walter Connelly pulled up, driving himself, in a black Lincoln Town Car.

Apparently her luck had just run out.

* * *

LIAM HAD TO talk to Marie. Without Gabi present. Or knowing. And he wasn’t comfortable with the idea.

He had no other choice.