Holy crap.
“You have a beautiful home,” I murmur, feeling a little awestruck.
“Thanks.” Liam pulls me into a bathroom that’s half the size of my apartment. An oval-shaped tub stands in front of the windows, and I can see the city from here.
Letting go of my hand, he says, “I’m just going to get you something to wear.”
I stand still, glancing at the marble counters and huge shower. A minute later, Liam comes back with a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants.
He sets the clothing down on the counter, then looks at me. “Take your time. Okay?”
“Yes, sir.” The second the word ‘sir’ leaves my mouth, I feel awkward as hell.
I’m standing in my boss’ bathroom.
“Just Liam,” he corrects me before walking out and shutting the door behind him.
Letting the blanket drop to the floor, I take hold of the jacket and slowly open it. The second I see my naked body, I have to glance away, shame hitting me hard.
Finn saw me naked. He touched me.
God. Liam saw me naked too.
Crouching down, I bury my face in my arms.
Chapter 19
Liam
Hearing Kiara cry in the bathroom takes all my strength to not go back in there to comfort her.
Instead, I pull out my phone and dial Will’s number.
“The mother is safe, and there’s no sign of Finn… yet,” he answers.
“Keep looking for the fucker.” I sit down at the foot of my bed and stare at the shut bathroom door. “Can you stop by the office and bring Kiara’s handbag. It’s at Devon’s desk.”
“Will do. I’ll bring it by your place tomorrow,” he replies.
“Also, go to Finn’s office and gather Kiara’s clothes. I don’t want any of the other staff finding them.” Rubbing a tired hand over my forehead, I add, “Thanks for tonight.”
“That’s what I’m here for. How’s Kiara holding up?”
I shake my head, not sure. “As best as she can.”
“I feel for the woman.” He lets out a sigh. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Let me know if you need me to bring anything else.”
“Thanks, Will.”
Ending the call, I pull the tie loose from around my neck and undo the top two buttons.
I hear the shower running, and my thoughts turn to the scene I walked in on. I close my eyes against the image of Finn on top of Kiara.
I’ve done a lot of bad shit in my life, but hurting a woman? It’s something I’ll never be able to stomach.
It’s only then the realization hits that I don’t know whether the fucker raped her, and I can’t remember if the doctor asked her.
My eyes snap open, and I shoot to my feet, unable to sit still. Pacing up and down in front of the bathroom door, my skin crawls with disgust for what Kiara went through.
The second the door opens, I stop pacing and stare at her. She’s washed her hair and her body’s drowning in my clothes. Her chin trembles as she asks, “Do you have a nail clipper? I can’t get all the blood out from under my nails.”
Jesus.
Darting forward, I can’t stop myself from wrapping my arms around her. I press my hand to the back of her head and try to curve my body around hers. She instantly breaks down, and I hate asking the question, but I need to know.
“Did he rape you?”
“N-no,” she stammers through her tears. “I m-managed to fight h-him off until you c-came.”
Thank. God.
When Kiara calms down, she pulls back, whispering, “Thank you.” I’m just about to tell her to stop thanking me when she adds, “For stopping him.”
Not knowing what to reply, I take hold of her hand and pull her back into the bathroom. Digging a nailbrush out of the cabinet, I turn on the faucet. I pull her hand beneath the water and begin to scrub her nails, getting the blood out from beneath them.
“Finn’s blood?” I ask as I manage to clean one nail after the other.
“Yes. I scratched him a couple of times.”
“Good for you. Should’ve taken his fucking eyes out.” A fresh wave of anger pours through my veins.
“Yeah, I should’ve.”
Glancing at Kiara, it’s to see the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. “Why do people say you’re grumpy?” she asks, catching me by surprise with her question.
“’Cause I am,” I answer honestly. “I’m not a people person.”
I can feel her eyes on me as I focus on her left hand. “You’ve only been nice to me.”
“That’s ’cause you’re different.”
“By different, you mean?”
My eyes flick to hers. “You don’t annoy the fuck out of me by breathing.”
The corner of her mouth lifts again, and it has me asking, “Feeling a little better?”
Kiara takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m trying not to think about it.”
When I’m done cleaning her nails, I turn off the water and grab a towel from the warming rack. I dry her hands, then lock eyes with her. “We need to talk about it. Just a couple of questions, then I’ll drop the subject.”