I opened my mouth, ready to defend myself, but quickly snapped it shut. He was right. I had always fallen back into old habits in the past. I didn’t know if I was going to this time, but there was always that chance…
No. Not this time. I was never going down that road again. I wanted to be the man Gabriella could be proud of. A man deserving of her. “I love her more than anything else. I’m done with the drugs.”
“So you say, but I don’t believe you. Leave her alone, Bryant. Let her marry William. She’s moved on, you should do the same.” With that said, he stepped back and slammed the door in my face. Leaving me standing there. Broken.
I was numb the entire drive back to New York. I drove on autopilot through the snow-filled night as I replayed Luciano Moreitti’s words over and over in my head.
Was he right? I didn’t know and that was what was killing me.
The sound of a horn honking suddenly pulled me from my inner hell. Seconds later I was blinded by the headlights of a car that had drifted into my lane. I gripped my steering wheel and tried to turn away from the oncoming vehicle but it was too late. The sound of metal crunching filled my ears milliseconds before the force of the impact sent me flying through the windshield.
And then there was nothing but blackness, and for once in my life—peace.
***
The sound of Gabriella’s broken sob jerked me back from the past and I looked down at her. She was openly crying, her face full of horror and pain. I pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I shouldn’t have told you the part about the accident.”
“No,” she whispered. “No, I’m glad you did. I always wondered what your last thought was before you were thrown from the car. Now I do. It was about me… wasn’t it?”
I wiped away her tears, but they continued to fall, pushing the dagger in my heart a little deeper with each one. “Yes. You were the last thing that crossed my mind before it went completely blank.”
She tried to sit up, but I tightened my arms around her, keeping her right where I wanted her. In my arms. “Nonno lied, Liam. I never hooked up with William.” She rolled her eyes as she said the other man’s name, making me relax a little. “He was my first boyfriend when I was a teenager and we never did more than kiss a few times. Even back then, Nonno had aspirations of me marrying him. That was never going to happen, though. He’s a sniveling little momma’s boy. You know I can’t stand guys like that. I don’t know why Nonno would even think I would want someone like that.”
Relief filled me and I was able to breathe easier for the first time since Luciano had told me she was going to marry that William fucker. I’d had nightmares for months after my accident, but they hadn’t been about the wreck that had come so close to killing me. No, it had been about Gabriella marrying her faceless William. “Thank God, Brie.”
Her brows lifted. “Didn’t you ever wonder why I hadn’t married him when I kept chasing after you once you’d been released from the hospital?”
I shrugged. “I figured you were feeling guilty or something and that was why you wanted to be with me again. I couldn’t do that to you if that was the case and I didn’t have the balls to ask if it was or not. I knew I didn’t deserve you. I was all kinds of wrong for you and I believed your grandfather when he said that you had moved on. So I kept pushing you away when what I really wanted to do was grab hold of you and never let go.” I tightened my arms around her. “Fighting my need for you was a million times worse than fighting any craving for any drug.”
“Oh, Liam.” She shook her head, a sad smile on her beautiful face. “You’re all kinds of perfect for me. You are the only man I’ve ever loved. Ever. I would have fought the entire world for us if I’d known that you loved me. I only need you. No one else matters.”
I knew I shouldn’t. She was still healing, but I couldn’t help myself. I lowered my head and captured her lips in a hungry kiss. My hands lowered and cupped her perfect ass, pulling her against my throbbing body. Fuck, she tasted so damn good. Nothing had ever tasted as good as she did. Nothing. I wanted to devour her, to consume her so she was just as much a part of me as I wanted to be a part of her.
“Mm,” she moaned and pressed against my chest, forcing me to pull back. She gave me a small grin, but there was pain mixed in with the passion in her eyes. “Easy there, rock star. I’m not unbreakable right now.”
Regret washed through me and I quickly ran my hands over her, checking for any damage I might have done—and yeah, touching all of my favorite parts along the way. “I’m sorry, baby. Where does it hurt? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Liam. Just tender and sore.” She snuggled against my chest and I folded her closer. “As soon as I’m a little better, you can do whatever you want to me. For now, just hold me while I sleep. Okay?”
“Yes, my little Brie. Okay.”
“Liam?” she murmured sleepily.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
My throat closed up with emotion and I had to clear my throat a few times before I could answer her. “I love you, too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Gabriella
Three weeks. That’s how long the doctors kept me prisoner in the hospital. Three weeks of having to put up with regular visits from the Feds. Three weeks of dealing with my Aunt Carina, although Alexis did a hell of a job running interference for me. Three weeks of sitting on my ass doing nothing but walking the halls when the nurses told me to and watching movies on repeat. Liam being there every second of every day made it bearable, but I was ready to climb the walls by the time Dr. Schiller informed me I was ready to go. Now I was ready to dance, with all the excitement running through me.
Annabelle had sent my band home a few days after I’d woken up, but had the bus come back for me a few days ago. I was able to make the long trip back to Los Angeles in comfort since I wasn’t allowed to fly yet. I wasn’t alone, either. Liam was on the bus, of course, but so were Annabelle, Marissa and Wroth. Oh, and I couldn’t forget the security guys. All three of them.
Emmie had insisted and all my objections had been vetoed by everyone around me. Apparently those three goons in suits were going to be a big part of my daily life now. At least until whoever had tried to kidnap Mia was found. I’d tried to argue, but Liam had put his foot down and said it was done. As much as I loved that man, I wasn’t going to put up with him putting his foot down like that for much longer. I was starting to feel smothered by all the attention everyone was giving me.
Except for Liam. I soaked that shit up like it was a life-giving substance. For me, it was. I’d been deprived of him for far too long and I was definitely making up for it now. Still, I wasn’t going to let him boss me around for much longer.
Whoever that stupid bitch was that had shot me had better be found soon. I didn’t want the security staff, and I had no say over them. It was making me grumpy that I hadn’t gotten my own way, but I did understand all the anxiety. So, I was mostly pouting instead of bitching like I would have done if I hadn’t taken the situation so seriously.
“Ah, you are so cute when you push out that bottom lip like that.” Annabelle laughed. She was sitting across from me on one of the couches. Her phone was in her hands and she was switching from answering text messages, to watching the movie that was on, to teasing me.
When I’d switched managers, it hadn’t been something I’d chosen to do on the spur of the moment. For a while I’d felt like I was in a rut with Craig. He’d been getting more and more big-named clients and I’d felt like I was being pushed down his list of priorities. I’d met Annabelle and her brother, Noah, a few years ago and when I’d learned that she was taking on more clientele, I’d called her. We’d talked back and forth through emails for nearly a month about where I wanted to go next in my career and a few weeks later I’d signed on with her.
Since then we’d gotten to know each other a little better. I loved her personality. She was a take-
no-bullshit type of chick but she wasn’t a complete hard-ass. Her humor gave her an approachable vibe that I liked. She’d always been close-lipped about her family life, though. I only knew the bare necessities. She had a brother who had been in the country music business, but was now retired. He was married and had three kids. I’d never met any of them except the brother the first time I’d met Annabelle.
I wouldn’t have been against getting to know her better on that scale, but she didn’t seem to want that, and I respected her privacy.
Or at least, I had.
The moment Liam had told me that he’d grown up with Annabelle and her brother, my curiosity had spiked and now I was itching to know what was up with her need for so much privacy. Did she have some scary family secret or something? I had over a hundred questions I wanted immediate answers to.
Thankfully, I had Marissa sitting beside me to do some of the asking.
“How are Noah and Chelsea doing?” she asked, taking a sip from her mug of tea.
If I hadn’t been watching, I might have missed the subtle tightening of Annabelle’s face, or the way her shoulders tensed before she forcefully made herself relax and smile at Marissa. “They’re good. Still arguing every day, still making up like rabbits every night.”
Marissa’s laugh was as bell-like as always and I instinctively moved closer to her, wanting to absorb as much of that sound as possible. What was it about this chick that made me want to make her laugh like that as often as possible? Damn, if she weren’t Liam’s sister I might have developed a girl-crush on her. “Yes, I remember that. I’m surprised they don’t have more than three kids.”
Annabelle’s smile dimmed a little but she nodded. “They wanted more, but Chelsea had a cancer scare a while back and the doctors decided to do a full hysterectomy just to be safe.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry to hear that. Is she okay now?”
Annabelle nodded. “She’s fine now. Lucky her, she doesn’t have to deal with a period ever again.”
“So you have three nieces? Nephews? Both?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Both,” Annabelle answered, her eyes turning back to her phone as she spoke. “Audrey, Ben…and Mieke is the oldest.”
“Mieke? That’s such a pretty name. How did they come up with that one?” Marissa asked with her always-present smile.
Annabelle shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s Dutch so I think it might have been a distant relative of ours or something.”
“I’m hungry,” Wroth called out in his scary-ass deep voice as he came out down the hall from the roosts. “Tell the driver to stop for something. I feel like having a burger.”
“Yes, because this thing will fit through a drive-thru so easily.” Annabelle rolled her eyes at the hulking guitarist, obviously not in the least scared of him as so many other people tended to be. “There’s stuff in the fridge, a-hole. Make yourself a sandwich.”
Wroth’s dark eyes lit up with amusement. “I thought maybe I’d missed having you around a little, Annabelle. You’ve just proven me wrong.”
She pressed her hand to her chest and pouted out her bottom lip. “I’m heartbroken, Niall.”
“Anna-Banana still has a sassy mouth, I see,” Liam grumbled as he came out of the bathroom dressed in fresh jeans and a shirt, his hair still damp from his shower. “Why haven’t you found a man to cure you of that, I wonder?”
“Fuck off, dickhead,” she muttered. Her jaw clenched as she continued to answer her text messages. “I don’t need a man. They are nothing but trouble that I don’t need nor want.”
“Leave her alone, Li,” Marissa scolded her brother.
“Ah, that’s no fun,” he grumbled as he scooped me up into his strong arms and sat down in my spot with me on his lap.
Liam tucked me against him and I cuddled close, closing my eyes as I enjoyed the clean, masculine scent of his neck. I felt his lips near my ear and shivered. Three weeks of being so close to this man without getting so much as a small taste of what I needed from him had been torture. As soon as we got back to my West Hollywood apartment, I was going to kick everyone out and ravage the sexy beast holding me. He had a thousand new muscles that I needed to explore with my hands, lips, and tongue.
Feeling my shiver, he grinned as he pressed his lips to my temple. “Soon,” he murmured low enough so that only I could hear him.
I nearly moaned in anticipation. We were still a few hours out, damn it. I was ready to kick everyone off the bus and demand he do naughty things to me right then and there.
Instead, I pressed my head against his chest and closed my eyes, listening as Marissa, Wroth and Annabelle continued to talk. Before I knew it, I was drifting off to sleep, a feeling of safety and peace making my body go weak against the man who owned my soul.
***
Something tickling over my cheek woke me sometime later. I brushed it away and snuggled into my pillow a little more. The soft tickle came again and I blew out a frustrated breath as I turned my head away, trying to hang on to the remnants of sleep.
A deep, sexy chuckle filled my ears, producing goose bumps along my entire body. I cracked open an eye to look up at Liam who was lying beside me on the bed in the only bedroom aboard my tour bus. His face was relaxed, his eyes slightly bloodshot from sleep. Vaguely, I remembered him carrying me to bed and then climbing in beside me.
Stretching out my arms, I grabbed hold of his shoulder and tried to tug him toward me. Screw waiting for when we got to the apartment; I wanted him now.
Another deep chuckle left him and he captured my hands, kissing my palms. “Soon,” he murmured with a wink. “Marissa woke me up a few minutes ago. We’re nearly there, baby.”
I pouted out my bottom lip. “Not even a little kiss?”
His blue eyes darkened. “Especially not a kiss. I’m barely holding on, little Brie. Don’t tempt me.” He lowered my hand, pressing it over his already-hard cock. It flexed against my palm and he closed his eyes, groaning. “See?”
“Yes,” I breathed. “Soon. You promise?”
His eyes lifted enough to meet my gaze. “I swear on everything I love that it will be soon.”
I felt the bus slowing down and grinned up at him. “Yay. Now let’s go tell everyone to go away so we can have wild sex against my front door.”
His cock flexed again at my suggestion and he grinned. “One thing at a time, baby. Wild sex isn’t going to happen until we get the all-clear from your doctor. It’s going to be slow and easy for a few more weeks.”
“But…” I pouted up at him again. “But…”
Liam released my hands. Smacking me lightly on the ass, he stood. “None of that. Now, get your sexy ass out of bed so we can get out of here.”
Sighing dramatically, I sat up and threw my legs over the side of the bed. “Spoilsport.”
“Yup. I’m not doing anything that might hurt you or set your recovery back.” I got another wink before he opened the door and stepped through. Sticking his head back inside the bedroom, he frowned at me. “Come on, woman.”
“Okay, okay.” I stood and ran my fingers through my hair a few times to get some of the tangles out before following after him. As I walked through the bus, I realized that everyone else was already off, including the three security guys. Shrugging, I descended the stairs and stepped off the bus.
“Surprise!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin as I looked around at the people surrounding me. I wasn’t outside my apartment, but in front of a house in Malibu. What the hell? At least twenty people stood on the lawn, including all of the members of OtherWorld and their wives and children. Emmie and the Demons were there with their families as well.
My eyes landed for a moment on Mia, who gave me a happy smile and a wave. Her mother had let her come to visit me several times in the last few weeks and we’d bonded. Waving back, I switched my gaze to the others around me. There was Linc Spencer and a few of the band members who I remembered had been touring with Liam over the summer. I
spotted Alexis with Jordan and Jared. My aunt was there with a half-smile on her face. Even my own band was in attendance.
Never in a million years would I have thought that all of these people would come together like this—and for me, of all things. It boggled my mind, but melted my heart at the same time.
What was going on here? What were all these people doing here? And why weren’t we home, where I wanted to be most in the world right then?
My eyes searched for and locked with Liam’s. He was standing between Alexis and Natalie Cutter. His earlier grin was gone, replaced with what looked like anxiety. “I thought we were going home,” I muttered.
He shrugged, looking even more nervous than he had just a second before. “We are.”
My brows lifted toward the sky. “What are you talking about, Liam?”
He stepped aside and for the first time I saw the ‘For Sale’ sign with some older man’s picture—I assumed the realtor—on the front lawn. A red and white sign was now over the realtor’s face, proclaiming the place ‘Sold’. My gaze went to the house. From the outside, it was beautiful. Two stories, painted in dark brown with hunter green shutters. I instantly fell in love with it. Especially when I realized what street we were on.
Alexis lived only a few houses down.
“I thought we needed a new start in a house that was ours,” Liam told me. “Natalie and Emmie have been working their asses off for the last three weeks, getting this done for me. Do you like it?”
My throat was so choked up with emotion that I couldn’t immediately answer him. Taking my silence as a negative, his face fell a little. “If it’s not what you want we can find something better,” he rushed to assure me.
I launched myself at him to shut him up. “I love it,” I whispered. “Thank you. I love you.”