The Last Boss' Daughter

“You ‘bout ready?”

“Nope,” I tell him, picking up a trinket box.

“I thought you said you wanted a frame. You looked at all the frames.”

I give him a mildly disapproving look. “What’s your rush, grumpy?”

“I gotta piss.”

“So go,” I say, bending to inspect yet another engraved box.

He doesn’t, but I keep lingering, looking at every damn thing I can, and finally he walks over to the lady behind the bathroom.

Jerking a finger toward the employee area behind her, he asks, “You got a bathroom back there?”

She smiles and shakes her head apologetically. “No, sir. The nearest one is the food court, just four or five storefronts down.”

He grumbles and makes his way over to me. “Are you done yet?”

“I’m not. Soon,” I tell him, smiling. “I need to ask the lady about engraving. Why don’t you just go pee so you’re not in such a hurry.”

I don’t expect this to work. I expect to be locked down better, guarded, but he thinks my brain is a soft boiled egg and has no idea I’m wily.

“When I get back, we’re buying something,” he tells me in warning. “Make up your mind.”

“I’ve got it narrowed down to three,” I assure him.

It feels like a box of butterflies has been unleashed in my gut as he meanders out the door, and I wait, because I can’t leave the store until I’m sure he’s not within range to see me.

I don’t have to.

Liam comes into the store and I can’t even stop myself—I run at him, throwing my arms around his neck. He grabs me, fisting a hand in my hair, not roughly, and lifts me against him.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he says, burying his face in my neck.

I could actually die of happiness right now. “You came.”

He nods, pulling back to look me in the eye. “I came.”

I literally feel tears burning in my eyes, but my gaze jumps to the window. “We have to go. Now. He won’t be gone long.”

I lace my fingers through his and go to drag him out of the store, ready to run, but he doesn’t move.

“Wait.”

I turn back, eyes wide. “We need every second we can get. Where did you park?”

“There are things you need to know about me,” he says, meeting my gaze. “And one thing I need to know before we run.”

“What?” I ask, impatient, unable to believe he’s wasting time like this.

“Will they cancel the party if you go missing?”

With three days before the big event? “I doubt it. It’s too late now.”

He nods slowly, then squeezes my hand and takes the lead, pulling me along.

“Why?” I ask, confused.