Page 87 of Masquerade

“He was conned out of everything he had, and then he died.” Angry grief confounded Liam.

“Give me the tie. Now the shirt.” He slipped a few buttons before pulling it over Liam’s head. “You’re still angry at him?”

“I don’t want anyone to know he died of shame.” The secret Liam planned to take to his grave.

“Whoa. You’re determining cause of death now?” Niall gripped him by his upper arms.

“I can’t bear to think about it.” Tears stung the back of Liam’s eyes.

“You think about it all the time. I seem to recall you let it come between me and you. Now, you’re letting it come between you and Kate. Listen to me, boyo. When you finally gave me a few facts, I checked further. It’s unlikely Da knew the extent of his debts before his heart attack. The debts didn’t kill him. The shame didn’t make him give up hope on life. But it looks like you stopped believing in him and yourself.”

“I can’t be drunk enough.” Liam wrapped his arms around him. “Because I want to believe you.”

“You haven’t told her you work more hours in the day than the devil gave us because you’re repaying his debts,” Niall concluded.

“He deserves the dignity of no one knowing he made a mistake.”

“He deserves the dignity of being remembered as a decent, generous man who was fallible and didn’t let it stop him believing in people.” Niall patted his back. “Feckin eejit.”

“You keep calling me a feckin eejit, and I’ll have to kiss you. I saw Kate go into the Futureproof building. I went to my meeting. I got back to my office, and she walked in.”

“Maybe she was coming to tell you.” His brother was full of sensible suggestions tonight.

“Do you wanna know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?” Liam mangled the Beatles song.

“I’ll play along. Tell me a secret.”

“Selina told me I was a second-rate lover and a third-rate lawyer.”

Niall snorted. “I’m guessing the third-rate lawyer carried the biggest sting.”

“Kate was coming to tell me about her book, and why she’s writing under the name Kate Higgins. I’m not one hundred percent sure why it was a secret.” Liam peered at his brother. “I’m seeing two of you.”

“That’s because we’re triplets.” Niall grinned.

“I told her to leave.” Liam hauled himself upright to meet his brother’s compassionate stare. “She wanted to talk.”

“Sounds like she was the only one making any sense.”

“You think I should tell her about Dad?” Liam gripped the front of his brother’s sweater.

“When you’re sober, you need to stop being such an arse. For Da, life started with trust. To live any other way was to live less than a full life. You should be proud of how Da lived his life. I’m proud of both of you.”

“I’m in love with her.” He’d never told her.

Niall chuckled. “Showing all the signs.”

“I don’t know how to fix it.” Liam dropped his forehead to his brother’s shoulder.

“That’s why I’m being so patient, you stupid sod.” Niall disengaged himself from Liam’s embrace and tucked the blanket around him. “You’re a stubborn bastard. But I love you.” He kissed his brother’s head.

* * *

Kate walked becauseshe couldn’t think what else to do, and her racing mind demanded movement. Words, images, fragments zapped through her head too fast for her to catch hold of them. Still, she hurried as if turning the next corner or crossing the next street would provide an answer.

She’d had so many chances to tell Liam the truth. But then he’d have known every man in her life had rejected her dream—rejected her. She’d been afraid Liam would reject her.

Kate shivered, the cold seeping in from the pavement she’d been pounding through her boots and into her bones. She hailed a taxi, pressing herself into the corner, away from any light. Heavy traffic had her bailing a few blocks before Anna’s apartment. Stepping from the cab into the icy night, her frozen heart shattered. She folded her arms around herself, walking carefully, placing one foot in front of the other. If she lost concentration on this one simple task, she’d end up curled into a ball on the ground.

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