Page 68 of Because of Liam

“Yeah, we got two more in the kitchen, one on the stairs, and a few others in the hall, watching the bathroom door, and one in the guest bedroom upstairs. A dozen, all together.”

I step closer to her and take her hand. “Let me show you where you’ll be.”

We go up to the second floor and into my room, which is clean. I didn’t have to pick up because she was coming over. All those years in the service have trained me well and I’m neat by nature. I point at the desk I set up against the wall. On it, a laptop and three large monitors where she will be able to see split video feed from all of the cameras and a large hard drive hooked up to the laptop, which will collect the videos. It cost me some money to rent all of it, but it’s money well spent. We’re gonna get the asshole one way or another.

She is looking around my room, taking in everything. My bed is made. A deep blue blanket over it. Pillows are fluffed, and I changed the bedding as well, in case she gets tired and needs to rest.

I wait until her eyes are back on me to show her the equipment. “This is like command central.”

She looks intimidated by all the hardware on the desk.

I laugh. “It is very simple, actually.”

She looks doubtful.

“You really don’t have to do anything. Right now, the cameras are on, but not recording. When the party starts, I’ll come up and get everything going. You’ll know it is recording because each of the images will show a red blinking light in the corner.” I point at one of the split screens. “See the number on this screen?”

She nods.

“It corresponds to one of the cameras. This way you know which camera is controlling the feed. All you have to do is watch. The screens are touchscreen and you can zoom in and out with this.” I tap on one of the still images and it fills the screen. I tap again and it goes back to the previous size. “I’ll come up to check on you often and we can keep in touch via text.”

“Yeah, sounds good. I think I can handle it.” Her hands are in her jeans pockets. She wears a loose blue T-shirt. I want my hands under it.

“I’ll stock you up with some drinks and food so you don’t starve, and through that door”—I point at the door on the other side of the bed—“is a bathroom. You don’t have to leave the room and risk getting caught by anyone.”

She nods. Her eyes meet mine. “Do you think this will work?”

“If we can get him here, yes. I think it will. Guys like him, ones driven by ego, think they’re above everyone else and will never get caught. He won’t miss this chance.”

“Becca talked to a few people who are friends with his friends and someone said he was coming. I hate to say this but using Skye as bait is the only thing that’ll get him here. He’ll try to get to Skye and . . .”

Her voice cracks and she stops, before saying the word. Before saying that horrible word. I take two steps toward her and pull her into my arms, trapping the hands in her pockets still, between our bodies. “We will get him. One way or another. I promise you.”

“Liam . . .” Her voice is muffled against my chest. She pulls back a little, frees her hands, and they come to rest on my waist. Her fingers hook on the belt loops in my jeans. I love this, intimate way her hands rest on my body.

“Liam, you can’t promise me that. As much as I want him to pay for what he did to me and God knows how many more girls, you have no control over the outcome of this. We don’t even know for sure if he will show up.”

Her head is tilted back and the tips of her hair brush my arms around her back.

“We’ll get him.”

She tries to protest again, but I silence her with my lips. I kiss her gently. I have no intention of taking this further than a silencing kiss, but River has a different idea, and she takes the kiss a step up. Who am I to complain? We kiss and kiss.

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