A Dom is Forever (Masters and Mercenaries #3)(104)

“I asked you not to work on the new reports without me.” Simon turned, his back to the small red light that came from a camera in one of the corners.

Oh. That was what he’d meant. He’d been trying to tell her to wait for him. It would have made it harder for Monica to catch her. “Sorry.”

He turned again, his handsome face in a fierce frown. The elevator doors opened, and Avery stepped out. Despite everything he’d done, her heart softened the minute she saw Liam waiting for her. He leaned against the building, his eyes scanning the street. There was a tight set to his jaw that told her he was worried, but it was his body language that really scared her. Liam was always so graceful. He was tall and lean and so strong, but now his shoulders were slumped.

She forgot about Simon and rushed to get to Li. “What happened?”

He turned to her, and she could see the grim set of his mouth, but he smiled when she reached him. He reached for her with his right hand, pulling her close. “We’re getting out of here in the morning.”

A little surge of panic hit. “I can’t. I didn’t find the files.”

“That’s Weston’s problem now.” He shot a look at the other man. “She’s out.”

Weston nodded. “Good for you, mate. Take care of her. And don’t tell me anything else. I don’t want to know.”

“As if I would.” Liam slung an arm around her shoulder. “I have one question for you. Where did you really get all that information about Ian? Don’t try to tell me you hacked the system. That’s not your expertise. I’m surprised Knight bought it.”

Only the faintest hint of flush hit the Englishman’s cheeks. “I can be very persuasive. Acting is my expertise. I play this part quite well, but I’m starting to wonder if I haven’t been duped.”

“You got the information from an anonymous source, didn’t you?”

“At the time, I thought I was helping,” Weston replied. “I was able to verify that all the information was true. Now I have to wonder why someone in MI6 wants to cause trouble with your team.”

Liam huffed as though he’d known all along. “Because it wasn’t from MI6. It was Nelson. He connects everything. He’s the dotted line that we’ve all ignored. He was the agent who took over for Ian after his wife died, and I’m starting to suspect that he was the one who killed her. He might have been the one to send her to Ian in the first place. I’m almost certain he was the one who killed my brother, and for some reason he saved me.”

“What does this have to do with us?” Avery asked, her head ringing with all the twists and turns. “Is this the man Thomas is meeting with?”

“We need to start walking. Let’s head to the Tube. Or do you have a driver meeting you?” Liam started down the street, but there was something wrong with his walk. He shuffled just a bit as though favoring his left leg.

“Sod off,” Weston shot back. “I don’t have a bloody driver. And I want to know what Nelson’s old op has to do with this, too. And what the hell’s wrong with your leg?”

Liam shrugged. “Just a couple of bullets. I’m fine. They just grazed me.”

Avery nearly stopped in the middle of the street. “Bullets?”

“Keep your voice down, love.” He chuckled a little and nodded toward the building they were walking past. “That’s Scotland Yard HQ. Let’s not talk about bullets or guns.”

He’d been shot. Liam had been shot and apparently more than once. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. He could have died, and it was very likely that no one would have told her. She would have waited outside the building for him. When he didn’t show up, she would have assumed he was done with her. The thought of never touching him again assaulted her. The idea of Liam, his big body cold and dead, was unthinkable.

She was in love with him. She’d spent the last twenty-four hours telling herself that she wasn’t, but it was a lie. She was trying to protect herself. There was no way Liam really loved her. He was feeling guilty. From what she could tell, this was maybe the first time he’d been forced to get really close to a woman in a way that didn’t involve bondage and video cameras. When things became normal again, he wouldn’t want her.

But she was worried that she would always want him.

They walked up Victoria Street and Westminster Abbey came into view. It wasn’t the way they would normally go, but Liam seemed intent on talking to Simon and perhaps it was better to do it in public.

“I’m going to take it you didn’t get your job finished,” Simon said, walking toward Westminster station.

Liam frowned, adjusting his baseball cap. “No. He didn’t show. He’s onto us, and he likely has been the whole bloody time. Something’s off. I don’t know if Molina knows, but Nelson is playing a deep game with the lot of us. That’s why I’m moving her out.”

“I can’t leave. I didn’t find the files.” Avery struggled to keep up. Even injured, Liam was faster than she was.

He slowed down, his hand tangling in hers. “Sorry, love. I’m anxious. And you will leave with me in the morning. The rest of the team will figure this mess out, but you’re done.”

The mission couldn’t be over. “I think the files are at his house. I can get in there.”