A Dom is Forever (Masters and Mercenaries #3)(117)

She nodded. No talking in the hallways. There were cameras everywhere. They couldn’t be sure if Thomas was watching or not.

The door opened, Liam moving out first. He held a hand out to let Avery know it was all right.

The hallway was quiet, almost eerily so. Often she could hear the sounds of the other residents, but today there was nothing, just the squeak of the floor under her feet and the quiet snick of the door closing and locking. Every muscle in Liam’s body seemed tense and ready, but there was a bland look on his face.

“Ready for a night on the town?” His flat American accent was back. Now that she’d heard his real voice, she longed for it. The Midwestern tone didn’t hold the emotion of the real man.

Still, she flashed what she hoped was a happy smile. “Let’s do it.”

She took his hand, but glanced back at her apartment, her little flat in London. So much had happened there. This place and the man she’d met here had changed her irrevocably. Despite the bad things, she would always have a fondness for that apartment.

And then she noticed it, a tiny crack as the door she was sure they’d locked began to open.

“Li, someone’s in my apartment.” Her voice was a whisper, thin and strangled.

The elevator dinged up ahead, signaling the doors would soon be open. They could make it to the elevator and then close the doors. They would be safe in the elevator.

Liam seemed to think the same thing. He glanced back down the hallway. Avery followed, looking behind to see two large men exiting her apartment. She recognized them from Thomas’s house. He kept a couple of men around to help move him when he used his wheelchair. They were also trained security guards, though they usually didn’t carry really big guns. They were today.

Avery struggled to keep up, her leg weak under her weight and the speed. She nearly tripped, but Liam kept a hand on her, helping her along. If they could just make it to the elevator. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. She could hear the men stalking behind them, but the hallway was long and they were almost there.

Liam’s gun made an appearance. “When we get to the lift, stay behind me.”

The doors were splitting, opening up to reveal their sanctuary.

Liam cursed and stopped, nearly sending her to the ground. His hand circled her wrist.

Two more men walked from the elevator, and one of them was her boss. Thomas Molina was dressed in a well-cut suit, and he wasn’t using his cane or the braces or any implement to aid his walking. He strode forth, and despite the fact that she knew the face, this was a completely different man.

Liam’s head swung back and forth as though he couldn’t figure out which road to hell would take them there the fastest. He covered her body with his own, pushing her back against the wall. “Let the girl go and I’ll give up the gun.”

That didn’t seem like a good idea. “I’m not leaving you.”

“You bloody well will,” Liam whispered her way.

They were trapped, four against one, and Liam was hesitating. She knew why. Her. He was going to die because he wouldn’t risk her getting hurt. She tried to step forward. If Thomas wanted her, then he could have her.

“Thomas, I’ll go with you.” Her voice shook, but there was no way she could just let them shoot Liam.

“Shut up, Avery.” Liam’s focus went to Thomas.

“Yeah, shut the f*ck up, darlin’.” Thomas didn’t even sound like Thomas anymore. He sounded an awful lot like Liam. “You’ll come with me, but so will your little boyfriend there. I think we should talk, don’t you, Li?”

“I definitely think we should talk,” Liam said. “But let the girl go. This is between brothers.”

“What?” Avery asked. How was Thomas Liam’s brother?

A wicked smile crossed Thomas’s face. “Figured it out, did ya, brother? I can’t leave the girl now, can I? It’s a pity, you know. We always did like the same type. Boys, let’s take this someplace more private.”

Liam cursed, and a shot rang out, splitting the air around her. The floor thudded as a man went down.

“You get them both alive!” Thomas shouted.

A meaty hand pulled her from Liam, and she felt something sharp go into her neck. Immediately the world became gauzy and unreal. Panic welled. Her vision was losing focus. She watched in horror as Liam began to fight. He moved with such grace, but someone shoved a needle in his arm. Even so, he fired again. She began a long fall to the floor, time slowing. Liam was fighting. There was another shot, but it sounded so far away this time. Liam had two men on him, and she saw a flash of something metal before Liam started to go down. He looked at her, the drug obviously hitting his system, but his hand reached out for hers.

Darkness encroached, the world winking out like a candle being snuffed.





Rory O’Donnell looked down at his should-have-been-dust-in-the-grave-by-now brother, a little kernel of satisfaction in his gut. Maybe it was better this way. This time he would kill Liam himself. He would prove that he wasn’t the weak little brother this time. This time, Liam’s eyes would be open, and he would watch as his brother took the victory.

“Angus is dead, boss. What do you want me to do with him?” Colin asked, scratching his head as he looked down at the body.

Good henchmen were so bloody hard to find. By necessity they tended to be incredibly stupid. Malcolm had been smart, but he hadn’t been quick enough to take out Liam. “Put the body in the flat, and we’ll pick it up later. Hurry. I managed to get this floor clear, but my man at the front desk won’t be able to keep them out forever.”