A Dom is Forever (Masters and Mercenaries #3)(91)

“We’re not staying,” Liam replied. “Neither one of us. She’ll come back with the team because we owe her protection.”

Avery shook her head. “I’m not leaving. I’ll help out MI6.”

Liam gave her his best Dom stare. “You will not. You are not involved anymore. You’re out of this.”

“She’s not out if she doesn’t want to be,” Knight insisted.

Avery turned to Liam, her eyes bright with tears. “I’m not leaving, Lee. Liam. God, I hate this. I won’t leave because he’s sending guns in to kill the very people I’ve been trying to save, that Stephanie is trying to save. What the hell happens when some boy soldier gets it into his head that he can take over the clinic where she works, where she does good? I gave up everything so she could do something good. I will take down anyone who gets in my way. You think I’m so weak, don’t you? Well, you watch me now. You watch me. I won’t allow you to hold me back.”

A sob went through her, her whole body shaking, and he couldn’t help it. He pulled her close, his hand soothing down her back. He hadn’t thought about it that way. Avery had a stake in this game, a big one. She’d put so much of her grief and pain from the accident and turned it into something good, and she would be devastated if it all went wrong and she had any sort of hand in it.

“It’s all right, love. I’m going to take care of it. I’m going to fix this. Do you understand? I’ll do whatever it takes to shut this down. I promise.”

She pushed away from him after only one sweet moment where she’d softened against him and let him hold her. “You owe me, Liam.”

He didn’t want this to be about him owing her, but it tied them together and he couldn’t deny her this. Her story about how she’d come out of her grief had moved him to tell her the truth. She’d been brave, and now she wanted to protect the world she’d built and he couldn’t deny her. She wouldn’t be Avery if she didn’t try. “I promise.” He turned to Knight. “Let me stay, and I’ll be a good soldier. Tell him, Ian. Please.”

That “please” made his stomach roll. He didn’t beg. He didn’t plead. He would rather die, but that was how much she’d come to mean to him. It struck him rather forcibly that he’d just gained a huge weakness. Avery could take him apart if she wanted to, and she just might want to.

“He’ll do a good job for you,” Ian said, no expression on his face. “He’ll protect her and get you what you need. And I want him back when you’re done, Damon. Don’t get him killed.”

It was practically a declaration of love from Ian Taggart.

Ian walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Alex patted Liam’s back as he stood up. “I’ll keep covering you, man. No matter what happens tomorrow, I’ll stay here and back you up. I think you did the right thing. I’m sure Adam and Jake will stay behind, too.”

“Great. I need a bunch of yanks hanging around.” Knight put a hand out. “Sorry. I’ll take all the help I can get, and it really would be optimum if everyone in Avery’s life stayed in place. Molina is listening in, and he’ll take note of anyone who leaves. The last thing we need is Molina deciding she’s on the wrong side. Look, Miss Charles, try to get those files. If Simon is right, they’re in some form of code. We’ll get you a clean phone with a camera. Don’t walk out with the files. Take pictures of them and send them to us. I suspect they’re likely in code. We can crack it. If you can do that, we can stop everything.”

Or Liam could take all the risks. He would rather he did it. Or Weston. They were trained. Avery wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to argue with the new boss when Knight had been so close to taking Liam out of the game altogether.

Avery nodded. “I’ll get it done. He’ll be out of the office tomorrow. If you get me a camera, I’ll find the files.”

“Excellent.” Knight stood up, straightening his shirt. “I know you won’t believe this, Miss Charles, but I quite admire you, and I wouldn’t see you hurt. My country will be very appreciative of your aid in this matter. If you need anything at all, I’ll make it happen.”

“Do I have to stay with him?” she asked.

Fuck. He couldn’t let her walk out. Not now. “It would look bad. Everything has to stay the same.”

Knight shrugged. “He’s right. And you do need a bodyguard. I know you’re perfectly angry right now, but I’m going to give you a little advice that you’re likely to ignore since I’ve got a cock and you probably hate all men right now. He didn’t have to tell you. It would have been far easier for him to have simply disappeared at the end of this operation and left you without an explanation. It’s what I would have done. So you ask yourself why that dumb bloke just risked everything for you. If he’d been on my team, I would have had him shot and disposed of. He’ll likely lose his job, and for people in our business, we only have our jobs. So you ask yourself why he would risk everything he has to make sure you knew his real name. Mind that man, Miss Charles. He would die to protect you. He’s a bit of an idiot that way.”

Liam felt his eyes slide away. What the hell was he supposed to do about that? He was torn between punching the bugger and hugging him. He’d never been as confused as he was right f*cking now. The only thing he knew was he had to protect her, and he had to let her take a stand. And those two things were completely counter to each other.