Indebted Read online

  Oh, that’s great. You’ve done it now. She won’t let that shit go. I fidget with the hem of my shirt as I hesitantly tell her, “Yes, Liam was here. We decided to see more of each other. I can’t let him go.”

  Chloe looks sad. “Aaron, I don’t understand. You know I’m always here for you. I can’t wrap my head around what you’re thinking right now. This man can’t possibly be worth putting yourself in danger for.” She stops for a bit, collecting her thoughts, then huffs and adds, “As I said before, we’ll talk about this later. I need to focus on you right now. Have you seen a doctor or been to the police?”

  Crap! She can sure rattle on. Okay, so she’s going to leave the whole Liam thing alone for now. I can deal with that. I’m not a procrastinator usually, but with this subject, I can stand to wait a while.

  Now to answer her other questions…. Ugh, I hate lying to her. “Chloe, I’m not going to the police. I didn’t get a good look at them. Besides, they would only get a slap on the wrist anyway. I really don’t want to deal with all the reports and stuff, so I’m not going. As far as a doctor—yes, I’ve seen one. Liam brought a doctor to check me over when he found out I was hurt.”

  Smiling, she says, “Well, at least he did something right. I still think you should give more thought to the idea of going to the police. I’m not going to argue with you about it, though. You’re quite stubborn when you want to be.”

  I snort and then reply, “And you’re not?”

  Chloe pouts. “Aaron Quinn! How dare—”

  Interrupting our exchange, Luke walks back in and informs us, “Hey, dinner’s done. Aaron, you need to eat something, it will help you heal faster. There’s enough for your friend if she’d like to join us.” After finishing his statement, he gives Chloe another heated once-over, so heated I think I might need to leave the room.

  Chloe giggles, actually giggles, and bats her eyelashes. “Aww, that’s so sweet of you to cook. Thanks for taking care of my friend.”

  Oh, isn’t that nice how it’s okay for her to be attracted to him and flirt with a “murderer,” but when I do it, it’s a crime against nature? I’m a little pissed at her double standard.

  I decide to interrupt their moment. “Well, I’m hungry! Let’s eat.”

  Not waiting for them to say anything, I head to the kitchen to dig in. I really feel like being childish. I’m not going to be, but the urge is there.

  Dinner is an exercise in patience. Little flirtations, smiles, and looks are going on between them the whole time. It’s enough to make me want to vomit. I’m happy they’re attracted to each other, but my irritation at Chloe doesn’t let up. Since I can’t address the issue right now, my mind wanders back to its new favorite topic: Liam.

  Usually, when I think of him, I’m happy. However, right now my head is full of questions. Has he found Adam? Is he going to get hurt? Is Adam going to be killed? If so, will Adam’s death cost me the chance to even explore my feelings for this enigmatic man?

  I hope Liam will come back after he does whatever it is he plans to do. Of course, I don’t have a clue how long it will take. Since it was earlier in the day when he left, there is still a good chance I will see him before I fall asleep tonight. I’m not sure I will be able to hold out too late with all the pain straining my energy. I’m already flagging. The only thing that sounds better than sleep right now is seeing Liam healthy and in one piece. He has been trained well to protect himself, but there’s still a chance of someone surprising him or getting the upper hand. The thought of him being hurt or worse is making my chest tight. I’m almost overwhelmed with worry at this point. I don’t know what to do. Should I wait, or should I try to call him? I don’t even have his work number. The last thing I want to do is make him look weak in front of his men. I’m hoping he’s okay, but I need to relax and try to focus on other things. However, the only other thing to focus on is Chloe, and she is annoying the shit out of me.

  Going back into the kitchen where she and Luke are huddled together and talking quietly, I realize this is going to be a “fun” evening. All I can hope is Liam will return soon. Luke receives a message from him saying he is all in one piece and will be here shortly, which makes me so excited I’m practically jumping out of my skin. Even though the text says he’s okay, I still want to see him for myself, and maybe do a slow inspection of his whole body just to be sure.

  After what seems like hours of humdrum conversation, a rattle at my door and the sound of it opening startles me. I’m so thrilled, I rush toward the living room, but Luke stops me. It’s his job to protect me, but I can hardly wait. It has to be Liam and I want to go in there and find out for myself.

  “Hold on there, lover boy. If you open that and it is Liam, he’ll have my ass, and we both understand by now that’s not my thing. Better let me do it.”

  As Luke heads to the entrance, Chloe pipes up. “Is this your new asshole boyfriend? I want to speak to him if it is. I have a few bones to pick with him.”

  I roll my eyes at her, but before I get a chance to tell her to stop being such a bitch, Liam comes through, followed by Tristan. Every other thought leaves my mind as my eyes lock onto the sexy man before me. Scanning over every inch of him to see what injuries he might have, I freeze. His handsome face is bruised and swollen. He appears almost as bad as I do right now, and I’m torn between staying put so as not to hurt him or running and throwing my arms around him. My body makes the decision for me, and I’m in front of him before I even realize it.

  He gives me a big, dimpled smile, and then worry clouds his eyes. “How are you feeling? I, um, stopped and picked up your prescriptions on the way over. Has Luke been taking care of you?”

  “I told you I’m a big boy. I’m fine. Thank you for getting my pills for me. It’s so thoughtful of you.” When I say that, I glance meaningfully over at Chloe. She crosses her arms over her chest and my message is obviously being ignored. Focusing on the more important person in the room, I continue. “I see you found Adam, if the bruises on your face are any indication. Have you been checked out? They still need to be bandaged. You didn’t see the doctor, did you?”

  I’m close to tapping my foot with disapproval, and Liam groans. “I was in too much of a hurry to see you. I’ve been worried about you and couldn’t wait to see how you were doing. I’m fine, I don’t need the doc. From my experience with injuries, I know whether something is serious or not.”

  Shaking my head at him, I say, “Smooth, Liam. I’m going to have to watch out for you in the future or I’m going to be putty in your hands.”

  He gets a slightly heated look on his face and his voice thickens a little. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

  He winks, and I’m about to jump him right there, wounded or not. The only thing that breaks my lust is Tristan clearing his throat loudly.

  “Um, guys? I’m not up for a show, and I don’t think the rest of the people standing in the same room with you are either.”

  I should be embarrassed, but all I can think of is getting my hands on my man. Wow, that’s going to take some getting used to. “Is it alright if I hug you? I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Would you stop being silly and come here already? I’ve been waiting for this all evening.”

  Gratefully, I wrap my arms around him, maybe a little too enthusiastically, because he grunts in what can only be pain. I quickly try to pull away, but he holds on tighter. Letting him make his own decisions on what kind of hurt he can take, I relax into the gentle hug and enjoy his arms around me.

  He has obviously been home and showered, since the scent of his spicy soap envelopes me and his hair is still slightly damp. My mind starts racing as I think about his reasons for bathing. I guess he could have gotten muddy in a scuffle. Surely blood isn’t the only reason to need to clean yourself after a fight? Yes, that has to be it. No reason to jump to any conclusions.

  Stepping back, I glance around the small room. Crowded around us are Chloe, looking disapproving as ever, and Tr
istan and Luke, who seem to be chatting among themselves. Luke is nodding his head with a smile, and my intuition says they are discussing Adam and what happened tonight. Being so new to this little circle, I don’t ask questions no matter how much I want to. I’ll wait until I get Lee alone, and then the inquisition will begin.

  As I’m about to invite everyone to sit down, Chloe says, in a hateful tone, “Liam, I have some things I need to say to you and I don’t care who hears them.”

  Lee looks slightly stunned, but covers it instantly. I can see him stiffen, the softness leaving his expression as he turns to look at her. The man I’m becoming so close to is nearly gone at this time. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him do this, but I’m surprised he feels the need to do it because of Chloe. In that moment, I know whatever she says to him has the potential to hurt him more than any punk on the street. My protectiveness kicks into high alert as I wait for what she is about to say.

  Liam clears his throat and says, “Well, Chloe, obviously you’re not a fan of mine. If you want to say something for Aaron’s sake, then I’m willing to listen, but only out of respect for him.”

  Haughtily, with her arms still folded over her chest, she approaches him. My nerves are on edge and Chloe is putting me in an unbelievably uncomfortable position. I have never seen her like this about anything. She’s always had the utmost respect for my decision-making abilities. This is completely new territory for me with her.

  Glaring straight into his eyes, she lets loose. “I have known Aaron since the first grade. He is my best friend and virtually my brother. There is no need for you to be in his life. Aaron was doing fine before you came along, and now look at him! He’s lying to protect you already! If you think I’m buying the ‘I got bashed’ story, you have another thing coming! You’ve put him in danger and he is already paying for being associated with you. I want you to leave right now and never see him again. I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.”

  Liam is vibrating with fury, and though I think maybe Tristan and I are the only ones who can see it, hurt too. He doesn’t say anything, but I have had enough.

  I let go of all the emotions I’ve been holding back from her. “Chloe, that is enough! How dare you come in here and make demands of my boyfriend. Not only that, but make decisions about my life and who I see without even talking to me. Right now you are no better than my father.” I can see the immediate pain that statement causes her, and it hurts me too. I push on anyway, because she needs to hear where I stand on this issue.

  That’s right! Until now, you’ve been a pussy, letting her dismiss your feelings and decisions. Tell her to back the fuck off!

  “Chloe, you are my best friend. I don’t understand why you’re acting this way. I love you like the sister I never had. I’m not going to let you make me decide between the two of you. You need to understand—I choose to be with Liam. That’s not going to change, and you need to accept that. It is what it is, it’s that simple. Now, you need to either find a way to put aside your emotions on the matter, or avoid being around him. Because he will be here, and I won’t have you disrespecting someone I care about. Is that understood?”

  She appears as if she wants to cry, but holds herself back. Finally, she speaks up, her voice shaking a little as she says, “I’m trying to protect you. I can see he does at least care about your well-being, but I won’t lose you over him, Aaron. I will try to make it work. As your friend, I won’t put you in the position of choosing sides. I still think this relationship is a bad idea, and I will be here for you when it fails. A broken heart I can help with. I can’t fix it if you’re dead. As I said, though, I will leave it alone. I’m going home. Sorry to disturb your little love nest. Text me if you need me.”

  With those words, she turns and marches out the door. I’m floored. She said she would try, but it sounds like we have a long way to go before she is even going to be close to civil. Sighing, I let her go. Liam wraps his arm around me and leads me over to the sofa. I can see a little pride and worry on his face fighting for dominance, and I wait for him to say something to me.

  Instead, he glances around the room. “Hey guys, I really appreciate all your help tonight. I can see you’re eager to get home and get some rest. Why don’t you both head out?”

  Unanimously, they nod and leave without so much as a backward glance.

  Liam addresses me in a serious tone. “Aaron, I’m really grateful to you for defending me, and more than a little turned on, I might add, but I don’t want to come between you and your friend.” Pausing, he runs the back of his finger along my good cheek, and then continues. “My presence in your life has already done so many negative things for you. I don’t want to add another one.”

  “Liam, as I said earlier, I’m my own man. That means with you or anyone. I’m not going to have Chloe dictate who I can and can’t see. I understand her concerns and they are valid. Being with you is upping the danger level in my life quite a bit. The thing is, it’s worth it to me to be with you and see where we can take this relationship. If I play it safe with my heart and life, I may never find true happiness. I will always wonder if I passed up my chance at it if I don’t give this a try.” I angle my head slightly to kiss his palm, and he stares at me in what can only be described as wonder.

  As if to confirm my guess, he says, “Do you know how amazing you are? I am so lucky to have met you, I’m considering sending your dad a gift.”

  With that, we both start laughing. I don’t think my dad will enjoy anything Liam sends him, good or bad. Our humor abruptly stops as we both realize we’re alone. He leans forward, and careful of our battered lips, gently kisses me. Even though it stings a little, a tingling sensation and that wonderful buzz are running through me.

  Too soon, Lee pulls back with a concerned look on his face again. “We need to get these meds in you. Have you eaten anything? It says you’re supposed to eat something with them.”

  I glance over him with a critical eye. “I’ll make a deal with you, Mr. Mother Hen. I’ll take the pills, but only if I get to bandage up these cuts of yours. Oh, and yes, I did eat about an hour ago. I’ll drink some milk with them to be on the safe side.”

  Chuckling and shaking his head a little, he states, “I think I’m going to have my hands full with you.” He cups my cock through my pants. “Mmm, that sounds like a really good thing too.”

  My dick starts to come to life, and I have to stop this now before I’m sorry. Thanks to my injuries, any sort of release will be nearly impossible tonight.

  Groaning, I warn him, “No distraction tactics right now. I need to take care of you, and you seem set on taking care of me, so let’s get to it.”

  He grunts his disapproval of my idea, but he does as I say. We head to the kitchen for milk, then to the bathroom to start fixing him up. Liam opens up my prescription bottles while I dig out the first-aid kit from the cabinet. He hands me the pills and I pop them in my mouth.

  After taking a big gulp of my drink, he decides to make a comment on my extensive first-aid kit. “Damn, man, you expecting an army of wounded to show up?”

  Struggling to swallow through my laughter, a little milk still manages to dribble out of my mouth. Instead of laughing with me, he raptly watches the stream of liquid run down my chin and toward my neck. Without even hesitating, he takes the glass from me and sets it on the sink. I’m about to ask him what he’s doing when he leans forward and runs his tongue along the white trail.

  Groaning, I lean my head back to give him better access. I haven’t had the chance to enjoy his talented tongue on my body in far too long. Lee’s mouth makes it up to my own, and we gently mesh them together. Grunting, he lightly draws me closer. I’m being swept away by the powerful lust now coursing through me. Out of nowhere, my brain takes over and reminds me why we are here—Liam needs to be taken care of, and that isn’t going to happen if we start making out.

  He stops as I push against him, his gaze searching my face. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt
you?”

  “Liam, would you please stop worrying? I will tell you if something hurts, and you have to trust me to do that. The reason I stopped you again is we need to get these scrapes cleaned up. Now, if you’ll sit down on the edge of the bath, I’ll take care of you.”

  Without argument, and with a little smile playing on his lips, he sits and lets me tend to him. Carefully, I clean the little cuts and scratches with antiseptic, and then move to the deepest cut on his cheek. It’s silly, but my heart hurts at seeing it marring one of his perfect dimples. While sanitizing it, I blow on it as the solution starts to work.

  Liam starts chuckling as he admonishes me. “Aaron, I’m not going to break. I’ve taken much worse than a little sting.”

  I feel a little ridiculous now. “I’m sorry. I, um, I’m not trying to treat you like a baby. I want to take away whatever pain I can, is all.”

  He gives me an indulgent smile and nods for me to continue. I arrive at his knuckles and they are swollen, cracked, and raw. As I tend to them, my thoughts wander to how much force he had to have used to create this much damage. Adam, I assume, must look much worse, judging by this.

  Nerves take over and I gnaw on my lip. Questions fill my mind, and the main one screaming at me is… did he kill him? If he did, I’m not sure how to handle that. The reasonable side of my brain understands it’s what he does, but the emotional part has a hard time reconciling that with Liam. I mean, there is no love lost between Adam and me. The bastard beat me to a pulp, knowing more than likely I couldn’t defend myself. I wanted him dead too, although a bigger side of me wants Liam to not have done anything else the police can apprehend him for.

  Liam makes me jump as he says my name, and I realize I have paused in my ministrations. “Aaron? Are you going to answer me?”

  “Huh? What’d you say? My concentration slipped.”

  Liam is concerned. “Well, from the look on your face, it wasn’t on something good. I said, ‘What’s got you thinking so hard?’”