Erica nodded. “I told them I’d take a cab so they wouldn’t need to come out of their way to get me.”
Liam pushed to his feet. “Are you ready?”
“This is my fault.”
“Erica-”
“I knew it was getting out of hand I-I should have stopped-stopped it.”
Liam began to chuckle. The gesture intensified when Erica scowled. “Do you think you could have done that?” he asked.
“I’ve put tougher men than my uncle’s crew in their places, Liam Tesano.”
“I have no doubt,” Liam bowed his head reverently. “My apologies.”
“No I-” Erica shook her head rapidly. “I’m sorry Liam you-you stopped by. Was there something you needed?”
He smiled pityingly. “Just to talk. It can wait. Are you okay?”
“I am.”
“Erica-”
“I promise I am.”
Liam cupped her face again, “that was a pitiful promise.”
She laughed.
“There it is. There’s the smile I wanted,” before he realized what he was doing, he’d moved closer until he was kissing her mouth.
Liam was sure he’d meant for it to be only a quick reassuring peck. Sweet, nothing sensual. Their kiss was far from sweet. His mouth lingered on Erica’s, delighting in the velvety fullness of her lips. When she pressed them to his, he allowed his tongue the slightest sample. She reciprocated and soon their tongues were tangled, becoming acquainted with taste and sensation.
The insistent bleating of a car horn had them wrenching apart. Eyes on everything but each other’s faces, Liam was first to stand. He went outside to send the cab on its way. When he returned, it was only to stand in the doorway until Erica gathered her things and joined him for the trip to the hospital.
~18~
Liam decided, silently, not to join Erica for the visit to her uncle’s room. She didn’t argue and he was glad. It was clear they had crossed a line that evening. Earnest Claymore’s hospital room was no place to focus on it.
Liam headed for the factory after stopping off for a quick bite at an all night diner. His eyelids were feeling heavy and he was eager to let them drift shut for the night once he was on his office sofa. There would be no going home. Every room reminded him of the sound of his boys’ laughter. They were never a moment away from his thoughts.
A nagging ache took root in his gut then and he had to acknowledge that wasn’t entirely true. Kissing Erica Lewis had wiped his mind free of its worries. They hadn’t spoken of it during the ride to the hospital. Liam didn’t think either of them had a clue what to say. Had he not seen this coming? Had his worry over the boys blinded him to the untenable situation he was losing himself inside of? No. What happened had been stewing since the first day they’d had lunch alone while Earnest Claymore dined with one of his lady friends.
He couldn’t think on what was to come next. In his heart, he knew nothing could come next. He was still a married man. While the idea of being Athena’s husband now struck him as laughable, the fact remained that he was a still a father. He had already lost one family. He wouldn’t let that happen again.
She’s pregnant with your brother’s child.
Liam gripped the truck’s wheel more tightly and forced himself to keep the vehicle steady on the road. Now, was certainly not the time to ponder his wife’s latest indiscretion. His mind was a jumble and he needed sleep. Sleep...and then he would know what to do next.
The factory came into view past the windshield and with it, enough to remove ‘sleeping’ completely beyond the range of necessity. Liam’s top ‘need’ then was to know why a swarm of police cars with their flashing lights, were camped outside his business.
He stopped the truck half on, half off the sidewalk and barely put the vehicle in park before he raced out toward the frenzy. He was brought up short when at least three officers formed a human wall to keep him at bay- a car was engulfed in flames just a few feet away.
Through the mix of voices, Liam thought he heard his brothers warning the cops back and telling them that Liam owned the place. He didn’t own the car, though. Why was there a burning car? Someone gripped his shoulder and Liam turned his head. Tori? His little brother’s face was slick with sweat.
“Li where’ve you been?! We’ve had people looking everywhere!” The twin raged.
Before Liam could respond, Mica was jerking him into a hug. Emilio squeezed his shoulder.
“Wh-what happened?” Liam shivered, which was crazy to him considering the sweltering heat radiating off the fire. “Em?” He called when the man didn’t readily reply.
“Turned out the Irish-the Americans had a plan after all,” Emilio finally said.
Liam tilted his head, the angle giving off an inquisitive glean. He looked to Tori’s face again, realizing the man’s skin wasn’t shining from sweat, but tears. He looked to the burning car. Finally, he heard a new wave of sirens wail into the air. Firetrucks. He looked back at the car. Amid the flames spiraling out the side windows, windshield and rear, he could make out the words painted on the vehicle. The heat was doing a fine job of stripping away the words ‘Guinea’, ‘Oily Pig’, ‘Italiano’.
“Where’s Gia?” Liam didn’t need an answer then. His legs threatened to give way, but his brothers held him fast. Soon, Liam’s face was as tear stained as his brothers’.
“Where are they?” Liam asked no one in particular.
Emilio understood. “We have people watching a few of their hangouts. They’re being smart, laying low as should you.”
“Gia was a message, Li. We all know it’s you they want,” Mica said.
“You shouldn’t go home or stay here either,” Tori chimed in.
“Is there somewhere you can go, Li?” Emilio gripped his shoulder. “The rest of us will be in and out- we don’t want you alone-”
“I-I won’t be I-I think I have a place,” Liam stuttered.
