Emerald Eyes

Chapter 11 - The Scars

After untying my arms and giving me a quick check over, Liam pulls me out of the shipping container.

"What about the other girls?" I ask, anxious.

"Ye needn't worry about them, sweetheart," Liam says. "Ced and the lads will sort it out."

I stop and dig my heels into the concrete. I glance back and watch Cedric helping the girls into a van. I know Liam's telling me the truth, but it still feels like I should be there with them. Like I should be helping them somehow.

"Alex." Liam grabs me by the arms and pins me with his gaze. "The cops are gonna be storming this place any second now."

"Yes, but..."

"If they find out you were here, that you were one of the abducted, they'll want to talk to ye."

"Okay," I say meekly. He doesn't need to tell me the rest. The last thing I need right now is the cops breathing down my throat when there are already so many things going on – the pub shootout and Mother's abduction. I can't be connected to any of it.

Besides, Mother and I are officially checked out of our hotel: I'm supposed to be in Albania.

Any interaction with the Irish police will only raise suspicions further.

Liam takes my hand in his and pulls me along beside him without resistance this time. Nico and Siobhan are right behind us, but we don't say a word as we walk to the cars. She gives me a weak smile, her face battered and bruised, before Nico tucks her safely inside a black beamer and they drive off.

Then Liam does the same to me.

The drive is quiet. One of Liam's men is taking us back home, I am not even sure which one, because everything is a blur.

I'm too exhausted. There are too many emotions to process right now, so I don't process any of them. I just let myself stay numb and embrace the silence. Liam seems to understand this is what I need right now, so he holds my hand instead.

But when we park in front of his mansion, he pulls the keys out of the ignition and turns to me.

"I'm sorry," he rasps.

When I meet his gaze, I'm overwhelmed by the haunted sadness in those emerald eyes. The fear and the concern... because of me.

"I should've kept a closer watch on ye," he says. "I knew things were tense in the club, and that something was going on between Kieran and Italians, but I just never thought... That those two would... Right there in the open. Christ, I'm sorry, Alex."

I don't reply. Tears are burning the back of my eyes.

Liam unbuckles me and pulls me across the seat so I'm wrapped up in his warm arms. He presses my head against his chest and kisses my hair over and over.

"I thought ye were gone," he says. "I thought they took ye, and the last thing ye'd think of me... Would be that I was a jerk to ye. That we fought over the stupidest..."

He becomes too choked up to speak, and despite my best efforts, the tears start to spill over.

His sadness makes me emotional. I can't help it.

So I tell him what he needs to hear, in an attempt to calm us both down.

"It's not your fault. Everything must have been planned. They were waiting for us."

Liam nods and runs a shaky hand through his raven locks. I've never seen him so worked up. So off balance. Not even on the day I met him.

"I should've considered the possibility," he says. "I should've. That Italian and his sleazy behavior. That... That was shady as fuck. It was obvious he was up to something."