The only thing that got me to breathe again was the moment when his hand finally twitched.
“It’s lucky that guy was a lousy shot,” I add.Trying to find that silver lining again.
“He was a lousy shot because you used your head on him like a battering ram.Going off half-cocked like you always do.”
For a moment, I’m frozen.Not gonna lie, his words sting.I know Liam’s in pain right now, so I’m trying to understand.
“He was going to shoot you.”
“He did fucking shoot me, kid.”
Asshole.“In the leg.Sorry for saving your life, you cranky old man.”
My frustration gets to me, and I press the gauze a little harder than I should while I put the last piece of tape in place.His hiss makes me feel both guilty and satisfied.
“Ravi.”
I’m about to get up when he reaches out to grab my wrist.
“Thank you,” he says seriously.
My shoulders relax some.“You’re welcome.”
“We’ve got a problem, though.”
I don’t like the tone of his voice.Or the regret in his eyes.
“Do we, though?We’re both alive.The guy who threatened me is dead.We’re…” Dating?Having weird punishment sex?“Together.Anything else we can work out, right?I don’t see the problem.”
“You never do,” he murmurs.More regret.No.Not okay.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”For once I find my voice rising.
“What it means is, while I was at the hospital I had a conversation with Daniel.There were others, you know?Other guys who demanded entry to the auction and were turned away.Quite a few.”
“Liam, I know your line of work makes you cynical, but you can’t possibly think every single one of them was planning to sell me to some gang leader in Brazil.”
Channing found a burner phone on Dylan Beck’s boat before it blew.There were text messages.With…plans.
“We don’t know they won’t, either.The guy was right.There are a lot of sickos out there wanting to do sick shit to a cute little thing like you.Wanting to break your spirit.And, Ravi, you’ve got a sensational spirit.I need it to stay that way.”
Wow.That’s…sweet?Wait.The way he says it, it doesn’t sound like it’s a good thing.The warmth spreading through my chest makes a sudden retreat.
“I’ve got you to protect me though, Liam.Don’t I?It’s what you kept saying you wanted, so fine.I was stubborn before.We can have a conversation about it.Come up with an arrangement that makes us both happy.”
Maybe I bristled at it before, but I can see now that things are bigger than I thought.While I don’t share Liam’s level of concern, I’m not totally ignoring what’s happened.Besides, if we’re going to be together, we need to be a team.
His expression turns thoughtful.Sad.“I’d like to think so.But you’ve never once listened to me.And in the end I didn’t protect you, did I?You protected yourself.You protected both of us.If you hadn’t run at Beck the way you did, I might be dead, and you’d be on a boat or a train or who the fuck knows where.I don’t like to admit it, but it’s true.”
My vision goes hazy.My eyes burn.This is such a rare moment of Liam being real about his feelings, and it’s not the victory I thought it would be.Not when it sounds as if he’s saying goodbye.
“Liam, don’t.Don’t give up now.”I can see it in his eyes.The way they’ve gone cold.Defeated.Until this exact moment I would have thought Liam Masters had never been defeated in his life.
A tremor runs through my body.There’s this dread creeping through me that feels a lot like what happened when I found out my parents had been shot.I’m not sure I want to hear what he’s going to say next.
Then I realize I already know.This is the moment before the police officer took me by the arm and said, “Son, we need to have a talk.”
This thing between us is dead.Maybe it was never real and I was too stupid to realize.