19
The soft morning light spilled across the bed.
I shifted slightly, only to feel Liam’s arms tighten around me.
Most people would imagine a clingy little sister wrapping herself around her brother like an octopus.
But in my case, Liam was the octopus.
His sharp nose brushed against my neck, deliberately grazing over one of the marks he’d left behind the night before.
It stung, just a little.
“Liam, you were so tender and emotional last night,” I teased, my voice light. “I thought you’d be too guilty to leave me like this.”
He buried his face into my neck, laughing softly. The sound was deep and a little raspy, each note curling into my heart.
“Sorry,” he murmured, though his tone was anything but apologetic. “I couldn’t help it.”
What a half–hearted apology.
“Want me to make it up to you?”
Before I could answer, he adjusted me so I was straddling him.
The morning light caught his features just right, and for a moment, I couldn’t look away. His face was sharp and elegant, like something carved by an ancient Greek sculptor. His hand rested lightly on my waist, while his eyes squinted slightly against the sunlight.
I leaned down and bit his shoulder, hard.
Liam didn’t flinch. Instead, he reached up to gently tuck my hair behind my ear.
I bit down harder, thinking about how he’d treated me last night.
I was a little angry, so I didn’t hold back.
He hissed softly.
“Go ahead,” he said, his tone calm. “I’ll take it
I tightened my grip around his neck, watching the red imprint of my teeth bloom on his
skin.
My bite was surprisingly even, almost artistic
I was still admiring my handiwork when Liam suddenly flipped the blanket over me,
pulling me back into his arms.
The world went dark, and all I could feel was his warmth and his scent, wrapping around
me like a cocoon.
His lips brushed against my spine, each kiss soft and lingering, like the fading warmth of
the morning sun.
This man was going to be the death of me.
Liam caught a cold.
Honestly, he had it coming.
Neither of us had the strongest constitution to begin with. Now, I was finally breathing freely again, while Liam sat in his coat, sniffling and wiping his nose.
“Do you want to go to the hospital?” I asked, pressing my hand to his forehead.
“I’m fine,” he mumbled, leaning into my palm for a moment, like he was drawing comfort from my touch.
“Josh might have ties to an illegal pharmaceutical ring,” he said after a pause. “But he’s
23:35 Mon, Apr 7
“I just haven’t been able to find the key evidence.”
Of course, in both my last life and this one, Liam had been investigating Josh.
But even with all his efforts, he hadn’t been able to pin anything solid on him.
Still, Liam’s focus had always been on illegal pharmaceuticals, while I suspected Josh was involved in something far more dangerous.
I tugged on Liam’s sleeve.
“I think Josh and Danielle might be working together on an insurance scam,” I said.
Liam blinked, clearly surprised..
“You think…?”
“Danielle got close to me first. Then Josh made his move.”
“They got to know me, got me to trust them. The plan was probably for Josh to marry me, kill me, and cash in on the insurance.”
It sounded insane when I said it out loud.
But Liam’s expression darkened, especially when he heard the words kill me.
“Their IDs might even be fake,” I added. “You should start there.”
Liam stared at me for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
“What’s this? Are you trying to play detective now?”
The truth was, Liam actually was a detective.
A private investigator, to be exact.
But his work wasn’t anything like the glamorous or heroic image most people have in
23:35 Mon, Apr
their heads.
I hated his job.
Liam was smart–brilliant, even–but he didn’t have a degree.
Back then, we only had enough money for one of us to go to school. He let me go to high school while he took on whatever shady work he could find to support us.
For a while, he came home covered in bruises every night.
I found out later that one of his assignments had been underground fighting.
“Private investigator,” my ass.
He was just someone who’d do anything for money, no matter how dangerous it was.
“Lila.”
Liam’s voice, thick with congestion, pulled me out of my thoughts.
I looked up, only for him to suddenly wrap a scarf around my neck.
Before I could say anything, he leaned in and kissed me through the soft wool.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “For being on my side.”
I froze, caught off guard by his words.
Then, all at once, my nose stung, and tears threatened to spill over.
I’ve always been on your side, Liam.
I’ll never leave you again.
My stupid, selfless brother.
