page56 (1/2)

But instead of opening the book, she pushed the rocking chair with one foot and stared into the e how it felt to lie in the shelter of Lia how she’d confessed nearly everything to hied her Hadn’t condemned her

Could she tell him the rest? Could she risk it? Could she build a relationship with him if she didn’t? And even if she could, he’d know the truth soon enough, and he’d never forgive her for deceiving him

She rocked slowly until the light left, her thoughts in tur chair, the book still unopened in her lap

The back door opened and Liam came inside “You missed the sunset,” he told her quietly as he flicked on the overhead light, dispelling the shadows “Why didn’t you come outside?”

“I needed to think” About what, she wasn’t ready to tell him “I needed to be alone”

He nodded as a reflective expression settled over his face “I’m that way someti it in a critical way, Cate knew Just a statement of fact He would have liked to share the sunset with her because he enjoyed her coed between them, her presence mattered to him

He went to his duffel bag and pulled so out of it, then sat down at the kitchen table She watched silently as he pulled his gun from its holster and placed it on the table in front of hian taking the gun apart Curious, she left the rocking chair and came to sit across from him

He glanced up once, then turned his concentration back to what he was doing He didn’t wait for her to ask, volunteering, “Just so to worry about”

She propped one elbow on the table and leaned her cheek against her hand as she watched hiun Fascinated by his , and without looking at her, he said, “I wanted to ask you about what you said yesterday”

She wrinkled her brow in a question, but she knew he couldn’t see it, so she asked, “When yesterday?”

“Right before Callahan showed up When you called yourself a coward because you hadn’t killed Vishenko when you had the chance”

She’d forgotten about thatbut Lia him She hadn’t intended to tell him, but it was too late—she couldn’t unsay those words

Lia and looked at her, his deep brown eyes stern But there was also so fierce in their depths “You are not a coward,” he said now “You hear me? You are not a coward”