Page 63 of Liam

It still sickened her that a man her family trusted would try and kill her, but at least Mitch had killed him. It should make her a monster, but she had no remorse over his death, for being glad he was dead. She should but she simply could not. As far as she was concerned, he deserved to rot in hell.

“We’re checking it all out now. Lopez has checked all his bank accounts, and it seems whatever made him do it wasn’t money. We’re delving into his private life now. From what we know he never married, but Lopez is digging. Everyone else is in the clear. Scott traces back to Mustafa, so does Hassan. Your father and brother are also clearing house, they fired half of the security team and have Zack consulting to employ new ones.”

“Oh, wow, I did not know that.” Taamira pursed her lips. “Are we sure Mustafa did not act alone?”

“We don’t think so,” Waggs added.

Her sharp gaze turned to him. “Why?”

“We found a burner phone he was using with texts and calls to only one number, which is also a burner. The texts suggest that person is calling the shots.”

“Once we have them, this will be over for you, Princess,” Mitch added.

“We should get going. Call us if you need anything,” Pax said as she leaned to press a kiss to her cheek.

“I will.”

Waggs winked at her. “Mitch and I will be outside in the hallway if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

As they all filed out, Taamira wondered how she had lived so long without these people in her life.

HE COULD HEAR MUFFLED conversation coming at him as if through a cloud of cotton wool. A soft hand landed on his arm, warming his cold skin and he wanted to reach out for her, instantly knowing it was Taamira, but he couldn’t seem to form the words or move his hands.

He heard other voices too, but all he could see was darkness surrounding him in a warm fog. He tried to remember what had happened, why he was there and yet couldn’t fully grasp the memory. All he could remember was pain and shouting and then he saw Ambrose. His friend’s face hovered just out of reach and couldn’t figure out which way to turn.

“Go back, brother.”

“I miss you, my friend.”

“And I you, but it isn’t time. You still have lots of living to do.”

“I’m sorry I let you down.”

Liam let the devastation of failure gouge pain through his body all over again, the guilt of not being there for his friend almost crippling him.

Ambrose chuckled and shook his head. “Why do you take on the troubles of the world as if they are your own? You couldn’t have known what was going to happen that day.”

“I should’ve been where I said I’d be, and then you’d still be alive.”

“But then you may not have met Taamira. She needs you, Liam. She loves you as Gail loved me, like she still loves me.”

“Gail hates me.”

“Gail loves you, but she was hurting. My son needs his uncle, and the woman I love needs to know it’s okay to move on. She needs you to tell her it’s okay.”

“How do I stop missing you? It’s as if my arm has been torn off and I only have half of me left.”

“Forgive yourself, brother, because I forgive you, my friend. Not for letting me down, because you didn’t, but because you let yourself down. Go live a good life, make lots of babies with your princess and keep an eye on my son. Make sure he knows how much I loved him.”

Ambrose was growing fainter and Liam wanted to reach out to him but as he did, Taamira’s sweet voice became louder, her face hovering over him as he blinked his eyes. His friend was gone but the woman he loved with every breath in his body was smiling down at him with tears in her eyes.

“You came back to me.”

Liam had enough energy to smile before sleep pulled him back under.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT