her attempts to grab her mother’s hands. She hissed in a breath at the hot sting and growled in outrage, dodging more blows from her mother’s head. She clipped her chin again, dazing Talia. Her grip on the flailing wrists slipped. A sound of protest tore from her throat. She reared up to grab her mother again, but someone wrenched her from Talia’s arms.
Shocked, she rolled to her hands and knees and looked up. Liam held her mother a foot off the ground with her back to his chest, her hands pinned behind her in an unbreakable grip while one powerful arm locked around her waist, despite how hard she fought to get free. In a practiced move he flipped her onto her stomach on the filthy carpet and straddled her thighs, holding her down with his body weight and the force of his forearm across the back of her neck to immobilize her.
When she met his gaze, the grim expression on his face shook Talia to the core.
“Wait outside,” he commanded brusquely.
Horrified that he’d seen this and had to intervene, she felt the pressure of tears building in the back of her throat. Her jaw throbbed and her lip stung. Her mother’s screeching voice made her want to clap her hands over her ears and hide in a dark hole. Knowing there was nothing more she could do to help, she climbed to her feet and rushed from the house on unsteady legs.
* * *
Liam stood back as the cops took Talia’s mother to the cruiser in handcuffs. And she wasn’t going easily. She was still swearing and yelling, yanking against the officers’ restraining grip on her arms. When they put her in the back of the car and shut the door, things finally got quiet.
He resisted the urge to drag a hand through his hair. Christ, he’d known Talia was hiding a few skeletons in her family closet, but he’d never guessed it was anything like this. When she’d said her mother was ill, he’d thought she’d meant cancer or some other terrible disease. Clearly, physical illness wasn’t the problem.
One of the cops stopped to speak briefly to Talia, who stood near his truck with her hands over her mouth, her expression full of horror. Damn, she had to be dying inside, watching this happen to her mother. Liam waited until they’d finished before striding over to join her as the cruiser pulled away. Instead of looking at him, she lowered her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself.
He hadn’t the faintest idea what to say. Though he wanted to hold her, something told him she’d only push away. “You okay?”
It came out automatically, because obviously she wasn’t okay. Her lower lip was swollen and she had a darkening bruise at the side of her jaw. Red welts from the claw marks on her arms. The haunted look in her eyes gutted him. They were full of shame. Shame and grief.
She nodded. “I’m really sorry you had to see that.” Her voice shook. She covered her face with her hands, shoulders shuddering as she sucked in an unsteady breath.
“Hey.” He reached for her but she turned away, composing herself before speaking.
She cleared her throat. “They’re going to keep her overnight until the bail hearing tomorrow. Would you mind taking me back to the hotel?”
Of course he didn’t mind, but he couldn’t pretend nothing had happened. Capturing her chin in his hand, he gently forced her head up until she met his eyes. The tears she was fighting so hard to hide clung to her lower lashes. His muscles knotted with the need to pull her to him, hold her close. Help ease the pain he knew was raging inside her, in any way she’d let him.
“No, don’t.” She jerked her head away, refusing to look at him. “Just…don’t. Please.”
He bit back a sigh, wishing there was something more he could do. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this helpless. “Okay. You ready, then?”
“Yeah.”
The drive back was silent and seemed to take forever. He could all but feel the tension in her body, her muscles pulled tight. “Cold?” he asked when she rubbed her
Shocked, she rolled to her hands and knees and looked up. Liam held her mother a foot off the ground with her back to his chest, her hands pinned behind her in an unbreakable grip while one powerful arm locked around her waist, despite how hard she fought to get free. In a practiced move he flipped her onto her stomach on the filthy carpet and straddled her thighs, holding her down with his body weight and the force of his forearm across the back of her neck to immobilize her.
When she met his gaze, the grim expression on his face shook Talia to the core.
“Wait outside,” he commanded brusquely.
Horrified that he’d seen this and had to intervene, she felt the pressure of tears building in the back of her throat. Her jaw throbbed and her lip stung. Her mother’s screeching voice made her want to clap her hands over her ears and hide in a dark hole. Knowing there was nothing more she could do to help, she climbed to her feet and rushed from the house on unsteady legs.
* * *
Liam stood back as the cops took Talia’s mother to the cruiser in handcuffs. And she wasn’t going easily. She was still swearing and yelling, yanking against the officers’ restraining grip on her arms. When they put her in the back of the car and shut the door, things finally got quiet.
He resisted the urge to drag a hand through his hair. Christ, he’d known Talia was hiding a few skeletons in her family closet, but he’d never guessed it was anything like this. When she’d said her mother was ill, he’d thought she’d meant cancer or some other terrible disease. Clearly, physical illness wasn’t the problem.
One of the cops stopped to speak briefly to Talia, who stood near his truck with her hands over her mouth, her expression full of horror. Damn, she had to be dying inside, watching this happen to her mother. Liam waited until they’d finished before striding over to join her as the cruiser pulled away. Instead of looking at him, she lowered her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself.
He hadn’t the faintest idea what to say. Though he wanted to hold her, something told him she’d only push away. “You okay?”
It came out automatically, because obviously she wasn’t okay. Her lower lip was swollen and she had a darkening bruise at the side of her jaw. Red welts from the claw marks on her arms. The haunted look in her eyes gutted him. They were full of shame. Shame and grief.
She nodded. “I’m really sorry you had to see that.” Her voice shook. She covered her face with her hands, shoulders shuddering as she sucked in an unsteady breath.
“Hey.” He reached for her but she turned away, composing herself before speaking.
She cleared her throat. “They’re going to keep her overnight until the bail hearing tomorrow. Would you mind taking me back to the hotel?”
Of course he didn’t mind, but he couldn’t pretend nothing had happened. Capturing her chin in his hand, he gently forced her head up until she met his eyes. The tears she was fighting so hard to hide clung to her lower lashes. His muscles knotted with the need to pull her to him, hold her close. Help ease the pain he knew was raging inside her, in any way she’d let him.
“No, don’t.” She jerked her head away, refusing to look at him. “Just…don’t. Please.”
He bit back a sigh, wishing there was something more he could do. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this helpless. “Okay. You ready, then?”
“Yeah.”
The drive back was silent and seemed to take forever. He could all but feel the tension in her body, her muscles pulled tight. “Cold?” he asked when she rubbed her
Similar Books
