Kate Hoffmann - Liam

Before she moved on to a new life, she’d have to clean up the mess from the old. And that meant proving her innocence…and finding a way to rationalize her very passionate but short relationship with Liam Quinn. Ellie looked both ways before crossing the street, then she jogged up the steps of the pub. Loud Irish music and the clamor of voices could be heard from outside and she gathered her resolve, determined to remain unemotional when speaking with Liam.

Satisfied that she was ready, she pulled open the door and stepped inside. The first person she recognized was Liam’s father, Seamus Quinn. Then she saw Dylan, the firefighter, behind the bar with his father. She caught his eye and gave him a little wave. He looked at her for a long moment and then smiled and motioned her over.

“Hey there, Ellie!”

She returned his smile. “Hi, Dylan,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the music.

“So you’ve decided to venture inside Quinn’s. What can I get you? Have you ever had a Guinness? Or maybe you’d like something more suited to a lady’s tastes.”

“Actually, I don’t need anything to drink. I was just looking for Liam. Do you know where he is?”

Dylan glanced over his shoulder. “He was down at the end of the bar with Sean and Brian. But maybe he’s left. I’ll just go-”

“No,” Ellie said. “I’ll go ask. Thanks.”

She wandered toward the end of the bar and found Brian and Sean. When they saw her, Sean turned to look toward a small alcove in the back. A crowd was gathered around the pool table and she saw Liam there, standing next to a curvaceous blonde in skin-tight jeans. The blonde leaned into him, wrapping her arm around his, and Ellie felt a surge of jealousy mixed with a healthy dose of anger. How quickly he’d forgotten her.

She watched him for a long moment as he leaned over the table and made a shot. He had an athletic grace that made even the act of wielding a pool cue seem sexy and provocative. Ellie’s gaze followed that of Liam’s companion, her eyes fixing on his backside. Whether he and the blonde were together or not didn’t change what she’d come to say.

She walked back to the table and waited for Liam to see her. After he took another shot, he glanced up, his gaze meeting hers. She felt the breath leave her lungs and had to force herself to take another. At first he registered surprise, and then he smiled. Without taking his eyes from hers, Liam tossed his pool cue on the table, knocking the balls in all directions, and circled around to stand in front of her.

“You’re here,” he murmured, his gaze scanning her features as if he hadn’t seen her in years. “I thought maybe you’d left town.”

She shook her head. “Can I talk to you?”

“Sure.”

“Somewhere a bit more private?”

“Liam, aren’t you going to finish our game?”

Liam glanced back at the girl he’d been with, her lips now pursed in a pretty pout. “I can’t. Find yourself another Quinn brother. This place is crawling with them.”

“I think I need to talk to Sean, too,” Ellie said.

Liam called out to his brother and motioned him over. They all found a booth in a dark corner of the pub and sat, Sean and Liam on one side and Ellie across the table.

She tried to avoid looking at Liam, but it was hard. He was staring at her, his eyes fixed on her face. Ellie forced a smile. “I don’t know if you’re still looking for Ronald Pettibone. I mean, you know where he is. But I think I know what he wants.” She reached inside her purse and pulled out a music box.

“What is this?” Liam asked, reaching out to pick it up.

“Ronald gave this to me a few weeks before we broke up. And then right before I left New York, he asked if he could have it back. He said it was a family heirloom. But this isn’t an antique. I was so angry at him, I refused. Then I left New York to start over in Boston. And the next thing I knew, Ronald shows up here. I think he may have been the one to break into my apartment.”

“So do I,” Liam said.

Ellie glanced over at Sean and he nodded in agreement. “And I think this is what he was looking for,” she continued. “I had it in a box down in my landlord’s storage locker. Ronald wouldn’t have known to look there.” She reached out to turn the music box over, her hand brushing against Liam’s. For an instant she remembered what those hands had done to her, how they’d moved over her body, how they’d driven her wild with need. Ellie swallowed hard. “The bottom comes off. You just push that little clip forward.”

Liam popped the bottom off, then glanced up at Ellie. “There’s a key in here,” he said.

Ellie nodded. “It’s for a safe-deposit box and that bank is here in Boston. We came here on a long weekend and that’s when he gave me the music box. We weren’t together every minute and he may have had time to visit the bank. It’s Rawson Bank. They have a branch a few blocks from the hotel where we stayed. I think that whatever is in that safe-deposit box has something to do with the embezzlement.”

“If we could get in the box and-”

She shook her head. “Unless he put the box in my name, we won’t be able to open it. I would have had to sign a card at the bank and I don’t remember doing that, so I don’t think that’s the case.”

Liam handed the key to Sean. “We’ll check it out.”

“No,” Ellie said.

“No?” Sean asked.

“I have a plan. I’m going to call him and tell him that I know about the embezzlement and that I want part of the money in exchange for the key.”

“Ellie, I don’t want you to-”

She held up her hand, stopping Liam’s protest. “I’m going to do this. I’ll do it alone or you can be a part of it. But if I don’t get it straight, then they’re always going to think I’m an embezzler.”

Liam slid out of the booth then reached over and grabbed Ellie’s hand, dragging her after him. “Excuse us, I need to talk to Ellie alone.”

As he pulled her toward the kitchen, Ellie tried to yank her hand away. “You can’t talk me out of this.”

When they reached the kitchen, Liam backed her up against a counter and braced his hands on either side of her, blocking her escape. He caught her gaze, his eyes intense and unyielding. “Ellie, this guy has already proved that he is willing to kill for this money. I don’t want you taking this into your own hands. Sean and I will track down the money and we’ll go to the authorities.”

“No,” Ellie said.

“If this doesn’t work, then Ronald is going to pass the blame to you. And he might walk away from this free and clear while you serve his time in jail. Do you want to risk that?”

“I didn’t do this,” Ellie said.

“I know you didn’t.”

“Do you?”

Liam sighed. “Ellie, I never really believed that you were a part of this. Ask Sean. From the moment I met you, I questioned whether you could have done this. Do you think I would have gotten involved with you if I really thought you were a criminal?”

“And why did you get involved with me?”

“Because…I don’t know…I couldn’t help myself.”

“Or maybe you were just doing a job?”

“I know you’re angry and you feel as if I deceived you and-”

“You did,” she said.

“I’m sorry.” He stared down into her eyes and Ellie willed the tears from falling. Slowly he brought his hands to her cheeks, cupping her face in his palms. He bent closer and she knew he was about to kiss her. At the last moment Ellie turned her head and stepped away from him.

“So how are we going to handle this?” she asked.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I-I mean about Ronald. I think I should call him and invite him over. But I don’t want to show him the key right then. He might…”