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I followed him to his car and sat quietly in the passenger seat while he chatted about his partners and their boys and his job at the law firm. Clearly, he didn’t like awkward silences, and I was grateful for his ongoing commentary because neither did I. I just didn’t have the energy to fill it myself.
I directed him to my apartment, a bit embarrassed by how shabby it was compared to his expensive car. But Liam didn’t comment or even seem to notice.
He put the car in park and took his seat belt off. “I’ll walk you in.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that.”
“Mae would have my head, and then she’d tell Bliss, and Bliss would set Vincent on me, and as much as I love that little psychopath…”
“You don’t want to be on his bad side?”
“Not even for a second.”
I could understand that. Vincent’s alter ego, Scythe, was a scary motherfucker. Funny as hell, but scary, nonetheless.
I let Liam walk me across the apartment complex and inside the building. He frowned at the lack of security on the door but kept moving, sticking close behind me. So close, he ran smack into my back when I stopped abruptly on the last flight of stairs to my floor.
“Hey, Roach.”
Vaughn slumped on the floor of my hallway, clutching my gold purse in one hand and a mostly drank bottle of bourbon in the other.
I shoved my hands on my hips “What the hell are you doing here? Are you drunk?”
Liam cleared his throat. “You know this guy?”
I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Yeah. He’s my…” I trailed off, not knowing exactly what he was. “He’s Vaughn.”
“I’m her brother,” Vaughn slurred. “Big brother.”
I frowned at his handsome, barely lined face. “Don’t know about that. You look about twenty-five.”
“I’m thirty-one, thank you very much. But I’ll let my Botox doc know you said he does good work.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re so vain.”
“There’s a song about that.”
Liam’s confused gaze bounced between us. “You don’t know how old your brother is?”
“We’ve only been siblings for a hot minute.”
Understanding dawned in Liam’s blue eyes. “Ah. The dead fiancé’s son, then?”
“That’s the one.”
“Husband,” Vaughn chipped in. “The judge had pronounced them husband and wife when they…” He made a tree tipping noise then an exploding action with his fingers. “Boom! Dead on the floor.” He laughed, then shook his head, thick eyebrows furrowing together. “It was really not funny though.”
Liam nudged me. “Do you want me to get him out of here? I can drive him home.”
“Ain’t got no home. Kian’s there, taking up all the room with his stupid, attractive face.”
“Who’s Kian?” Liam whispered.
I shrugged. “No idea. But leave him. I’ll take care of it.”
Liam didn’t seem happy about that idea. “You sure? You don’t seem to know this guy very well…”
He was right. I didn’t. But Vaughn was barely conscious, and I didn’t want him puking in Liam’s car on the drive home. Plus, my gun was inside. If he so much as looked in my direction wrong, I’d use it.