Page 160 of Between Secrets and Obsession

He chuckles. “Yeah, not answering that question either.”

“You are literally no fun.”

Tyler sets my bag on the floor, and I explore the kitchen and bathroom. The fridge is stocked with food, and there are several types of herbal teas in the pantry. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about the cast iron tub that’s connected to theonly bedroom. The master with a king-size bed has a patio with a small flower garden attached to it. This place is gorgeous, and a selfish part of me wouldn’t mind staying here a while.

“You can have the bedroom if you want,” I tell Tyler when I meet him back in the living room.

“Nah, I’m gonna sleep on the couch. I am a Southern gentleman, after all,” he drawls. “And Liam would kick my ass if I made you sleep on the sofa.” Tyler kicks off his boots, then his phone goes off.

“Fuck yes!”

“What?”

“Liam did it.” Tyler smiles proudly. “He has the laptop with the pictures and audio.”

“Already? That’s great!”

“It’s not over yet, though. Now we have to be patient and wait for him to put everything into motion. He has what he needs to take her down a few pegs or completely destroy her. It’s Victoria’s choice. I’d personally destroy her and send it all anonymously to her father without giving her a chance, but I’m letting Liam take the lead on this one.”

I sit next to Tyler on the couch, knowing we can’t celebrate too soon because this is just the beginning.

“What do you think she’ll do? You don’t think Victoria will hurt him, right?” Every scenario sprints through my mind, and that’s when the worry begins to take over.

“Liam’s one of the most resourceful people I know. Victoria needs him more than he needs her, and the evidence will drive that home. She’ll be undoubtedly blindsided when she finds out we escaped, and I’d be lying if I said there won’t be issues regarding that. Based on what I know about Victoria, she’s gonna lose her shit, but she’ll play it off like nothing happened. I’m sure she’ll even tell Liam she got rid of you to look like she planned it all because she’s a manipulator. If it comes to it, I’llsend the shit to her dad myself. I was tempted more than once, but I’d rather give Liam the opportunity to bargain with her first. The two of them might be able to find common ground where everyone wins here.”

“Is it possible to ever walk away from the O’Learys, though?” I challenge.

Tyler sucks in a deep breath and exhales it slowly. “That I don’t know. She’s a spoiled brat and unpredictable, but she’s been sleeping with the son of her father’s mortal enemy and is pregnant with DeFranco DNA. It’s disrespectful to the family name and a stab in the back to her father. It’s an unforgivable offense, so she really has no other option but to do what Liam says.

“While I was being trained, I overheard that Johnny shot his own brother for doing some shady shit, and he put a bullet in both his arms and thighs as a warning. Then he left him to bleed until someone finally took him to the hospital. He needed surgery and was hospitalized for months. His own fuckin’ brother. One of the other guards said Johnny only went to visit him to remind him where his loyalty better stay or next time the bullet will be in his head. He’s a goddamn monster, so tell me, what makes his daughter safe from his wrath on something as bad as sleeping with the enemy and getting pregnant? She isn’t. Relatives will want blood and will want an example made out of her, pregnant or not. The fact that Victoria’s children will be half of them and half DeFranco means she better fucking run to avoid her father’s retaliation. He’s cold and merciless. If she wants to protect herself, the babies, and Mickey, she’d be smart to do anything Liam says.”

The thought makes bile rise up my throat. While I despise Victoria, she is pregnant, and it’s disgusting to think someone would hurt a woman carrying not one but two babies. Then again, the O’Learys are despicable people. It doesn’t surpriseme, though. This isn’t a life I know, and I’ve been thrust into it without warning. I close my eyes and say a silent prayer, hoping Liam’s careful and that it all works out in our favor.

Tyler yawns again, and I move, allowing him to fully stretch out on the couch. “You should get some sleep, Beanstalk.”

Leaning back, he adjusts a throw pillow and grabs a small blanket that doesn’t fully cover his body. “I’m just gonna nap for a few hours.”

“Sounds good. I think I’m gonna do some yoga and meditate. I’m overly anxious and won’t be able to rest anyway.”

He nods, closing his eyes. “Just don’t go outside or get into any trouble. If my phone rings, and it’s Liam, answer it. He’s gonna check in later if he can.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be a good girl,” I tease. “Tyler?”

“Yeah?”

I fall to my knees and wrap my arms around him the best I can in his position. His body stiffens as I take him off guard, but then he relaxes and wraps his free arm around my back.

“Thank you for risking everything for us.” I smile against his chest, hoping he understands how much his sacrifice means to me.

“Liam would do the same for me without hesitation,” he says, and I wonder about what they’ve been through already.

“I would too,” I admit, pulling back. “Good night, get some sleep. Those dark bags under your eyes aren’t a good look for you.” Then I grab my stuff, turn off the light, and leave him be.

As soon as I walk into the bedroom, I sit on the mattress and pull off my shoes. Then I fall back, closing my eyes and taking in several calm breaths. I won’t be able to think straight until Liam checks in and tells us what happened.

Does Victoria have a gun? A knife? Will she try to silence Liam before he can beat her at her own game? Obviously if I’m thinking about these things, Liam already has. Being a bountyhunter has allowed him to always be two steps ahead of his opponent, but when it comes to the goddamn mob, he needs to bemilesahead. I wish I could do something more, but this situation is out of my control, and it makes me feel helpless. I hate this.

Right now, all I want to do is call my sisters. I wish I could tell them everything that’s happened so they’ll stop worrying. I want them to know I’m with Mason’s old trainer and that I’m safe. There’s a lot of explaining to do, but I don’t even know where to start. They need to know who Victoria really is and how this affects all of them. The magnitude of it hits me like a ton of bricks because it doesn’t seem real. So much has happened in so little time.