Page 17 of Liam (R.I.S.C. Delta Team #5)

“Don’t forget about the purse,” Maddie chimed in after taking a big swig of orange juice. To her, she said, “He dumped all of your stuff on the table. It was a big mess, but he cleaned it up so you wouldn’t be mad.”

Liam went through my purse?

“I would have waited to get your permission,” he explained. “But I kinda figured you’d understand time was of the essence.”

It would have been nice to have been asked, but Liam was right. Stopping Tommy and his men was far more important than a simple invasion of privacy. Plus, if his motives were anything but honorable, the man probably wouldn’t have one through her things right in front of her talkative daughter.

“Of course.” Allison let him know she agreed. “I take it you didn’t find anything in there, either?”

Frustration filled the rich browns of his eyes. “There’s nothing in your suitcases, clothes, or shoes, either.”

“What about the stuff still back at the hotel?”

He took a generous pull of his coffee before setting the ceramic mug back down onto the table. “Jagger and Hunt came by earlier, while you two were still sleeping. I gave them my room key so they could grab the rest of our things.”

“So there could be a tracker hidden in something there. Maybe my makeup bag, or?—”

“It’s already been checked.” The disappointment on Liam’s face said it all.

Allison sat there, racking her brain to think of anywhere else Tommy could have possibly placed a tracking device. The only other place she could think of was?—

“I’m done, Mommy. Can I go watch cartoons now?”

She blinked, her lips forming an automatic smile. “Put your dishes in the sink first. And wash your hands before you touch anything else.”

“Yeah.” She giggled. “They’re really sticky.”

Allison waited until her daughter was in the kitchen before resuming her and Liam’s conversation.

“What about the car?” she asked, determined to be free of Tommy and his henchmen once and for all.

“Yours or mine?”

“Um…both, I guess.” She frowned.

She’d been thinking about the SUV, but a tracker on her car also made a lot of sense.

“The guys went to the shelter straight from the hotel, and I went over the SUV with a fine-toothed comb. Both vehicles are clean.”

Damn.

“Okay, they’re clean,” Maddie announced as she walked past the table on her way to the other room. She made a bee line for one of the room’s two recliners. An instant later, the little ball of energy was already enthralled in a cartoon that was already playing on the giant flatscreen.

Allison turned back to Liam, ready to pick up the conversation where they’d left off. But as she parted her lips to speak, the expression on his handsome face gave her pause. It was one of regret, but also something else that was hovering just below the surface.

Dread.

“What?” She frowned, keeping her voice at a lower level. “What’s wrong?”

You know, aside from the obvious.

“I’m good at what I do, Al. Damn good. And I can’t find a single fu…” His gaze slid to the living room before he rephrased with a quieter, “I can’t find a single freakin’ way the guy’s been able to keep tabs on you and Maddie. Not electronically, anyway. Not unless…”

Liam’s hesitation to say whatever else was on his mind had her mind whirling with all kinds of worst-case scenarios. But the one he presented when he finally spoke again wasn’t even close to being on her imagination’s radar.

“The only other possible way Tommy could be tracking you and Maddie using some type of device is if he somehow managed to get a chip inside you.”

Allison laughed at the ridiculous notion…until she saw the look on Liam’s face.

“Oh, my gosh.” She blinked. “You’re serious.”

“I’ve seen cases where it’s happened.”

Holy crap. He’s actually serious.

“That’s impossible.”

“Is it?” He slid his plate to the side and leaned his elbows on the table before him. “Was there ever a time where you were more vulnerable than normal? You had too much to drink, or?—”

“I never get drunk.”

“Maybe you had some sort of medical procedure, then. Or Maddie. Has she ever undergone any sort of surgeries or extensive dental work? Anything like that?”

“Not here.” A heavy, nauseating ball of dread settled in the pit of her stomach.

“But I had to have outpatient surgery on my arm once.” She subconsciously reached for her left wrist, her thumb tracing the scar from where they’d inserted the metal pin.

“I broke it during a…fall.” She cleared her throat.

The look in Liam’s eyes told her he knew that last statement wasn’t the case. Allison could also see that he understood she’d only said that to keep Maddie from hearing the truth.

“What do we do?” She whispered softly. “H-How do you even check for something like that?”

“With this.” Liam reached for something on the chair beside him.

A second later, he was holding up a flat, grayish-colored wand.

“It’s called an EDD, or electronic detection device.

It’s like what security uses at concerts or sporting events when you walk through the gate, only a lot more sophisticated.

I just need to do a quick sweep of your body, and then we’ll know. ”

“Oooh, do we get to play the tickle game now?” Maddie joined them with a slight skip to her step.

“She saw it earlier and asked what it was. I explained it was a tickle detector.”

“Yeah, Mom. You put it close to your body, and it can tell all the spots where you’re ticklish. But only if you laugh, right, Liam?”

“That’s right.”

“Can I go first?”

Liam looked to Allison and waited to see if she was going to give him permission.

“You don’t have to touch her with it, right?”

“Not at all.”

“Please, Mom?”

“Okay.” Allison forced a smile she didn’t feel to appear on her face. “But just the once, though.”

“Yay!”

She watched silently as Liam went over to where Maddie stood, helping the little girl stand shoulder-width apart, arms stretched all the way out to her sides.

This is my life now.

It was so outlandish, Allison nearly laughed at her own disbelief. Seriously, who spent their morning getting checked for possible tracking devices that may or may not have secretly been planted inside their freaking body?

Me and my precious daughter. That’s who.

“Remember, Maddie.” Liam spoke up again. “You can’t laugh or you lose the game.”

“I won’t.” Her daughter was trying so hard not go giggle as she remained as still as a statue.

Less than two minutes later, Liam announced, “You win!”

Maddie’s long, unruly hair flew around her shoulders when she began jumping up and down. “I win, I win, I win!”

“Great job, baby girl.” Allison gave her daughter a double thumbs-up.

She looked to Liam who gave an almost indiscernible shake of his head. No tracker. A long sigh of relief escaped as she pushed herself up to her feet.

“Are you going to do it, too?” Maddie got even more excited at the idea of her mom playing the “game”. To Liam, she revealed, “Mommy’s really ticklish.”

“She is, huh?” Liam’s lips curved into a too-cute-for-his-own-good grin.

“Don’t even think about it.” Allison pointed a finger his way.

His deep chuckle left his shoulders shaking and her lips fighting the urge to smile.

Clearing his throat, Liam motioned for her to come to where he stood. She went to him, turning around so her back was to his front.

Without having to be told, Allison shifted her stance and put her arms out to her sides.

“I bet it goes off on you, Mommy,” Maddie teased.

Dear God, I hope not.

Liam turned on the wand and inched his body closer to hers. “Lift your arms a little bit.” He used his free hand to guide her wrist a few inches higher. “Hold them as steady as you can.”

Allison had to work to keep them steady for the electric jolt still running through her veins. Never before had her body reacted to a man’s touch the way it did with his. It was confusing. Unexpected. Invigorating.

Arousing.

She could only imagine how incredible his hands would feel if he moved them…lower.

“Spread your legs a little more.”

The timing of Liam’s innocent command nearly left her choking.

“S-Sorry.” Allison cleared the stutter from her throat, shifting her stance to give the man more room to work.

Get yourself together, Al. And get your head out of the gutter.

A hurricane of emotions swirled around inside as Liam proceeded to wave the wand close to her body. She could feel the heat from his as he stood closely behind her.

While he traced her still form down one side and up the other, Maddie taunted and teased as her focus bounced between them and the TV. Liam shifted to the side before bringing the wand up behind her neck. He slowly moved it lower, not stopping until he’d nearly reached her feet.

Liam stood tall, transferring the wand from one hand to the other. For the next several seconds, he followed the same pattern down her front.

“You’re clear,” he muttered low enough only she could hear. A breath later, he transformed himself back to the easy-going guy from before. “Holy cow, Mads! Your mom won the game, too!”

“Yay, Mom!” Maddie cheered with gusto before turning her attention back to the flatscreen mounted high on the wall.

Allison’s grateful smile swayed Liam’s way. “Thank you,” she barely whispered appreciatively.

The intriguing man sent her a quick, knowing wink. “Be right back.” He waggled the wand in the air.

She remained in place as she watched him turn and walk away. Assuming he was on his way to return the EDD to its rightful place, Allison took a step to her right with the intention of joining her daughter. She stopped, noticing how completely enthralled Maddie was with the show she was watching.

Her gaze swung back to the hallway’s shadowed entrance and another thought struck. Switching gears, Allison turned and headed that way, instead. A moment later, she found herself standing in the opened doorway of Liam’s home office.

“You’re really good with her,” she spoke to his back as he stood in front of his desk.