Page 2 of Liam (R.I.S.C. Delta Team #5)

Two weeks later…

Nerves danced their way through Allison’s veins as she approached the sidewalk in front of the Crain Communications Building located on Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue.

The sound of moving traffic passed behind her, as did the low hum of conversation and laughter coming from Millennium Park, which was catty-corner from where she currently stood.

She lifted a hand to her brow with a squint as the late afternoon sun’s blinding beams reflected off the massive skyscraper’s peak. But it was the group of men inside the impressive structure that occupied her mind.

“They’re going to help you,” she whispered softly to herself.

They have to.

Despite her own reassuring words, a sizeable ball of doubt settled heavily deep inside her gut. If the private security team she’d come here to see couldn’t—or worse, wouldn’t —help her, she honestly had no idea what she was going to do.

Allison came to a stop just outside the building’s entrance. Taking a moment to collect herself, she drew in a deep breath before hanging her head between her shoulders and letting her eyelids fall shut.

Feeling as though this was her only remaining hope, she drowned out the surrounding noise of the city. And then…she prayed.

Please, God. Please let this work. If not for my sake, then for Maddie’s. She’s so pure and innocent. She shouldn’t have to pay for my mistakes.

She opened her eyes, lifted her head, and returned her focus to the building before her. It was the end of the workday, so she needed to hurry.

Glancing around, Allison rushed through the main doors and through the massive lobby inside. The reflections captured within the shiny white tiles beneath her feet were so clear, it was almost as if the floor were constructed of mirrors.

A large seating area greeted her as she entered, the dark leather chairs and couches there a stark contrast to the white floors, walls, and ceiling that surrounded her. Plants that looked so perfect they could be fake adorned boxes painted to match the furniture’s rich browns.

Allison moved quickly beneath a slew of canned lights as she passed a reception desk that was void of human presence. Spotting a set of elevators up ahead, she ignored the handful of other people making their way toward the building’s exit as she began to pick up the pace.

Her phone dinged with an incoming text just as she reached the elevator doors. Pushing the button with the up arrow, Allison checked her phone to see who had sent her the message.

Naomi told me about the plan. The guys of Delta are solid, so trust them and keep me posted.

Allison read Sloane’s text again. And again. And…again. She continued re-reading the sweet woman’s encouraging words as if doing so somehow proved she was making the right decision.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Without looking up from her phone, she started to step inside. But Allison’s forward motions was abruptly forced to a stop when she ran smack dab into a wall of muscle.

Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, and in an instant, Allison was back in her husband’s clutches. On reflex, she yelped, jerking her body free from his meaty grasp, moving away from the elevator as quickly as she could.

In the process of saving herself from the so-called enemy, the phone her hand went flying into the air. Allison’s eyes grew wide as she attempted to catch it, but the device began moving in a series of uneven somersaults, thwarting her efforts to keep it from hitting the tiled floor.

A masculine hand shot out just in the nick of time, saving the cell from certain death. The air in her lungs froze when she realized it was the same hand that had grabbed her moments before.

Those aren’t Tommy’s hands.

“Phew! That was close.” The man who most definitely was not her jerk of a husband chuckled, standing straight once again. “You okay?”

As the haunting memories vanished from Allison’s mind, a rush of much-needed clarity finally settled in. This man wasn’t trying to hurt her. He’d only been trying to help.

And I just made a giant fool out of myself.

The well-meaning stranger held the phone out for her and waited. As she willed her frozen body to unlock itself from where she stood, Allison was too mortified by her reaction to even look him in the eyes.

“I’m sorry,” the man offered softly. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The gentleness of his deep, rumbly voice left her mentally berating herself for acting like such a fool. “You didn’t,” she finally managed to say.

It was a lie, of course. A big, bold-faced lie. He had scared her, but her knee-jerk reaction was thanks to her messed up past, rather than his well-meaning attempt to help.

At least you’re no longer just standing there like an idiot. That has to count for something…right?

“I’m the one who should apologize,” Allison spoke up again, this time with a touch more confidence. “I guess I’m just a little jumpy.”

Speaking of confidence…

She slowly forced herself to meet his gaze, the air in her lungs catching at the base of her throat with a hitch the second her tentative eyes landed on his. Brown. Intense.

Pretty.

Between his height, good looks, and the dark brown scruff covering his masculine jaw, the guy certainly had that whole tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome vibe going for him. What caught her attention the most, however, was the look of concern in his eyes.

It was a friendliness of sorts. A look that immediately put her at ease. And that alone scared the hell out of her.

Looks can be deceiving.

It was a lesson Allison had learned the hard way…and one she’d never, ever forget.

She searched his darkened gaze a moment longer, for what she wasn’t entirely sure. A flash of something that looked a lot like attraction crossed between them, but then?—

The elevator doors began to close.

Moving fast like a snake striking out at its prey, the man slapped a palm to the door’s edge. A clanking noise sounded as the doors’ movements were forced to a sudden stop, and at the same time, he nearly dropped the phone he’d only recently saved.

“You should probably take this before my good intentions end up destroyin’ the damn thing,” the man drawled.

Allison felt her lips lift into a slight smile. Just a tiny one, and it didn’t last long. But still…

“Thank you.” She took the offered phone from his hand.

Their fingers brushed against one another’s, the unintentional contact sending a shockwave of electricity racing through her veins. He jerked back suddenly, his eyes widening with surprise.

Stunned into silence, she watched as the doors began to close once more. This time, however, the handsome stranger was prepared.

With his entire body this time, he kept the doors open so she could finally step inside.

“Where to?” Those brown eyes found hers once more as he waited for her to make the next move.

She stepped inside the giant metal cart, keeping a safe distance away as she glanced at the illuminated digits. Naomi had told her the floor where she could find the team’s office

They’re on the top floor. Or…crap. Did she say the very top, or was it the one right before it?

“Um…I-I’m not exactly sure, actually,” she admitted nervously. “I was told the office for a company called Delta Team was in this building. Have you heard of it?”

Allison held her breath and waited, hoping this man at least knew where the private security team could be located. His confirming nod brought with it a silent sigh of relief.

“As a matter of fact, I have,” the man with the mesmerizing stare rumbled. Then he held out a hand and smiled. “I’m Liam Cutler. I work for Delta Team. And you are…”

A wave of hope fell over her even as a trickle of doubt threatened to seep its way inside.

Desperate for help—and left with no other choice but to ignore the cynical nature that had been beaten into her by her soon-to-be ex—Allison lifted a hand and slowly and placed her palm against his.

And for the first time since literally bumping into him, she let herself take in more than the attractive features of his face.

Broad shoulders and a sculpted chest formed the creases and curves of his light gray, short-sleeved Henley. Well-defined biceps pulled the sleeves tight, giving away the man’s obvious strength.

A pair of jeans that looked to be perfectly broken in hung just so at his narrowed waist. Like the sleeves of his shirt, the denim covering his legs stretched in a way that revealed a set of muscular thighs.

When it came to the kind of men Allison had come here to find, Liam Cutler definitely fit the part. Question was could he be trusted with her deepest, darkest secrets?

There’s only one way to find out.

It was a risk, not only to her safety but also to her daughter’s. But as Sloane’s earlier text about how the men of Delta Team could be trusted rang loudly through her mind once more, she drew in a deep breath and took a giant leap of faith.

“My name is Allison,” she revealed her real name, praying this wasn’t a monumental mistake. “Allison Gallo. A…friend suggested I come here. She said your team might be able to help.”

“Help with what, Allison?” Liam gave her hand a gentle shake but didn’t immediately let go. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Something like that.

Her blonde curls bounced along her stiffened shoulders as she gave her head a jerky nod.

“It’s my husband. H-He’s not a good man.

I’ve tried running” Liam’s image blurred behind an unexpected wall of unshed tears.

“My daughter and I have been running for so long. After Seattle, I thought maybe…but he found us. He sent his men after me and Maddie, and now…” Allison finally blinked, sending a single tear into a free fall down her cheek.

“Please, Mr. Cutler. I have nowhere else to turn. If I don’t find a way to stop him for good, he’s going to… ”

“What?” Liam watched her closely, his brows dipping inward as his deep voice grew softer. “What will your husband do if he finds you?”

You’ve made it this far, no sense in holding back now.

She stared up into his intriguing gaze that seemed to hold worry for a woman he didn’t even know. Her lips parted, her breath hitching a little on its way past her tightened throat. And with a whisper she wasn’t certain he could hear, she told him the truth she felt to her bones.

“He’ll kill me.” Allison swallowed hard.

The seconds ticked by as she waited for his response. It was all so crazy. She sounded crazy. And yet?—

Liam reached over and smacked the button to the building’s top floor before looking back down at her. “Let’s go to my office. Everyone else has already gone home for the day, but you can fill me in on what’s been going on with your husband.”

“And after that?”

“I’ll let you know once we’re finished talking.”

Ah, so he’s a skeptic, too. Or at the very least, someone who takes careful consideration before signing on a new client. Which reminded her…

“I don’t have a lot of money to pay you,” Allison blurted. “But I can work off my tab. I’m good with people, and I used to manage a hotel, so if there’s a need for an administrative assistant in your office, I can?—”

“How ’bout we talk first and worry about the rest later?”

Meaning what, exactly? If she doesn’t make a strong enough case, there won’t be a bill because he and his team won’t bother wasting their time with her case?

They rode the rest of the way to his security firm’s floor in relative—and extremely uncomfortable—silence. With the burner phone Naomi had provided still clutched in Allison’s hand, she rubbed a nervous thumb back and forth over its smooth edge as she rehearsed all the things she needed to say.

Admissions that, at one time, she’d sworn to take to her grave. The yelling. Name calling. The constant demeaning and ridicule. The beatings.

Maddie’s sweet face flashed before her eyes, and it was all Allison could do not to let more tears fall. At least her daughter was safe for the time being. But neither of them could stay at the shelter indefinitely.

Just take a deep breath and, when the time comes, tell Liam everything you know. What happens after that is out of your control.

Out of her control. Her entire life had been out of control for so long, it was hard to remember a time when it wasn’t.

“This is us.”

Liam’s deep rumble caused her to blink, and she realized only then that the elevator had come to a stop. As the doors parted from the center, he motioned for her to go first. Allison stepped out into an empty hallway, her pulse spiking when she realized he’d been telling the truth.

It was empty, and the office space up ahead was dark and void of any signs of life. So now she was floors away from the others she’d seen downstairs, and it appeared she and Liam were completely alone.

“Maybe I should come back another time.” She let Liam walk past on his way to the closed office door. With her arms crossed tightly in front of her, Allison hugged herself as she questioned the decision to trust a stranger.

Stopping just shy of unlocking the door, he looked back at her with what could only be described as cautious concern.

“That’s up to you.” Liam’s deep voice held no signs of frustration or anger. “But, in situations such as yours, it’s sometimes easier for a client to go over things one-on-one first, rather than with the entire team. But again, it’s totally your call.”

Allison thought about this a moment and decided he was right.

It probably would be a whole lot easier to share her story with him first as opposed to facing an entire room full of men.

And since the key Liam had already put into the door fit perfectly, she felt fairly secure in the fact that he was who he claimed.

She took a tentative step forward followed by another. A few short minutes later, she found herself in his private office.

“Make yourself comfortable.” He motioned toward one of two leather chairs facing his desk. “Would you like something to drink? We have water, coffee, tea, soda…”

“I’m good but thank you.”

The sound of leather creaking beneath his weight reached her as he took a seat and rolled himself—and the wheeled chair—closer to his desk. Peering at her from between two sets of dual-screen monitors, he said, “So tell me, Allison. Tell me why it is you think your husband wants you dead.”