Page 162 of Seven Deadly Sins

He pulled his attention from the retreating Harper and met the amused glance of Sheila Turner, his ex. “Hello, Sheila.”

“What a surprise to find you here. I thought you’d moved back to Ireland.”

“Why? America is my home now.” He crossed his arms. “I did wonder if you’d be assigned this case.”

“I’m not excited about it.” She leaned against Harper’s desk. “Nothing worse in my mind than a cult leader waging a war. Who’s the pretty woman?”

“Detective Scranton.” In case Sheila didn’t know, he filled her in on how he and Harper had been drawn together.

“You dating her?”

“No, we’re simply working together to stop a madman.” He had to fight to keep his gaze from returning to Harper when her laugh rang out.

“Same as when we were searching for a serial killer.” A sly smile spread across her face. “That didn’t stop us from getting involved.”

“A big mistake.” Especially since she’d chosen someone else over him. He hadn’t known until spotting them hot and heavy in a car outside a restaurant. That had been enough for him to ask for a transfer. “How is Marcus?”

“Oh, we broke up shortly after you left. He was nothing but a fling, Liam.” She straightened his tie, stepping too close for comfort. “I’ve missed you.”

He moved a few steps away. “I’ve barely thought about you.” The truth, because after meeting Harper, no other woman ever drifted through his mind.

“Now, you’re being cruel.” Her smile faded. Her gaze grew cold. “I never took you for a cruel man.”

“I never took you for a cheating woman. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we all have jobs to do.” He turned and bumped into Harper.

Her gaze flicked to Sheila. How much had she heard?”

“Hello, I’m Detective Harper Scranton.”

“Special Agent Sheila Head. Liam’s ex-fiancé.” She held out her hand.

“He never said anything about being engaged before, but then again, the subject never came up.” She gave him a look that pierced straight to him, then returned Sheila’s handshake. “Welcome to Oakdale. I’m sure the two of you have a lot of catching up to do.” She sat a stack of printed maps on the corner of her desk. “Feel free to take one. I’ve handed out several. Director Payson will let us know soon what the next step is.” Without sparing Liam another glance, she marched away.

Liam watched her go, wishing very much that Sheila hadn’t been one of those sent to help.

Chapter Four

Wow. A fiancé. Why hadn’t Liam ever mentioned he’d been engaged before? She banged a pot on the stove, not really hungry, but knowing she had to eat.

“I’ve ordered a pizza. Maybe you could take a hot bath while we wait. You’ve got twenty minutes.”

She turned to face Liam. Her gaze roamed from the bedroom eyes to the chiseled jaw. Any hopes she’d had of a future with him now had a crack through them. Get over, Harper. His past was none of your business.

His gaze locked with hers. “Sheila and I have been finished for three years. She doesn’t mean anything to me. Nothing more than a nuisance in my mind.”

“Things sounded pretty warm on her end.”

“But not on mine.” He stepped forward and gripped her shoulders. “I know you don’t want any commitments while Robert is loose, but when this is over, I’m going to tell you how much I love you.”

“No.” The word came out in a hoarse whisper. “We can’t do this.”

“Why?” His gaze intensified. “Why not say I love you? If one or both of us don’t make it out of this, I want to die knowing I’ve told you what you mean to me.”

Tears blurred her vision. “You’re telling me now.”

He gave a sad smile. “No, I’m telling you what I’m going to tell you.”

A nervous giggle escaped her. “Sneaky.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest, counting the heart beats. “I won’t say it back. Not yet.”