Honored_ An Alpha Mob Romance(17)

Chapter Seven: Liam


Flirting with the girl I was about to kill. That was a new low for me.

I couldn’t do it. Of course I couldn’t do it. Not when I saw who it was.

I put my head in my hands, cursing my terrible fucking luck. Any other person in the entire city and I probably could have gone through with it. Anybody other than the one woman I couldn’t get off my mind. True, I barely knew her, but there was something pure about her, something that drew me in and made me want to know her more.

And because of that, I was fucked, and so was everyone I knew.

The office in the back of my restaurant felt smaller than it usually did. The walls were cluttered with receipts and other documents, plus pictures of my family: my father, my mother, and my little brother. But none if it mattered to me, not anymore, not since I was well and truly, deeply and darkly, fucked.

The call that pulled me away from her, the call that I was dreading the whole time, came from Max. He was gruff and short, and wasn’t really pleased when I gave him my bullshit excuse. I told him that another person walked down into the underpass at the exact same time the girl did, which made me abort the whole thing. He was pissed, but he didn’t argue, just hung up the phone like he usually did. But hearing his voice, and being reminded of what I was sent down there to do, ruined whatever pleasant moment we had been having. She went from the beautiful, innocent, perfect thing that I needed to the girl I was supposed to murder.

It was hard to keep looking her in the eye after that, so I left.

I sighed, shaking my head. Her dog saved her life. If it hadn’t barked at that exact moment, making her turn around, I would have pulled the trigger. And even though that bark may have condemned me and everyone I loved, I was still thankful for it, because even if I had killed her, and was welcomed into Colm’s inner circle, it wouldn’t have been a real life, not really. She would have haunted me forever.

I’d rather live a short, real life than suffer through a long and fake one.

Before I could dive further into my self-loathing, somebody knocked on my office door.

“Fuck off,” I yelled out.

“Liam, it’s Colin. Colm is on the phone for you.”

Groaning, I stood up and walked to the door, pulling it open. Colin gave me an apologetic smile and handed me his phone. I gave him a ‘go slam your dick in a door’ look and turned away from him. As far as I knew, he was totally in the dark about what was happening, and I intended to keep it that way for as long as possible.

“Liam here,” I grunted into the receiver.

“I heard it didn’t go well.” Colm’s snake voice.

“Yeah, well, some other civilian showed up. I had to abort.”

“Do you know why I want her dead, Liam?”

“Dead bitches don’t talk.”

He laughed. “Of course, but it’s more than that.”

I shook my head, sick of playing games. “What do you want, Colm?”

“You’re from a long line of gangsters and Mob men, all of who stuck to the honor code like the good little boys they were. They thought their honor would help protect them and their loved ones.”

“I know that.”

“Good, so you’ll understand when I say that I need you to bloody your fucking hands. I need you down in the mud with the rest of us. You’re no longer kept above everyone else because of some precious honor or whatever other old-fashioned bullshit.” He paused, and I felt my heart hammering in my chest, my anger beginning to rise. “I need this girl silenced, but I need you dirtied as well. It’s not just about proving your loyalty anymore, Liam. It’s about proving to me that you understand the direction we’re headed, and that you won’t be second-guessing every single decision I make from here on out.”

I was quiet as I absorbed his little speech.

“So you get it, Liam?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“Kill the girl by tomorrow night.” Another pause. I was practically crushing the phone in my hand, I was so angry. “I don’t want to be your enemy, Liam. I want to be your friend.”

“That’s what I want, too.” I wanted to call him a monster, threaten to break his teeth, but I kept my mouth shut instead. He didn’t know how much I despised him yet, and that was to my advantage.

“It warms my heart to hear you say that. Get it done.”

“I will.”

He hung up without another word. I stared at the phone for a few seconds, jaw clenched, body tense.

Get it together, you fucking pussy.

“Colin, your phone,” I called out. Colin appeared from around the corner and took the phone from my hand. Without a word, I shut the door as he walked away and returned to my seat behind my desk. I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the ceiling, my gut swirling with fear but my chest fighting with determination.