“You cannot expect me to let you follow me into this deathtrap,” I fire back. “This place is quiet and safe — nobody will be able to find you here, and you can lie low as long as you need to. I’ve put Felix’s number in your phone in case you need to contact him. Do so if you don’t hear back from me by tomorrow morning.”
“Max—” she starts, but I cut her off.
“These are men who are past the point of trying to take you back, Liv. If either of us were caught, we’d be killed.” I start towards the door, but she follows at my heels, unrelenting.
“Exactly! And that’s why I’m not letting you go alone. Max, you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met before, but you can’t take on a manor full of mobsters alone.”
I turn and raise an eyebrow at her as I’m halfway out the door, the cool night breeze flowing into the little homestead as the moon shines down on the countryside behind me, my form outlined as if on the precipice of heading out into an inky black dreamscape.
“And you want to do what, come with me into that dark life, Liv? Pick up a gun and start shooting as if you were born doing it? I can’t let you go down that road with me.” Our eyes meet for a painfully long moment before I say, “I care for you far too much for that.”
She clenches her jaw, unconvinced. “I don’t want to kill anyone, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still help you keep yourself out of trouble!” Before I can respond, she ducks under my arm and zips out the door faster than I realized she could move, dashing for the car in long, bounding strides while I’m left dumbfounded on the doorstep.
“Liv!” I hiss, walking out after her even as she opens the passenger’s door and clambers in, buckling her seatbelt defiantly and crossing her arms with a smug look on her face that reaches me by the time I arrive at the door.
“I’m going with you, Max,” she says again, the look in her eyes downright daring me to try and stop her.
And so I do.
With a sigh, I reach into the car and unbuckle her seatbelt, trying to get a hold of her. “Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” she exclaims as she wriggles away from me. I manage to get a hold on her hips, but she inexplicably twists away and breaks my grip on her. The same happens when I take her by the wrists, and she puts her feet on the dashboard, squirming out of the way with frustrating ease.
“I’m not going to — ungh! — let you get killed, Liv!” I say while wrapping my arms around her midsection and pulling her out of the car entirely, but seemingly defying physics, she slithers down and out of my grip as though she were made of rubber, trying to hop back into the passenger’s seat, and by the time I try wrapping my arms around hers and pin them behind her back, I have to slide myself in between her and the door to keep her from getting in, but she still manages to slip a leg around me.
I’m amazed that she’s able to evade me for so long—I’ve been able to hold onto some of the most muscular men in the Bratva with no problem, and I’ve tussled with hardened killers, but this short girl is keeping away from my grasp as easily as if we were playing a game. Then I remember that she is a world-class gymnast, and I feel a smile tugging at my face while she wrestles with me. I’m trying to keep a grip on living water.
“Stop that! Hey!” she says in protest as she realizes I’m laughing, and I only catch myself doing so when she points it out. We’re half tangled up in each other against the car door, and I relinquish myself into an embrace with her as we find ourselves locked against each other, and Liv slaps me on the chest plaintively even as we break down into laughter at each other. Finally, I step back, and she looks up at me, defiance mingled with the affection that makes her whole expression light up in the starlight.
“Alright,” I say at least with a heavy breath, realizing that her tenacity is perhaps a force to be reckoned with, “get in. I’ll need to brief you on a few things on the way over there.” Her expression brightens up like a fireworks display, and we climb into the car, pulling out mere moments later into the evening roads.
I’m not thrilled with the arrangement, but I’ve just been given an idea about how she can help.
I bring the car to a stop several blocks away from the manor, and we step out silently, beginning our trek to the estate like a pair of shadows among the French architecture. I have to glance over my shoulder a few times as we walk to make sure Liv is still behind me, and each time, I see her shining eyes looking back up at me, never deviating from her pace, even if my trained ears can’t hear her.