Irritation flickered in his eyes. “Don’t lie to me. That girl is a bitch and a half, and you shouldn’t have to deal with anyone treating you that way.”
My brows rose. It wasn’t that Bridgette’s words didn’t sting, I’d just gotten used to them. “I don’t care what she thinks of me.” It was true. But I did care if it colored Liam’s perception.
“Good, because she’s lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut.”
The expression and the complete sincerity with which Liam said it startled a laugh out of me. “Lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut?”
Liam chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “When I get pissed, my Southern comes out.”
“Clearly. I appreciate you being pissed on my behalf, but it’s really not necessary.”
Liam took a step closer to me, the green in his eyes seeming to glow in the sunlight. My belly flipped. He stopped just a foot away from me. “I can’t stand people like her. She reminds me of everything I wanted to get away from in LA.”
“What do you mean?” I realized I wasn’t sure why Liam was in Sutter Lake.
He looked out across the field on the other side of the back alley. “Fake, judgemental people. Folks who are so eager to tear others down.”
My body tensed at the thought of what it must be like to be surrounded by people like that all the time. You’d never feel like you could let your guard down.
Liam looked back at me. “It gets so old, people wanting a piece of you without caring at all who they’re actually getting a piece of.”
Our gazes locked. I knew a little something about that. It was different but the same, the way Garrett had taken pieces of me, not caring at all who I actually was or who I wanted to be.
Liam’s eyes widened as a car’s engine sounded behind me. I started to turn, to look and see what it was, but before I could, Liam yanked me forward with such force it startled a scream out of me. Air rushed by at my back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark SUV fly by.
“Fuck! What the hell was that guy thinking?” Liam pushed me away from the hard body I’d slammed into when he pulled me against him. His gaze traveled over my face, scanning up and down the length of me. “Are you all right?”
My entire body began to tremble. What had just happened? Careless driver, or something more? Could Garrett have found me?
“Tessa? Are you okay?”
My vision went a bit blurry, and I couldn’t seem to get the words out.
Liam kept a hold of one of my hands and ushered me towards the back door. “Come on. Let’s get you inside and get you something to drink.”
I nodded numbly.
Liam navigated me towards the kitchen, sitting me on a stool while he searched for a glass and filled it with water. He pushed it into my hands. “Here, drink some of this.”
Jensen peeked her head in. “What’s going on?”
Liam scowled. “Some asshole just tore through the back alley in his SUV. He nearly ran Tessa over.”
“Seriously? Are you okay, Tessa?” She crossed to me, rubbing a hand up and down my back.
I swallowed, straightening on the stool. “I’m fine. Just scared me for a minute there.”
Jensen’s hands went to her hips. “Of course, it did. It has to be one of those dipshit high school boys. There’s a few of them that think it’s hilarious to play speed racer in areas you’re only supposed to go twenty miles an hour.”
Liam’s scowl deepened. “You should tell Walker what happened so he can keep an eye out.”
Jensen turned in his direction. “Did you get a license plate? If you did, Walker can arrest them and scare the shit out of them for good measure.”
“I didn’t get a good look. It all happened so fast, and I was worried about getting Tessa out of the way.” Liam studied me carefully. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I forced what felt like a wobbly smile. “I’m fine, really.”It was just immature boys.
14
