Chapter Four
They hadto park a couple of streets from the police station. The neighborhood was lively and decked in lights and decorations for the holidays, which made her want to laugh and skip on the sidewalk like a child.
It was still quite cold, but Catriona didn’t mind. Even if it was early, the sun was setting between the buildings, the golden rays making the snow shine like little weeping diamonds.
School buses circled the streets and kids were already out playing.
A quick look at Liam confirmed he wasn’t enjoying the walk at all. The collar of his coat was up, which gave him an even more dangerous vibe. In the last light of day, she could see red highlights in his hair and beard, mixed with some lighter gray. When she noticed the gray, she could also see fine lines at the corner of his eyes, the signs of a man who worried a lot. She could tell he didn’t smile much, which she found extremely sad.
Arriving at the corner where a big Christmas tree blinked in the rhythm of a Christmas carol, she watched as his face creased into a frown. “You don’t like the holiday season, do you?”
Silver eyes turned to her, as glacial as ice. “You mean the time of the year where crime and accident rates explode, people are losing any brain cells they ever had and are more concerned about a stupid trinket they have to buy and are ready to jump into a fight for it?”
The tone was laced with hatred and venom, but Catriona had to bite her lower lip to avoid fueling his mood. “I didn’t believe you were such a Grinch.”
“I’m more surprised you like it all, little nun.”
Blinking at his insinuation, she didn’t know what to think, even less about the name he’d used to irritate her. “Why not? Most people are filled with joy and excitement. They enjoy being together, seeing kids unwrapping gifts. That’s what I find most magical. Just being together. Don’t you think?”
Liam shrugged. “I was a bastard child of a single mother who didn’t know what day of the week it was, let alone if it was a holiday.”
Her first instinct was to take him in her arms, but with his closed expression and the fact she didn’t know if he would accept it, she restrained her impulse. “I was in an orphanage most of my life, but the nuns always made sure we enjoyed Christmas with the limited means they had.”
This time, it was his turn to look at her but before he could offer her any type of pity, she pointed a finger at him, the meanest she could muster. “Don’t you dare turn soft on me. I was the lucky one and even if a family would’ve been better, it could’ve been so much worse. I’ve heard about violence and abuse suffered by unwanted children and I never experienced that. I can’t complain.”
As they strolled, a bunch of kids ran between them, Catriona giggled and swiveled so fast her boots skated on the ice and she braced herself for a hard fall.
However, the only hardness she felt were the two hands that caught her before she hit the pavement.
What she hadn’t expected when she looked up to thank him was how close his face was to hers. His warm breath made her cool skin tingle, but it was the sudden swirl in his silver eyes, like melting ice, which made her belly fill with anticipation. The sensation was sharp and unusual, and didn’t make sense to her. Before she could comprehend her own reaction, the connection was cut when Liam blinked and steadied her before letting go.
At first, she thought he’d ask if she was okay, but instead, he stayed silent. Catriona forced herself to say something, at least a thank you so as not to appear like a fool.
As she opened her mouth, a body bumped into her as he ran past them. Her first thought was that she was once again in Liam’s arms, but the second one made her realize that her bag had been snatched.
Everything happened so fast; her initial reaction was to cry out before following Liam as he dashed after the thief. The sidewalk was more slippery than she’d anticipated, and she skidded a few times. Liam seemed to have the best footwear for the job, better than his target, allowing him to gain ground, once inch at a time.
Catriona almost fell when both figures disappeared into a side street, making a tight turn around the corner of the next building. There she saw Liam finally gripping a handful of coat, stopping the thief in his tracks. The sudden halt was brutal as the thief lost his momentum and stumbled hard on his back. Liam barely maintained his balance but kept a firm hold on the criminal. Catriona huffed and puffed as she slid beside them.
The thief was not happy to have been caught and had dropped her bag in order to fight his way out of Liam’s hold.
“Stop it. It’s your lucky day. I was off-duty, but I’ll deliver you to the precinct myself.”
As she looked at him, she realized the man was young, much younger than she’d anticipated. He seemed to be a young teenager, not tall yet but lanky, and she could see the signs that he was underweight. The dark skin of his cheeks seemed taut, his eyes hollow, although there was a definite fire in them as he fought back.
“Let me go, you fucking donut eater!”
Liam growled under his breath as he finally brought the youngster to his feet and maintained his control on him with an arm lock. What Catriona saw was how Liam rubbed his thigh with his free hand, a definite sign that the chase had aggravated his injured muscles. “And here I thought you were about to sweet talk me. Insults won’t keep you from being arrested.”
Caught and unable to break the hold, Catriona saw something on the youngster’s face, it was quick but undeniable—fear.
“Wait.”
Liam and the kid froze at her voice, as if remembering she was there. Catriona took a few steps to stand before her thief, but Liam warded her off, which she decided to ignore. Instead, her eyes went deep into the dark ones of the teenager. When she smiled, it was obvious he was startled by her attitude, but immediately closed down, probably suspecting some sort of trick.
“What’s your name?”
“As if I would tell that to a fucking cop.”
