Page 45 of Liam

“When we get to the hotel, we wait until Jack and Lopez have cleared the lobby before we get you inside,” Liam said for the second time.

Taamira laid a hand on his arm. “I know, honey,” she reassured.

The convoy of cars stopped and the men, all wearing earpieces and wrist comms exited, smart jackets and trousers covering the watches they all wore to communicate. Liam bounced his leg in a rare show of tension as they waited the few moments it took to clear the entrance of any apparent threats.

Jack came back and opened her door as Liam exited on his own side and moved around to her side, his body close as he could be, his arm protectively around her. He ushered her through the door to the hotel where they would stay, and the conference would take place.

Taamira barely had a second to appreciate the exquisite décor in the lobby before they ushered her into the lift. Another man went to step in, and Jack stepped in front of her as Liam acted as her shield. “Get the next one, buddy.”

The older man blustered for a second but then the doors closed on him. Inside the lift, Jack turned to Liam. “Zack and his team are clearing the floor.”

Liam gave a short nod but remained quiet. Taamira could not help but think more was going on than she knew. It was her own fault; she was not ignorant of her personal safety, but she was perhaps a little oblivious. She trusted these men; they knew what they were doing, and she never questioned that. “Is everything alright?”

Liam frowned and looked to Jack who gave the smallest of shrugs.

She turned to look at Liam a question in her eyes. “Liam?”

“Your brother is here.”

The words cut through her like a knife, pain hitting her in the middle of her chest at the proclamation. It should not hurt her as it did, but the loss of her brother still stung after all this time. “How do you know?”

“Lopez picked him up on the cameras earlier today. We tried to change the booking, but all the hotels in the area were booked with delegates.”

The elevator stopped, and Jack put himself in front of the door, his head tilted, and she knew from experience he was getting an update from someone. “Clear.”

The doors opened at his word, and they rushed her towards the open door of her suite. Zack and K were covering one end of the empty hall and its entrance, and Zin and Dane were covering the other, their intent focused on any threat that was foolish enough to attempt access.

Once inside the suite, with the door closed, she moved to the low leather couch, dropping her handbag, and kicking off her heels. It was amazing and freeing to her that in the last few weeks she had become so relaxed in the presence of these men that she thought nothing of kicking off her shoes and relaxing her mask of Princess. Perhaps it was because these men were not just her guards now; they were friends of the man she had given her heart to.

Lopez was walking around the room with a wand of sorts as Jack and Liam set up computers on a nearby table.

“I want both rooms on either side of us occupied by the team and a wire in the Prince’s room. If he sneezes, I want to know about it.”

“Is that necessary?” Taamira asked as she went to him, leaning a hand on his bent back, in what was now a familiar move. The thought of someone spying on her brother made her uneasy.

Liam straightened and turned to her, his face hard, brooking no argument. “Yes, it is.”

“Could we not just monitor who goes in and out and leave him his privacy? The thought of that invasion does not sit well with me.”

Liam cupped her cheek, eyes soft as he looked at her with all of the love he had for her. “How can you still show him such compassion? After everything they have done, you still care.”

“It is not easy to turn off feelings many years in the growing, and I cannot erase the history we share. A history that was happy for the most part and even when we became less close, Abdul always showed me kindness, at least until the attack.” Her voice shook slightly on the last word, and Liam reached for her hand.

He seemed to give it some thought before he nodded and turned to Lopez. “Wire the halls, nobody goes in or out that we don’t know about.”

“Thank you, Liam.” She placed a kiss on his cheek.

He grinned. “Anything for you, treacle.”

“You sure about this, Liam?” Jack asked as he stood next to the computers, his hands on his hips, waiting.

Liam nodded. “Yes, it’s what she wants.”

Taamira could see Jack disagreed, and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask him why when the phone in the suite rang.

Liam looked at Jack. “Anyone know we’re in this suite?”

“Only our team and they have direct lines to us all. Nobody should know which room we’re in.” Jack walked to the phone and picked it up. “Yes,” he said curtly and Taamira watched as he listened, everyone silent until he shook his head. “You’re a major pain in my ass, Astrid.”