Free Liam: Branded Brothers by Raen Smith Page B

Jack’s secret son.”
    “What did you just say?” Jill asked, her eyes wide in
disbelief. “I swear you just spewed some day-time soap opera crap that I
couldn’t dream of making up.”
    “You’re right about that,” Charla replied, wondering if she
would have enough time to go back to Jack’s house to shower and change before
heading to Dirty Leprechaun. “You know how I feel about drama. I don’t need any
more of that shit in my life.”
    “Whatever you do, be sure to wear that little lace set I
bought for you. Just in case.” The corner of Jill’s lips began to crack.
    “In case of what?” Charla widened her eyes.
    “There’s nothing better than a gorgeous, tattooed Irishman
to help you forget about Rex,” Jill replied with a full smile. “Plus, I know
you were thinking the same thing about the lace set, but you wouldn’t have done
it without me saying so.” She broke out into laughter.
    Jill was always right.

 
    Chapter 5
     
    Charla wiped the sweat from her
brow, wishing she would have taken the extra time to shower. But Liam hadn’t
given her any other choice than to be at the Dirty Leprechaun at 12:30. And
she’d be damned if she was late. Jill’s tardiness had made punctuality a
priority for Charla. She leaned across the seat and grabbed the small box of
belongings with Liam’s clothes neatly folded on top. She straightened her tank
top and took one last look in the mirror. She smoothed the frizz near her
hairline caused by the humidity, cursing the gene pool she’d inherited from a father
she’d never met. Dotti had long, sleek hair when she took care of it, which was
usually not the case.
    I’m nothing like her , she reminded herself.
    She stood on the sidewalk with the box tucked under her arm
looking up at the Dirty Leprechaun sign. The name was flanked with two clovers,
but she didn’t feel any sort of luck. She exhaled and finally took a step
toward dealing with the mess Jack had left her.
    “I’ll be down in a minute.” A man’s voice echoed from the side
of the building. Charla craned her head to see a shirtless Liam leaning over a
metal balcony. She inhaled sharply, admiring the thick outline of his upper
body. It flexed in the warm sunlight as he pushed himself off and threw a
t-shirt over his shoulder.
    He’s gorgeous, get over it. She tried to steady her
breathing as he landed on the concrete of the alleyway and turned toward her.
His smooth skin peeked out between a pair of large wings and a long passage
with scrolling letters on his chest. His dog tags bounced between the tattoos
and glinted in the sun. She shifted the box under her other arm as he pulled a
black t-shirt over his head and walked toward her.
    “I’m glad you’re here,” he said with a smile. He walked past
her and opened the front door of the bar. “Couldn’t resist a guy like me?”
    “Don’t flatter yourself,” she replied as they ducked into
the dim lighting of the bar.
    “So what brought you back here?” Liam asked, walking around
the counter.
    Charla climbed onto a stool and slid the box to him. “Well,
for starters, the box of stuff, and your clothes.”
    He raised his eyebrows and flipped a glass in his hand. “Cranberry
vodka?”
    “It’s two in the afternoon,” she replied.
    “Didn’t stop you yesterday.”
    “Water.” She set her purse on the counter and sighed. “I’m
here because I can’t say no. I’m a sucker for people who need my help.”
    “I said the magic word, huh? Help?” Liam filled the glass
with water and slid it to her. “That’s the word that will make you do
anything?”
    She cocked her head at him and grabbed the glass of water. “You’re
pushing it, just like your dad did.”
    He pressed his hands against the counter. “Let’s call him
Jack. Dad is a little too close for me right now.”
    “Got it. So, you done with your bounty run or whatever you
call it?”
    “Yeah, my day job was done at six this morning when I
brought in a naked