Dominate Me

Chapter 34

~ Liam's POV ~

~ Two days ago ~

Miles and I stepped out of the car, and while he made sure Atwood would keep the girls safe, I found myself watching our girl. I couldn't ignore the ache in the pit of my stomach that something bad was going to happen, I just couldn't place my finger on the when.

I nodded to Miles and we walked into the gym, needing to speak to Jenna and learn everything she knew.

"Atwood's really stepped up recently. Have you noticed that?" Miles glanced back at me and I knew he was waiting to read my reaction.

No point in hiding it any longer.

He spun around, narrowing his eyes at my smirk. "You son of a bitch! I fucking knew it!"

Before I could react, he cocked his arm back and let it fly, his fist making harsh contact with my face.

I rubbed at the new ache in my jaw and rolled my eyes, frowning at the vacant front desk. "Fucker. I'll let that slide because we have shit to do, but we're talking about that sucker-punch later. Don't be so dramatic. You were fine. Where is Jenna?"

"You told the chief to pair me with him. Why?"

I clenched my throbbing jaw at the memory, speaking to the chief the night I'd quit and left over two years ago, needing to find ways to keep Miles and Ava safe and putting distance between us to do it.

Miles' hand on my shoulder jerked me around. "Why!"

"You'd have looked for me! You wouldn't have stopped until you found me and tried to get me back here. I wouldn't have been able to work as hard to find Covington if I had to watch my back and cover my tracks from you."

"That doesn't-"

"Atwood's not a bad agent. He's good actually. Sure he was new, but he was actually top of his class. I just had the chief hide that from you and asked Atwood to dumb it down a bit. If you were irritated and worried about watching his every move, you wouldn't have had the time or energy to look for me."

"Fuck you! I lost my shit when you were gone and you paired me with him because you were too busy running from your feelings! It wasn't about Tex. You could've looked for him here. It was about Ava."

"Of course it was! How was I supposed to know that you'd have let me in? We've shared women before, yes, but I knew you loved her the second you first went out. It was clear as day. Love changes things because it wouldn't just be fun with someone like it was in our past. I had no idea you wanted what you do between the three of us. And it's not really a question to ask.

But even so, had you been searching for me so intensely, you wouldn't have been focused on keeping Ava safe. Atwood being a ditz or not, at least your mind never slipped with her safety. That was my concern and that was why I did it. Because you would've put everything into finding me had you had the chance. Now where the fuck is Jenna?"

"I get that, I do. But you're my best fucking friend, Hawk. We all work because we fill each other's needs in different ways. Seeing you two together, I don't know. It's like seeing the love that I feel for her right in front of me. It's seeing the light that keeps the past at bay. Being with her... we get to see love and beauty even when our past haunts our minds."

"I know that now. I wish I did before, but I can't change my leaving now. I never apologized though. I am sorry, Miles."

"Sorry I decked you."

I chuckled, rubbing my jaw. "It's okay, didn't hurt too much. You're the brains of the two of us anyway, not the muscle. You're lucky the punching wasn't the other way around. We're still talking about that shit later though." I joked, nudging his arm.