In her statement, she’d mentioned that Sal kept his knife in view at all times. In a voice lacking any inflection or emotion, she’d spoken of how he would caress her arm with the blade, while telling her he was the only one who would or could ever love her. That he was all she had, and he would never allow her to leave him. She’d admitted that her fear had made it easy to believe.
If she hadn’t called him that night, Liam never would have known. He’d thought she was unhappy. He’d known Sal wasn’t worth the air she breathed. He’d wanted her for himself, but he’d missed the signs of abuse that had been right in front of him.
At the time, all he’d been able to focus on was getting her as far away from danger as possible, but since he’d promised the police wouldn’t be involved before he knew everything, he’d tied his own hands. And then he found a loophole.
His brother-in-law had been a private investigator for his family for years before marrying his sister, so Liam hired him to keep an eye on Sal. At the time, he’d told himself it was just to make sure the bastard wasn’t looking for her.
Sal had been quiet for the last few months. But last night’s dream had been so real, he couldn’t dismiss it. Which was why he’d left another message today.
He’d always meant to tell her…so many things. But it never seemed to be the right time.
Coward.
He couldn’t deny it. At first, he told himself she needed a safe place to heal and a shoulder to cry on. But after that? Why had he waited so long after that? Because he wanted her to make the first move after everything she’d been through? His stubborn desire for her to choose him had stolen most of his chances away. He was coasting on borrowed time now, because she didn’t need him anymore and he didn’t know how to tell her that he’d been in love with her for years.
Their timing had always been off.
He’d been on a date the first night they’d met. A charity event held in a new wing of the hospital where she’d worked. Liam remembered being irritated with the woman on his arm because she couldn’t stop talking about the dress she was wearing and how much each couple she recognized was worth. He wanted to leave and make his sister promise never to set him up with another woman again. He wanted to be anywhere else.
And then he’d seen Dani.
She’d been laughing with a group of wheelchair-bound patients lining the walls, taking turns “dancing” with them and ignoring the wealthy donors completely. Her dress, simple and obviously right off the rack, had fit her in a way that made him sweat.
He couldn’t look away. Her body had been what initially caught his attention, because he was a man, but what held it was her. There was no artifice, no pretense that he could see—just joy. He wanted to feel that. To get closer to it. And the boring, obligatory evening he’d been resigned to became the moment his life had changed.
He’d pretended to bump into her to start a conversation. She was hesitant at first, but a few of her patients teased her until she relaxed around him. She was easy to talk to, smart and so funny he’d spent most of the night with a genuine smile on his face. He never wanted it to end.
It wasn’t until a friend had pointed out the scene his date was about to make that he remembered her at all, which wasn’t his finest hour. So he’d taken another woman home, but all he could think about was finding Dani again and asking her out.
He’d made it his business to get her information, discovering that they already had a few friends in common, and managed to run into her again within the week. This time there wasn’t another woman on his arm, but it was too late, since Dani was the one who was no longer available. In an excited rush, she’d told him about the man she’d started dating. The man she’d met online the day after Liam had let her go.
He’d missed his window, but he wasn’t ready to give up, so they’d become friends. His father had taught him that if he wanted something, really wanted it, he had to be patient and stick to his plan. The success of his family’s business had proven that his old man knew what he was talking about.
Which brought him back to that other thing he hadn’t told her. His biggest lie. Liam ran a frustrated hand through his hair and glanced almost resentfully at the two-story house that had been their home for over a year now.