Only One (Ward Sisters Book 2) (2 page)

“That it does. What's your name?”

“Liam Neely.”

“Robbie Deacon. Where are you from?”

“Boston. And, no, I'm not related to him, not directly.”

Robbie laughed. “Get that question a lot?”

“All the damn time. If he wasn't one of my favorite hockey players, it would piss me off. Wait, did you say 'Deacon'? Rick Deacon is your brother?”

“One and the same.”

“Shit. He
is
a house. He makes Luc look like a wimp. Glad I was never on the ice against him.”

“He's a great guy, but I'm glad he was never my opponent, either. I stopped playing hockey with him when he got to high school. He cracked my ribs once.”

“No shit. Hey, you want to get out of here? This party sucks ass. We're never getting beer here.”

“My roommate is twenty-one, so we have beer in our room. Want to come hang out at my place?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

When they arrived at Robbie's room, Liam was shocked by how much of a geek's den it was. Robbie's roommate was playing Magic with a bunch of guys.

“Robbie! You joining the next game?” the roommate asked.

“Only if Liam wants to play, too. You don't mind if he has some beer, do you, Jeff? I'll pay you for it.”

Liam interjected, “You don't have to do that. I can give you some money.”

“Don't worry about it,” Robbie replied. “One day, you'll pay me back.”

“Thanks. You're all right for a raging geek. Magic?”

Robbie shrugged. “I told you I wasn't an athlete. You didn't ask what I did instead. You're not so bad yourself for a douchy hockey player.” He handed Liam a beer.

“
Slàinte
,” Liam replied as they knocked cans together. “'
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
'
”

“
Casablanca
?”

“You got a problem with Bogart?”

“Nope. He's a film icon, one of the greatest actors of all time. I love movies. I do a little acting myself.”

“Oh yeah? It land you any chicks?”

Robbie laughed. “Look at me. I'm not exactly leading man material.”

“You any good?”

“I do okay. I have a photographic memory, so I memorize lines easily. I can read a script once and know all my lines.”

“Damn. Are you a genius or something?”

“Or something. You like movies?”

“Yeah. Don't tell anyone, but I like art house stuff. Been into photography for a few years. Blockbusters are fun, but the real cinema is in the Indies.”

“Definitely. You ever been to the Walker?”

“The museum in Minneapolis?” Robbie nodded. “Nope.”

“I'll take you there. They have a some great photos in their permanent collection.”

“You into art?”

He nodded. “Yeah. My mom's an art teacher. She teaches printmaking here sometimes. My dad's an engineer. They live up near Minneapolis. I spent a lot of years wandering through the Walker.”

“We should go soon. I'm taking art history this semester. I bet I can get some extra credit for that.”

“Let me know when you have time. My Magic tournaments aren't as important as your hockey games.”

“You play in tournaments?” Robbie laughed and nodded. “You really are a fucking geek.”

“Yes I am. Still want to be my friend?” He handed Liam another beer and popped the tab on his can.

“Yeah. You're a cool shit.” For the first time since he left home, Liam didn't feel alone.

**********

Minnesota State University, fourteen and a half years ago...

In the spring, Liam and Robbie waited in the Minneapolis airport for Mary Cate's plane to arrive. Her team was swimming nearby and Liam couldn't wait to see his sister. He'd gone home for Christmas, but he hadn't been back otherwise, and he'd missed Mary Cate terribly, even though they talked all the time.

“Listen to me, if you hit on my sister, I swear to God, I'll break the fucking nose on your pretty face.”

“No need for violence, I can control myself. If she's your twin, she can't be
that
pretty. You're as average as they come. No offense.”

“That's right, geek-boy, I'm a boring, average guy. But my sister is a beauty queen.”

“Literally?”

“No, not
literally
. She hates that shit. But she's gorgeous. I've been fighting the boys with sticks since before she had boobs.”

A cacophony of laughter and noise made its way down the hall. Liam saw Mary Cate at the same time she saw him, and a grin spread across his face as she broke free of her friends and ran toward him. She leaped into his arms and he swung her around.

“I missed you!” she squealed, smacking her lips on his cheek.

He laughed. “I missed you too, Mary Cate.” He set her down and walked her over to where Robbie stood. “Robbie Deacon, this is my sister, Mary Cate Neely.”

Liam saw Robbie's Adam's apple bob when he stuck out his hand. “Hi, Mary Cate. Nice to meet you.”

“Liam, did you tell him not to hit on me? Great, now I'm never going to get laid. Don't listen to him. He's all talk,” she said as she took Robbie's hand.

“I kind of have to listen to him. He's my best friend. Does it help if I say I wish I could ignore him?” Robbie asked.

Mary Cate blushed. “Yes. It does.” The two of them stared at each other for a moment. She swallowed. “Um, I have to go with the team, but I'll see you over at the pool, okay?” She kissed Liam's cheek, hesitated for a second and then kissed Robbie's. “It was nice to meet you, Robbie.”

She bounced away with her teammates and Robbie stared after her.

“Best friend, huh?” Liam said.

Robbie looked at him. “Yeah, and lucky for you I'm your best friend. That girl is
beautiful
. I have two choices, right? Treat her like a sister or marry her?”

Liam laughed and clapped his best friend on the shoulder as they headed toward Robbie's car. “Go with the first one. You couldn't handle Mary Cate. She chews 'em up and spits 'em out.”

“So, like Amy.”

Liam grinned. Robbie's older sister was a barracuda.

“Exactly.”

“Hey, now that Rick's roommates have graduated, the rental house is free. Want to move there with me?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Rick and Kelly are living with my parents so they can save for a house and Mom can help with the baby.”

It was the perfect solution. He could hang out with Robbie all the time and he didn't need to go home except to visit.

“Hell, yes. But don't think because Mary Cate will stay with us sometimes it means you can stick your little thing in her.”

Robbie laughed. “Don't worry. I won't stick my
big
thing in her. I promise. My parents are going to be happy you said yes.”

“Why's that?”

“They think of you like another son, Liam. They'll be thrilled to have you around more.”

Liam smiled. He thought of them like family, too.

**********

Minnesota State University, fourteen years ago...

“Liam, do you have a minute?” Professor Asaad asked.

“Sure Professor. Hey, I'm sorry if I caused a stir in class today. I know my opinion is pretty controversial.”

“On the contrary, Liam. I think you brought a much needed fresh perspective to the class. You have a very thorough understanding of Middle Eastern culture. Can I ask if you've decided what your plans are when you graduate? I know you're only a sophomore, but most students have an idea by now.”

“Actually, I have no clue.”

“Are you taking any language courses?”

“I'm taking French to meet the requirement.”

“Have you considered taking other languages?”

“Like what?”

“Mandarin, for example.” In Professor Assad's British accent, it sounded so logical to take a language that would be challenging, to say the least.

“Uh, I hadn't considered it. I guess I don't know how that would help me. I'm not interested in business. I know China is a big force in the business world.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of a job at Langley.”

“Langley?”

“The CIA, Liam. Intelligence work. I think you'd make a great analyst. You have a keen eye for observation and a love of history. If you're capable of mastering a language like Mandarin, then you might just be perfect for the job. Have you ever considered that type of work?”

“Well, I thought about being a private investigator. I helped my sister find her baby after she had a closed adoption. But other than that, no, I hadn't really thought about it.”

“I have a friend who's in town this week. I've mentioned you to him before. He thought you might make a good analyst, too. Would you be willing to meet with him? Say, lunch on Thursday?”

“I have class until one, but I could meet after that.”

“Excellent. Meet at my office when you get out of class and we'll head to lunch with him. His name is Stuart Marx. I'll see you Thursday.”

On Thursday, Liam sat across from Stuart Marx and listened as the man promoted intelligence work. The professor had suggested Liam would make a good analyst, but Agent Marx noted that Liam was so average looking that he'd probably do well in field work, too.

He pushed a sheaf of papers toward Liam. “Here are some suggestions on courses to take if you want to make yourself a prime candidate when you leave here. Start with a language class this summer – I'd try Mandarin first. If you can handle that, then you'll have a chance at the rest.”

“French came pretty easily to me.”

“That's good. But romance languages are easy to learn. You find you're good with languages, you'll have a leg up over the rest of the candidates. In the field or analyzing data, knowing another language is a big help. Knowing more than one is an advantage. Start there, then take as many classes on that list as you can. Good luck. I hope to see you in a couple years in my training program.”

“It was great to meet you, sir.”

“Likewise, Mr. Neely. Yousef, I'll see you at the party.” The agent shook hands and left.

“Thanks, Stu,” Professor Asaad said as his friend walked away. “So, Liam, what do you think?”

“I think this is exactly the career I didn't know I wanted.”

He'd be away from Mary Cate for long stretches, but she'd met a whole new group of friends at BU. They talked all the time and still saw each other, but she didn't need him as much as when they were younger.

It meant engaging his mind all the time. He'd travel and have a reason to stay away from Boston. Anything that ensured he'd steer clear of the family drama was a good place to start.

Chapter 2

Langley, Virginia, 11 years ago...

During training for the CIA, Liam met a girl named Mia in a bar. He'd thought she was perfect, that she was the one for him, that he'd finally met the elusive love of his life.

He was wrong.

Liam sat in a room waiting for his program supervisor. For what reason, he had no clue. When the door opened, he attempted to keep calm. He'd tried, very hard, to toe the line.

“Neely,” Agent Marx said. “We have a problem.”

“Sir?”

“What can you tell me about Mia?” Liam told his boss every single thing he could recall. When he was done, his boss said, “And what do you think she can tell me about you?”

Liam was floored. “Uh, I don't know. Plenty, I guess. Why?”

“Hence our problem, Neely.”

“I don't understand.”

“Mia's real name is Agent Cassandra Wilkes. We planted her to see how much you'd divulge to someone close to you, and you failed the test. Luckily, this is training. You're a prime example of why we do the exercise now. Better to fail in here than out there, where you could put more than your own life in danger.”

Oh, shit
. He'd been duped into believing Mia cared about him.“I'm sorry, sir.”

“No apologies. Just be smarter next time.”

“Yes, sir.”

His gut had saved him more times than he could count, and he could trust it for everything but his love life. For his safety and self-preservation, Liam vowed to avoid romantic relationships from that moment forward.

**********

Reagan International Airport, eight and a half years ago...

On his fourth official field assignment, things went south and Liam was shot in the shoulder. He escaped with a small physical scar and a minor recovery from surgery to remove the bullet.

The PTSD had promised nightmares every night for years.

They sent him to therapy and insisted that he take an analyst job for the short term. Faced with the prospect of sitting at a desk for any length of time, Liam balked and took the option of leaving the agency instead. He figured he'd start a PI business in Boston. It had to be better than getting shot or sitting at a desk all day.

Strolling toward his gate at Reagan International, Liam was emotionally preparing himself for the insanity his life would now become living in close proximity to his family. Maybe he should go back and talk to Stu about a short-term leave instead. A desk job wouldn't be worse than dealing with his sisters.

Would it?

Ahead of him, he saw someone who couldn't possibly be in the same airport. When the man turned, Liam knew for certain that he hadn't seen a ghost.

“Robbie!” he yelled. Robbie turned and smiled.

Liam ran toward his best friend and was reaching to give him a hug when huge arms clamped around his shoulders and wrestled him to the ground.

“Jesus, Rick! Get off him! That's Liam!” Robbie yelled.

Robbie shoved his brother away, pulled Liam to a stand and gave him a bear hug. “Damn, you are a sight for sore eyes! How the hell have you been? You fell off the radar!”

“Yeah, Langley kept me pretty busy. Saw you once, in L.A. You're a big man on campus now, huh?”

The geeky college kid was gone. Robbie Deacon was now an up-and-coming movie star, with a lead role in a blockbuster under his belt and a stage name – Deac Roberts – which Liam thought was ridiculous. His lankiness had disappeared in college, but Liam had seen the movie,
Freedom Isn't Free.
W
hile Robbie wasn't as big as his brother, he could probably kick Liam's ass now if he tried hard enough.

Well, maybe not. Liam did have martial arts training under his own belt these days.

Robbie blushed. “You could say that. Sorry about before. Rick, you remember my best friend, Liam Neely.”

“Oh, right. Hadn't seen you in a while. You should know better than to run up to Rob like that.”

Liam scoffed, “Fuck you, Rick. He's my best friend. I'm not some fucking groupie. I'll come up to him however I want. I don't need your permission.”

“Actually, you do, since I'm his bodyguard.”

“Give it a rest, Rick. Can you tell me where you're headed?” asked Robbie.

“Actually, I can. I'm on my way home to Boston. I left the agency. Thinking I'll start a PI business.”

“What? Why'd you leave?”

“Long story. It's kind of a relief. I hated it, truthfully.”

“Really? What did you hate?”

“Yeah, can't tell you that. Only part I liked was the travel. Saw some interesting places.”

Robbie looked at Rick. “You think I need another guard?”

“I still think you need a team. Why?”

“You should hire Liam.”

“What? He's a pipsqueak. Too damn small to be a bodyguard. He's smaller than you are. No offense, Liam.”

“None taken. It's true.”

“You're a trained Federal agent. You know how to use a gun and I'm sure you've been trained in hand-to-hand combat. We could use someone like him on the sketchier shoots. I know the production usually takes care of that security, but I also know you don't really trust them.”

“And?”

“And here's the perfect guy to do the job. He's my best friend. I can trust him. I know he'd have my back. Mom and Dad always thought of him like a son. He could be there when you can't. Kelly is ready to kill me because you're gone all the time.”

“I guess you have a point. You interested, Liam?”

“What would it entail?”

“Hang out with me and make sure no one gets close unless I want it. Prevent me from getting killed or kidnapped in places where that sort of thing is a real danger,” Robbie said.

Liam looked at Rick. “Yeah. That's about it in a nutshell.”

“Pay any good?” Liam asked, joking.

“Robbie has plenty of money to throw around. You won't hurt for it and you'll be with him enough that you won't spend much of what you make anyway. If you're good at surveillance, I could use someone at home for some of the fussy clients. We have a couple regular divas who like to have security and don't want to know it.”

“Sounds like I'd be stupid to turn it down. When do you want me to start?”

“Go home to see your Ma and then meet us in Minnesota next Friday. I'm going there before my next shoot,” Robbie said.

Rick handed him a card. “Call Kelly. She'll get you set up in the system. Welcome to the Deac Roberts security team and Deacon Security.” He shook Liam's hand. “And in public, either call him Deac or Rob. Only the family calls him Robbie anymore. We do that so we can use 'Robbie' as a code if necessary.”

“Sure thing, boss. Now, can I buy my best friend a beer, or is that not allowed?”

“Even when you're officially on the clock, I'll still let you buy me a beer.” Rob hugged him again. “I'm really glad you're coming to work for me, Liam. I missed my best friend.”

“Right back at ya, buddy.”

**********

Minneapolis, Minnesota, seven years ago...

Liam kissed the girl goodbye at her condo door. “Thanks for a great night, Ally.”

“I'll call you the next time I'm in town and we can do it again. If you're not free before 10 p.m., don't bother saying yes.”

“Whatever you say. Bye.”

He dialed Rob on his cell. “Hey, have Mo swing by to pick me up when you leave that meeting.” He gave Rob the address.

“What were you doing there? It's 8:30. Offices are closed.”

“I was on the upper floors, not in the offices.”

“In the condos? What, did you hook up with someone from the pharmaceutical conference?”

When he wasn't guarding Rob at premieres, Liam worked on the high-profile cases for Deacon Security. He'd met Ally at one of those events, where he was guarding the keynote speaker.

“Yes, I did. Ally's a sales rep at the conference's sponsor. She wants me to be her booty call when we're both in town.”

Rob laughed. “You've got a regular booty call now? What, are you done sleeping around? You looking for a girlfriend?”

“For one, it's not regular. She travels like I do. For another, sleeping around is getting boring. I don't need a girlfriend, but I wouldn't mind having a few regular girls, you know? It's nice to get laid, but they always want to spend too much time talking and not enough time getting sweaty and naked.”

Rob laughed even harder. “You're a piece of work, Liam.”

“Not everyone wants to attach themselves to their college girlfriend.” Why Rob wanted to be with awful Rachel Wilson, he had no idea. That girl was a liar and a cheater.

Not that he could tell Rob.

“Not so sure that's going to last anymore, Liam.”

“What? Why?” Liam feigned shock.

“She practically broke the engagement when she left for Australia.”

“Oh. That's, uh, too bad.”

“I know you don't like her, Liam.”

“Doesn't mean you're not hurting, Rob. I'm sorry for that.”

“Don't sweat it. Hey, we'll be there in a couple minutes. You need to swing by your place to get your bag?”

“Yeah. Can I take a quick shower? We have time for that?”

“Plenty. See you in five.”

**********

Malibu, California, six and a half years ago...

Six months later, when Rachel returned to L.A., she broke up with Rob for good. He let her keep the ring, which Liam thought was foolish. It had cost a quarter million dollars.

Sitting at Rob's house on the Pacific shore of Malibu, they drank a beer together. “Robbie, I have to tell you something.”

“Uh-oh. You're calling me Robbie. This can't be good.”

“It's not. Don't be mad at me, okay?”

“Did you sleep with Rachel?” he asked.

“What? No fucking way. Why would you ask that?”

“Because I'm pretty sure she was screwing her director while she was on location. I doubt it's the first time she's cheated.”

“Yeah, about that. I caught her.”

“When? Recently?”

“No, Robbie, in college. Remember that weekend you went to Patrick's christening?”

“How could I forget? You refused to be in the same room with Rachel for a while after that.”

“With good reason. I caught her riding Jake like a bull. Next morning, I found her in my bed, wearing my Bruins shirt.”

“That's what happened to that shirt? Did you sleep with her?”

“No. She came in while I was sleeping and took it. Wore it so I couldn't take it back. Then she threatened to let you find it at her apartment if I told you that she cheated on you.”

“She
blackmailed
you?”

Liam nodded. “Said that if I told you, she'd make sure you thought I was the one who cheated with her. That you'd believe her because you didn't think you were worthy of her. Told me you were her meal ticket and that she was going to the top with you whether I liked it or not. I could either remain your friend or you could hate me, but no matter what, I wouldn't stand in her way.”

“Holy mother of God. Why didn't you tell me before?”

“You were too important to me, Robbie. I've hated every day that I didn't tell you. She never deserved you. If your mom hadn't told me that she didn't expect it to last, I'd have told you before.”

“My mother told you that she thought it wouldn't last?” His face dropped and his eyes were sad.

“Robbie, she knew instinctively that Rachel wasn't in it for you, just for the fame. But she said it was pretty evident after the big tabloid scandal a couple years ago.”

Rob nodded. Rachel had left him high and dry, running off for lengthy location shoots repeatedly and leaving Rob to fend for himself with the tabloids. That was when Rick started his security company and became Rob's bodyguard.

“I'm glad you told me. I'm a little pissed that you never said anything before, but at the time, she was right; I'd probably have taken her side instead of yours. I was too far gone over her then. I wish you'd said something later, though. I haven't felt confident she'd stick around for a while now.”

“You deserve someone who will.”

“So do you.”

“Yeah, probably not in the cards for me, buddy.”

“I don't believe that. You'll meet the right girl someday.”

“Keep dreamin'. I'm not meant to be a family man.”

“I think you are. I'll find you someone.”

“When? In your abundance of free time?” Liam laughed.

Rob chuckled in return. “Touché. Let's drink to Rachel being out of my life forever.”

“Aren't you taking her to the Directors Guild Awards?”

“Yeah, but now that I know what she did to us, she'll never get another chance with me, no matter what she thinks.”