Begin Again novel Chapter 188

"What the fuck!" Julian swore when he opened the box. "Liam, you've received threats before, but nothing so—"

"Definite?" Matthew finished off. "I believe 'definite' is the word you're looking for."

"No wonder Eden's so rattled," Julian said. "She's terrified. You just found her and Aiden, and now the mob is sending you death threats. I warned you to stay away from the Lusso deal."

"Well, it's bloody too late to back out now," Liam shrugged dismissively. "Besides, Aleksei won't do shit. He's just trying to scare us off."

The brothers knew he's talking horse shit, so they nodded and didn't say anything.

Just as well, Liam thought as he stared outside his window. The longer he spent on the matter, the more restless he grew. He'd tried to downplay Eden's run-in with Ivanov for her sake, but his cousins were right. All the threats he'd gotten in the past were vague emails and letters and maybe one or two phone calls. Some were from people he knew didn't have the balls to follow through with their plans.

But this was the first time anyone so close to him in proximity had ever sent him something so definite, so sinister.

The Ivanovs never made idle threats, that much Liam knew. The trucks were a prime example, and they didn't even give them a warning for that. So to say he was terrified was an understatement. But he couldn't let his fear get the better of him. He had to keep it together for Eden and their son.

"Is this the place?" Matthew asked, pulling him out of his thoughts as they stopped outside Eden's house.

Jace, the man assigned to Eden, was already parked in the driveway.

A moment later, two other cars pulled up behind them, and Liam watched his head of security and his team hold an impromptu meeting, very likely a briefing on Eden and his son.

"It's so—" Julian began as his eyes scanned the bungalow, his voice immediately trailing off when he saw the warning look in Liam's eyes.

"Don't say a word. Eden is crazy about her place," he said as he pushed out of the car and strolled up the short driveway.

He spent a few moments with Jace, discussing Eden's security over the next few weeks before he handed the box with the bullet to James.

"When did he send this?"

"At the benefit," Liam replied. "He fucking got close to Eden. You know what this means, right? You failed to do your jobs. I can't have that while I'm away."

"My apologies, Mr Anderson," James bowed his head. "But Ms McBride was not our assignment tonight."

"From now on, Eden is your assignment every day," Liam retorted. "I can't have rabid dogs like the Ivanovs coming anywhere near her, especially now that Aiden's in the picture."

"Of course," James nodded. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Liam called over his shoulder as he stalked to the front door.

The bell went unanswered for a few minutes before the light in the entrance hall came on. Moments later, the door creaked open, and Brenda's large frame filled the doorway.

"Mr Anderson? Is everything okay? Eden's not home." She yawned as she rubbed her eyes and tucked the pink nightgown closer to her.

"I know. She's in the car."

"Would you like to come in?" She asked, a small smile lighting up her face.

"Sure," he replied and followed her into her bedroom, where he spent a few minutes watching Aiden sleep before he plucked up the courage to scoop him up.

His son fussed a little as he nestled closer to his chest, trying to get into a comfortable position, and within seconds he was out again.

"He's a good sleeper," Brenda murmured. "Once you put him down for the night, he's out like a light."

Liam nodded and kissed his hair, breathing in his baby smell, and like he was afraid it would happen, the thought of letting Aiden go, the thought of being away from him for three weeks, sent him into a mini-crisis.

"Where's his passport and Eden's?" He asked, making a snap decision right then and there. If he couldn't postpone his trip, he would take them with him. Now that he'd held Aiden in his arms, letting him go was no longer an option. "I need both their passports."

The nanny was dumbfounded by his request, and she stared at him blankly.

"Are you sure he's Eden's?" Matthew asked as he gawked at the full head of red hair on Aiden before he shifted the car into drive, and they pulled away from Eden's place.

"Hey baby, it's your favourite uncle Jules," Julian tried to wake him up, and Liam swatted his hand away.

"Leave Kool-Aid alone," Liam growled. "He's a growing boy. He needs all his sleep."

"You are such a spoilsport," Matthew glared at him in the rearview mirror. "When I have a kid, I won't let you play with him."

"I'll have five more by then," Liam smirked. "I won't need to play with yours."

Twenty minutes later, they were at the penthouse in Green Point.

Dave and the housekeepers took Eden and his son inside while he briefed Matthew and Julian on all his outstanding reports and proposals and the general running of the company in his absence.

"We've done this before," Matthew reminded him.

"Yeah, it's not our first time on the saddle," Julian added.

"Okay then. I'll see you in three weeks," Liam said as he grabbed his soiled shirt, pushed his door and stepped out.

Almost as an afterthought, he turned back to the brothers. "Take care of them in my absence. Whatever they need."

"I doubt Eden will tell us what she needs," Matthew said.

Liam knew this, of course. She was fiercely independent and stubborn as fuck too. Why else would she choose to raise Aiden alone when he was more than capable of providing for them?

"I know that," he said. "But look after them for me anyway."

With that, he turned to the house to begin what would undoubtedly be the longest and perhaps the most illuminating night of his thirty-year existence.