Begin Again novel Chapter 41

"So what happens if it turns out, after all your treatment, it's still only Eden who can get you horny?"

"Then I'll do without sex. I've been celibate for two years, what's a lifetime?" Liam announced and both his cousins roared with laughter.

For him, though, it wasn't funny at all. Eden had ruined his life, and she was continuing to mess it up.

"What are you going to do about her?" Matthew rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

Liam shrugged. He'll keep her close as his therapist suggested and make her pay for using him as a rebound. The rest he'll figure out as he goes along.

He was seriously starting to question his decision to hire her. When it comes to Eden, it's true what they say; still waters truly run deep. He would never have imagined she could be so volatile and unhinged.

"Do you guys want an assistant?" He offered as he threw on his lounge jacket and prepared to leave.

His confrontation with Laura had left a sour taste in his mouth. Seeing Eden, too, had ruined his night. He was no longer in the mood for company, no matter how tempting the bourbon is.

"No, thank you!" Both brothers shook their heads. "Not with that temper. And we all thought you're the dragon."

"Shut up!" He growled as he left the booth and made his way home.

Back at his place, Liam wasted too many hours in his study trying every search term in the universe to get any bit of information about Eden even though he had tons of work to do. But all his attempts came up empty.

He was still inventing search terms when Dave knocked on his door and came in with a severe frown, and an envelope in his hand.

"Sir, the head of security dropped this off in the afternoon," the butler said as he placed the serious-looking envelope on his desk.

"Thanks, Dave," Liam smiled at the older man, confident it's what he's been waiting for since he tasked security to run a background check on Eden. The company had done all the necessary security checks, and she'd passed them all. But this was personal and far more detailed.

He looked up when he noticed his butler had no intention of moving along. "Is something wrong, Dave?"

"I know it's not my place, but I thought you were okay with everything. I'm afraid trying to find the little lady again will be upsetting to you."

"I can handle it!" He said. "And I've already found her."

"It's just that the last time—"

"I don't want to talk about it, Dave!" Liam blew out a long breath and pointed at the door.

The niggling tumour that has been growing in Liam's heart ever since he saw the ring on Eden's hand shrunk considerably at the other man's words and his chest suddenly felt lighter than it has in days.

"What about her baby's father? Any information on him?" He dropped the pen and stared at Eden's face in the dossier; she wasn't gorgeous in the conventional sense. But there was something about her that lured him in and threatened to render him powerless if he so much as let his guard down. Allowing her to get under his skin will be to his detriment, he knew that.

It has to be the eyes—he thought as he tapped his fingers on her glasses—they were warm and soothing, like honey, he could easily lose himself in them if he's not careful.

"—The father's name is blank on the birth certificate. Just her name." His head of security continued. "Should we keep digging, Sir?"

"No, thank you, James." Liam hung up, still feeling very unsettled.

He shoved the report and Eden's photo away, convinced he's overthinking things. The timeline matched up though and would explain why she disappeared. But there's no way a money grabber like her, wouldn't have told him if she was pregnant with his kid, especially when his family is worth billions.

"No!" Liam shook his head, shuddering in disgust at the very thought of having fathered a child with her.

There's no way he's the father.

He went to his room, took a shower and slipped into bed, determined to put the crazy notion out of his head.