Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 74

Liam let out a heavy sigh.

He had been by Hudson's side for nearly ten years. He knew the man entirely too well.

Most days, Hudson acted as if nothing in the world mattered to him. But the moment someone dared to lay a finger on the woman he cherished, he would tear the world apart.

And then he'd force-feed the shattered pieces to whoever crossed him.

Liam stepped inside and crouched down in front of the half-dead man.

The spy was covered in injuries, his face beaten beyond recognition, looking like a crumpled rag tossed onto the concrete.

Liam shook his head as he assessed the damage.

"Of all the people in the world you could have pissed off, you had to choose him."

The man couldn't even speak anymore; all he could manage was a garbled whimper from the back of his throat.

Once Liam had patched up the worst of the wounds, he peeled off his bloody gloves, stepped outside, and took a deep breath.

The scent of jasmine from the garden washed over him.

He stood there for a moment until the stench of copper faded from his clothes, then finally walked over to Hudson.

"Hudson, we really can't delay your treatment any longer."

Hudson didn't reply, simply watching the smoke drift upward from his fingers.

"You need to be admitted to the hospital by next month, at the absolute latest."

Liam's tone grew urgent. "The side effects from those meds are becoming severe. If you keep taking them like this..."

"I know," Hudson cut him off.

Liam opened his mouth to argue, but Hudson was already getting to his feet.

"Don't worry. I know exactly what I'm doing."

He took a few steps toward the main house before pausing.

"Liam."

"Yeah?"

"I've waited years for this, and I finally have what I want. The wedding is at the end of the month. Until then, I won't let anything stand in my way."

Liam stared at his back, his brow furrowed so deeply it ached.

The Hudson Lancaster he knew was a master strategist, calculating every move with cold precision.

But when it came to Nora, he was acting like a reckless gambler.

Throwing everything on the table...

Betting his very life.

...

"Yeah," Leo nodded, then quickly added, "If you don't think it's a good fit, we can change it. Whatever you say."

Nora stared at him.

She glanced out the window.

The sun had definitely risen in the east this morning...

"Are you... feeling okay today?" she asked cautiously.

Leo's mouth twitched, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "What could possibly be wrong with me? Just finalize the list so I can get the band in here to rehearse."

With that, he grabbed a paper bag from the table and held it out to her, flashing a smile that was both desperate and entirely fake. "Did you eat? I brought you breakfast."

She looked at him in confusion.

Nora took the bag. Inside was a hot latte and a croissant.

She looked at the coffee, then at Leo, feeling more certain than ever that something was deeply wrong.

"Are you sure... you didn't accidentally take someone else's medication?"

Leo's eye twitched.

You're the one on medication.

Your whole family needs medication.