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  Love of Liberty Copyright © 2017 by Lila Rose

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any written, electronic, recorded, or photocopied format without the toodles permission from the author as allowed under the terms and conditions with which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  Love of Liberty is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events and places found in this book are either from the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons alive or dead, actual events, locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Editor: Hot Tree Editing

  Cover designer: Amity Cross

  Photographer: Wander Aguiar

  ISBN: 978-0-6480340-1-8

  Table of content

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  Also by Lila Rose

  Chapter One

  Liberty

  Fuck.

  I watched through the shop window as the sheriff placed a lock on the tyre of my car. It was night-time for fuck’s sake. Didn’t the bastards sleep? Or were they like the living dead and drove around to suck you dry?

  Okay, I was over-exaggerating, but my poor car. I really should have paid those fines. Then again, I shouldn’t have gotten them since I’d been in a hurry each and every time.

  Not that it mattered, apparently.

  I couldn’t do anything about it. Even back when I received the fines, I couldn’t do anything about it then either, since I was in debt up to my forehead.

  Slipping my mobile from the back pocket of my jeans, I pressed the button for the one person I knew I could trust with my life. I’d be in for a lecture from her, I had no doubt about it. Though she didn’t know about my debt or the cause of it, and when she did, she was going to be pissed. Eventually, she’d understand.

  “Hello?” Chance, one of Jade’s men, answered.

  “I need to talk to Jade.”

  I heard him tell her it was me, and then her voice came over the line. “Hey, honey, what’s up?”

  “Jade.” I lowered my voice to a whisper in case others were around listening in to what a loser I was. “I’m in trouble.”

  “What’s wrong?” Jade’s tone turned urgent.

  “My car’s about to be impounded. I don’t have the money to pay off all my fines because I’ve given nearly every cent to my mum. I fucked up. I know I did. I should have paid all the fines as I got them, but I didn’t. I made some mistakes, and now it’s going to bite me on my butt. Fuck, I’ll have to go to court. I’ll probably have to do jail time to pay off my fines, and then I’ll also lose my job because of it all, and my bloody mother….”

  A man beside me grunted out a laugh. Turning to him, I glared, raised my upper lip off my teeth and gnashed at him. His eyes widened, and he backed off.

  “Why haven’t you told me any of this?” Jade whispered.

  With a sigh, I looked at the floor and told her, “I was ashamed.”

  “I thought you’d stopped communicating with your mum?”

  “I had, but… she’s my mum, Jade. I couldn’t… I just couldn’t not help her.”

  “Where are you? Do you need me to come get you?”

  “Yes, but, um.…”

  “Liberty, where are you?”

  “At a sex shop.”

  It was her turn to sigh. “Why are you there when you have no money?”

  “I was just looking to fill in time until I have to meet your brother. Then I was going to talk him into coming here with me so he could buy some anal beads. I’m interested in seeing if Damien wants to try anal pla—”

  “Stop! I do not want to hear what you want to get up to with my brother. Which store are you at and I’ll come get you? But then you’re coming here to talk. I’ll also be calling Damien and then Liam.”

  A gasp fell from my lips. “Why in the fuck would you call my boss?”

  “He’ll need to know everything to make sure there’s no chance of jail time.”

  “But—”

  “No. He’s a good lawyer, Liberty, and I know he’ll help you.”

  “And I’ll lose my job in the process,” I complained. I shivered. Coldness touched me everywhere and I suddenly felt sick. I hated people knowing my business. Hell, I even hid it from Jade because I didn’t want her to think of me as a failure, and now they’d all know.

  I wanted to cry.

  “I doubt it,” my best friend comforted.

  Scoffing, I said, “I could, Jade, and where would it leave me? I won’t have any money coming in to pay for shit.” Snorting, I added, “Not that it matters because I’ll probably be in jail being someone’s bitch.”

  “Libby….” She sighed. Ignoring my fear of being someone’s bitch, she went on with, “If you go to another lawyer besides him, how do you think he’ll be then?”

  Clenching my jaw, I breathed out my nose long and loud. No matter which way I went about it, Liam would be angry.

  “Fine,” I bit out through clenched teeth. I told Jade where I was and that I would be waiting for her outside the shop. I was no longer in the mood to browse for sex toys to try out on her brother.

  After some time, I saw a Honda Accord round the corner and stood from leaning against the wall. Walking to the curb, I opened the passenger door and leaned down to find Jade sitting in the driver seat glaring at me.

  Slipping into the seat, I said, “Why are you glaring?”

  “Why do you think? Liberty, the way you called, it sounded as if you were either being kidnapped, killed, or were knocked up. Then I find out you’ve been keeping stuff from me and you’re in debt.” She pulled back into traffic while she kept at me. “Honey, what were you thinking? How could you think I wouldn’t be there to help you in any way? Right from the start, you should have told me your mother was back in town. How much have you given her?” She sighed. “You never, never, need to feel ashamed to tell me anything, Liberty Long. We’re best friends. I’ll have your back even if you were knocked up with an alien baby and people were after you to do tests on. God, even if you wanted to marry Trump”—we both shuddered—“I would even have your back then because that’s what best friends do. Though it would be while I knocked some sense into you at the same time.”

  Looking out the side window, I nodded. “I know,” I whispered. “I feel foolish on so many levels. Most of all for keeping things from you and for you finding out this way.”

  When my hand was taken in hers, I glanced down and then over to her, catching her warm smile.

  “We know now, and we’ll deal with it together. I’m sorry for my rant, but you shocked me. We’re good,” she said.

  The corner of my mouth tipped up. “We are.” I nodded.

  “Good, because I have a feeling you’ll need me at your back as soon as we pull up to my place.”

  “What happened?”

  “Damien wasn’t too happy about you keeping this from him either, and… Liam was… actually, I didn’t get any words except curse ones from him, but he seemed pissed.”

  “Yay,” I said sarcastically. “There goes my job.”<
br />
  “I don’t think he’ll fire you. Seriously, how many times have you given him your attitude and he’s just growled back?”

  Shrugging, I answered, “A few.”

  Jade snorted. “More like every day.” She pulled the car into her drive, and my heart pumped harder in my chest when I spotted Damien’s car already there. “Guess we’ll soon find out if this is the last straw once he shows, which will be shortly.”

  “Can you pretend you didn’t find me and I’ll skip out of town?” I asked in hope.

  “No can do. Just remember, we’re all here because we love you.”

  Jade, yes. Her men, no, but they’d put up with me for her. Damien was more lust, at least on his side. My stupid feelings were crazy enough to like him more each time I spent with him. To actually love him.

  Then there was Liam. I didn’t know how he felt about me, but I did know I was good at my job, and I enjoyed seeing his arrogant hotness nearly every day. I felt guilty over that because of Damien, even though he hadn’t declared I was his girlfriend. But we were with each other nearly every night. To me, he was my boyfriend. I just hadn’t clarified what we were to him.

  A black sports car pulled in behind us. My stomach rolled in nerves, which had me opening my door and bolting for Jade’s front door before Liam, or even Jade, for that matter, got out of their cars.

  As I made it through the unlocked front door, I slammed it closed and took a deep breath. I wanted to crawl under a rock and pretend I was invisible. People could call me the crazy rock-loving woman and I wouldn’t care. What I didn’t want was to face Damien or Liam right then.

  My chest felt tight. I rubbed it with my palm flat against it.

  I was sure I was about to have a heart attack.

  My stomach gurgled loudly. Nerves and fear always sent my gut churning, and no doubt it would lead me to fart in front of everyone.

  God, I hadn’t even farted in front of Damien yet, and there was a risk I was about to do it while we talked about how much of a twat I was for landing myself in the situation I was in.

  Before Jade and Liam could walk through the door, I snuck my way down the hall and drew closer to the men’s voices I could hear in the kitchen.

  I still couldn’t believe Jade’s luck. Not only to land two hot, young men, who absolutely loved her with every breath they took, and each other, but to also be living in a house I would sell my left tit for. It was glorious, and I already knew where everything was since I helped the guys move Jade in without her knowing.

  Bloody lucky she didn’t listen to her fears and took a chance on both Dane and Chance.

  Stepping into the kitchen, all conversation stopped, and three good-looking men glanced my way. Chance and Dane stood opposite the breakfast bar, where Damien was sitting on the other side. He stood and took a step my way until I held up my hand. He paused at my gesture.

  “I’m sorry,” I started. Damien straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing me. I went on, “I know I’m a fucking idiot for letting it get out of hand. I made a stupid choice to help my mum out, which she then dragged me in further and further, and soon I realised I had nothing.”

  “Liberty, how about a drink before you explain—” Chance offered.

  I interrupted, with a shake of my head. “No, thank you. I think I need to say everything before I drown my sorrows.”

  “What were you thinking—” Damien started.

  I threw my hands up and slapped them down to my thighs. “I wasn’t thinking. I was in denial. I kind of thought if I put the fines in the glovebox, they’d magically disappear to Narnia. Still, I wasn’t in the right place of mind to worry about them anyway. I’ve been too busy trying to keep my mum out of her own shit. If I didn’t pay off her bookie, she’d be hurt, or worse, dead. What type of daughter would I be if I let that happen?”

  “A good one. Parents need to learn to deal with their own mistakes while we make ours,” Damien clipped.

  My hackles shot up as annoyance rose inside of me. “You can’t say that, you don’t know—”

  “You’re right,” he yelled. “I don’t know her. I don’t know the full story because you never told your best friend and your goddamn boyfriend what was going on,” he roared.

  The roar didn’t faze me because I was still in la-la land when I heard him say boyfriend. Then that faded and I realised he was right. He didn’t know the full story, and I couldn’t judge him for anything he said since it was obvious he was raising his voice from worry about me.

  Nodding, I sighed and offered, “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been an idiot, I—”

  “You have been,” was snapped behind me.

  Jumping, my hand landed over my heart, and I turned to find Jade and Liam standing there.

  Liam glared down at me. “However, we will get to the bottom of it all and deal with it. Now, sit the fuck down and tell us everything.”

  Chapter Two

  Damien

  “Now hang the fuck on. Who the hell are you, and what gives you the right to speak to her like that?” I stepped up to Liberty’s back and placed my hands on her shoulders.

  The dark-skinned dude looked me up and down slowly, and suddenly I felt like I was naked. My head jerked back when I thought I saw appreciation in his eyes. What it was over I wasn’t sure. It must have been either my awesome body or the fact I stuck up for my girl.

  He stepped forward and held out his hand. “You must be the boyfriend. My name’s Liam Michaels.”

  Shit. “You’re the boss,” I stated and reached around Liberty to shake his hand. I wasn’t sure if I liked my girlfriend working beside a guy who was so good-looking.

  Good-looking?

  Why in the hell would I think that?

  Christ, had I been around Chance and Dane too long?

  “Oomph,” I gasped when Liberty’s elbow found my stomach. “What?” I glanced down to my glaring woman.

  “You say, ‘You’re the boss’ like you now understand why he was talking to me like that.”

  Fuck. I knew answering yes would get me in the shit and there’d be no way I’d get in her panties that night if she was pissy with me for it. So, because I needed in her panties to spank her sexy-as-fuck arse for keeping this shit from me, I chose not to say anything.

  Apparently, that was no better as she stormed off to the kitchen table and dropped her butt into a chair with a harrumph.

  My woman was a ball buster. She said what she wanted, usually with a swear word or two involved in nearly every sentence, and she could hold a grudge like the best of them, but I wouldn’t let her hold one right then. Not when I was still annoyed and hurt.

  “Miss Long, it’s obvious your boyfriend knows you enough to understand how I, as your boss, could arrive and speak to you that way. You’re irritating, pig-headed, and uncouth at times. Yet, we still find ourselves not wanting you any other way.”

  I tensed and noticed Liberty stiffen in her seat. Turning back to Liam, I saw his eyes held warmth for my woman as he stared down at her. I knew people could get close working together, but I wasn’t certain I liked how the heat I saw held more than it should for a colleague. There was definitely more there.

  Hell, I was sure of it.

  Liam Michaels wanted my Liberty.

  Liam’s gaze came back to me. “I didn’t catch your name.”

  “It’s Damien.”

  His eyes flicked to Chance, who straightened and held out his hand. “Chance, I’m Jade’s boyfriend.”

  Smiling, I watched as Liam moved on to Dane. He was going to be one confused guy. Dane gave him a chin lift, shook his hand, and while my sister blushed, he said, “Dane. Jade’s other boyfriend.”

  Chuckling, I witnessed first Liam’s head jerk back, then his brows rose, and finally, his eyes widened for just a second, but I saw it. Liam then glanced to Liberty and me. Did he think I was with my sister as well as Liberty?

  Shit. That just grossed me out for thinking it.

  “Don’t
worry, mate. Took me a while to get used to my sister with two dudes. But they’re good guys.”

  Liam smirked at something, only I didn’t know what, and came to sit at the table. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

  I pulled out the chair on the other side of Liberty and took her hand in mine. She gave me a grateful smile. She knew I was all bark and no bite. I didn’t hold a grudge. I may voice my concern loudly, but I’d never not support her through it all.

  Chance and Dane disappeared somewhere, but my sister, being Libby’s best friend, sat down at the table with us. Liberty then explained about the parking and speeding fines and how stupid she’d been not to pay them. However, she hadn’t any money to do so. She paid her rent, put money aside for gas and living expenses, and anything she had left over she gave to her mum.

  That was when she stopped talking.

  “Liberty, you have to tell us everything. Why do you send your mother money?” Liam asked.

  She sighed and with her eyes on her lap, she told us, “My mum likes to gamble. I’m not talking about just at the fucking pokies or bingo like a lot of sixty-year-olds do. I mean she has a bookie. She bets on horses, fights, goes to the casino…. Apparently, it was my fault she started. She blames me for Dad walking out. Not that she was a bitch to him and me, or the fact she’d cheated on him with her old bookie.” She paused a moment before continuing, “He wanted to take me with him when I was six, but she wouldn’t let him and ended up moving us away from him. Two years later, she told me he’d died from a heart attack.” She looked to the side and bit her bottom lip, then wiped at her eyes.

  Clearing her throat, a humourless snort left her lips before she went on. “Apparently, since he had been the love of her life, she became even more depressed over his death. Started drinking, staying out late. I had a job when I was young and every day since. Jade helped me get away from her poison for a while…. What helped was that she moved. Only she came back, and I was too ashamed to tell anyone she was also hitting the drugs. She promised she’d get off them if I paid for rehab. I did and dropped her out front with the money. She didn’t want me walking in with her because she wanted to do it on her own. Be strong for me.” She shook her head as if pissed off at her own gullibility. “She walked in the door, watched me pull away and then left with my savings. Since then, I’ve had to help her out of some bad situations by paying off her debt.”