Potere | Book II ✓

xix | surrounded

"I know." My voice sounds hoarse, like I spent the entirety of yesterday screaming in frustration. "I know." I repeat. I meet Liam as he meets me – right in the middle. I grab at his waist, at his arms, before finally lifting my hands to his face. My fingers brush along the hair on his chin, on his jaw, that will soon be longer than the strands that cover his head. "But your everything isn't enough—"

He takes that personally and removes my hands from his face. "What do you want me to do, Faith? I've had Veleno search every single home in this area that I know Valentin is associated with—what more do you want me to do—"

"I don't know." I answer honestly, "And I don't care what you do." My hands fall to my side as I lean backwards, pressing my backside against the counter. I put myself in Savaughna's shoes. I put myself in the shoes of a mother who has lost her everything. "All I know is, I looked her—I looked Savaughna dead in the eyes and told her that we would bring her baby back."

"Michael used to tell me that our word is all we have, so when I told Savaughna that I would bring her child back, I meant it." Liam says. "But Faith, I never said I would bring her back alive."

I feel like I've been punched in the gut.

I don't realize I'm crying until I feel a tear drip off the edge of my jaw. I use the back of my hand to wipe it away. "Don't say that." I manage to choke out.

"You know who we're dealing with—"

"I refuse to let you walk through our doorway with that little girl's limp body in your arms! We have to save her—"

Desperation is his tone as he sighs and mutters, "I'm trying."

"We have to—"

"Faith, we can't save everybody."

"I want to." I wipe at my face as more tears well up in the corner of my eyes and fall, rushing down my face in streaks. "I want to save everybody. I want to help. I want to try. We have to try." I sniffle and lower my attention to my hands. "We can save everybody. You just need to have faith."

The irritation has washed away from Liam's expression by the time I look up, stifling a pathetic smile at the usage of my name, and what I believe he needs. His grin is contagious as he chuckles in a low manner and steps forward, pulling a hand from his pocket. He reaches out for me and grabs my chin, forcing me to tilt my head back and watch him as he moves closer.

He leans down, whispering, "I will always have fiducia."

Because he will always have me.

His kiss is so gentle, his lips so soft, that I swear I imagine it. It's short-lived, but when he pulls away he embraces me in a hug. I love his hugs. I always feel safe. I always feel loved. My arms snake under his as I attempt to pull him closer, grasping at his skin underneath the material of his turtleneck.

Liam leans back as the last tear falls. I let it roll down my cheek as he runs his hand down my arm and entwines my fingers with his. He presses our palms together. His eyes remain on mine, even as he pulls my hand to his lips and turns it slightly, pressing a kiss to my finger. It's a habit, I'm beginning to notice. He always – he always kisses my ring finger, even though no ring sits on it.

I press my palm back to his before he can let me go, tightening the hold we have on each other. Our hands hang in suspension between us. "I need you to understand—I hope you understand, if this was you...if something happened to you, I would do more than everything to get you back, to save you. And if I would do that for you, I have to do it for her."