Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 344

Their last meeting ended with her splashing water over his face. Liam should hate her.

But he rushed over when he knew she was in danger.

Why would a bad guy help her?

Kira bit her bottom lip and lowered her eyes.

Dad taught her to be grateful.

She should thank Liam, but she opened her mouth several times without being able to make a sound.

'Here." Liam held out a pack of tissue.

"What?"

"You're sweating."

Kira touched her forehead.

It was covered in sweat.

'Fear's a normal reaction,' he said.

Kira took the tissue. 'Were you afraid just now?'

Liam shook his head. "There's nothing to be afraid of, not for

of, not for me. I have nothing to lose.'

Kira blinked. 'What about death? Aren't you afraid the man's going to pull the trigger?"

Liam shrugged. 'Everyone's afraid of death. I'm no exception.*

Kira thought he hadn't acted like everyone else.

Others would be running away, screaming, like her.

He faced down the danger without batting an eye.

'But the Grim Reaper has his own plans, Liam continued. 'It's not my time to meet him yet."

Kira had to admire the man's

s courage.

Liam was a bad guy, but at the m

moment, he sounded like a badass.

But what h

next gave her pause.

'Besides, death might be welcome. If it were possible, I wish I never existed.

Kira was thrown

He sounded so unhappy, so unlike the self-assured man a minute ago.

She had an idea where he was coming from

Liam's mother was a mistress of the old Mr McC

She died when Liam was just ten years old.

McCarthy.

He was forced to live under the same roof as Austyn, the legitimate heir

It must not have been an easy life for him,

4

the adults ignore him?

Did other kids make fun of him?

Kira thought back to her own childhood

Helen didn't leave Milton after she divorced Leland Hewitt.

She stayed in a rented house with Georgina, waiting for Michael Vaughn to leave his wife

It became an open secret around town, that she was a mistress.

Kira was made the butt of jokes at school.

Students taunted her and asked if she was sure Leland was her father.

Kira ran home in tears.

But she was lucky, in a way.

At least she had her father to shower her with love and shield her from the malice of others.

But Liam didn't

His father didn't appear to care much about him.

His mother passed away when he was just a kid.

Kira wondered, if Liam had grown up in a normal family, would he turn out differently?

If he had at least one loving parent to teach him about right and wrong, would he still commit those grievous sins?

Without realising it, Kira's voice had gone soft. 'Let bygones be bygones. Forget about the past. The future's much more interesting to think about."

She was speaking from experience.

Growing up, she had loathed Helen.

For leaving Dad.

For abandoning her.

For making her the subject of ridicule.

Hatred drove her to excel at school.

Kira studied hard and worked harder, like she had something to prove.

She wanted to show Helen that her life would be much better without Helen in it, that Helen was wrong to leave Dad Vaughn.

Kira was motivated, but it was the wrong kind of motivation

Hatred could make people do horrible things.

Fortunately, Kira had her dad to rein her in before she could do something unforgivable.

She hoped it wasn't too late for Liam.

for Michael

"I don't know what you went through, or why you believe it's better if you'd never existed, but I think everyone's put on this earth for a reason. You just haven't found yours. If you would let go of the hatred that's been blinding you, maybe you'll find your true purpose in life. Maybe you'll realise that you don't have to live in pain."