“You’re a good man.” He hadn’t forgiven her, and she didn’t ask, but in quiet, subtle ways, he let her know he was trying. That was more than she deserved, so she grabbed on to it.

“Not really.” He sighed. “But I have to make room for grief. There’s anger and confusion, and I can’t even deal with the idea of Baines intentionally hurting Natalie. Right now, I’m blocking the idea so I can survive it.”

“I know.”

“Part of me needs to think he didn’t order her death or did and then tried to stop it.” Liam exhaled. “He was my brother, and I can’t wrap my head around him being evil. I know there’s still a lot you need to tell me and aren’t ready to do so.”

“Not yet.” She feared what he’d do if he knew the truth about Retta and her group.

“I’m not sure about your request that when I hear these horrible things that I then forget them, but honestly, not mourning who I thought Baines was might destroy me. So, I need to at least try to do that.”

And she needed him strong, because all those emotions and feelings she’d been packing away and pretending not to have were going to rush over her one of these days. He wasn’t the only one who needed to mourn. “It sounds like you already talked to a therapist.”

“Not about the Natalie part, but about the rest.” He shrugged. “I want to be there for you and Kennedy. Being pissed at Baines doesn’t help any of us.”

Hope. It flowed through him. She could see it, and it was infectious. He’d be okay. Eventually. Somehow.

“He made unbelievable mistakes and lost his way, but he loved you.” She said it because she thought he needed the reminder.

“And he loved you.” Liam’s crooked smile returned. “Well, until you left him. Then he wanted revenge.”

“He did a good job with that.” Scorched earth. Baines didn’t know another way. He was a hundred percent in, good or bad.

“About that.” Liam exhaled as if he was expecting a fight. “I’m going to put part of the inheritance in a trust for Kennedy, and part will go to you.”

No, no, no. That sounded wrong. Felt wrong. He was not her backup plan, and she needed to figure out her financial life on her own. “Not for me. You should—”

He held up a hand to stop her denial. “We’ll talk about all of that later. Work out the details, and you can tell me the billion reasons why you’d rather get financially screwed as Baines’s final act.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Sounds like you’ve thought this through.”