Riley would be the first to see through him. That confidence and flirtation and bravado got him through most of life. Even his brother thought that was the real Liam these days, never considered that it was all a carefully crafted defense.

He looked over at Riley in surprise at that. For Liam, while he wasn't exactly happy about any of his end of his contract, at least warming Gregory's bed didn't do any damage to anyone else, as opposed to the soul collecting which tore at him each and every time he ruined a soul and a life and saw the cracks spread through someone because of him. Not that he'd admit that to anyone.

"Don't worry about me too much, Father. I deserve what I have. I have no illusions about that. There are much better places to invest your kindness." More deserving places. More people who could actually be saved.