A Thousand Cuts (Cursebreakers, Inc. #3)

18. Liam

Chapter 18

Liam

B eing told that your death was imminent was like winning the reverse lottery.

He should have been surprised, he supposed. Shocked. Maybe even angry or scared. Somewhere deep down he probably was, it just wasn’t registering properly just yet.

All he could think about was how it just made sense with his luck. His whole life had been a shitpile of misery and struggle and apparently that was all he was ever going to get. An anomaly had happened with Fix. Liam had gotten to taste something good. A fleeting moment of happiness before whoever pulled the strings of life was like ‘oh no, we can’t have that. He can’t be happy, so off with him.’

The thought made him laugh. It came out a bit hysterical. Just slightly unhinged. He figured he had the right to be given everything.

In the days that followed he found himself clinging to Fix even more than before, as if the threat of death had made him drop the last of the walls he had between them. He wanted to soak it up. A melodramatic part of himself justified it as him wanting to experience as much joy as he could before his life ended.

Fix let him. He took Liam in his arms whenever he asked for it, kissed him and took him apart and made him scream and forget. And then he’d hold him, make him food, wash his hair, and paint his nails, all the while wearing the guiltiest expression on his handsome face.

Because the curses didn’t stop.

Despite his promises and reassurances, the curses still trickled in, and Liam knew Fix was blaming himself for it. He spent days and nights researching, calling in favors and making phone calls and ending up more and more frustrated when each one ended nowhere.

The Polaroid prints matched the flowers, but that meant they were still an unknown entity, O’Malley seemed less and less likely as any kind of suspect, and other than the curses the stalker had made no new moves. No gifts to take prints from. No trying to find Liam. They’d asked Liam’s neighbors in his building and they’d seen nobody coming or going. There was nothing but an endless stream of curses and a countdown hanging over their heads.

Fix tried keeping Liam in the loop as a cursebreaker at the same time as he tried to shield him from everything as his daddy, and Liam didn’t know how to tell him it was okay. He wasn’t blaming him for this. He was doing everything he could and if it didn’t work then…at least someone cared enough to do that much.

He didn’t think Fix would want to hear that. It sounded too much like Liam resigning himself to his fate.

Not that Liam truly wanted to die. He didn’t. He just knew his own luck, and now that there was an invisible countdown over his head he was terrified they wouldn’t be fast enough.

The curses kept popping up.

One of them would be the one that tipped the scale, but which one? Nobody could tell.

It was hard to act normally in the face of that, but he did his best to at least find some measure of calm so he wasn’t wailing around the corridors or refusing to get out of bed. There were bad days and good, but they continued to tick by slowly.

Fix was glued to his side unless he had to leave for work. The pinch in his expression said everything, but Liam wasn’t so selfish that he would deny anyone else Fix’s help. He didn’t want anyone ending up like him.

That left Liam wandering the halls of the cursebreaker house with King at his side, trying to be unobtrusive, staying out of the way of the chaotic comings and goings of the other brothers. They were a revolving door, always on the move.

He saw Midas the least, equal parts handsome and mysterious. Even when he did walk in he went straight to his own room and the door stayed closed, only the soft sounds of his footsteps and the waft of incense seeping from under the door.

Wren was also a quiet presence, out of the house more often than he was inside. Liam sometimes caught his figure wandering outside from the vantage of windows. He always had that small blue bird with him and a variety of other animals big and small trailing after him, the kind Liam had only ever seen pictures of before.

Ash and Black were hard to miss. They were explosions—sometimes literally—of color and sound. Ash was so easy to get along with that Liam found his exuberance to be exhausting given his mental state, so he had learned to steer clear of him. And Black he avoided…well, because he was still feeling sore over his relationship with Fix. It was childish, but Liam felt he was allowed a couple of vices considering the circumstances.

Hart was the one he talked to the most. More often than not Hart would appear the moment Fix had to leave the house, like he had called him. Liam couldn’t prove it, of course, but he had a strong suspicion.

He didn’t mind so much though. He knew Hart better than any of the rest of them, and Hart, while he had his quirks like the rest of them, reminded him the most of Fix. His aura was soothing despite its uptight nature, and it was nice to sit at the kitchen counter with steaming mugs of tea and talk about inconsequential things.

He also offered advice, things like breathing techniques and exercises for panic attacks. Liam had so many pamphlets now he could start his own library. It felt like it wasn’t just business or a favor to Fix. It felt…friendly. Liam had held himself away from people on purpose for so long, and it was nice to finally connect.

It took his mind off things for a while, but it could never rid him of the anxiety.

The looming presence that hated him so much they wanted him dead.

The person who was too cowardly to face him head-on.

As more days trickled by, he grew restless with more than just anxiety. Something was beginning to build within him. The fire to fight had dragged him through life and now it was burning again, stronger than ever.

All this time he had been just sitting here and taking it, feeling helpless. What if he could find a way to finish this once and for all and fight for the good things that had finally come into his life? What if he didn’t just lie down and accept it and hope someone else figured it out before the end?

Those thoughts occupied his mind as he sat in an armchair in the living room one afternoon, an abandoned outfit he had been sewing strewn across his lap and King warming his feet as he stared blankly out of the window.

King’s warning growl brought him back down to earth, and he snapped his head around to see a stranger walking into the room.

The short, dark figure paused on the threshold, hands in the air and eyes lined in black liner fixed on King.

“Somehow he’s more terrifying than anything Wren has brought home.”

Liam frowned, a retort sharp on his tongue but the need to identify stronger. “You know Wren?”

Brown eyes rolled. “By way of a wannabe arsonist.”

“What?”

“I’m Morgan, Ash’s boyfriend.”

Realization struck like a lightning bolt, making him sit up straighter. This was the person who was currently looking into his streams. Every detail of them. He flushed a little pink.

“Hi.” He tried for a friendly smile. He didn’t know if it landed. “Thank you for looking into my case. I appreciate it.”

Morgan smiled back, so maybe it had. “I wish I’d found something to make it worth our while. But I’m a big fan, so there’s that.”

“You are?”

He hadn’t done a stream since he left his apartment. Fix had packed his equipment but Liam just…he didn’t think he could do it. Being naked knowing that person might be watching made him feel sick.

“Totally! The number of hours of nakedness I sift through on a weekly basis is astronomical, so I can spot a talent when I see one,” Morgan said.

“Thank you.”

“I do have a few questions though.”

“About my streams?” Liam asked with a frown.

“Nothing huge, don’t look so scared.” Morgan took a step into the room then looked down at King. “Is he going to maul me if I get closer?”

Liam shook his head. “If you stay on that side of the room he’ll just glare at you.”

“Pretty fucking used to that,” Morgan said easily, taking a seat on the three-seater couch and kicking his huge boots off to bring his feet up. “Now…I think you should really get someone to invest in your setup. You could be making BANK with the right camera lens and angles.”

Liam shifted uncomfortably. “I like to keep it pretty low-key.”

“Nothing wrong with low-key,” Morgan said, “but low-key doesn’t equal low budget. I work for Indecent Events, and my boss would KILL to have you on.”

Liam gaped, because that was the biggest damn porn production company…ever, probably. “I highly doubt that.”

“Well you can doubt it all you want. I have messages from the man begging.” Morgan took his phone out and waved it. “I can send them to you. He’d pay a fucking fortune to have you sign with us. You’re like…the top of his list.”

“List?” Liam asked.

“He has this list—it’s a fucking vision board, but try telling him that.” Morgan snorted. “It’s a list of independent artists he’d been wanting to bring into IE. You are number two, if I’m not mistaken. And his number one is a mythical creature from a graphic novel so, like, fuck all that does for him.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Liam said, trying desperately not to show how much he wanted that. To do what he loved under a company famous for being ethical and supportive and just the best when it came to this line of business. Liam would adore that. In any other circumstance.

“Why?!” Morgan gasped. “You’re good at this. Is it something you don’t enjoy? Just paying the bills? If that’s the case then fair enough, but you could still be making more money faster than that shady site cuts you. We’d pay you SLATES, my dude.”

“It’s…complicated,” Liam said, avoiding Morgan’s probing gaze.

He hadn’t even told Fix this yet, and it ate away at him every day.

“Besides,” Liam said, “I don’t do partner work. And I don’t know that IE has anyone doing strictly solo sessions.”

“Not yet, we don’t.” Morgan winked at him, but Liam shook his head.

“It’s not like it matters anyway.” He tried not to let his voice shake, but it was impossible. “If I don’t die, I’ll have to move again to run from this and I can’t…”

Morgan pursed his lips. “Now I know you have more fight in you than that. You’re really gonna let this scumbag put you in the ground?”

“What else can I do?” he asked, frustration making him snappy.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.” Morgan sighed. “I wish there was a way we could catch this demented asshole.”

“So nothing from the streams?” Liam asked, swallowing the bile in his throat. He’d had no idea he was holding on to that sliver of hope. But…he clearly was.

“They’re like a ghost,” Morgan said, and the tiny ship of hope sank into an ocean of despair.

“The only time I ever saw them was when they chased me.”

“Fuck. That’s terrifying,” Morgan said, eyes wide. “Were you alone?”

Liam nodded, shivering as he remembered it. “It was early hours of the morning and I was hurrying to catch the last train. There was no one there, not even strangers.”

“So they want to get you completely alone. What a freak.” Morgan curled his lip. “I guess Fix hanging around upset them and it’s the reason they’re being shy.”

Liam froze. “You think that’s why?”

“Well, it tracks doesn’t it? The only time they ever attempted anything in person was when they were pretty confident they could get you without witnesses. I don’t know if they’re just a coward or smart.”

He’ll come out if I’m alone.

It replayed over and over in his head, twisting a crazy idea into shape.

“Liam?” Morgan called.

Liam blinked, trying to refocus. “Sorry what?”

Morgan flicked an assessing gaze all over his face. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just…thinking…”

“My radar is kinda crooked from dating a serial troublemaker, so I may be way off, but…” Liam held his breath and schooled his face into an expression of innocent curiosity while his heart thundered under the surface. Morgan paused and shook his head, shaking off his own suspicions. “Never mind.”

Liam could have sighed in relief. He didn’t want the bud of his idea to fall apart before he could even take it to Fix.

And like he had called him forth, the front door opened and Fix’s deep bass called, “Liam?”

“In the living room,” Liam called back while Morgan slipped his boots on.

“I’ll make myself scarce. See you around.”

Hopefully.

“See you.”

Morgan slipped by Fix’s large form on the way out, exchanging a couple of words with him about his progress.

Liam put his sewing aside and stood up to greet him, knowing King wouldn’t allow it otherwise. He’d grown tolerant of Fix being in Liam’s personal space, but he still tried to prevent it if he could.

The relief was clear in Fix’s eyes when they landed on him, safe and sound, even though he’d been checking in regularly. It was just another reason to solidify the plan in his head.

“Hey, honey,” Fix said, large hand cupping behind his head to lay a kiss to his lips. His beard tickled Liam’s skin. “Any trouble?”

It was a ritual now. Code for curses.

“Not this time,” Liam said, and Fix seemed happier to hear it. It spurred Liam on. “I wanted to talk to you about something though.”

Fix raised his brows. “Sure. You can talk to me about anything.”

Liam shifted on his feet. “Let’s sit.”

He urged Fix into the armchair, nudging King aside gently. “Do you need anything, Daddy? A snack? A drink?”

“Just one thing.”

“What?” Liam asked, frenetic energy making him want to sprint into action.

Fix grasped his wrist and guided Liam into his lap. He met Fix’s pleased gaze with his own wide-eyed one.

“Perfect,” Fix said.

“You’re smoother than you look, you know.”

Fix chuckled and brushed a hand over Liam’s hip. “This old man has a few tricks up his sleeve.”

Liam tried not to get distracted.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Fix asked, taking Liam’s hand and lavishing kisses along the inside of his wrist.

“Well I was talking to Morgan…” Liam started, fingers twitching when Fix hummed against his skin to show he was listening. “About my case.”

“I asked him on his way out. He hasn’t found anything yet but he’ll keep working on it.”

“I know. But he won’t find anything.”

“Cyrus and Nexus are both involved, and I even roped Cane in. You don’t have to worry.” Fix was quick to raise his head and reassure him, like he was worried Liam was about to spiral again.

“They won’t find anything either,” Liam said. “I think we both know we’ve hit a wall and there’s nowhere else to go.”

“Honey, I’m not giving up.”

“I know,” Liam said again. He really did. “But just…hear me out. I was talking to Morgan.”

Fix tilted his head in question.

“We were talking about the night the stalker chased me,” Liam said slowly.

Fix’s grip on him tightened. “Hard to forget that.”

Liam nodded. “It was the only time we’ve ever seen them though.”

Fix thought for a moment. “I suppose that’s true, but I couldn’t find any leads. Cyrus was even able to pull the camera footage from the surrounding area and train station but aside from height and build and the strong suspicion that it’s a male, there’s no identifying features visible.”

Fix still wasn’t getting it.

“It’s the only time we’ve ever seen them,” Liam stressed. “When I was out. Alone.”

Fix stilled for a moment before definitively saying, “No.”

“But this could be our only option! They won’t come out when I’m surrounded by people, but if we could somehow set a trap to catch them and use me as bait—”

“Absolutely not, Liam. It’s completely out of the question. We’re not risking your safety on a guess. Who knows what could happen to you in the time it would take to get to you.”

“But if we plan it—”

“I said no,” Fix said in his most authoritative daddy voice. It made Liam want to buckle, but he set his jaw, silently fuming as he pushed Fix’s arms away from his waist and stood up from his lap.

“This isn’t your decision to make,” he said, rounding on Fix and glaring as best as he could. Those kind eyes darkened to something Liam didn’t recognize.

“Yes, it is,” Fix said slowly. “Maybe not as your boyfriend, or your daddy, but as a professional whose job is to keep you safe from curses, it is absolutely my decision. You’re not going out there alone, Liam, and that’s final.”

“I’ll pitch it to Cyrus then,” Liam said. He didn’t trust the police, but he’d do anything to get this to stop. “PUMA has higher authority.”

Fix set his jaw. “Higher authority or not, we still work by the same rules. Cyrus isn’t going to risk a civilian either.”

Liam felt all the helplessness he’d been feeling rush to the surface, threatening to drown him. All the sleepless nights and nightmares and exhaustion from looking over his shoulder. Every single curse he had ever endured, captured in that useless notebook. Every second that passed, ticking loudly toward the final one. The one that would end him.

And here he was, being told he wasn’t allowed to do anything to stop it, by the person who should have wanted him to be free.

He stared at Fix, broken and betrayed.

“Liam…”

“No,” he said, turning his back on Fix and running from the room and up the stairs.

It was Fix’s room, but he slammed the door closed behind him, a clear barrier. He knew Fix wouldn’t open it without permission.

He threw himself down on the bed and screamed his frustrations out into the comforter, feeling so hot that he was bubbling over.

His phone notification filled the silence and he wanted to ignore Fix, but found himself pulling it out to read regardless.

Unknown: You can’t run from me

Unknown: I’ll always find you

Unknown: We’re meant to be together forever

His phone suddenly turned burning hot and he dropped it with a gasp. The curse and message mocked him, and the overwhelming fear and violation he felt transformed into a storm of rage.

He wanted to scream at them to leave him alone. He was so sick of this. So tired. He wanted it to be over, one way or the other, once and for all.

In that moment, he knew what he had to do.