Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
C allie
The afternoon sun filters through the windows of Liam’s shop, casting golden rays on the worn wooden floors. The rhythmic clang of his hammer against metal fills the space, a comforting backdrop to the storm swirling inside my head. I lean against the workbench, pretending to study a box of nails, but my nerves are as frayed as the hem of my shirt.
The last note was shoved under the windshield wiper of Liam’s truck this morning, the message scrawled in a shaky, almost manic script: She doesn’t belong here. Neither do you.
I don’t tell Liam immediately. I’ve seen what his anger looks like when it simmers just below the surface, his jaw tightening, his fists clenching. But this feels different. Darker. And as much as I want to handle it on my own, I know I can’t.
Liam glances up from his work, his sharp eyes narrowing when he catches my expression. “You’re quiet. Too quiet.”
I attempt a smile, but it falters. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
The weight of his stare is almost too much. I bite my lip and look down at the note crumpled in my hand.
“This,” I say, holding it out.
Liam’s face hardens the moment he reads the words. His hammer clatters to the floor, forgotten.
“When did you get this?” His voice is low, a dangerous growl that sends shivers down my spine—not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of him.
“This morning,” I admit. “It was on your truck.”
“You didn’t tell me?” His tone sharpens, but there’s more concern than anger in his eyes.
“I didn’t want to make it worse,” I whisper. “You’ve already done so much.”
He steps closer, his presence overwhelming in the best way. “Callie, look at me.”
I do, and the heat in his gaze steals my breath.
“You don’t keep something like this to yourself,” he says, his voice softer now but no less commanding. “Not when it’s about your safety.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” I confess, my voice breaking. “But I felt... followed in town today. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or?—”
“I’m sure you weren’t imagining it,” he cuts me off, his jaw ticking. “If someone’s threatening you, they’re threatening us. I won’t let anything happen to you. Do you understand me?”
The fire in his words ignites something in me. I nod, unable to trust my voice.
“Good,” he says, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “From now on, you don’t go anywhere alone. You need something, you tell me, and I’ll take care of it.”
“Liam, I?—”
“No arguments, Callie.” His tone leaves no room for debate. “This isn’t up for discussion.”
The shop feels different that evening, quieter than usual. Liam is working on a custom gate for a rancher up in Devil’s Hollow, his movements precise and focused. I sit nearby, sketching out designs for a new yoga studio—a dream I refuse to let die, no matter how much fear tries to creep in.
The sound of footsteps crunching on gravel snaps both our heads toward the open door. A figure steps inside, and the air shifts, heavy with tension.
It’s him. I know it before he even speaks. His shoulders are tense, a sneer on his face as he glares at us with eyes that are cold, unfeeling, almost inhuman.
“You’ve got something that doesn’t belong to you,” the man sneers, his eyes darting between Liam and me. He’s tall, wiry, with a frantic energy that makes my skin crawl.
Liam steps in front of me without hesitation, his broad frame a wall of protection.
“Who the hell are you?” he demands, his voice calm but lethal.
The man ignores him, his gaze locking onto me. “You think you can just start over like nothing happened? You think you’re better than me? You fired my wife. She used to work at your studio—guess it serves you right for destroying a family.”
“No—it was only a temporary position. I didn’t have the budget to hire her full-time, I swear?—”
“Back. Off,” Liam growls, his voice dropping into a dangerous rumble.
The man smirks, taking a step closer. “What are you gonna do? Hit me with your hammer?”
It happens so fast, I barely have time to process. Liam moves with a swiftness that contradicts his limp, grabbing the man by the collar and shoving him against the wall. The clang of tools falling to the floor echoes through the shop.
“You don’t scare me,” the man spits, though his bravado wavers under Liam’s piercing glare.
“Good,” Liam says, his grip tightening. “Because I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to make sure you don’t walk out of here until the sheriff gets here.”
I scramble for my phone, dialing 911 with shaky fingers. As I explain the situation to the dispatcher, Liam twists the man’s arm behind his back and marches him toward the barn.
“Stay here,” Liam orders, but I follow anyway, my heart pounding in my chest.
In the barn, Liam grabs a length of rope and ties the man to a sturdy post. The intruder thrashes, hurling insults and threats, but Liam is unshaken, his movements deliberate and controlled.
“Liam,” I whisper, my voice trembling. The weight of everything crashes down on me then—the fear, the relief, the overwhelming gratitude for the man standing before me. Tears blur my vision, and I sink onto a nearby hay bale.
Liam’s expression softens when he looks at me, the hard edges of his anger melting away. “Hey,” he says gently, crouching in front of me. “It’s over now. You’re safe.”
The sheriff arrives not long after, taking the man into custody and promising to keep us updated. As the patrol car disappears down the driveway, the tension in my chest eases, though it doesn’t disappear entirely.
Back inside, Liam pours us both a drink—whiskey for him, water for me. We sit by the fire in silence, the crackling flames a soothing counterpoint to the chaos of the evening.
“You didn’t have to do all that,” I finally say, breaking the quiet. “But thank you.”
He sets his glass down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Callie, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. That’s not up for debate.”
The intensity in his voice leaves no room for doubt. My heart swells, a mix of gratitude and something deeper, something I’m not ready to name just yet.
“Why?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why do you care so much?”
His eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. “Because you matter to me,” he says simply. “More than you know.”
The weight of his words settles between us, heavy and electrifying. I reach out, my hand brushing against his, and the spark that ignites is impossible to ignore.
“You matter to me too,” I admit, my voice steady despite the rapid beat of my heart.
He leans closer, his hand cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing against my skin. “Then don’t ever doubt that I’ll protect you, Callie. No matter what.”
The space between us disappears, and when his lips find mine, it’s not just a kiss. It’s a promise—a vow that, no matter what comes next, we’ll face it together.