Chapter 103 Liza #4
Liam’s cold demeanor bored into the captured men. “I don’t care how high that bounty gets, you won’t be collecting it.”
He leaned in closer, so close the icy menace emanating from him was a physical manifestation. “Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks they can come after my family. If they even try, they’ll end up like you two, or worse.”
It was strange for me to hear Liam refer to us as his family, but there was no denying his fierce, protective edge. The two battered men exchanged a frightened glance, their bodies tense with fear. Even though he was fighting on our side, Liam was undeniably terrifying.
Ty shifted back into his human form and came over to the three of us standing by our wrecked car.
Mason moved to stand next to Michael. Ty looked back toward Liam, then spoke to my brothers.
“I think you two should go.” Before they could argue, Ty held up his hand.
“This isn’t a debate. Liza’s been through enough tonight without watching a pissing contest over who’s better placed to protect her.
Please, go home. You don’t need to be here for this. ”
As the twins faced each other, they communicated silently, their unspoken agreement evident when Mason nodded, and they both pulled me into a warm hug.
“Call us if you need us,” Michael whispered, his warm breath tickling my ear, then they hurried over to their car, the smell of gasoline punching into the air as they made their hasty exit.
I was so tired that my bones felt liquid.
But as much as I wanted this to be over, I suspected things were only about to get worse.
I turned my face up to Ty. “What was that about? Why send them home?”
Ty indicated to where Liam stood over the two men. “I didn’t think it fair to get them mixed up in this. They came when I needed them—when it mattered. I didn’t want Liam to have any more of an audience. No witnesses.”
“Listen carefully,” Liam said, venom dripping from every word.
“I’m going to let you go, and when I do, you’re going to spread the word that Liza Mims is under my protection.
Anyone who tries to harm her will answer to me.
And take my fucking word for it, that’s not a position anyone wants to be in.
” He grabbed the man who hadn’t spoken by the arm, forcing him to stand.
He moved so quickly, I barely comprehended what he was doing until I heard an audible pop.
The attacker screamed in pain, his arm hanging strangely from the now-dislocated shoulder.
I stood by Ty’s side, cold sweat drenching me as we watched Liam assert his dominance.
Part of me was still reeling from the torture we had witnessed, but another part was relieved by Liam’s intimidating presence.
In the back of my mind, I knew he could very well take out the Kellers and any other threat that came our way if he truly wanted to.
It was a frightening realization, but strangely, it comforted me.
The men nodded frantically, desperate to be released from Liam’s wrath. As he turned to walk away, I reached out and touched his arm, my fingers fluttering against his skin.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “That couldn’t have been easy, but I appreciate your willingness to protect me.”
His demeanor softened if only for a moment, and he gave me a curt nod. “No one messes with my family, Liza.”
He walked away, leaving Ty and me alone with the two captives. I glanced over at Ty, who appeared to be completely absorbed in his own thoughts.
“Are you okay?”
Ty shook his head and blinked rapidly. “I’m fine. Liam may have crossed lines that I wouldn’t, but he got results. Now our enemies will know we have an even stronger ally on our side.”
I nodded. Liam’s actions had been necessary, even if they had been difficult to witness.
As we prepared to release the men, gratitude and unease toward my new protector warred within.
In this dark and uncertain world, Liam’s terrifying presence might just be what we needed to keep our enemies at bay, but at what cost?
My racing heartbeat filled my ears as I stood next to Ty, watching Liam with a terrifying ferocity. As much as I appreciated his protection, I wasn’t sure we weren’t playing with fire.
“Are we doing the right thing?” I questioned Ty, my fear slipping through. “Aligning ourselves with Liam?”
Before Ty could answer, his phone rang, and he glanced at the screen before taking the call. “Hello?”
“Put me on speaker,” Castro’s venomous demand radiated from the phone. Ty tapped the screen, and I instinctively moved closer to my mate and clutched his arm tightly.
“Who’s with you? Who is that in the background?” Castro snapped with malice.
Sensing something was off, Liam jogged over, gestured toward the phone, and mouthed, “Castro?”
I nodded.
“None of your business,” Ty said coolly.
“When it interferes with my plans, it most certainly is my business.”
“Castro,” Liam bit out. “It’s Liam.”
Tension crackled like a live wire in the air. My skin crawled. Castro’s fury was palpable even through the phone. Liam, on the other hand, appeared entirely unruffled, his icy calmness contrasting sharply with Castro’s seething rage.
“Traitor,” Castro spat. “Why couldn’t you do what was expected of you? All you had to do was take care of Ty. You were supposed to help me bring Liza back where she belongs.”
“And where exactly is that, Castro? Where do you think Liza’s rightful place is?” Liam questioned.
“By my side, of course,” Castro answered quickly. “Just because you two have decided to become all buddy-buddy, it doesn’t change anything for me. I’ll get Liza. All you’ve done is made things a little bit harder.”
“You’re nothing but a psycho,” Liam said coolly, a hint of disdain in his voice. “Your obsession with Liza is unnatural and twisted. You need to let go.”
“Let go?” Castro snarled, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “I’ll never let go. Now you’ve shown your true colors, Liam, you’ve just made everything much more interesting.”
“Is that a threat?” I interjected, my wolf’s protective instincts kicking in. If Castro thought he could intimidate us, he had underestimated our resilience.
“No, Liza, you should know better than anyone that I don’t make threats. This is a warning—your only warning,” Castro said with a foreboding intensity. “I’ll see you all soon when I bring a war to your doorstep. Enjoy the peace while it lasts.”
The line went dead, and we stared at each other in stunned silence. His words draped over me like a heavy cloak on my shoulders that threatened to suffocate me. Beneath my fear, a raging fire ignited, fueling my need to protect my family and put an end to Castro’s madness.
“Ty.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I’m scared.”
“Me, too.” He pulled me into his arms. We stood there on the dark road, embracing and drawing strength from each other. This battle was far from over.
My thoughts turned to Liam. Despite the dark, ruthless side he’d shown tonight, he had also proven his loyalty and protectiveness. In this dangerous game we were playing, we needed every ally we could get.
A mixture of fear and hope pulsated through my body. We were in for a fight, I had no doubt about that, but with Ty by my side, and now Liam as well, I believed we’d somehow find a way to keep our loved ones safe, and put an end to Castro’s twisted plans.