She stared at me for a while, as if she was searching for the right words to make this situation better. But when nothing came out, she gave up. “I’ll call him when I get home.”
When I left the bank at the end of the day, I walked out of the double doors and headed to the parking lot. My ride was parked in the back, in a reserved section so no one could park anywhere near our expensive vehicles.
I stopped halfway when I noticed the man leaning up against the hood of my car.
My expensive-as-fuck car.
Liam had his arms crossed over his chest, wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants like he intended to fight me right then and there. He might have a weapon on him, hidden in the back of his pants. His body was so large that it would be impossible to tell. His eyes were focused on me with deadly intensity.
I slid my hands into the pockets of my slacks.
He raised his hand then beckoned me toward him with his fingers.
The right thing to do would be to turn around and walk away. He wouldn’t die, and neither would I. But I wasn’t going to turn into a pussy and walk away from a fight for a woman. I wouldn’t change the man I was for any woman—not even Annabella.
I started to walk forward again.
He grinned in victory.
My pulse stayed extremely slow even while the adrenaline dumped into my blood. A part of me wanted this to happen, for me to beat him so badly that he died as a result of his injuries and maybe Annabella wouldn’t directly blame me.
I stopped when I was just feet away. “In the parking lot in broad daylight. Seems like you’re scared.” I kept my hands in the pockets of my slacks and remained aloof. Other men quivered in fear at the sight of him. Not me.
He continued to grin. “No. I just want to watch you run.” He rose off the car, the vehicle lifting once his heavy weight wasn’t making it sink. “Like the little bitch you are.” He massaged his knuckles as he stared at me, ready to swing.
“I can’t kill you, Liam.”
“At least you’re honest about it.”
“No.” I pulled my hands out of my pockets. “Annabella doesn’t want me to. So, I won’t.”
His eyes narrowed.
“And the only reason I’ll honor her request is because I love her.”
His face immediately turned red once I confessed my feelings for the first time, when I declared my love for the woman he also loved. He slammed his fist into his palm and grunted like an animal.
“I know you won’t honor the same request—because you don’t love her the way I do.”
He lunged at me.
I was ready for it, so I dodged out of the way.
He moved with such momentum that he tripped forward and lost his footing. He underestimated my speed and experience, thinking my reaction wouldn’t be quick enough for a professional.
“I’m not gonna kill you, Liam. So, this isn’t a fair fight.”
He recovered himself and turned around, even more livid that I’d nearly made him trip on his face. “I don’t want a fair fight. I want to kill you, so I’ll get my chance—a real chance.”
I stood in a relaxed position, but my eyes took in his movements, the way he crept toward me so he could get me again. This time, he would be smarter about it now that he knew what I was capable of. “Dead or alive, she’ll never take you back.”
“She doesn’t need to.”
I kept the same expression even though I didn’t know what that meant.
“With you gone, nothing will stand in my way.”
“Annabella will always stand in your way—because she doesn’t want you.”
He jumped on me again.
But I knew he was going to pounce when I spoke, because he would think that meant a part of my brain was distracted. I stepped out of the way then bent over to avoid that powerful fist that was meant for my throat. I dodged the hit then grabbed him by the arm to spin him around. I kicked his knees out from under him then shoved him forward until his heavy body thudded against the pavement.
He didn’t stay down for long. He rolled and was back on his feet, ready to lunge at me again.
The gun was already pulled from my belt, and I aimed it right at his head, my finger on the trigger with the safety off.
He stilled as he stared down the barrel. “You refused to kill me. So, I’m not afraid of your little toy. You didn’t think that through, asshole.”
“I won’t kill you.” I adjust the aim of the gun to his arm. “Doesn’t mean I won’t shoot you.” The pull of the trigger was followed by the loud bang from the gun.
He screamed as the bullet pierced his skin and spilled blood everywhere. He gripped the wound and fell to his knees. “Coward. You’re a fucking coward. Fight me like a man. I could have walked up to you and shot you. Not a fair fight.”
I slid the gun into the back of my pants. “I can’t kill you. So, it was never a fair fight.”
Three
Annabella
Liam was already sitting at a table when I walked inside.
Large, muscular, and brooding, he was inherently intimidating. A drink was in front of him, pure liquor with no ice. He stared at a picture on the wall, his gaze emotionless. But then he seemed to notice I was there because his eyes turned in my direction.
And locked on me.
I believed Liam wouldn’t hurt me, but that didn’t stop me from being afraid of him. I walked across the restaurant and felt his gaze burning into me, felt the hostility fill the entire room. I slid into the seat across from him and sensed that intensity grow.
He stared at me with a rigid posture, examining me like an opponent rather than an innocent person. He was in a blue t-shirt that made his eyes burn a little brighter than usual.
That was when I noticed the gauze wrapped around his bicep. “What happened?”
“Your boyfriend shot me.”
“He’s not my boyfriend, Liam.”
His eyes still hadn’t blinked.
“And why would he do that?” This was all news to me. Damien hadn’t called me and told me about this interaction.
“Because I was waiting by his car at the bank.”
I closed my eyes in dread.
“I tried to fight him like a man, but he chose to be a pussy instead.”
I opened my eyes and glared at him. “I asked him not to kill you.”
“Why?” He cocked his head slightly.
“I hope that answer is obvious, Liam.”
“Nothing is obvious to me anymore, Anna. Damien should have been obvious to me a long time ago, but I trusted you blindly. Learned my lesson.” He was so spiteful, so venomous.
“Because the last thing I want is for you to be dead. I still care about you… I’ll always love you.”
“Yeah?” he whispered. “Didn’t love me enough to be honest with me. Didn’t love me enough to give me a real chance.”
“I did give you a real chance, Liam. I had many opportunities to be with Damien, but I told him I was committed to you. When he told me he loved me, I said I was determined to make this marriage work. I was willing to move to London for you—”
“Say what you want, Anna. You’re wrong.”