Liam walked down the street. His hands in his pockets. His body still aching from the fight with Iggy. His ribs throbbed with every step. His knuckles were swollen. His nose still hurt.
But he kept walking.
The neighborhood was quiet. Just a few streetlights casting yellow circles on the pavent. A dog barked sowhere in the distance. Soone’s TV was on inside one of the houses. Blue light flickering through curtains.
Then he saw it.
A car.
Parked at the curb two blocks down from his apartnt. Engine running. Exhaust curling up in the cool night air.
A Bugatti Chiron. Midnight blue. The paint so deep it looked like it absorbed light. Carbon fiber accents. Chro details catching the streetlight. Tinted windows so dark you couldn’t see inside.
’Damn. Is that a Bugatti Chiron? Only Elena could pull up in sothing like that.’
Liam slowed his pace. His eyes scanning the area.
Two people walking on the other side of the street. An older couple. Holding hands. Moving slowly. They turned a corner and disappeared.
No one else.
Just the car. The street. The houses with their lights off.
Liam stopped walking.
His mind was working. Calculating.
’I can’t forget she’s part of the seven families. I can’t just walk up blind. This could be a trap to finish off to stop from saying a word about what I saw.’
He thought about his abilities. His system.
’D Sense kicks in on its own, so at least I’ll see sothing coming. But I can’t use any of my skills right now. If that guy attacks — I’m cooked.’
He stood there. Twenty feet from the car. Just watching it.
Then he pulled out his phone. Found Elena’s number. Hit call.
It rang once. Twice.
She picked up. "Where are you? You’re taking too long to get here."
Her voice was calm. Controlled. But there was an edge to it. Impatience.
"I’m around," Liam said.
There was movent inside the car. The driver’s side window rolled down slightly. Not all the way. Just enough.
Elena’s voice ca through the phone. "Where?"
She was leaning forward slightly. Looking out the windshield. Her head turning left. Then right. Scanning.
"Don’t worry about it," Liam said. "I can see you."
The window rolled down further. Elena’s head appeared. Looking around more aggressively now. "Where are you?"
"Ohh, really?"
Liam’s jaw tightened. "Is it crazy if I am? After you panicked and left the second I told you who attacked at the hospital?"
Silence for a mont.
Then Elena’s voice ca back. Softer. "I don’t bla you for being careful. But I’m here to show you sothing. That’s it."
"How do I know you didn’t set a trap? Get to shut up about what I saw?"
Elena let out a small breath. "That would be pretty stupid if my main reason for being here wasn’t actually to show you sothing important."
"That doesn’t really assure , does it?"
"You have to trust ."
"Why?"
Her voice dropped lower. Almost teasing. "Because I don’t want to lose your dick. Or everything else that cos with it."
Liam blinked.
’The system made her fall for . That’s still active. She’s not lying about that part.’
He stepped out from behind the corner where he’d been standing. Started walking toward the car. Phone still pressed to his ear.
"You’ll see soon," he said.
Elena’s head turned. She saw him. "Alright. I see you now."
Liam ended the call. Put the phone back in his pocket. Walked the rest of the way to the car.
He reached the passenger side. Pulled the door open.
The interior was ridiculous.
Black leather seats. Carbon fiber trim. Ambient lighting running along the dashboard in soft white. The sll of expensive perfu and new leather hit him imdiately.
He slid into the seat. Closed the door. The sound was solid. Heavy. Airtight.
Then he looked at Elena.
She was wearing a black dress. Short. The hem stopping mid-thigh. The fabric looked expensive. Silk maybe. It clung to her curves perfectly. The neckline was low. Not obscene. But low enough that her cleavage was visible. Full. Round. The kind that drew your eyes without trying.
Her dark hair was down. Falling in waves over her shoulders. Her makeup was subtle but perfect. Red lipstick. Just enough to stand out.
She looked like she’d walked out of a high-end fashion magazine.
Liam’s eyes lingered on her chest for a second longer than they should have.
’I really had missed her.’
The thought ca automatically. Honest.
Elena noticed where he was looking. A small smile tugged at her lips. "You’re pretty funny, you know that?"
Liam looked up. t her eyes. "What do you an?"
"All it took for you to trust was telling you I missed your dick."
Her voice was calm. Matter-of-fact. Like she was comnting on the weather.
Liam leaned back in the seat. Shrugged. "Those words. I knew you weren’t lying. No doubt about it."
Elena’s smile widened. Her cheeks flushed slightly. Just a hint of pink. She looked pleased. "I’m happy you believe ."
"So what do you want to show ?"
Elena’s smile faded. Her expression beca more serious. "There’s sowhere I need to take you. Sowhere important."
"Okay."
"But first," she said, her eyes flicking to the back seat, "you need to change into the outfit I brought for you."
Liam turned in his seat. Looked at the back.
There was a garnt bag lying across the seat. Black. Expensive-looking. Zipped up.
He looked back at Elena. "So what’s in there?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Check it out yourself."
"Alright."
Liam reached back. Grabbed the garnt bag. Pulled it forward into his lap. It was heavier than he expected. Quality fabric.
He unzipped it slowly.
Inside was a suit.
Not just any suit. A three-piece. Black. The fabric looked Italian. Expensive. The kind of thing you’d wear to a high-end event. There was a white dress shirt. A black tie. Even dress shoes at the bottom of the bag. Polished. Perfectly clean.
Liam stared at it.
"Why do I need to wear this?"
Elena’s voice was calm. "Because where we’re going, you can’t get in dressed like that."
Liam looked down at himself. His clothes were dirty. Dust from the warehouse floor. Blood on his shirt. His pants torn slightly at the knee.
She had a point.
"Where exactly are we going?"
Elena smiled. Small. Mysterious. "You’ll see when we get there."
Liam looked at the suit again. Then at Elena.
"You want to change right now?"
"Unless you want to do it in the middle of the street, yes."
"Alright"
"Wait," she said. "Your face."
Liam looked at her. "What about it?"
She reached into the center console. Pulled out a small pack of wet wipes. Held them up.
"You’ve got blood all over it. And dirt. You need to clean up before you put that on."
Liam touched his face. His fingers ca away with dried blood. From his broken nose. His split cheek.
"Right."
Elena handed him the wipes. "Here."
Liam took one. Started wiping his face. The cloth ca away dark red. He wiped again. More blood. Then dirt. Concrete dust.
He used three wipes before his face was mostly clean. His nose was still swollen. His cheek still had a cut. But at least the blood was gone.
Elena was watching him. Her expression soft. "Better."
Liam nodded. "Thanks."
"Now you can put the suit on."
Liam sighed. "Alright."
He started unbuttoning his shirt. Elena watched him change.
Liam noticed. Said nothing.
He pulled off his shirt. Tossed it into the back seat. His torso was covered in bruises. Dark purple and yellow splotches across his ribs. His stomach. His shoulders.
Elena’s eyes widened slightly when she saw them in the mirror. But she didn’t say anything.
Liam grabbed the white dress shirt from the garnt bag. Put it on. Buttoned it up. The fabric was soft. High quality. It fit perfectly.
’Clean and fits perfectly’
He pulled on the vest next. Then the jacket. Both fit like they’d been tailored for him.
He changed his pants. Pulled on the dress shoes. They were his size too. Comfortable. Expensive leather.
When he was done, he looked down at himself.
He looked completely different. Clean. Professional. Like soone who belonged at a high-end event.
Elena turned back to look at him. Her eyes moved over him slowly. Appreciating.
"Much better," she said, her voice carrying quiet approval.
Liam adjusted the tie. "Thank you. I really like it."
Elena smiled. "I knew you would. I had it picked and tailored to your size — from mory."
"Sweet and creepy."
She laughed. Soft. Genuine. "You look good. Really good."
Liam looked at her — at the way she was looking at him. Sothing lived in her eyes. Appreciation. Maybe more.
"So where are we going? Again."
Elena’s smile faded, her expression settling back into sothing serious. "Sowhere you won’t forget. Sowhere that can explain things to you better than I ever could."
She put the car in drive. Pulled away from the curb. Smooth. Quiet. The engine barely making a sound.
Liam watched the street pass by through the window. The houses. The streetlights. Everything familiar slowly disappearing as they drove.
"You’re being pretty vague about this," he said.
’Even more than the first place she took to see that reporter.’
Elena glanced at him. "I know. But trust . When we get there, you’ll understand why."
Liam leaned back in the seat. His body still ached. His ribs throbbed. But the seat was comfortable. Soft leather. Supportive.
He closed his eyes for a second. Just breathing.
’What the hell am I getting myself into?’
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