The sound of rapid, pounding footsteps echoed through the sleek private gym. Liam was a blur on the treadmill, his body pushing itself to the absolute limit as his legs moved at impossible speed. Sweat glistened down his bare chest, muscles rippling with power, breath steady despite the insane pace. Every drop of exertion, every pulse of pain, only fueled him further.
He felt alive again.
Fully healed, sharper than ever, and stronger than before. But beneath the surface of his recovery burned sothing much darker, much deeper—a rage that hadn’t dulled over the days. In fact, it had only intensified. It wasn’t just about survival anymore. It wasn’t about protecting those he cared about. It was about vengeance.
It was the fire in his blood.
And the system responded.
As if reading the storm in his heart, the familiar digital screen appeared before his eyes again, glowing with sharp, cold clarity.
[New Mission Available]
[Revenge On Your Enemies]
[Progress: 2/4]
[Reward: New Class Unlock]
Liam’s gaze narrowed.
He didn’t need anyone to explain what it ant. The system was always cryptic with words but clear with intent. Four nas flashed in his mind like ghosts waiting to be hunted—Kyle, Sam, Daryl, and Jack.
Kyle and Daryl were already dead. Their blood was on his hands, their lives taken by his fury. That left only two.
Jack and Sam.
The only problem? They were being protected. Ever since the new detective—Ryan, the so-called forensic prodigy—stepped foot in the city, everything changed. Liam had done his research. This man wasn’t just good—he was terrifying. Calm, thodical, brilliant. In just a few days, Ryan had connected the dots: Kyle, Sam, Daryl, and Jack weren’t just random nas. They are best friends, school buddies.
And now two of them were dead.
It didn’t take a genius to realize what ca next. Soone was coming for them. Soone who had a grudge. Soone who wanted them all gone.
Ryan was on the trail.
And it was only a matter of ti before that trail led to Liam.
His jaw tightened as he punched the treadmill’s stop button. The machine slowed under his feet, gradually reducing speed until it humd to a stop. Liam stepped off, muscles tense, chest rising and falling. He ran a towel across his neck, but his mind was still deep in the fire of revenge.
That’s when he heard it.
"Are you going to run yourself to death?"
Lilith’s voice rang through the room, smooth and teasing, but with a trace of real concern beneath it. Liam turned toward the entrance. She stood there in the doorway, dressed in sleek black once again. A matte black handgun was in her right hand, dangling casually at her side, like it was nothing more than a purse.
She looked flawless, as always. But there was sothing in her posture, a tension he hadn’t seen in a while.
He raised a brow. "Where are you going?"
Lilith walked forward, her heels tapping against the marble floor. "The Crimson Hand proposed a eting," she said. "A face-to-face. I’m going."
Liam’s brows furrowed instantly. His instincts scread. "Wait—what?"
"It’s legit," she added before he could ask more. "A neutral location. No ambush. One of their rules, actually. Only two representatives allowed from each side. I’m taking Leo. Boss will bring one of his n."
Liam’s expression hardened. Everything about this felt wrong.
Too clean.
Too simple.
"What if it’s a setup?" he asked. "What if they double-cross you?"
Lilith’s face remained calm, but there was a flicker of sothing behind her eyes. "They won’t. They have a reputation to keep. A deal is a deal. It’s one of the few things the Boss respects."
Liam stepped closer, eyes locked with hers. "Still. I don’t like it."
She tilted her head slightly, confused by the shift in his tone. "You don’t like it? Liam, this is—"
"No," he interrupted, voice low but firm. "Leo shouldn’t be the one going with you."
That made her pause.
Lilith blinked. "What?"
Liam’s gaze was unwavering now, intense and full of fire. "I said it shouldn’t be Leo. It should be ."
The room went still.
For the first ti in a long while, Lilith was speechless. Shock briefly crossed her features—then confusion. Her brows furrowed as her lips parted, about to argue. But she didn’t, not yet.
Liam stepped closer again, his body towering over hers, not threatening but unmovable. "I’m not letting you walk into that place without . If it’s a trap, if they try anything, I want to be there."
Lilith stared at him for a long, lingering mont. Her golden-blonde hair frad her sharp jawline as her feline-like eyes narrowed just slightly—not in anger, but in thought. Liam held her gaze, unmoving, unblinking.
Then she sighed.
"Fine," she muttered. "You can co."
Liam didn’t grin or gloat. He simply nodded, then turned on his heel.
"I’ll go get ready."
He disappeared down the hallway, his towel hanging loosely around his shoulder. Lilith’s eyes instinctively followed him for a mont too long. She muttered sothing under her breath and shook her head, but there was a very faint curl at the corner of her lips as she turned away.
---
Fifteen minutes later, Liam returned—fresh out of the shower, dressed in a clean black T-shirt that hugged his muscular torso and slim-fit dark jeans that hung just right on his hips. His damp hair was swept back slightly, water still glistening on his neck. He slled of sothing dark and sharp.
Lilith was waiting by the car, already inside the driver’s seat of her sleek matte-black rcedes coupe. Liam slid into the passenger side, shutting the door behind him.
For a while, the only sound was the quiet hum of the engine and the soft bass from the stereo. The windows were slightly tinted, cloaking them in dim, private shade. Lilith gripped the wheel with both hands, her eyes forward. Her usual composure was there—but sothing in her posture told Liam she was tense.
"You good?" he asked, glancing over at her.
"I’m fine," she replied smoothly, but her fingers slightly tapped against the leather wheel.
Liam leaned back, relaxed.
A smirk slowly crept across his face.
"You sure?" he asked, voice low and teasing now. "Because you look... tight."
Lilith didn’t respond. Her gaze stayed forward, pretending not to acknowledge him.
"Tense," Liam continued, eyes drifting lazily across her body. "Like your shoulders. Your thighs too. Maybe you need to unwind. I could help, you know."
Still nothing.
He turned his body slightly to face her more directly, a devilish glint in his eyes.
"So won take baths. So do yoga," he went on. "But you? I think you need sothing a little rougher. Maybe a strong pair of hands. Or a strong pair of lips... sowhere lower."
That made Lilith blink, just once, but her face was still composed.
"I an," Liam continued, his voice deepening into sothing dark and suggestive, "I could put you on my lap right now. Have you riding my thigh until you forget your own na."
Lilith’s grip on the wheel tightened just slightly. Wasn’t this bastard almost dead a week ago.
Still no response.
Liam leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing her ear. "Or maybe you’d prefer if I slipped my hand under you... right here in the car... while we drive."
She clenched her jaw, staring straight ahead.
"Still no reaction?" he murmured. "Damn. Cold as ever. Or maybe you’re just holding back?"
There was a flicker of color on her cheek. Barely visible. A blush—fast, fleeting—but there.
Liam didn’t notice.
He leaned back, a chuckle rumbling low in his chest. "I’ll take your silence as a maybe."
Finally, Lilith spoke, her voice calm but laced with warning. "You keep talking like that, and I might actually pull over."
"Oh?" Liam raised an eyebrow. "So you’re saying there’s a chance?"
Lilith didn’t answer. But she did shift in her seat, her legs subtly squeezing together beneath the wheel as she exhaled slowly through her nose.
He didn’t need her to admit it. He could feel it in the air now—thick tension, the kind that curled like smoke between them.
She might have been the most dangerous woman in the city. But even she wasn’t completely immune.
And Liam was the kind of trouble even Lilith found hard to resist.
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