Chapter 360: Quick Stop!

"So, do you have plans today again, or are you actually free for once?" Kelvin asked, slinging his heavy leather backpack over one shoulder as they stepped out of the lecture hall into the warm afternoon air.

Liam swung his arm around, stretching out his shoulder joints with a low sigh. "Yeah, I’ve got plans. I’m going straight to see Elena from here."

Kelvin slowed his pace, glancing sideways with a wry smirk. "Yeah, right. Elena, your new best friend."

Liam chuckled, shaking his head. "Don’t tell me you’re jealous now?"

"Jealous? Me? Hell no," Kelvin scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest as they crossed the paved courtyard. "I just barely see my main training partner anymore because some icy high-society woman hijacked your entire calendar."

"It’s fine, it’s fine," Liam said with a playful grin, shoving Kelvin lightly by the shoulder. "Look, if you really have such a big problem with it, you can always come with me to meet Elena. You can fight her for my attention if you want."

Kelvin recoiled instantly, raising both hands in mock terror. "Hell no! Are you insane? She looks like she could break my spine with two fingers and a glare. She can have you, man. Maybe if I grow a pair, I might come back for you later."

Liam burst into a loud, genuine laugh, the lighthearted moment washing away a tiny sliver of the tension that had been building in his chest all week. "Fair enough."

They reached the parking lot, the midday sun reflecting off the rows of windshields. Kelvin pulled his keys out of his pocket with a quick wave. "Catch you later, Liam. Try not to die in training today."

"No promises," Liam called back.

They split off, heading toward their respective vehicles. Liam unlocked his sleek dark sedan, opened the driver’s side door, and tossed his heavy gym bag onto the passenger seat.

He slid into the leather seat, pulling the door shut against the outdoor heat.

Before he could even put the key into the ignition, his phone started vibrating loudly against the cup holder, its ringtone cutting through the quiet cabin.

Liam reached over, muttering under his breath with a soft sigh. "I’m coming, Elena..."

He flipped the phone over to check the screen, expecting to see her name flashing across the display.

Instead, the caller ID read Elsa.

Brows furrowing, Liam tapped the green button and pressed the speaker to his ear. "Hey, Elsa. What’s up?"

"Liam!" Elsa’s voice came through the speaker, tight, rushed, and trembling with a sharp edge of panic. "You need to get down to the workplace right now. Some gang just walked into the shop!"

Liam froze, his grip tightening instantly on the steering wheel. "What? Who?"

"They’re claiming to be from the Reaper Gang!" she gasped, her background sound muffled as if she were hiding behind a counter or in a back room. "They’re saying they’re here to collect taxes from us, and they won’t leave!"

"What the hell..." Liam muttered, his dark green eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Hang tight, Elsa. Don’t engage with them. I’m handling it right now."

He ended the call, immediately pulling up his contacts and tapping Shay’s number. The line rang twice before the deep, calm voice of the Reaper Gang’s local lieutenant answered.

"What’s up, Liam?" Shay asked casually.

"Something is very wrong, Shay," Liam said, his tone dropping an octave, dead serious and devoid of any warmth. "One of my boys is at my workplace right now, making a scene and claiming he’s here to collect taxes from me. Do you know anything about this?"

There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a heavy, irritated exhale. "No," Shay replied, his voice completely calm and smooth. "I don’t know anything about that. I definitely didn’t tell any of the guys to go around that side, especially since you told everyone to back off your workplace."

"Alright," Liam said grimly. "That’s all I needed to hear."

He cut the call without another word, quickly opening his messages to fire off a fast text to Elsa: I’m on my way. Hold on.

Liam shoved the gear stick into drive, slammed his foot on the gas, and sent the sedan roaring out of the campus parking lot, tires screeching against the asphalt.

---

"You better move and get us the money before we call our boss and tear up this place!"

A man barked the order at Elsa as he stood towering near the entrance of the front office, his broad, heavy shoulders stretching the fabric of a grime-stained leather vest.

Tattoos crept up the sides of his thick neck, and a jagged scar ran through his eyebrow, giving him the raw, menacing look of an enforcer who spent more time breaking bones in dark alleys than listening to reason.

Two other thugs stood near the front display cases, casually knocking small items off the shelves with their heavy boots.

Elsa stood behind the main counter, her hands pressed flat against the wood as she tried her best to keep her voice steady. "Please, just relax. I already called my boss. He’s the only one who’s able to give you what you want."

The muscular man sneered, taking two heavy steps toward the counter and slamming a calloused palm down on the polished surface, making the glass cases rattle. "Your boss better make it on time, girl, or we’re going to start taking this place apart piece by piece!"

Elsa swallowed hard, backing up until her heels bumped against the rear filing cabinet. "He’s going to be here any second now. Just wait for him."

The gang member paused, his small, dark eyes running slowly down her frame, taking in her fitted shirt and the flush of fear on her cheeks. A slow, greasy smirk spread across his face. "You know... you look pretty good. Real sweet." He leaned over the counter, his tone dripping with thick, uncomfortable sleaze. "Maybe I’d like to have you to keep me company till your boss comes back."

"No, thank you," Elsa snapped instantly, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "I already have a boyfriend."

The man’s smirk turned into a low, mocking laugh. "Do you know who I am?" He reached out with lightning speed, his thick, dirty fingers wrapping like an iron clamp around her wrist. "I’m a member of the Reaper Gang."

Elsa gasped, her breath catching as she immediately started struggling, twisting her arm with all her strength to try and yank her wrist out of his grasp. "Let go of me!"

The guy maintained his iron grip effortlessly, pulling her a few inches closer across the counter while her knuckles turned white trying to pull away. "You do know how dangerous we are, right? People around here pay us just so we don’t burn their livelihoods to the ground."

"I don’t care!" Elsa yelled, her heart pounding against her ribs as she glared up at him. "I already told you no! I’m not interested!"

"You wouldn’t have a choice, sexy," he growled, his eyes darkening as his smile faded into something cruel. "I’ve got guys set outside with that little boy of yours who was hanging out front. And they’re waiting for your boss, too. When they see him, they’re going to beat him up like we did that boy for making us wait so long."

Elsa went completely pale, her eyes widening in genuine terror as his words sank in. "What...? That’s not what you said earlier..."

Panic surged through her chest. Using her free hand, she frantically tried to reach into her apron pocket to pull out her phone and call Liam again.

But before her fingers could even touch the glass screen, the man snagged her other wrist with his free hand, pinning both of her arms together and snatching her toward him so hard her chest bumped the edge of the counter.

"Leave me, you bastard!" Elsa screamed, twisting helplessly in his grip.

The man leaned in close, licking his dry lips as he stared down at her flushed, terrified face.

"Nobody is coming to save you—"

THUG!

The heavy wooden front door exploded inward with a deafening crash, splintering completely off its hinges.

A broad, muscular body came flying through the shattered entryway, tumbling head over heels across the tiled floor before coming to a violent stop right at the base of the counter. The thug lay there groaning, his nose crushed, his face covered in a sheet of bright, fresh blood.

*Thumb!*

*Thumb!*

Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed through the ruined doorway, cold and unhurried.

Liam stepped through the threshold, his dark jacket slightly rumpled, his expression carved out of solid marble.

In his right hand, he was casually dragging the second gang member by the back of his collar, the guy’s boots scraping uselessly along the floor, his face already bruised and unconscious.

Liam dropped the limp body onto the floor with a dull thud, his dark green eyes rising slowly.

A cold, terrifying fury burned deep within his glare as his eyes locked onto the man holding Elsa by her wrists.

The color instantly drained from the gang member’s face as the oppressive, suffocating weight of Liam’s aura filled the small room.

Elsa looked up at the doorway, her breath catching in her throat as a wave of overwhelming relief and pure joy washed over her tear-stained face. "Liam...!"

Liam didn’t look at the shattered door, nor at the two bloody men unconscious on the floor. His gaze stayed fixed on the leader’s hands still gripping Elsa’s wrists.

His voice came out low, deep, and dripping with absolute promise.

"You’re dead."