I glanced around at the rest of my security team, noting the way they all seemed to be avoiding looking at Liza. Theirexpressions were mixtures of fear and uncertainty. We’d tried to keep her abilities under wraps, but it was becoming harder to hide. And now my security team had witnessed just how powerful Liza truly was.
“Listen up!” I barked, calling them all to attention, using my dominance over them. “I want every single one of you to understand something. You are not to whisper a word about what happened here this afternoon to anyone. Not a damn soul. Do I make myself clear?”
They all nodded quickly in agreement, and I turned my attention back to Liza. She still hadn’t moved, her eyes glassy. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I needed her to snap out of this stupor.
“Get these men to the holding cells,” I ordered the guards, gesturing toward the battered kidnappers. They hurried to comply, and I gently lifted Liza up, carrying her from the guard’s truck and into my car. I touched her face, trying to coax her back to reality, and I whispered soothing words into her ear.
“It’s over now, baby,” I told her softly. “I’m here now. You don’t have to do anything, just lean on me, okay?”
I fastened her seatbelt and knelt on the pavement, looking deeply into her eyes. Desperate for a connection, I leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. It appeared to work because she finally snapped out of her daze.
“Ty?” she groaned, her voice strained as if she’d been screaming, and looked around her as if she didn’t know where she was. “What... what happened?”
“You really don’t remember?” My stomach twisted.
She shook her head, clearly disoriented, which only added another layer of worry. I needed to get her home where she could rest and recover.
“Let’s get you back to the house,” I said, starting the engine and pulling away from the scene.
While I drove, I tried to piece together the events of the day, my mind racing with questions. Who were those men? Had Maximus sent them, or were they simply trying to earn a buck? And what would this mean for Liza’s safety moving forward?
I couldn’t get us home fast enough. The rain had stopped, but I ran red lights and blew through stop signs with my emergency lights on. Each second felt like an eternity, and I silently dared anybody to try and get in my way. Liza needed to be somewhere safe where we could figure out what the fuck had happened.
When I sped down our driveway, I felt a fleeting sense of relief. We were almost there. I parked in front of the main entrance, turned off the engine, and unbuckled my seatbelt before carefully lifting Liza into my arms. She was still so fragile and disoriented, and it killed me to see her like that.
My parents waited for us just inside the door, their worry oozing off them. The moment we entered, Mother stopped pacing and rushed to Liza’s side.
She took in Liza’s pale face and distant expression, and immediately held her arms out. “Ty, give her to me.” There was a gentle authority in her command.
“Mother, I...” I hesitated, unsure of what to do. My instincts screamed at me to keep Liza close, to protect her with everything I had, but my mother’s unwavering gaze told me to trust her.
“Trust me with this,” she said softly.
Reluctantly, I placed Liza into my mother’s care, watching as she cradled her gently and helped her walk up the steps.
Satisfied that Liza was in good hands, I turned to Dad and his grim expression.
“Let’s talk,” he said, motioning for me to follow him into the library. I trailed behind him, my mind racing as I tried to organize my thoughts and explain what had happened.
Once we were alone, I recounted the events, the ambush, the attempted kidnapping, and Liza’s display of power in front of the guards. Dad listened intently, his eyes narrowing.
“None of the men looked familiar.” I let out a frustrated growl. “But whoever they were, they knew about Liza, and they wanted her.”
Dad crossed his arms and lowered his voice. “This is bad, Ty. We need to figure out who’s behind this, and fast.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I snapped, my fists clenching at my sides. “Liza really can’t leave the house again. It’s too risky.”
“Agreed.” My father nodded solemnly. “She won’t like it, but after tonight... She’ll understand it’s a sacrifice that has to be made.”
“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath. Liza valued her independence. “I want Maximus’s head on a spike, if Castro hasn’t gotten to him first.”
Before either of us could say anything else, my phone rang, piercing the tense silence that had settled throughout the house. I glanced at the screen as Nico’s name flashed across it.
“About fucking time,” I muttered, swiping to answer the call and putting it on speaker so Dad could listen in.
“You’re just the man I need to talk to.” I forced my damn tongue to stop wagging so Nico could fill me in.
“Ty, I’m calling to make you aware there was an attempt made on Maximus’s life.” Nico sounded breathless from whatever had just transpired. “I was at his property in time to save him.”
