I nodded.
“None of your business,” Ty said coolly.
“When it interferes with my plans, it most certainly is my business.”
“Castro,” Liam bit out. “It’s Liam.”
Tension crackled like a live wire in the air. My skin crawled. Castro’s fury was palpable even through the phone. Liam, on the other hand, appeared entirely unruffled, his icy calmness contrasting sharply with Castro’s seething rage.
“Traitor,” Castro spat. “Why couldn’t you do what was expected of you? All you had to do was take care of Ty. You were supposed to help me bring Liza back where she belongs.”
“And where exactly is that, Castro? Where do you think Liza’s rightful place is?” Liam questioned.
“By my side, of course,” Castro answered quickly. “Just because you two have decided to become all buddy-buddy, it doesn’t change anything for me. I’ll get Liza. All you’ve done is made things a little bit harder.”
“You’re nothing but a psycho,” Liam said coolly, a hint of disdain in his voice. “Your obsession with Liza is unnatural and twisted. You need to let go.”
“Let go?” Castro snarled, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “I’ll never let go. Now you’ve shown your true colors, Liam, you’ve just made everything much more interesting.”
“Is that a threat?” I interjected, my wolf’s protective instincts kicking in. If Castro thought he could intimidate us, he had underestimated our resilience.
“No, Liza, you should know better than anyone that I don’t make threats. This is a warning—youronlywarning,” Castro said with a foreboding intensity. “I’ll see you all soon when I bring a war to your doorstep. Enjoy the peace while it lasts.”
The line went dead, and we stared at each other in stunned silence. His words draped over me like a heavy cloak on my shoulders that threatened to suffocate me. Beneath my fear, araging fire ignited, fueling my need to protect my family and put an end to Castro’s madness.
“Ty.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I’m scared.”
“Me, too.” He pulled me into his arms. We stood there on the dark road, embracing and drawing strength from each other. This battle was far from over.
My thoughts turned to Liam. Despite the dark, ruthless side he’d shown tonight, he had also proven his loyalty and protectiveness. In this dangerous game we were playing, we needed every ally we could get.
A mixture of fear and hope pulsated through my body. We were in for a fight, I had no doubt about that, but with Ty by my side, and now Liam as well, I believed we’d somehow find a way to keep our loved ones safe, and put an end to Castro’s twisted plans.
104
TY
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on as Liam and I locked eyes, neither of us willing to back down. Our alpha egos were driving us both to take charge of the situation, and that never worked out well.
“Look.” Liam’s patronizing tone grated on my nerves, as if he thought he had all the answers. “I understand we have different opinions, but this isn’t about us. It’s about protecting Liza.”
“Then, maybe you should listen to someone who knows her better than you do,” I shot back, my nostrils flaring.
“Enough!” My father’s voice broke through the stalemate, his authority silencing us both. “This bickering isn’t going to help anyone. You two need to work with each other for Liza’s sake, whether you like it or not.”
“Castro is smart,” Liam said. “He’s not playing from the shadows anymore. We’re waiting for his attack. He’s playing 3D chess and he’s going to make moves before we can predict them.”
I couldn’t shake the lingering suspicion that we were missing something crucial—a piece of the puzzle that would reveal Castro’s intentions. We needed to be a step ahead, but how?
Suddenly, an idea struck me. “What if he starts to work with our enemies against us?”
Liam’s eyes—so like Liza’s—met mine, and for once, there was no hint of rivalry in them. “That’s a good point, Ty. He could use their hatred for us to his advantage and gain allies in the process.” He leaned forward, his arms resting on the table. “Castro will likely appeal to their individual desires for power, territory, or revenge. We need to get to them first and convince them not to join forces with him.”
“Or at least make it explicit that siding with Castro will bring them more trouble than it’s worth,” I added.
“Exactly,” Dominic said. “We’ll need to approach each one differently and find the right leverage to keep them from betraying us.”
“Remember, though,” Liza added in her tranquil manner. “Liam carries a lot of weight in this world. His reputation alone might be enough to give some of these alphas pause before they consider crossing him.”
