Page 31 of His to Keep

The extinguisher crashed to the floor. Liam struggled, locked in a life-or-death battle.

The hitman's eyes bore into Liam's face, and then a sudden rage contorted his features. His voice was rough with fury. "You're not Thorne's bitch!"

With a heart-pounding lurch, he grabbed hold of Liam's throat, his grip like a vise.

The room seemed to spin as Liam gasped for breath, his hands clawing at the hitman's iron grip. There had to be something, some way out…

Liam's vision dimmed at the edges. He could feel his strength waning as the hitman's rage-fueled grip tightened.

But even as darkness swallowed his consciousness, Liam couldn't help but notice with a distant irony that the gunman had a great grasp of human anatomy.

Impressive. Found the carotid artery without missing a beat. He should get into medicine.

His vision blurred, dimming.

And then the morgue's doors flew open with a thunderous crash.

Liam's oxygen-deprived mind struggled to make sense of it, but then, like a burst of lightning in the dark, Colt stormed into the room. The wounded hitman, realizing the danger, dropped Liam to the floor and tried to bring up his gun, desperation etched across his face—

But it was too late.

With unerring precision, Colt's gun barked to life, a single, deafening gunshot that shattered the room's deadly peace. His bullet struck its mark, and the hitman crumpled to the floor in a lifeless heap.

From his vantage point on the floor, Liam watched the scene unfold through a haze of dizziness, his vision swimming. Backed by the bright hospital lights, Colt looked like a savior, a guardian angel.

Liam was only dimly aware of Colt's men swarming in with him. His world had narrowed down to the man who had saved him.

With gentle urgency, Colt's strong hands cradled Liam's throat, his touch both tender and concerned. "Liam?! You still with me?"

"Colt," Liam managed to whisper, his voice hoarse. "You came for me?"

Colt's expression softened, a flicker of worry and relief in his eyes. "I told you," he said seriously, "I'll give you anything you want."

Liam reached up for him. In the next instant, Colt's immense strength enveloped Liam, his muscular arms encircling him protectively. Liam's head spun, still reeling. His lips moved, forming the words he needed, but the ache of his damaged throat silenced him.

Dizziness swirled within Liam as Colt carried him out of the examination room. The world around him seemed to blur and waver, but in the midst of the disorienting whirlwind, one constant remained — Colt's protective presence.

The last sensation that washed over Liam before he succumbed to unconsciousness was the firm and reassuring grip of Colt's strong arms holding him tightly.

Chapter thirteen

The cold night air nipped at Liam's face as he stepped out of the hospital hours later, the doors closing behind him with a soft whoosh. The world outside seemed like a different reality from the chaos that had unfolded within those sterile white walls. The corridors of the hospital were still in a strange hush, everyone still shaken up.

And they weren't the only ones. Exhausted and still shaken from his ordeal, Liam's body ached with each step he took. His pulse was still elevated, a lingering echo of adrenaline leaving his body still on alert.

His body — and his heart, too. Liam scanned the front of the hospital, trying not to hope…

There he was. Colt.

A mixture of relief and desire washed over Liam. Memories flooded back to him of when Colt had carried him in those big, strong arms, shielding and protecting him from danger. Liam couldn't help but shiver at the memory of that embrace.

"Hey," Colt said gruffly, his eyes locked on Liam as he approached. He looked Liam up and down warily, concern etched into his rugged features. "You okay?"

Liam nodded, swallowing hard. His throat still ached, ringed with finger-shaped bruises, but that wasn't enough to stop him from responding. "Yeah, I am. I've just been told to take it easy for a little while." He hesitated before asking tentatively, "And… is everything okay for the Thornes?"

Colt smirked, an amused glint in his eye. "The Thornes? They were never here. Where'd you hear something ridiculous like that?"

Ah, of course. In this city, arrangements got made under the table. "But hypothetically, if theywerehere… Did they hypothetically get their guy?"

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