Chapter 2

Olivia' s men untied him, their movements rough and impersonal. They dragged him out of the damp room and into a sterile, white hallway. Daniel was taken in the opposite direction, with a gentleness that made Liam' s stomach turn. He was being led to a different room, a place for questioning, he assumed. He had been through this before. He knew what came next.

But this time, he wasn't the same broken man. He had the memory of his own death, the cold finality of the street, the whispers of strangers. That gave him a clarity he never had before.

One of the guards shoved him forward. "Keep moving."

Liam stumbled but caught himself. He looked at the man, his eyes cold. "You touch me again, and you' ll regret it."

The guard laughed, a short, ugly sound. "You' re in no position to make threats."

"My wife is Jessica Crawford," Liam said, his voice steady. He pulled the name from a deep recess of his memory. Jessica Crawford, the heir to a vast corporate empire, a woman known for her ruthless efficiency and powerful connections. In his past life, he only knew of her by reputation. Now, she was his only way out. "If a single hair on my head is out of place when she finds me, she will burn this entire organization to the ground. And she will start with you."

The guard' s laughter died in his throat. The other man froze. They exchanged a nervous glance. The name Jessica Crawford carried weight, a weight far heavier than Olivia' s regional influence.

"He' s bluffing," the first guard said, but his voice lacked conviction.

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?" Liam asked softly. He held their gaze, his expression unyielding. "Let me make a phone call. Let me call my brother, Ben. He can connect me to her. You can listen to the whole conversation. Then you can decide if I' m bluffing."

The guards hesitated, clearly out of their depth. Finally, one of them nodded and pulled out a phone. He dialed the number Liam gave him.

Ben picked up on the second ring, his voice frantic with worry. "Liam? Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I' m fine, Ben," Liam said, keeping his tone calm. "Listen to me very carefully. Things are a little complicated. I need you to get in touch with Jessica Crawford. Tell her I' m with Olivia. Tell her I' m invoking our agreement." He paused, letting the words sink in for the guards. "Tell her... tell my wife to come get me."

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line. "Wife? Jessica Crawford? Liam, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Just do it, Ben. Please."

He hung up. The guards looked at him with a new kind of fear. The bluff had worked. They led him to a clean, comfortable room and left him alone, locking the door behind them. He was safe, for now.

Hours later, he was moved to a small apartment within Olivia' s compound. His hand had been properly bandaged by a doctor who said nothing. As he sat on the edge of the bed, the pain a dull throb, he heard voices from the next room. Olivia' s room.

It was Daniel' s voice, smooth and persuasive. "You see, Olivia? He planned the whole thing. He got himself 'captured' just to make me look bad. He' s always been manipulative like that, trying to drive a wedge between us."

Then, Olivia' s reply, laced with weary affection. "I know, Daniel. Don' t worry. I' ll deal with him. He won' t bother you again."

A cold, hard fury rose in Liam' s chest. It was a clean anger, unburdened by the desperate love he used to feel. It was the anger of a man who had been utterly wronged. He stood up, the pain in his hand forgotten. He had to see their faces. He had to make them understand.

He walked out of his room and into hers. They were standing close, Daniel' s arm around her waist. They looked up, surprised to see him.

Without a word, Liam walked straight up to Daniel and kicked him hard in the stomach.

Daniel doubled over, gasping for air.

"Liam!" Olivia shrieked, rushing to Daniel' s side.