Page 21 of Beckoning Liam

As dusk fell, they emerged from the catacombs, the setting sun casting a golden hue over the city. A small group of people approached them, and Liam pressed her gently against a weathered wall in order to shield her with his body. The group moved past without even noticing them, but Liam didn’t move.

"Becks," he breathed out, his voice husky as his hands moved up her sides. There was an urgency in his touch, a need thatmirrored her own. His hands, calloused from years of service, now explored her curves with a tenderness that made her ache.

"Liam," she gasped as his mouth found the tender spot on her neck, his kiss branding her. The contrast of the dominant man seeking solace in her embrace was intoxicating. Their encounter was fiery, a tempest of emotion and desire that threatened to consume them both.

"Becks," he said again, his forehead resting against hers, their breath mingling. "We can't… at least not here in the market.” His voice was edged with need.

"I know," she murmured, her eyes locked with his. “I know.” In that moment, she saw the vulnerability he so deftly concealed, the scars of past betrayals etched in his body and spirit. She wanted to soothe them, to claim him as her own even as danger prowled just beyond the safety of their temporary haven.

The passion that flared between them was a living thing, fierce and unapologetic. Yet as they clung to each other, they understood the bitter tang of their liaison. They were two souls entwined by fate and circumstance where passion met peril.

"When this is over," he murmured against her lips, a vow fraught with the uncertainty of their lives.

"When this is over," she echoed, sealing their promise with a kiss that tasted of sweet longing and the unspoken fear that dawn might bring a reality in which they had no future whatsoever.

The stillness outside the ancient catacomb shattered as a shot ricocheted off the worn stone wall, mere inches from Becks' head. She ducked instinctively, her heart hammering in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins. The dimly lit alleyway was suddenly alive with the echoes of their assailants’ footsteps.

"Move!" Liam's command cut through the chaos, a steel edge to his voice that brooked no argument. He grabbed her hand,and they fled, the intimate touch a stark contrast to the violence erupting around them.

They burst into the streets of Istanbul, their breath ragged, the night air sharp against their skin. The city’s ancient heartbeat thrummed beneath their feet, the cobblestones slick with the remnants of a recent rain and secrets of centuries long past.

"Left—down that alley!" Becks directed. Liam looked at her. “I spent several summers here studying.” Her knowledge of the city's snaking alleys momentarily gave them an edge. They darted down the narrow passage, the clatter of pursuit a relentless drumbeat at their backs.

"Keep up!" Liam's grasp tightened around her wrist, his protection a tangible force, guiding her when panic clawed at her resolve. His presence, a dominant force amidst the disarray, anchored her.

"Trying!" she gasped, her legs pumping as furiously as her mind, trying to stay one step ahead of the man following them, knowing his ruthless nature left no room for mistakes.

"Here." Liam's hand slipped from hers to her back, pushing her forward, directing her through what seemed to be a hidden entrance to an alleyway, a forgotten relic of the city's past.

"Dead end," she breathed, panic lacing her words as they came upon a high wall.

"Up," he ordered tersely, boosting her with his hands before scaling the wall himself with athletic grace. They were on the rooftops now, the skyline a jagged silhouette against the moonlit sky.

"Where to?" she panted, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own heart.

"Follow my lead," he replied, taking point as they leaped from roof to roof, the precarious drops to the streets below a stark reminder of the stakes.

The pursuit was relentless, Sokolov’s men dogged in their chase, bullets whizzing by as a cacophony of shouts filled the air. Liam returned fire with the gun he’d managed to smuggle past customs with a well-placed bribe. His protective instincts melded with a deadly precision that underscored the danger they faced.

"Be careful!" she called out, her concern for him a sharp pang amidst the terror.

"Always am," he shot back, a wry smile flickering across his features.

Their path took them to an window, the glass shattering under Liam's boot, the sound lost in the din of the chase. They stumbled into the darkened confines of a deserted building, the air thick with dust and history.

"Can't keep running forever," Becks said, a tremor in her voice, her academic poise stripped away by the raw fear of being hunted.

"We won't have to," Liam reassured her, his eyes scanning the darkness, strategizing their next move.

"I trust you," she murmured, her faith in him unshaken even as the perilous dance continued.

"Good," Liam replied, his gaze locking onto hers, the connection between them electric and undeniable, even as the specter of death began to close in.

They left the relative safety of the building, blending in with a small group of pedestrians heading for the main street. She felt Liam’s presence close behind her, his steady hand brushing the small of her back.

“Keep moving,” Liam murmured, his voice low and gravelly.

“I’m trying,” Becks shot back, her tone sharper than intended.

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