Page 42 of Mysterious

“Michael, you need to let her go! Do that and nobody has to get hurt. Don’t and I’m going to make sure you get what you gave me on the street that night, except I won’t just graze your right arm.”

Oh, my God! Michael shot Liam? Did my mother order him to do that too?

“I’m not going to jail because that crazy bitch thought this was a good idea. No way, man! There’s only one way out of this, but I’m not going out alone!” Michael yells in a panicked voice.

I swivel my head right and left to see where he is because he means he’s going to take me down with him. Oh, God! Liam has to stop him!

“Don’t hurt her,” Liam yells, his voice closer this time. “I’m warning you. Don’t hurt her.”

A second later, a gunshot from behind the wall of boxes a few yards in front of me makes me jump in my seat. I wait to hear Liam’s voice, to hear him say even a single word so I can know he’s okay, but there’s nothing.

“Liam!”

All I need to hear is his voice. “Say something! Say something so I know you’re not hurt!” I cry.

Holding my breath, I wait to hear something for what feels like an eternity. My heart slams into my chest like a jackhammer, and all I can think about it how much I need him to be alive.

Please, God. Let Liam be safe. I love him, and he loves me. Don’t take him away. Please.

“Liam! Liam! Please answer me!”

Still I hear nothing.

Frantically, I scan the part of the factory around me for some hint that he’s still alive, and then I see the most beautiful sight in the world when he runs around that wall of boxes and spots me.

“I’m here, Mia. It’s okay. I’m here.”

He rushes over and crouches down in front of me to untie my ankles and then my hands as I silently thank God for letting him live. I fall into his arms, relieved but still terrified that this isn’t the end of this nightmare.

“I got you, Mia. It’s okay. I got you.”

My sobs overwhelm me as everything that’s happened replays in my mind. “I thought he shot you. I thought you were dead,” I say, my tears making my words sound all disjointed.

“I’m okay. I came as soon as I could. You’re safe now.”

All I want to do is forget everything that Michael and my mother have done. But will I ever be truly able to do that?

Liam holds me to him, whispering in my ear, “I’m so sorry, Mia.”

In his arms, I feel safe and protected, but I can’t help but ask what happened with Michael. “Did you…?” I can’t finish that sentence. I don’t want to. It’s too horrible to think my mother’s stunt ended with someone losing their life.

“He’s gone, baby. I didn’t have a choice. It was him or me.”

My mother’s to blame for Michael’s death, not him. Whatever it takes to make the world understand that, I’ll do it because he doesn’t deserve to pay for her crimes.

Leaning back, Liam looks up at me and gently wipes my tears from my cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”

I think I know why, but I have to ask. “Did she try to stop you? My mother is behind all of this. She’s behind the stalker and Michael kidnapping me. And I guess she was behind him shooting you too.”

With a nod, he says, “I know. She admitted everything.”

“I’m so sorry, Liam.”

That gets me a big smile, and he asks, “What are you saying you’re sorry about? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Looking down into those beautiful blue eyes of his, I let out a heavy sigh, so happy to be with him again. “I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention and I didn’t listen to you when you said I needed to be more careful. If I hadn’t fought you every step of the way, this may have never happened.”

He cradles my face in his strong hands and smiles. “Your mother is to blame for all of this. Not you, Mia. So don’t blame yourself. You trusted her, and she betrayed you. Nothing more than that.”

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