Page 11 of Torched

Liam asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted to start carrying a gun, now that he got me familiar with them, but I didn’t want to. Not feeling comfortable enough for that, arguing that I was with him every moment anyway. The second I saw Cristina enter my room, I regretted that decision. Regretted that I knew there wasn’t a firearm near, and I had no other option than to comply with her wishes.

I never thought Cristina would kill anyone. Let alone me. Cristina always unsettled me when we were younger. She used to visit Callie in New York, and though I never feel comfortable with her, I wasn’t scared of her either. But now that I’ve learned all the wicked things she pulled against Callie, against Liam, I wasn’t so sure and from the moment she had me in a headlock, her gun connected with my head, fear was palpable on my skin. My blood rushed through my ears, my skin felt like it was burning, and my heart was beating so violently I thought it would stop within minutes. And now I hate myself for giving her that kind of power over me.

I’m not the same girl I was a year ago. I can stick up for myself now. I can fight. I know how to shoot, but still, I froze like a fucking deer in headlights the moment Cristina set her wicked gaze on me.

“Gen!” I hear Liam’s heavy footsteps behind me, but I keep storming through the yacht, not ready to have this conversation without the comfort of our own room. Especially since Cristina is still a lot closer than I want her to be.

“Baby, wait!”

“What for?” I spin on my heels, meeting his worried gaze as he takes the last determined strides to place his hands on my hips. I stare at his ocean blue eyes, a softness looking back at me.

“You’re freaking out.”

“Wouldn’t you?” I screech, pushing him off and continuing my path. “In fact, why aren’t you?”

“It’s gonna be fine, I promise.”

“That female personification of the devil just had a gun to my head, holds Callie’s grandmother captive, God knows where, and she’s just announced she’s going to stay until we get her some fucking diamond! Don’t you get it, Liam? Nothing is fine! Nothing is going to be fine!”

He’s right. I am freaking out. This is the woman who recruits girls for their human trafficking network. She tried to kill the man I love without as much as a blink of an eye and here she is smiling like there is no harm done while she’s asking, no,demanding, our help to get a two-million-dollar rock because her original plan of killing Callie and taking her inheritance didn’t stick and she needs money.

She’s a fucking psychopath. Forgive me if I don’t sleep well, knowing those are running around freely on the boat I’m stuck on.

Finally, I reach the door of our room, storming through it and turning around when Liam slams it shut. With a swift move, he grabs my wrist, yanking me past his body until my back is pressed against the hard frame.

My lips part at the sudden move, but when our gazes collide, I close my eyes, my emotions capturing me like a tidal wave with nowhere to hide. I let my head rest against the wood of the door, my tears now unable to hold back. With one hand wrapped around the small of my back, he tugs me close against his chest. Automatically, my arms move up around his neck, and I bury my face in his shoulder.

And I let go.

All the tension, the stress, the anxiety I’ve been feeling in the last hour, vibrates through me with agony, my sobs getting louder the more I think about what could’ve happened. What a bad position I found myself in.

“I got you, baby.” Liam soothes me in his arms, his lips on my hair while I keep staining his shirt with my tears. “It’s gonna be all right.”

“How?” I sob after a minute. “How is it going to be all right?”

“We will fix it. Like we fix everything.” His tone is matter-of-fact, only adding to my insecurity. Liam lowers his head, pressing his forehead against mine.

“You know she can’t beat us, right?”I really don’t.“The Reyes family has tried to overthrow us multiple times now. They never succeeded.”He has a point. “They are not going to succeed now. We will get Babushka back.”Will we?“Come on, baby. What is this really about?”

Air deflates from my chest as I stare down at him, letting his words slowly settle in my foggy brain. What is this really about? I don’t know.

Or maybe I do know.

“I couldn’t defend myself.”

“What do you mean?”

I don’t want to look him in the eye, embarrassed to confess how easily Cristina had been able to get to me. “She just strolled into the room, and I let her get to me without as much as a fight. It was like stealing candy from a baby! I’m not cut out for this shit, and now she’s going to be walking around the yacht?” I shake my head. “I’m not sure I can handle this.”

“Hey.” His voice is booming, almost a bark, enough to snap my head up to look at him. “Don’t you dare talk like that!Ever again.” Blue eyes stare back at me with a shred of anger, though they’re filled with something I would describe as love. Fuck, I hope it’s love. “Just because she caught you by surprise doesn’t mean she’s better than you. She’s not. She’s nothing more than a worthless piece of shit without a heart. She’snothingcompared to you. Yes, she had the upper hand tonight, but it doesn’t say anything about your capability. I’ve taught you how to fight myself. I taught you how to shoot. You can take her any time of day, easily. But only if you believe it. So none of this bullshit anymore, you got me? You are a warrior, Imogen Payne. And there is no chance in hell you’re going to let that scum get to you, okay?”

His words ease the cold sweat on my back, my heart going back to a moderating pace. He’s right, I know he’s right. But it’s hard to suddenly change your way of thinking, especially when Cristina has always been the older one. The one who showed us who to do our make-up when she’d go out with us on rare occasions. The one who taught us where to hit new targets. I don’t want to say I looked up to her, but she sure as hell looked more together than I felt.

Still do, I guess.

But I brush that thought away when Liam’s lips fall against mine, his scorching temperature soothing me like a hot bath after a long day. His hand explores my back, stroking everywhere with intent, and I sink into his body. When I’m wrapped up in his arms, I feel pretty together. In fact, I feel like I’m on top of the world when he’s treasuring me like I’m the most precious thing.

He gives me the confidence I’ve been lacking most of my life, not just wanting to save me, but giving me the tools to save myself. I can do this. I can kick Cristina’s ass if I want to. I can kickanyone’sass if I want to. He’s right. He taught me everything I needed to know. Just because that she caught me off guard, doesn’t mean she will again. She won’t. I won’t let her. Next time she wants to hurt me, I’m ready for her.

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