Chapter 86 Liam’s Plan
Vanessa crouched low and moved swiftly towards Liam. Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached him, her eyes darting between his wound and the men holding Ann hostage. She pressed her hands firmly against his shoulder, feeling the warm, sticky blood seeping through his shirt. The injury was bad, but Liam’s face remained composed, his deep blue eyes locked onto their enemies with an unsettling calm.
Before she could say anything, Liam placed his hand over hers, stilling her movements. His touch was firm but gentle. "Wait," he whispered, his voice barely audible. Vanessa swallowed hard, understanding what he meant. Now was not the time for weakness. Now was not the time for hesitation.
Liam gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand. The pain flared through his shoulder like fire licking at his skin, each movement sending shockwaves through his nerves. It felt like someone had taken a searing-hot blade and stabbed it deep into his flesh, the burning agony radiating down his arm. Every breath he took only added to the torment, but he had endured worse. He had no choice but to push through it.
As he stepped out from behind the cover of the car, Dean’s eyes widened in anger and surprise. "You’re really something, huh?" he sneered. His grip on Ann’s hair tightened, making her gasp. "Did that bullet knock some screws loose? What the fuck are you doing standing there, move towards the center?"
Liam didn’t respond. His expression was unreadable, his icy gaze fixed on Dean. Ann, who had been struggling against her captor, stilled when she saw Liam’s wound. Her heart clenched at the sight of blood soaking through his sleeve. Yet, despite the clear injury, Liam stood tall, his posture unwavering. He made it look as if the bullet was nothing more than an inconvenience.
Vanessa followed behind him, her hands raised in surrender. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she forced herself to take slow, steady breaths. This was the plan. The plan was crazy, reckless even, but if they hesitated now, they were both dead.
Dean glanced at Rick, whose hand was visibly shaking. "We should just kill them now and get the hell out of here," Rick muttered, but Dean shook his head. "No. We can’t leave empty-handed. We’ve lost too many men today. If we give the boss these two women, maybe we’ll still have a shot at getting out of this alive." His gaze lingered on Vanessa, and his lips curled into a smirk. "Boss doesn’t have a woman like you in his collection."
Vanessa’s stomach churned with disgust, but she forced herself to keep walking. As she passed Liam, her eyes met his for a split second. That was the signal.
In a single, fluid motion, Liam grabbed Vanessa, pulling her back into his arms as if restraining her. His arm wrapped around her neck in a firm but careful grip, just enough to make it look convincing. Before anyone could react, he reached behind her and pulled out the gun she had tucked away. His movements were too fast, too precise.