Five

  "Hmm…  Scarlett," 

"Scarlett" 

I blink countlessly as Liam mentions my name in a humorous and amusing way, there is a way it's bouncing off his lips with his thick accent that makes you just want to-

"Have a seat." He offers, gesturing towards the chair behind the desk he's seated. 

Have a seat? Is my death being prolonged over a cup of coffee? I really don't feel good about this. 

I take a seat and carefully observe as Liam gives this look to his men, and one by one they leave the room, Kane clearly glaring at me before finally leaving.

I scoff. 

He's so pathetic, even their so-called boss doesn't glare at me like that.  

  The room is now completely empty, quiet, and quite uncomfortable. Sitting in the center of the large moving chair behind the desk, I suddenly feel small.

   Liam gets down from the desk and turns to me. 

His height…

I feel so small. 

    He looks down at me as if I'm a toddler who has taken candy that wasn't mine and is about to reprimand my ass. 

"So… Scarlett," He begins, 

I gulp. 

"Yeah." 

Now I wish I had lied about my name, I don't like the way he calls my name. It feels oddly familiar on his lips. 

 He sighs and leans in closer, his palms resting on the desk.

"You witnessed what my... my pals did, you saw the body they worked on, and you overheard them discussing who the body belonged to in the car, right?"

He stares at me with penetrating eyes, threatening me not to lie.

"Yeah…" I whimper. 

"That means you're privy to a substantial secret of mine." He quiets his voice.

"I can pretend I don't, and I can just go home; please my mouth will be forever shut, I don't even care about the mayor, I don't care If he's dea-

"Be calm," Liam interrupts. "He's not dead." 

I tilt my head. "What do you mean?"

"Harry Houston is not dead, he is my uncle and his death is being fabricated" Liam explains. 

I'm not sure why he's telling me, but I ask. 

"Why?" My look is puzzled, and he smiles.

"You already know so much, care to know more?"

"No" I shake my head aggressively. "No, please, I'd like to go home." 

"Thought so…" He scoffs right under his breath. 

  Liam straightens his once arched back and then walks around my desk and chair while staring at me. His gait was slow, heavy, and audible.

And it is so uncomfortable! Why is he acting so mysterious? 

"Scarlett," He calls, and my insides churn with the way he says it. 

"Life is clearly about give and take," He begins… 

Give and take, the last thing I want to hear is that, what does he want from me? 

"So you know about my secrets, not all, but bits can be dangerous itself, so you know bits of my secrets which means to let you go, I have to-

 He pauses, and looks at me. 

"You'll have to know something of mine?" I arch my brows. 

He nods, but in a way that conveys both me being right and wrong.

"I don't need to know something of yours, I need something from you." His lips twitch and he makes a stop in front of me. 

Finally!

"What do you want from me?" My voice fades as I ask. 

  few strands of his light brown hair are pushed back from his face and he combs them to the crown of his head. 

"So basically by dawn, the mayor's death will be announced, but he isn't dead and I want you to kno-

  As I try to figure out what I'm thinking, his voice trails off. He's not going to let me go anytime soon, and the fact that he's telling me so much about his plan involving the mayor indicates that he wants something from me. 

Something really big. 

Of course, it's the the give and take method. 

"Hey Scarlett… Are you listening to me?" Liam snaps his finger like he's trying to wake me up from a mild hypnosis. 

I shake my head and balance my gaze on him. "I am listening." 

"Good." He doesn't seem convinced, but he continues.   "You know that saying that goes, every coincidence comes with opportunities, And suddenly every loss feels like a win?" 

I tilt my head. "No..?" 

"Of course you don't, I just made that up" He scoffs. 

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. 

"You are 'the' coincidence Scarlett, stumbling upon my secret like that, and that makes you an opportunity." He breathes out, but my bewildered expression makes him sigh. 

"Okay first, I believe stumbling upon my men tonight wasn't just a coincidence, it's how the heaven's on my side. Tomorrow my life will be taking a turn, it would have been a hectic one, but with you in it, it would sail smoothly." 

"What?" I half yell. 

What the fuck is he saying? I am so confused. 

He looks done, like trying to explain whatever point he was trying to get to would lose him his pants, but he keeps himself intact and palms his face with an exasperated sigh. 

"Tomorrow, when the news gets out, you'll understand Scarlett, Harry Houston's death will be announced, and then the craziness begins and that's when you step in…" He's trying not to tell me so much, I can tell. 

"Step in… As what?" I ask. 

When he looks at me, his pupils dart from my eyes to my torso and then back to my eyes again, which makes me feel a little uneasy.

"Before I go on, this is more than stepping in Scarlett you have to know that." 

Why does he keep saying my name like he's known me for ages. 

"I want you… no I need you" He corrects himself.  "I mean, I could have simply told my men to shut you up the moment they saw, stuff you in another bag, no one would know, but no, I realized you're the key and I need you to do this" 

He's joking about shoving me in a bag right? 

"You need me" I repeat holding my breath, and it comes off as a statement more than a question.  

"To do what?" I ask. 

He's not going to tell me assassinate someone right? 

 Honestly I am willing to do anything, as long as it doesn't involve drugs, or getting in a bag with Harry Houston. 

But wait, Liam said he isn't dead. 

Or so he wants me to believe… 

"I need you to be my wife" Liam says the words like it's nothing. 

I find myself gawking at him for a second before I am able to speak. 

"I'm sorry…  what?" 

"Yeah you heard me. It's the give and take method, you get to stay alive with my secret,  my plans, with the process of being my wife… and not just 'a wife', the perfect loving wife anyone has ever seen…" 

What?...