THE CALL

Liam’s POVThe phone call came in the middle of the night, shrill and insistent.I groaned and reached across Marco’s sleeping form to grab it, squinting at the screen. Unknown number.Shit.“Yeah?” I mumbled, rubbing a hand over my face.“Is this Mr. Connor?”My body went rigid. The accent was distinctly Middle Eastern, the voice low and gravelly.I glanced at Marco, his chest rising and falling slowly beside me. Carefully, I slipped out of bed and padded into the living room, closing the bedroom door behind me.“Depends who’s asking.”The man on the other end chuckled. “I believe you know who this is, Liam.”Ice trickled down my spine. Only one person called me Liam. An Emirati I’d worked for a few years back as his escort.I cleared my throat. “Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure?”“Cut the bullshit, Connor. I know you’re the one with the President’s son.”My heart rate spiked. The President’s son? What the fuck was he talking about?“President’s son? What President are yo

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-10-31

THE OFFER

Liam’s POVI glanced at the bedroom door.Marco was in there, sleeping peacefully. He didn’t deserve any of this. He’d already been through so much before now; he didn’t need more danger and chaos in his life.But could I really hand him over to the Emirati? Could I live with myself if I did?No. No, I couldn’t. I had to find another way.I took a deep breath and walked back into the bedroom. Marco stirred as I climbed back into bed, wrapping my arms around him.“Who was that?”“A friend,” I lied, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. “Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep.”He sighed, relaxing into me.“You worry too much.”If he only knew.I lay there, listening to his breathing even out, my mind spinning with possibilities. None of them good.The Emirati’s words kept echoing in my head: Things will get very messy.I knew he wasn’t bluffing. I’d seen what he was capable of, and the thought of Marco getting caught in the crossfire made me sick to my stomach.I had to think, to come

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-10-31

THE STING

Liam’s POV I rubbed my temples. “I can’t believe you’re saying this.” “I can’t believe you’re surprised.” Marco’s tone was steady. “You now know who I am. You know where I come from. This isn’t my first rodeo.” He stepped closer, his hand on my arm. I looked at him, really looked, and saw that he was being brave. Terrified, maybe. But brave. And I loved him for it. “Okay,” I said finally. “We’ll do it your way. But we do this smartly. We do this safely. And we do this together.” Marco smiled, that little smirk that made my heart race. “That’s all I ask.” We planned the details carefully, methodically. The location was a private villa on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by barren land and guarded by Fahd’s men. We would arrive after midnight, when the streets were empty. Marco would contact his father, who would send guards to rescue him. He had a protective chip at all times, a small device embedded in his watch that would allow his bodyguards to locate him if things w

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-11-02

THE RETURN

Liam's POV “Where’s Marco?” I tried to ask, but it came out as a weak croak. “Where am I?” I tried again. My voice was raw, my throat like sandpaper.“Calm down,” the same voice said. A woman’s voice. “You’re in the hospital. You were shot.”“Where’s Marco?”“I don’t know who Marco is,” the woman said gently. “But you need to stay still. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”I tried to sit up again, but a wave of pain crashed over me, making me groan.“Mr. Connor, please,” the woman urged. “You need to rest.”I forced my eyes open, squinting against the fluorescent lights.A nurse stood beside my bed, her face lined with concern. Monitors beeped around me. Wires snaked across my chest. My abdomen was wrapped in thick bandages, stained with spots of blood.“How long have I been here?” I managed to ask.“A few hours,” she replied. “The surgery went well. You’re lucky to be alive.”Lucky. The word felt hollow.“Please,” I begged. “I need to know about Marco. He was with me. He…”I broke off as

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-11-04

THROUGH THE FIRE

Marco’s POVI watched the blood pool around Liam’s body and thought, this can’t be happening.But it was.Liam was on the floor, gasping, his hands pressed to a wound in his stomach that was staining his shirt red.“Liam!” I shouted, fighting against the men holding me. “Liam, look at me!”He didn’t respond. His eyes were closed, his face pale.“You shot him,” I screamed at Fahd, struggling wildly. “You fucking shot him!”Fahd stepped closer, his expression impassive. “Calm down, Marco. It’s just a flesh wound. He’ll be fine.”“Like hell he will,” I snarled. “You killed him. You fucking killed him.”Fahd raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be dramatic. I aimed to wound, not to kill. But if you don’t behave yourself, I might change my mind.”I glared at him, hatred burning through me. But I knew I had to keep a cool head if I had any chance of getting us out of this alive.“Let him go,” I said quietly. “Please. He has nothing to do with this.”Fahd laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. “Oh, but he d