“Let’s go, we’re leaving.” My chest heaves with adrenaline and frustration.
“It’s cute you think you have any control in this situation,” he says, and the next thing I know I’m on the floor, and Liam is on top of me. It happens so fast I’m completely confused about how I got here. “Let’s make a deal.”
“I don’t make deals with criminals.” I shove against him, but the man is made of bricks.
I look up at him in surprise. I thought he had more of a lanky physique and figured he was a lazy thief, nothing more. Now that I know he works out enough to maintain muscle, I’m going to have to switch my approach.
“That’s literally all you special agents do,” Liam says, rubbing his thumb on the inside of my wrist.
I narrow my eyes and try to shove him off. “Your lack of knowledge regarding my job is insulting.”
“Your lack of knowledge regarding ancient artifacts is insulting.”
“I’m ninety-nine percent sure Mother Theresa didn’t own a dagger.”
“Like I’d tell you the real name so you can write it in that little black book filled with my crimes you keep in your back pocket.”
Warmth crawls up my spine. He found that?
Liam sighs, easing off me but keeping the knife between us in a way that says he will take me down again if he has to. I welcome the challenge. “I did you a favor.”
“Afavor?” I jump to my feet and put my fists up. I feel like hitting something, and he’s got a very punchable face. “I’m in Europe!” That fact alone makes everything worse. My blood pressure is through the roof. I’ve been sweating ever since I woke up. I need to get out of here.Now.
“Yes, a favor. I saved your life from a man intent on harming us both and took you to the most beautiful city on earth.”
Vague memories filter through my mind. A person approached me from behind, and when they pressed that rag to my mouth, Liam had looked… surprised? Almost… upset?
I shake my head. He can’t possibly make me believe dragging me across the world was for my benefit. “You really expect me to trust any word coming out of your mouth? You’re a Master Con.”
“It’s funny you should mention that, because I wrote a book with that exact title, under a different pseudonym, of course. The best part was that the book was itself a con. Perhaps you heard of it. It was—”
“Shut up.” My head feels like it’s floating, and his incessant talking isn’t helping.
“Fine, we’ll forget about my award-winning bestseller and go back toyou.Believe it or not, Isavedyou. And now we are here, so it feelslike a crime not to enjoy it.”
There’s something bigger going on. A man like Liam doesn’t hop on a plane and see where it takes him. A man like Liam flies the plane. Metaphorically, of course. Though, it wouldn’t surprise me if he could actually fly.
“Why are we really here?” I ask.
Liam lowers the knife with a sigh and—what’s that in his eyes? Remorse? “We’re here because I need to return Scarlett Winthrop’s ring to her parents. And I need an escort since people are trying to capture me.”
“You mean you need an idiot to screw over? What’s the real plan?”
He holds up his hands in surrender. “No plan, I promise. Her parents deserve closure, and I want to be the one to offer it. You can handcuff me the whole time, and after it’s over, I’ll let you take me to jail.”
I scoff. He’llletme.
The way he can make his words almost sound genuine sends a shiver through me. No way am I trusting anything he says. It doesn’t make sense. This is a man who excels at disappearing in plain sight. He doesn’t need me. He’s spinning a lie, because he has another plan up his sleeve where I end up in a coffin for real. I was never in danger. He probably hired that man to knock me out. He just needed to get here without getting caught.
I won’t be played by him. If anyone is going to double-cross the other, it’s me.
“No. I’m leaving. Now.” I send a roundhouse kick toward his face, but he backs up just in time for me to connect with his arm where he holds the knife.
Liam watches as it clatters to the ground before snapping in half. His head turns on a slow swivel until his ocean eyes meet mine. “Really? You’re breaking my toys now?”
I lunge at him.
Chapter 4
