Page 34

I swallow hard, pulse skittering. He's close.

His gaze flickers to my lips.

I forget how to breathe.

The air shifts, the space between us disappearing, and?—

"I found out Vanessa's hosting a gala in two weeks."

The words fall out of my mouth like a car crash.

Liam blinks.

I blink.

His hand drops, and he leans back, eyes narrowing. "What?"

I clear my throat, trying to ignore the fact that my entire body feels like it just short-circuited. "Vanessa. Gala. Two days."

Liam watches me for a beat, then exhales. "Of course she is."

I would have told him, although my timing could not have been worse. But I have a feeling we just found our next move—if I can get Liam on board.

There's no other choice. Vanessa's name keeps circling in my head like a neon sign, flashing in warning, in invitation. If we want answers, if we want to put an end to this ridiculous game, we need to go straight to the source. And we need to do it now.

"You do see what we need to do, right?" I look pointedly at him. "We have to get in."

Liam, however, does not see it that way. He gets up and walks to the kitchen counter, leaning against it. I remain seated on the couch.

"No." His voice is flat, immovable. Like he isn't even entertaining the idea. "Not happening."

I knit my brows together. "Not happening?"

"Not. Happening."

I cross my arms. "You don't get to decide that."

He lets out a sharp breath, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. "Ava, no."

I get up from the couch and approach him, ignoring the way his entire body is wound tight, like he's ready to argue. "Liam, yes."

His head tilts, blue eyes flashing. "That's not how this works."

"Really? Because last I checked, I don't take orders from you."

He exhales sharply, rolling his shoulders like he's physically resisting the urge to grab me by the arms and shake some sense into me. "You have no idea what you're walking into."

I lift my chin. "Then tell me."

Silence.

Liam looks away, his fingers flexing at his sides.

That's it. That's the whole problem, isn't it? He won't talk about Vanessa, won't tell me what she did to him, why even her name makes something cold settle in his eyes.

"You're still protecting her." A hint of accusation seeps into my voice.

His head snaps back to me, eyes blazing. "Are you serious?"