Page 86 of Royal Bargain

No questions. No arguments. He hauls me through the crowd, cutting a path like a battering ram. One arm locked around me. The other dives into his jacket, fingers closing around something I can’t see.

“Stay with me,” he keeps saying. “Stay with me.”

We burst through a side exit into the night. The air is sharp and cold.

Tires squeal as Liam yanks the car door open and shoves me inside. The door slams shut. He’s rounding the hood before I can blink, throwing himself behind the wheel.

The engine roars.

And then we’re gone.

The city smears past the windows. Liam’s hands grip the wheel like a lifeline, jaw clenched, eyes flicking to the mirrors every few seconds. Like he’s waiting for something to crawl out of the dark behind us.

“Liam,” I say softly, trying to keep my voice steady. “What just happened? Who was that?”

No answer.

“Liam.” Louder this time. “Talk to me.”

He exhales sharply through his nose. “Not now.”

I flinch at the sharpness in his tone. It’s not cruel—it’s afraid. Controlled. That same feral protectiveness I saw when I first showed up at his door with Lily in my arms.

“But something is going on, something you aren’t telling me and?—”

“I saidnot now, Ana.” His voice cracks like thunder, low and raw.

28

LIAM

I’m white-knuckling the steering wheel, jaw so tight it feels like it might snap. The city lights blur past, all harsh edges and flashing chaos. Tonight was supposed to be a goddamn celebration—Burns winning, a step toward legitimacy. Instead, it turned into a fucking nightmare.

Beside me, Annika is silent, hugging herself. I can feel the tension radiating off her, but I don’t dare take my eyes off the road.

I jab the Bluetooth button. “Call Rory.”

It barely rings before he picks up. “You alright?”

“No. I’m taking Ana to the secondary site. Blackthorn North.”

“Jesus,” Rory mutters. “We’ve got reports of at least three separate flare-ups across the city since the gala. Burns is pissed, but alive. He’s calling it a scare tactic.”

I grip the wheel tighter. “This wasn’t just a scare tactic. Someone came into a crowded venue and tried to start a war.”

“Yeah, well, it worked,” Rory says grimly. “Get her somewhere safe and stay put. We’ll regroup in the morning. Lucky’s already sweeping your place.”

I nod even though he can’t see it. “Copy. Tell Shane to reroute to meet us there. I don’t want her out of sight again.”

“You got it.”

The line goes dead, and I toss the phone into the console. Ana turns toward me slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Liam… who do you think it was?”

I stare ahead, the muscles in my neck burning. “I don’t know. And that’s the problem.”

The tires screech against gravel as I pull into the drive at Blackthorn North, the headlights slicing through the dark like blades. I kill the engine, jump out, and circle the car, already in motion. My mind is a checklist—locks, sightlines, exits, weapons.