Liam's POV“Mom! Mom, are you here?” My voice echoed in the quiet house. What if Blackwood had… no I couldn’t even think about it.I slammed into the first door and it broke open. “Mom!” I shouted while kicking through the mess into the living room. It was empty. I looked around for signs of a struggle or danger. The pastries and flowers I bought were now scattered on the floor.Next door was the kitchen and I didn’t hesitate. Another kick, another crash and I was inside calling her name again. Some utensils rattled and a vase almost fell but my mom wasn’t there.I could barely breathe. I was losing it. I couldn’t think straight. Blackwood’s words still rang in my head.. “You don’t want to see me angry.” Was this his anger? Was this what he could do?Then I heard a door click open and a soft voice. “Liam? What in the world…?”I spun around almost tripping in my hurry. My mom stood in the hallway wrapped in a towel with her hair wet. She looked confused.“Liam what's going on? Are

Liam's POVI willed my Mazda 6 into a stop one block from Northwood High. I turned off the engine and the car went quiet with only a soft sound from the dashboard. Cole’s car was parked halfway through the school gates. Something felt really wrong. I couldn’t shake the bad feeling I got when I saw his car there. Why was he here at night and why did the security men Immediately grant him entrance?I looked at my watch. Alice would be waiting for me soon. We had a dinner reservation but I really needed to check this out quickly before returning to my earlier plans.. At the moment I pushed the date to the back of my mind and I was too busy wondering why Cole was back at school.“Damn it,” I said while trying to decide what to do. I hoped Alice would understand. This felt important.I took out my phone and quickly typed a message. “Running late. Something came up. Can I pick you up in an hour?” I sent it and hoped she wouldn’t be too upset.I got out of the car and pulled my jacket hoo

Liam's POV I drove smoothly through the city heading to a restaurant I thought Alice would really like. It was called “La Bella Notte.” hidden on a quiet street and known for its amazing view of the city lights. It's the kind of place people go for big events or to make important business deals. When we got close I saw Alice’s eyes get wide. “Liam.” she said with surprise. “Is this... is this La Bella Notte?”“It is.” I said as I pulled into valet parking.She looked around clearly impressed but also surprised. .“Wow.” she said quietly then looked at me with a smile. “Do you always have to go this big?”I laughed and opened her door. “Is it too much?”“Too much? It’s… beautiful! But seriously Liam I didn’t know you were this expensive.”I shrugged and held out my arm for her. “Let’s just say I saved up for this.” I wasn’t ready to tell her about my big and surprising Change in financial status. It was too.. too weird to bring up over dinner.Inside the restaurant, everything fe

Ryan's POVI sat motionlessly in the car with my stomach twisting with dread that I managed to keep in check. I was breathing fast and shallow, but it didn’t help calm me down. Just two blocks away, the apartment building sat quiet in the fading light of the day. It looked normal and innocent, nothing like the horror that was about to happen inside its rooms.“Boss,” Cole called restlessly beside me. “We should go. Waiting here is a waste of time.“I cut him off with the words flying out before I could stop them. “Shut up, Cole!” I was even surprised by how angry I sounded. I saw his eyebrows go up in the rearview mirror, but he wisely stayed quiet for his own good.I hated this. Hated all of it. I closed my eyes and again saw Liam’s face strong and stubborn as usual. I liked that about him. I even wished I could be like him. But under all his confidence and stubbornness, there was also a soft part in him. A soft side that popped up whenever his mom was mentioned and that made this

Liam's POV“Wow, that's amazing!” Sarah said loudly with her eyes wide open with surprise after I had finished telling her what I was up to.I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. Everything that had happened lately felt like too much to carry. “It’s more than just amazing, Sarah,” I said with my voice quiet, yet serious. “It’s scary. Really scary. I’m at the point now where I worry about anyone who even looks at me. Just being near me could put someone in danger. People could get hurt just because they know me.” I ran my hand through my hair. I always did that when I was nervous. I couldn’t seem to stop it no matter how hard I tried. “My mom almost got hurt because of all this. It was close… too close.”Sarah rolled her eyes at me. Usually that annoyed me because she did it a lot, but tonight, it actually made me feel a little better. Something about her being herself helped. “Liam, comon. Relax. I’m not helpless. I know how to take care of myself. I’m not some girl who’s just sittin