CHAPTER SIX

LIANA’S POV

b“/bK–Killianb?/bb” /b

“Liana.”

His voice. That voice. That deepb, /bdark, sinful voice I thought I would never hear again, it froze every part of me. It wasn’t real.

No. It couldn’t be. But as I turned and saw him standing there, looking dangerous and powerful, all the breath was knocked out of my body.

I didn’t even think. I ran.

My heart was mming violently against my ribs as if it were trying to break free. I didn’t care how pathetic it looked, I just

knew I couldn’t let him catch me. I couldn’t face him. Not now. Not like this. Not after all

these

I reached the changing room and mmed the door shut behind me, locking it with my shaking fingers. My hands were trembling so badly I could barely undressb. /bbMy /bwork uniform was clinging to my skin like glue, making it harder to breathe.

What was he doing here?! How did he even find me? How was this even happening right now?

I tore off my uniform and slipped on my jeans, dragging a hoodie over my head. bMy /bfingers were shaking uncontrobly. bMy /b

chest was rising and falling wildly. Heck, I couldn’t even think straight as memories from years ago crashed into me.

Memories of his mouth on mine. His hands gripping my thighs. His body moving over mine, inside me. My pregnancyb… /b

Ryan. Oh my God. Ryan…

bMy /bbeautiful, innocent son, our son, he was the only thing I’d ever done right in my life. I would protect him with 10-13

bounce /bof strength I had left. Killian could not find out. He would not.

I slipped on my bsneakers/b, forcing my trembling legs to function. I needed to leave. I needed to disappear before Killian go btoo /bclose. Before he could ruin everything all over again.

I shoved the door bopen /band bstepped /bout of the hotel, my heart still racing violently. I barely walked a few feet before ba /b

car screeched to a stop right in front of me.

“Get bin/bb,/bb” /bKillianmanded from behind the wheel, his voice low and unrelenting.

I didn’t even nce at him. I kept walking. Faster. bas /bif moving quickly enough might somehow help me outrun him and the

dark pull he still had on me.

“Liana,” he growled, his voice sharper nowb, /ba dangerous warning.

I ignored himb, /bforcing my legs to move faster. Faster. Faster.

A loud honk filled the bair/bb, /bmaking me flinch. He was following me slowly.

“Get in the fucking carb, /bLiana”

b“/bNo! Go to hell, Killian!” I snapped. bMy /bvoice was shakingb, /bbut it still came bout /bbfierce/b.

His tires screeched again as he suddenly bpulled /bahead and parked bdirectly /bin front bof /bme, blocking my path. As if that bwasn’t /bbenough/b, before I could beven /bturn and brun /bin the opposite direction, his door mmed bshut /band he bwas /bon meb, /bfast and terrifying

“Stop fucking running from bme/bb,/bb” /bhe bsnarled as /bhe grabbed my wrist btightly/bb, /bbdragging /bme toward the car.

“Let go! Leave me the FUCK alone, Killian!” I shouted, struggling against his iron grip.

He bdidn’t /blistenb. /b

He kept driving while we left behind the city lights,

stand on end.

bS /b

He never listened.

He shoved me into the passenger seat like I weighed nothing. mmed the door, locked it, and before I could reach for the handle, he started the car and drove. Fast and angry and reckless.

My chest was rising and falling rapidly as I pressed myself against the door, hating how much my hands were trembling. Hating that I couldn’t stop the fear and fury tearing through me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!b” /bbI /bscreamed, ring at him.

He bdidn’t /banswerb. /b

down some deserted, lonely road that was making the hairs on my

neck

?????????A wolliee./li/ol

Finally… he stopped the car and turned toward me. His eyes were burning, wild and furious in the dim light.

Before I could even process it, he reached across the console and yanked me roughly to him. His lips crashed down on

with a force so brutal it stole my breath.

I struggled instantlyb, /bmming my fists against his chest, twisting in his holdb, /bdesperate to break

“Stop! Killian, stop!” I gasped against his punishing lips.

mine

every rough,

But he didn’t stop. He deepened the kiss, his hands gripping me tighter, as if his desperation was pouring from every

possessive movement.

bI /bfought harderb, /bfinally breaking free with a gasp. bMy /blips were swollen. My chest was rising and falling like bI’d /bjust run a

marathonb. /b

b“/bAre byou /bfucking insane?!b” /bbI /byelledb, /braising my hand to p him.

bBut /bhe caught my wrist easily, his grip like iron, his eyes darkened dangerously.

b“/bbYou /bthink byou /bcan just disappear again after I finally found byou/b?” he growled.

He yanked me roughly onto hisp, locking me there as his lips attacked mine again. His kiss was rough, needy, desperate, everything I didn’t want but somehow still felt deep inside me.

b“/bKillian, bstop /bit! Let me bigo/i/bbi!/i/b” I sobbed, pushing and hitting his chest.

But he didn’t bstop/bb. /bbNot /buntil btears /bwere falling from my eyes and my body was weak from struggling.

He finally pulled back, panting hard, his eyes zing with raw emotion.

“Seven fucking byears/b,” he brasped/b, his voice hoarse. “bSeven /byears without byou/b, Liana. Do byou /bknow what that did to me? Do byou /beven fucking understandb?/bb” /b

I tried to get off hisp, but he held me tighter.

Now that I bfound /bbyou /bagain,” he continued, his voice dark with bobsession/b, b“/bbyou /breally think I’m going to let you bgo/bb?/bb” /b

b“/bbYou /bhave to,” I whispered brokenly. “bI /bbdon’t /bbelong bto /bbyou /bbanymore/bb, /bKillian. I don’t want to belong bto /bbyou/b.”

Heughed darkly. b“/bYou bhave /bbno /bchoiceb, /bLia.b” /b

I hit his chest bbut /bhe bcaught /bbmy /bwrist and stared bat /bbme /bin bdisbelief/b.

“A janitor, huh? In some pathetic hotel? Not even a five–starb? /bYoub? /bbMy /bLiana? No fucking way. Quit that shitty job. You don’t

need it.”

I stared at him, disgust and anger rising like bile in my throat.

“I’m proud of my job,” I said firmly, ring at him.

He released me then, but only because I shoved off hisp quickly and scrambled out of the car.

“Liana!”

I ignored him.

I wiped my mouth desperately, my hands shaking with rage and shame as I red back at him.

“I bdon’t /bwant byour /bmoney. I don’t want your job offers. I don’t want your goddamn pit

snapped.

His eyes darkened, but I didn’t care.

The

And I sure as hell don’t want you!” I

I turned and walked away. away from him. Away from the disaster he brought every time he

came near meb. /b

bBut /bas I kept walking, I realized I didn’t even know where I was. This wasn’t my neighborhood. bNo /bfamiliar streets. My confidence fell as the darkness surrounded me.

bJust /bwhen I thought I might breakpletely, headlights appeared.

A cab.

This rurken

were no familiar signs.

I waved frantically, my hands trembling as tears blurred my vision. The cab pulled up and bI /byanked the door

in as fast as I couldb. /b

“Take me home. Please. Just go. Fast,” I whispered urgentlyb, /bgiving him the address with a shaking voice.

The cab drove away. And as I looked back, I saw him.

He was still standing there. His tall figure was rigid. His face dark and unreadable as he watched me leave.

And that’s when my tears finally fell.

open, climbing

Tears spilled bover /buncontrobly as I buried my face in my handsb, /bsobbing quietly in the backseat of the cab and wondering how I had ended up here again, running from Killian Wolfe and still… still feeling him everywhere.