The thugs, startled by the sudden intervention, turned to face the newcomer. Liam, his eyes blazing with a fire that had never been there before, stood between them, his fists clenched at his sides.
The air crackled with tension. The thugs, surprised and momentarily stunned by Liam’s sudden appearance, backed off a little.
“You should’ve stayed out of this.” the one who called himself boss growled, his face contorted in anger. “This ain’t your business.”
Liam, his eyes locked on the thugs, tightened his fists. “Get out of here.” he spat, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
The boss scoffed. “And if we don’t?”
Liam’s response was swift and brutal. He didn’t even hesitate. He lunged forward, his fist connecting with the boss’s jaw with a sickening crunch. The impact sent the boss stumbling backward, his face contorted in pain.
The other two thugs, finally realizing the situation was out of their control, charged at Liam. But Liam, his movements fluid and precise, dodged their attacks. He landed a swift kick to the first thug’s groin, the man collapsing to the floor, groaning in agony.
The second thug, his eyes wide with fear, swung at Liam, but Liam ducked under the blow, his fist colliding with the thug’s stomach. The thug doubled over, gasping for air.
Liam didn’t give him a chance to recover. He landed a series of punches, each one precise and powerful, driving the thug back against a nearby wall. The thug crumpled to the ground, his face a mask of pain.
Liam, his breathing heavy but his eyes still blazing with fury, turned to the boss, who was slowly getting back to his feet. The boss, his eyes filled with fear, took a step back, his hand retreating from his jacket where he’d been reaching for a knife. “You’re crazy!” he snarled, his voice weak.
Liam, standing over the boss, gave a humorless chuckle. “Maybe. But you’re about to find out.” Liam then did something that made Isabelle’s jaw drop. He grabbed the boss by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground. He then slammed the man back onto the concrete floor.
The boss coughed, spitting out blood onto the pavement, his eyes wide with terror.
The thugs, seeing their leader defeated, scrambled to their feet. They didn’t hesitate a moment longer. They turned and ran, their fear evident in their hurried steps.
Liam, still holding the boss by the collar of his shirt, kept his gaze on the thugs as they disappeared into the night. When they were out of sight, he finally released the boss. The boss, his face pale and his body trembling, scrambled to his feet. He turned to Liam, his eyes wide with fear and hatred.
“You’re going to pay for this.” he spat, his voice barely a whisper.
Liam looked down at the man, his eyes cold and predatory. “You think I care?”
The boss, realizing he was outmatched, swallowed hard and turned to leave.
“Don’t let me see you again,” Liam growled, his voice a low growl.
The boss, his face a mask of fear, didn’t need to be told twice. He turned and hurried off, his footsteps echoing on the sidewalk.
Liam, his breathing still heavy, looked down at Isabelle. He could see a wave of emotions swirling in her eyes: shock, fear, and something else, something he couldn’t quite place.
“Isabelle,” he said softly, his voice a stark contrast to the rage that had consumed him moments before. “Are you okay?”
She couldn’t speak. She was trying to process the scene she’d just witnessed, trying to grasp the reality of what Liam had done. He was a man of power, of wealth, and yet he’d fought those men for her. He’d risked his life for her.
“Isabelle?”
She finally managed to speak, her voice a mere whisper. “Liam, you…you… you risked everything for me.” She was speechless, her mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
“You’re safe now,” he said, his voice soothing.
He reached out, his hand gently brushing away a stray strand of hair from her face. He was careful, his touch tender, as if afraid to frighten her.
Suddenly, the sirens of police cars, growing closer, shattered the silence. The cops had heard the commotion and were responding.
It wasn’t long before two officers appeared, their faces stern as they approached Liam and Isabelle.
“Mr. Callahan,” they said, their faces showing a surprised respect for the man they’d recognized. “What’s going on here?”
Liam took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. “Those men were harassing my fiancee,” he said, his voice firm and confident. “They tried to attack her. I had to protect her.”
The officers exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from suspicion to understanding. “Well, you certainly did a good job of protecting her.” one of them said with a nod.
“We were called about the fight.” the other officer explained. “Somebody called in about a disturbance. We’re just glad nobody was seriously hurt.”
“Well, they should be thanking Mr. Callahan for that.” the first officer added, his voice filled with admiration.
“You’ve made our job a whole lot easier.” the second officer said, looking at Liam with a new level of respect. “I’m sure you have a lot to do, but we would appreciate it if you could come to the station tomorrow and give us a statement. We can get the thugs’ mugshots.”
“Of course,” Liam said, his voice calm. “Anything to help.”
“We’ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow.” the first officer said. “We just need to write up a report and get these gentlemen taken care of.”
Liam nodded, his eyes fixated on Isabelle. He could see that she was still shaken, and he wanted to comfort her, but he knew that the police officers required his attention for now.
It was as if a dam had burst within Isabelle. The shock had worn off and her emotions were coming to the surface. She felt an overwhelming surge of concern for Liam. He’d been hurt in the fight. There was a cut on his forehead, a gash that was already beginning to bleed.
“Liam, your forehead!” she cried, her voice filled with panic. “It’s bleeding.”
“It’s just a scratch,” Liam said, his voice dismissive. “It’s nothing.”
But Isabelle wasn’t willing to let it go. The injury, however minor, was a reminder of the danger he’d faced. She was afraid, so afraid.
“It needs stitches,” she said, her voice firm and insistent. “You have to get it checked out.”
Liam, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, sighed. “Fine,” he said. “We can go get it checked out.” He said.