Chapter 259: Wrong Angle
"Liam."
"Hey."
"Liam, wake up."
"Liam."
Liam stirs in his sleep. He hears soone calling his na, but the weight of exhaustion keeps him pinned to the mattress.
He rolls onto his side and settles again.
"LIAM!"
The voice explodes right beside his ear.
Liam’s eyes snap open.
He turns his head and finds a twelve year old boy inches away from his face.
Too close.
Liam jerks upright and jumps out of bed. He deliberately looks anywhere except at the boy.
The boy grins.
"See? We both know you can see and hear , Liam."
He tilts his head playfully.
"Stop ignoring . I don’t bite. Isn’t that what you used to say to ?"
His smile shifts.
Sharp.
"Before I died."
Liam flinches and squeezes his eyes shut. His breathing turns uneven.
He does not want to see the expression that follows.
The boy’s face softens, but Liam misses it.
"I’m not here to scare you," the boy says quietly. "I’m here to tell you it wasn’t your fault. I need you to know that. I need you to understand that."
Silence settles over the room.
Liam stands frozen.
He dares not move.
But he hears movent behind him.
It terrifies him more than the words.
The boy sighs.
"It looks like you’re not ready yet. That’s okay. I’ll be here until you are."
He turns as if to leave.
Then pauses.
"Oh. I actually ca to wake you. It’s 4.30 a.m. You forgot to set your alarm last night. Probably because of the whole Chief Lutherford situation."
He flashes a small grin.
"Just thought I’d help."
"Bye, Liam. See you later."
And he vanishes.
Liam remains still for several long seconds.
Then he exhales loudly.
His alarm is always set for 4.30 a.m. He runs every morning for an hour before starting his day.
Slowly, he turns toward the bedside clock.
05.00 a.m.
Thirty minutes have passed.
From the mont he woke up to now.
How?
He presses his lips together.
There is no point going back to sleep.
"I’ll just run."
He does not jog.
He runs.
Hard.
He runs until his T-shirt clings to him, completely drenched. The freezing morning air bites at his skin, but he keeps going until his lungs burn and his thoughts thin out.
Nearly two hours later, he finally slows.
If he stays out any longer in soaked clothes, he will catch a cold.
He heads back toward the building.
As he approaches, he notices movent at the entrance.
Captain Chambers.
Arguing with the Sentinels on guard.
"I am Captain Chambers of Solarys DEU!" Chambers shouts, flashing his ID.
"I am here on official business. Move."
"I am sorry, Captain," one of the Sentinels replies calmly. "But it is seven in the morning. This is not a reasonable hour for an official visit. You will have to return later."
Chambers’ face turns a deeper shade of red.
"I’ll arrest you if you don’t move! Don’t push , boy!"
The Sentinel narrows his eyes slightly.
"Captain, I am doing my job. For official business, you need a letter from your office. Which you do not have."
"I am the interim Chief! The letter would be signed by ! I do not need a letter!"
His logic has fully unraveled.
The Sentinel does not argue further.
He simply does not move.
Captain Chambers loses his temper.
He raises his fist.
And his wrist is caught mid-air.
Hard.
Chambers turns sharply.
Liam.
Chambers swings his other hand toward him.
Liam catches that one too.
With practiced ease, he twists both arms behind Chambers’ back.
"Morning, Captain," Liam says evenly. "It’s a very cold morning. You should not be this hot."
"Let
go, Monfort!" Chambers struggles.
"Easy, Cap. Calm down first."
"Calm down? I can’t calm down! Chief Lutherford is being corrupted by your team leader!"
Liam blinks.
His grip does not loosen.
"Corrupted? By my team leader?"
"Yes! Your team leader! That pretty boy Montrose!"
Liam stares at him for a mont.
"You an Arthur?"
"Yes, him!"
Liam exhales slowly.
"I don’t know where you are getting your information, Captain. But I can assure you, no one here is corrupting your Chief. Not . Not Julian. And certainly not Arthur."
He tightens his hold just enough to remind Chambers who is in control.
"Chief Lutherford ca here last night because she needed help. And we helped her. That’s all."
"I don’t believe that! I called pretty boy Montrose this morning and he hung up on ! It’s obvious he’s afraid I’ll twist his head off!"
"Whoa, Chambers. Language," Liam says calmly. "This is Rhaenas property. Watch your manners. Arthur is not even a person of interest, Cap. And DEU does not have the authority to arrest anyone. Be careful."
Captain Chambers cannot argue back.
Everything Liam says is correct.
"I want to go in and see for myself," Captain Chambers insists, but the edge in his voice has dulled. He is visibly trying to rein in his temper.
Liam notices.
He appreciates the effort.
And he also knows Captain Chambers will not leave unless he sees it with his own eyes.
Liam sighs.
"Okay. I’m going to let you go. But you need to behave. Alright, Cap?"
He gives Chambers’ wrists a small twist, just enough to encourage cooperation.
"Alright!" Captain Chambers grits out.
"Good."
Liam releases him. Chambers imdiately pulls his hands back and rubs his wrists, glaring but silent.
"Follow ."
They head toward the elevator and up to the sixth floor.
Liam already has a plan.
He will bring Captain Chambers inside, make him sit in the living room, and then check whether Chief Lutherford or anyone else is awake. If the apartnt is still quiet, he will ask Chambers to wait patiently.
Quietly.
But things rarely go according to plan.
The mont Liam unlocks and opens the apartnt door, a sharp sound cuts through the air.
Ah!"
The sound cos from the kitchen, clearly visible from the entrance.
Liam lifts his head instinctively.
And freezes.
Chief Lutherford’s head is tilted upward toward Arthur.
Arthur’s hand is cupping her face.
Their faces are inches apart.
Too close.
Close enough that, from this angle, from this distance, there is no room for nuance.
It looks exactly like a kiss.
Liam’s mind goes completely blank.
Behind him, Captain Chambers sees the sa thing.
And explodes.
"Get the fuck away from her!"
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