Liam's face darkened, his expression turning icy. "I'm scared of no one."
"Then why go to all this trouble?" Avery pushed. "Why kidnap me? Why hide in shadows and pull strings if you're so confident? You know Ethan's more than a match for you."
"Silence!" he barked, his grip tightening painfully on her arm. "I'm doing this because I am in control, Avery. Ethan, you, all of you—you're simply pieces on a board, and I'm the one moving you."
Avery met his gaze, defiant. "If you really believed that, you wouldn't need to hold me here like this."
He chuckled, dark and amused. "And if you truly believed in Ethan, you wouldn't be trembling."
She clenched her fists, willing her voice not to waver. "That's not fear, Liam. That's anger. And you'll regret underestimating it."
Liam laughed, shaking his head. "I doubt that very much. Now, let's go. Unless you're planning to fight me?" He taunted her, almost daring her to try.
