Chapter Twenty-One: Debt of Shadows

Ava stared out the rain-streaked window of her New York apartment, her heart heavy with a confusing mix of dread and longing. It had been two weeks since that fateful night - the night Liam had swooped in and saved her from certain death at the hands of those vicious thugs. 

She should be grateful, she knew. After all, Liam was the reason she was still breathing, still able to gaze out at the city skyline... But his parting words kept echoing through her mind, an ominous promise that this wasn't over between them. That one day, she would have to "pay up" for the debt she now owed him.

A tremor ran through Ava's slender frame as she wondered just what sort of payment a man like Liam would demand. She'd heard the stories, the sordid rumors about his reputation as a ruthless power player who always got what he wanted - by any means necessary. Just the thought of being indebted to someone so unpredictable, so dangerous, made her feel vaguely ill.