Chapter 177: The Grudge

The river disappeared behind them as the SUV pulled onto the main road. For several minutes, nobody spoke.

Liam sat in the passenger seat, watching the city slide past the glass, Harrison’s folded address still sitting heavy in his pocket. But it wasn’t the building on that paper occupying his thoughts.

It was Derek.

The man’s expression had barely shifted through the entire confrontation too calm, too certain. And when Dexter stepped toward him, Derek hadn’t given an inch. He’d wanted that fight. Liam had seen it plainly enough.

Jack broke the silence first. "You knew he wanted to go at Dexter."

"He always does," Dexter said from the back seat before Liam could answer.Liam caught his eyes in the mirror. "Because you chased him out."

"Yes." Nothing more followed, and none was needed. Liam turned back to the road. He already had the shape of it Derek had once belonged to Dexter’s organization, until something broke and Dexter cut him loose.

Derek had never let it go. And now, years later, that old grudge had finally found a new face to wear his."So he’s coming for you because of Dexter?" Jack asked.

"Partly. People rarely carry something this long for just one reason."

"Derek doesn’t know how to let things go," Dexter said.

The SUV rolled on through the dark streets until Dexter’s phone rang. He answered, listened, his expression changing by degrees. "Where? How many?" A pause. "Don’t engage." He hung up.

"Derek?" Liam asked.

"One of my operations. He hit a storage site in the southern district."

"Casualties?"

"None."Jack frowned. "He didn’t kill anyone?"

"He’s sending a message," Liam said.

"That’s what I thought," Dexter answered.

"He doesn’t want your territory. He wants you to chase him."

"And I won’t."

The phone rang again a call that lasted less than ten seconds before Dexter ended it. "He’s gone."

"Where?"

"We don’t know."

Jack looked between them. "Then how do we find him?"Liam didn’t answer right away.

He was still turning it over an attack with no bodies, made sure to reach Dexter’s ears, then a clean disappearance.

That wasn’t an assault. It was an invitation, and Liam already knew exactly whose name was on it.

The SUV stopped outside the villa, and Liam stepped out into a night too quiet for a place that had recently become the center of so much trouble. Jack followed him out; Dexter stayed by the car.

"You’re going to the compound tomorrow?"

Liam touched the paper in his pocket. "Probably."

"Take people."

"I will." Dexter held his gaze a beat longer than necessary. "Don’t take Derek lightly."

"I don’t."

"Good." He turned toward his own car and was gone.Jack lingered beside him. "You’ve already decided."

"About Derek? He’s coming."

"You think he’ll hit here?"

"No." Liam’s eyes stayed on the empty road. "He’s smarter than that."

He was right. Twenty minutes later, Derek walked alone into a restaurant on the far side of the city no guards, no weapon in sight, just a dark jacket and the unhurried calm of a man who’d already made his decision.

He crossed the nearly empty dining room, ignored the waiter drifting toward him, and found Liam waiting at the far table, five minutes ahead of him.

Derek pulled out the chair across from him. "You’re getting predictable." You walked into a restaurant alone.

"Because I knew you’d come."

"I didn’t come for you."That’s the difference between us. Derek sat.

"You hit Dexter’s people."

"I did." Left them alive."I did." So he’d know.

The smile faded. "Yes."

"And you expected me to work it out."

"I expected you to understand."

Liam studied him. There was none of the frantic heat of a man chasing revenge Derek looked almost at ease, and that stillness made him worse. "You want to fight me."

"Finally," Derek said, leaning in. "Do you know what Dexter did?"

"I know enough."

"No. You know the result." His fingers tapped the table once. "He took everything I built inside his organization and threw me out like it was nothing."

"And you blamed me?"

"I blamed Dexter." A brief pause. "But you were the reason he did it." Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly. Derek’s smile carried no humor.

"You think I forgot? I walked in on you with his two sisters." He let that sit. "They knew what they’d done. You knew what you’d done. You made sure I was the one who paid for it." His jaw tightened.

"They accused me of trying to force myself on them. Dexter believed them." A beat. "He didn’t just believe them he beat me, then threw me out.

Everything I had inside that organization disappeared in one night." He leaned forward. "And you were standing right in the middle of it."

"So that’s what this is about."

"Part of it." Derek’s gaze never moved off him. "I’ve wanted to put my hands on you since the day Dexter chased me out." A faint smile returned. "But you’ve changed."

"So have you."

"I know." He pushed back his chair and stood. "That’s why I don’t want Dexter." His eyes locked on Liam’s. "I want you."

The restaurant had gone completely silent around them. Liam rose. "Then why wait until now?"

"Because before now, you weren’t worth the trouble." Derek’s smile widened. "Now you are." Neither man moved for a moment. Then, quietly: "Tomorrow."

Liam said nothing. Derek turned toward the door. "One more thing." He stopped. "The man you were with tonight."

"Stone Cold." Something hardened behind Derek’s eyes. "Don’t use that name like you know him."

"I know enough."

"No, you don’t." His voice went cold. "Stone Cold isn’t Harrison. He doesn’t need tricks, and he doesn’t need someone else to fight his battles. If you ever end up fighting him don’t expect it to be like fighting me."

"Are you warning me?"

Derek’s expression eased into something almost gentle. "I’m telling you to survive long enough to find out." Then he walked out.

Jack waited until the door swung shut behind him. "You let him leave."

"Yes." You could’ve stopped him.

"I know."

"So tomorrow?"

Liam’s gaze stayed on the door. "Tomorrow."

Across the city, Derek stepped into an abandoned garage, one bulb burning overhead. Stone Cold Rock stood beneath it, unmoving, his back to the entrance.

"You met Liam."

"Yes." Derek stopped a few feet away. "I’m fighting him tomorrow."

Stone Cold finally turned. "You shouldn’t."

"He’s the reason I’m standing here."

"No." His voice was even. "Dexter is." He held Derek’s eyes. "Liam gave you the opportunity to lose everything. Dexter made the decision."

Derek’s hands tightened at his sides. "I’ll handle Liam."

"I know." Stone Cold turned away again. "That’s why I’m not stopping you."

"Then why warn me?" A pause, longer this time. "Because you haven’t seen what he can really do."

"I’ll find out tomorrow."

Stone Cold’s eyes drifted toward the dark mouth of the garage. "Yes." A faint smile touched his face. "And so will I."

Back at the villa, Liam stood alone in his room, the city stretched out silent beneath the glass. Tomorrow was Derek. This time, there would be no more talking.

Derek had carried that grudge for years, blaming Dexter for throwing him out. But Liam knew the real shape of it he’d been the spark.

He’d slept with Dexter’s sisters. They’d framed Derek to cover it. Dexter had believed them, and Derek had lost everything he’d built.

Now Derek wanted him to pay for it.

Liam didn’t regret what happened. But he understood exactly what was coming Derek would be dangerous, more dangerous than anyone he’d faced yet.

And beyond Derek stood Stone Cold Rock, a man Liam still couldn’t quite measure, whose warning alone had been enough to tell him this wouldn’t be easy.

Not even close.

He turned off the light, and the room went dark.

Tomorrow, he would settle an old grudge. And after that, he would find out exactly what Stone Cold Rock was capable of.