The heavy lead pipe whistled through the quiet air as Liam swung it down with all his wild strength. He truly expected Evelyn to scream, shrink away in fear, and beg for her life like a helpless victim.

He was completely wrong.

Evelyn was no longer the weak, timid girl who could be pushed around by cowardly bullies. Her blue eyes turned ice cold in a split second. Instead of ducking or running away, her survival instincts took complete control of her body.

She reached her small hands out to the side, grabbing a heavy bronze floor vase that stood on the wooden display stand. With a sharp gasp, she...