IN HIS ARMS(BXB)

THE FINGER

LIAM'S POV
Sky's regret was written all over his face. He was quite confused when rejecting my love, but I understood him he had recently lost his mom. So it was only fair to give him time to find himself first. After I left his apartment, I felt alone with a hollow feeling in my chest.

I threw myself on the couch once I reached my apartment, the reality of the situation settling in. He didn't love me, not the way I loved him. But I couldn't stop remembering his confessions of how he liked me in the car last night but I had overstepped, taken advantage of his drunk state, and now I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered hopes.As I lay there, contemplating the night's events, I felt a mixture of shame and heartache.

I knew I had to move on, but the thought of letting go of my feelings for Sky felt like an insurmountable task. After a while, I decided I needed to talk to someone, to get out of my own head. I picked up my phone and called Stacy, my best friend who had been my confidante through all my ups and downs."Hey, Stacy," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Can we meet up at the restaurant? I really need to talk.""Of course, Liam," she replied immediately. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."I hung up and tried to pull myself together.

Just as I was about to leave, there was a knock on the door. My heart leaped, and for a fleeting moment, I hoped it was Sky, coming back to make things right. But when I opened the door, it was just the mailman, holding a small package."Delivery for Liam Carter," he said, handing me the box.I signed for it, thanked him, and closed the door. The box was small and nondescript, with no return address.

Curiosity piqued, I opened it, expecting maybe a belated birthday gift or something mundane. What I found instead made my blood run cold.Inside the box was a severed finger. Next to it was a note with a chilling message: "It'll be you next. You have to pay for what you did."

I stumbled back, dropping the box and its gruesome contents onto the floor. My mind raced, trying to process the horror of what I had just seen. Who could have sent this? And what did they mean by "pay for what you did"?I frantically scanned my apartment, as if expecting the perpetrator to be lurking in the shadows.

When I felt reasonably sure I was alone, I grabbed my phone and dialed Stacy's number again."Stacy, you need to come over right now," I said, my voice shaking. "Something's happened. It's... it's bad.""I'll be there in ten minutes," she replied, sensing the urgency in my tone.While I waited for her, I locked all the doors and windows, my mind whirling with possibilities.

Had someone found out about my feelings for Sky and decided to punish me? Or was this related to something else entirely? The note suggested it was personal, that whoever sent it believed I had done something unforgivable.A frantic knock on the door announced Stacy's arrival. I let her in, and she took one look at my face and knew something was terribly wrong.

"Liam, what's going on?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern.Wordlessly, I pointed to the box on the floor. She approached it cautiously and gasped when she saw its contents."Oh my God," she whispered. "Who would do something like this?""I don't know," I said, my voice breaking. "The note says I have to pay for what I did. But I don't know what they're talking about."Stacy sat me down on the couch, her mind clearly working to piece together the mystery.

"Have you made any enemies recently? Is there anyone who might want to hurt you?"I shook my head. "No one comes to mind. I've been so focused on work and... and Sky."She looked at me intently. "Tell me everything. Start from the beginning."

As I recounted the events of the past few weeks, Stacy listened intently. I told her about my feelings for Sky which I wasn't sure of when we spoke earlier, my confession, and his gentle rejection. But none of it seemed to connect to the threat I received."Is there anything else?" Stacy pressed.

"Anything at all that could be relevant?"I hesitated, then remembered something I had almost forgotten. "There was something strange a few months ago this was the exact day I saved Sky from jumping off the ckiff," I said slowly. "I received a package back then too, but it was just a journal.

I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I'm wondering if it was some kind of warning."Stacy's eyes narrowed. "Do you still have the journal?""Yes, it's in my room. Why?""Because this might not be about you, Liam. It could be about something or someone else entirely or maybe it has a connection with sky. Let's take a look."

Liam hurriedly went and took the journal, bringing it downstairs to show Stacy. The cover was simple but worn, hinting at years of use. The title, "Black Market Body Organs by Dr. Melissa (Lumina Vista Hospital)," stood out starkly. Liam felt a chill run down his spine. Dr. Melissa was someone he knew well; she had been a senior doctor at Lumina Vista Hospital before her untimely death. The contents of this journal were deeply unsettling.

"Why would someone send you this journal on the exact day you saved Sky?" Stacy's voice broke through his thoughts. "Something isn't adding up."

Liam nodded, biting the tip of his nail, a nervous habit. "I don't know," he replied. "But it can't be a coincidence."

He flipped through the pages, scanning hastily scribbled notes, diagrams, and what seemed like transaction records. The more he read, the more he realized the extent of the illicit activities detailed within. Dr. Melissa had apparently been documenting her findings and suspicions about an underground network trafficking human organs.

"This is insane," Stacy whispered, peering over his shoulder. "Dr. Melissa was investigating this?"

"Looks like it," Liam said grimly. "And she might have been killed because of it."

Stacy's eyes widened. "But why would someone send it to you?"

"We need to figure out who sent this and why," Stacy said, determination in her voice.

Liam agreed. "First, we need to look for any clues in the journal." They continued flipping through the pages, focusing on the details of the cases Dr. Melissa had written about. There were names, dates, and even sketches of organ transplants. One name stood out: "Skyler Thompson."

"Sky's full name is Skyler," Stacy said, pointing to the entry.

Liam's heart raced. "It can't be a coincidence," he said. "He must have been targeted."

They kept reading. Dr. Melissa had suspected that certain patients were being selected based on their health conditions and compatibility as organ donors. Skyler's name appeared in a list of potential targets.

Liam felt a surge of anger. "This can't be happening," he said. "We need to protect Sky."

"But who would send us this journal?" Stacy repeated, more urgently now.

Liam pondered. Dr. Melissa's death had been ruled an accident, but what if she had confided in someone before she died? Someone who knew that Liam was trustworthy? He remembered her assistant, Jane, who had left the hospital abruptly after Melissa's death. Could she have sent the journal?

"We need to find Jane," Liam decided. "She might have the answers."

But before they could come to a final conclusion, letter slipped and fell from the journal, it read:

TO: LIAM CARTER.

I know you're probably confused after finding the contents in this journal. Incase you've read it, know that I am no more. I stole this journal from doctor melissa before she died.

Don't jump into conclusions yet. There's more to the journal than what
Meets the eye. I hope I did not make a mistake leaving this with you.

I hope you will uncover the dark secrets, and the truth, this is my only final request so that I can rest in peace and my death not be in vain.

Regards,
Jane.

We looked at each other and sighed,"it's gonna be a complicated investigation!" I said with finality.