The Predators and the Prey Chapter 2

Liam's last plan hit a slight snag.

He thought he could leave me in the rural Midwest to get trafficked, pulling off the classic "marry the rich heiress and inherit everything when she 'disappears'" routine.

He didn't expect me to proactively ask for help, ruining his scheme completely.

However, it proved one thing: the rumors about human traffickers in that area were completely false!

This time, he arranged a trip to Africa. He wasn't going to fail again.

The plane slowly descended over Africa. Through the window, the endless, sprawling continent came into view.

Vast savannas, winding rivers, and faintly visible herds of wild animals.

Liam's heart raced with excitement. He was grinning so hard he could barely suppress it.

Once the plane landed, Liam gently shook me awake. I had been sleeping soundly on his shoulder, my breathing steady, my long eyelashes casting a soft shadow on my face.

I was beautiful, but the $20 million in my bank account was what truly captivated him.

"Baby, we're here," he woke me up gently.

I rubbed my eyes, groggy. "We're here? Africa?"

He nodded with a smile, his eyes seeming to say: Yes, we're here. Your final destination.

Stepping off the plane, I looked around like a curious child.

He followed closely behind, pushing the luggage cart, his eyes scanning the arrivals area intently.

To ensure this mission was a success, Liam's boss had specifically assigned him a partner, posing as a taxi driver.

Finally, he spotted him in the crowd—Samuel, an elite hitman of mixed descent.

Samuel subtly made a throat-slitting gesture. It was their secret signal.

"Baby, our ride is here. Let's go," Liam said gently.

I gave a small "Oh" and obediently got into the car.

As soon as I got in, my chatterbox mode activated, and I started talking to Samuel.

When I found out he was a local, I got even more excited and started babbling a bunch of incomprehensible sounds.

Both Liam and Samuel froze, asking what language I was speaking.

I smiled proudly. "I'm speaking Swahili! I just learned it on the plane! How is it? Is my accent good?"

Liam looked completely bewildered and immediately glanced at Samuel.

Samuel, living up to his reputation as an elite hitman, reacted instantly. In broken, heavily accented English, he replied, "You... speak very well. But here, we speak English."

I instantly deflated. I was hoping to show off to a local, but it turned out we needed to speak English.

My English wasn't great to begin with. This was a total failure.

But Liam was so sweet. He immediately comforted me.

"It's okay, baby! I speak English, and I'm fluent! With me here, don't worry, you definitely won't get lost this time!"

To make me feel secure, he had me recite my phone number again.

"555-0199-01... oh gosh, look at my stupid brain, I forgot the last two digits again." I opened my mouth in dismay.

He looked absolutely ecstatic, continuing to comfort me.

"It's fine, baby! Last time you forgot three digits, this time you only forgot two! You're already doing so much better!"

I smiled shyly. "Am I really that good?"

He kissed my forehead, speaking with infinite tenderness: "Yes, you really are amazing!"

But honestly, even if I could remember my number, what good would it do? My phone didn't have an international roaming plan. I couldn't make a call anyway!

What made him even happier was that his boss had booked us a luxury desert tent resort.

Upon check-in, the hotel staff repeatedly warned us absolutely not to go outside at night, as there were prides of lions roaming the area.

"Oh? Lions at night?" He smiled smugly. He was definitely thinking: This is going to be easier than I thought!

Liam turned to me. "Baby, do you want to see the big lions outside the tent tonight?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! I even want to feed them myself!"

Finally, he couldn't hold back a loud laugh. "Feeding the lions is a great idea! You definitely have to do it yourself! You have to get right up close and personal!"