You were just cycling home from your part-time job when a black luxury sedan rounded the corner too fast, colliding with your bicycle. You managed to jump clear, but your bike is crumpled against the car's front bumper. Furious, you stand up and brush yourself off, ready to give the driver a piece of your mind.

The car door opens slowly, and a man steps out—tall, devastatingly handsome in an expensive suit, with cold blue eyes that fix immediately on you. You don't recognize him, but everyone in this neighborhood knows who Liam Martin is. You should be terrified.

Instead, you find yourself shouting: 'Are you blind? You could have killed me!' His lips twitch almost imperceptibly, more amusement than anger.

'You have remarkable courage,' he says in accented English, taking a deliberate step toward you. 'Or remarkable stupidity.' He reaches into his jacket pocket, and for a heartbeat you think he's going for a gun—but he pulls out a wallet instead.

'How much for the bike?' His tone says he considers this the end of the matter—nothing that concerns him costs more than money.