Lust Meter System: Conquering Beauties-Chapter 59: This Is My Life Now

The mall buzzed with weekend energy. Liam stood near the fountain, phone in hand, scrolling through it.

His black hoodie hung over a white T-shirt, the noise of shoppers and food courts fading into background static.

’She said to meet her at the mall.’ He sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "But I’ve got other plans."

He’d looked forward to his shift, maybe catching Miss Kelly at her break hours after.

She always brightened his day. Then Tasha’s text came through that morning urgent, by the sound of it and everything scattered.

"Where is she?"

While he waited, Liam pulled up the system interface with a thought.

The skill tab materialized in his vision, and his eyebrows lifted slightly when he noticed something new skill had been added.

Before he could examine it further, a figure stepped directly in front of him.

Grey yoga pants clung to her legs, showing off the curve of her thighs and ass.

A loose black sweater hung off one shoulder, and she wore a baseball cap pulled low over her face with a black mask covering everything from her nose down.

Liam stared at the stranger, confused, until she reached up and pulled the mask down.

Tasha.

Her blue eyes were wide, darting around the mall like she expected someone to jump out at her any second. Even with the cap shadowing half her face, he could see she was terrified.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Liam asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Why do you care how I dress?" Tasha shot back immediately, but her voice cracked slightly. Her hands were shaking.

"You’re right, I don’t." Liam shrugged. "So what’s up? You sounded really serious about meeting me here."

Tasha glanced around the mall again, her head whipping left, then right, like she was being hunted. When she looked back at him, her jaw was tight, her breathing quick and shallow.

"Are you alright?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can we go watch a movie?" She didn’t wait for an answer, just grabbed his arm and started dragging him toward the theater entrance on the second level. Her grip was desperate, fingers digging into his sleeve.

"What?" Liam pulled his arm back slightly, making her stop. "You haven’t even apologized for not texting me back or anything, and you want us to go watch a movie?"

Tasha turned around fully to face him, her eyes flashing with irritation, but something else too. Worry, maybe. Fear.

"Alright, sorry. Are you happy now?" She grabbed his arm again, this time more insistently. "Let’s go watch a movie."

She didn’t give him room to argue, dragging him toward the escalator before he could protest further.

The movie was some action thriller that ran two hours and twenty minutes. Afterward, they grabbed burgers at the food court.

Tasha barely touched her food, her eyes constantly scanning the crowd.

When they wandered through a few stores, she stayed close to him, almost pressed against his side, her head on a swivel.

’She’s shaking’ Liam thought as he glanced at her

As the sun started dipping low outside and the sky turned shades of orange and pink, Liam checked his phone. Almost six PM.

They headed out, and Tasha kept glancing over her shoulder. At first, Liam thought she was just being paranoid—until he noticed them too.

Two guys. Mid-twenties, maybe early thirties.

One in a grey t-shirt and cargo pants, the other in flannel and jeans. They weren’t walking together, but they were moving in the same direction, keeping about twenty feet back.

Even when Liam and Tasha cut through to the parking lot, the guys followed.

Liam’s stomach tightened.

’Shit.’

Elena had texted him this morning—Bill was in custody. So it couldn’t be Bill’s doing.

Which meant it was Mr. L.

He needed to get Tasha somewhere safe.

"Alright," he said, stopping near the mall entrance. "I really need to go now. I’ve got work tomorrow, and—"

"Wait!" Tasha grabbed his arm, her nails biting into his skin through the hoodie. Her eyes were wide, panicked. "Can you—can you please drive me home?"

Liam blinked. "What?."

’But I need to lure them away from her now’

He studied her face.

She looked like she might fall apart any second.

’Wait, if they’ve been following us and they see her with me, they might try to kidnap her. Use her as leverage to get to me.’

That thought made his stomach drop. But if he left her alone now, they might go after her anyway.

’Better to get her home safe. At least that way she’s behind locked doors.’

"Alright"

She handed him the keys,

They walked to where Tasha’s Honda Civic was parked.

Liam slid into the driver’s seat while she buckled in beside him.

As Liam started the engine and pulled out of the spot, his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.

A grey sedan pulled out two rows behind them.

’Shit. Still following.’

Liam kept his expression neutral as he navigated through the garage and onto the main road.

The grey sedan stayed three cars back, close enough to keep them in sight but far enough to avoid being obvious.

’They’re still following us. Once I drop her off, I need to be ready to fight without putting her in damger.’

His eyes drifted to the glowing number above Tasha’s head.

[35/100]

’I’m screwed.’

The lust count was not enough and for some unknown reason, Tasha was too scared to feel anything else right now—her lust count wouldn’t budge in this state.

But then he remembered something. He’d made Elena Lust count increase with a Pulse tease before without the system interfering.

Maybe there was a way out of this after all.

An idea formed.

Liam’s hand moved off the gearshift.

Without warning, he reached over and grabbed Tasha’s breast through her sweater, squeezing firmly as he activated Pulse Tease.

A faint electric hum vibrated through his fingertips. The sensation coursed through Tasha’s body like a shockwave.

Tasha gasped, her back arching off the seat. "Oh—fuck—what are you—"

Her hands shot out, one gripping the door handle, the other clutching at his wrist. Her thighs pressed together instinctively, and a breathy moan escaped her lips before she could stop it.

The number above her head jumped.

[Lust Level: 56/100]

Liam pulled his hand back, his eyes still on the road.

Tasha was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling beneath the sweater. She turned to glare at him, her cheeks flushed pink. "What the hell was that for?"

"Sorry," Liam said, his voice low. "I just really missed them."

"I’m going to kill you if you try that again," she muttered, but there was no real heat in her voice. Just embarrassment.

---

The drive took about thirty minutes through residential streets lined with apartment complexes and small houses. The grey sedan never fell back, maintaining its distance the entire way.

When Liam finally pulled up in front of Tasha’s house, a modest two-story with a small front yard and a porch light that was already on, he put the car in park and killed the engine.

He stepped out and walked around to Tasha’s side, pressing the keys into her hand. "Go inside."

"Extract," he whispered under his breath.

The familiar surge of power flooded through him as Point Bound Might activated. His muscles tightened, his senses sharpened, and the countdown timer appeared in his vision.

[Duration: 20:00]

’Once she’s in, they’ll follow me. I’m the one they’re after anyway.’

But Tasha didn’t move. She just stood there, staring at the front door like it was a mile away instead of twenty feet.

"Tasha?"

She grabbed his wrist suddenly, her fingers cold and trembling. "Come inside with me."

Liam frowned. "What?"

"Please." Her voice cracked. "Please don’t leave me alone right now."

’I need to leave for her to be safe’

But he looked at her, really looked at her and saw the fear written all over her face. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

This wasn’t the sharp, guarded Tasha he’d met weeks ago.

This was someone terrified out of her mind.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Okay, I’ll come in.

The house was quiet when they stepped in.

The living room was neat but lived-in—a couch with throw pillows, a coffee table covered in magazines, a TV mounted on the wall.

Tasha locked the door behind them with shaking hands, then turned to face him.

"I know you’re mad at me," she started, her voice trembling. "For not texting you back. For disappearing. I—"

She stopped, pressing her hands to her face before dropping them.

Tears were forming in her eyes. "My dad had an accident a few weeks ago. He’s been in the hospital ever since. I’m his only child, so I had to take over the family business—handle everything while he recovers." Her voice broke. "I didn’t have time for anything else. And now these people—"

A loud crash came from somewhere in the house.

Both of them froze.

The sound had come from the back—near the kitchen or maybe the sliding glass door.

"Get upstairs and call the cops," Liam said, his voice low and urgent. "Now."

Tasha didn’t hesitate. She turned and bolted up the stairs, her footsteps echoing through the house.

Before Liam could follow, the front door behind him exploded inward. The lock shattered, wood splintering as the door slammed open.

Four men stormed into the living room.

The first one was huge—easily six-foot-three, with shoulders like a linebacker and a shaved head. He wore a plain white tank top that showed off his massive arms and dark jeans. His fists were already clenched.

The second guy was leaner, with a scar running down his left cheek. He wore a grey long-sleeve shirt rolled up to his elbows with black cargo pants and carried a crowbar.

The third wore a red polo shirt and khakis, a knife tucked into his belt.

The fourth was in a blue tracksuit, brass knuckles already gleaming on his right hand.

The big guy in the tank top cracked his knuckles and looked around the room. "Where’s the girl?"

’The girl?’

Liam’s mind raced. ’They’re not here for me. They’re here for Tasha.’

"What girl?" Liam asked, keeping his voice steady.

The lean guy with the scar stepped forward, tapping the crowbar against his palm. "Don’t play stupid. The girl you came in here with. Where is she?"

The guy in the red polo spotted Tasha near the stairs, phone pressed to her ear, and pointed. "There!"

The big guy and the lean one came at him together.

The big guy swung first. Liam ducked, but the lean guy was already swinging the crowbar from the other side. It slammed into Liam’s shoulder. Pain shot down his arm.

"Shit—"

The big guy grabbed him and threw him against the wall. Liam’s back hit hard, and he gasped as the wind got knocked out of him.

The lean guy swung the crowbar again. Liam caught it with both hands and yanked hard. The guy stumbled forward, losing his grip. Liam ripped the crowbar away and swung it back at him, catching him across the ribs. The impact sent the guy flying into the wall. He crumpled.

The big guy charged. Liam swung the crowbar and caught him in the stomach. The man doubled over, wheezing. Liam grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him into the coffee table.

The table exploded into pieces under his weight.

The guy in the red polo and the one in the blue tracksuit rushed him now.

The guy with the knife lunged. Liam sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind his back until something popped. The guy screamed and dropped the knife. Liam shoved him hard—too hard. The guy flew across the room and slammed into the couch, flipping it over.

The tracksuit guy swung at him with the brass knuckles. The punch connected with Liam’s jaw. His head snapped to the side, and he tasted blood.

"Fuck—"

Liam grabbed the guy’s wrist and squeezed. Hard. The guy’s face went pale, and he dropped to his knees. "Let go—let go—"

Liam shoved him backward. The guy hit the floor and didn’t get up.

The guy in the red polo was scrambling for the door. "Fuck this—"

The big guy was trying to get up from the wreckage of the coffee table, groaning.

Liam kicked a piece of the broken table at him. It hit the guy in the chest and knocked him back down.

The lean guy with the bloody nose and broken ribs was still slumped against the wall, whimpering.

The one in the blue tracksuit bolted out the door. The guy in the red polo followed right behind him.

Liam stood there, breathing hard. His shoulder throbbed where the crowbar had hit.

His jaw ached.

Blood dripped from his split lip onto the floor.

The countdown timer blinked in his vision.

[Duration: 12:15]

Tasha was still near the stairs, phone pressed to her ear, staring at him. "Yes—yes, they broke in—please hurry—"

Liam wiped the blood from his lip and sat down on what was left of the couch, wincing.

---

The police arrived ten minutes later—two patrol cars and an unmarked sedan.

Officers flooded the house, securing the scene and cuffing the three men who were still conscious.

One of them—a middle-aged detective with graying hair—approached Tasha on the porch.

"Miss Williams," he said, his voice calm and professional. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Tasha wrapped her arms around herself, her voice shaking. "They broke in and Liam—he saved me."

The detective glanced at Liam, who was sitting on the couch with a paramedic pressing gauze to his nose. "And who are you to Miss Williams?"

Tasha hesitated, her eyes flicking to Liam before looking back at the detective. "He’s... just a friend."

The detective nodded slowly, then gestured to one of the officers. "We’ll have units patrol the area tonight. If anything else happens, call us immediately."

"Thank you," Tasha whispered.

The paramedic finished bandaging Liam’s shoulder and handed him an ice pack for his face. "You should get that nose looked at. Probably broken."

"Yeah, I figured," Liam muttered.

One of the younger officers approached him. "Come on, we’ll give you a ride home."

---

The patrol car pulled up outside Liam’s apartment twenty minutes later.

He thanked the officer and climbed out, limping up the stairs to his door. Once inside, he locked it behind him and pulled off his blood-soaked hoodie and shirt, tossing them onto the couch.

He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, examining himself.

A massive bruise covered his ribs. His shoulder was bandaged, but blood was seeping through.

His jaw was swollen where the brass knuckles had caught him, and his split lip was still bleeding.

’I’m guessing this is going to be my life now’

A knock came from the front door.

Liam groaned, pulling his shirt back on as he limped over and opened it.

Tasha stood in the hallway, still wearing her grey yoga pants and sweater. Her cap and mask were gone now, and her blue eyes were red-rimmed from crying.

"Tasha—"

"They want me dead."