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“Cassidy?” Jackson prompted, gesturing toward the door.

“Yes, of course.” She knocked. “Cassie? You have company, honey.” Opening the door, she entered, Jackson on her heels.

“Cass?” The generous cabin suite with two neatly made up beds was empty. Swinging open the bathroom door, he found this deserted as well. He turned back to Monica, who hung back by the doorway, and let his defensive anger rise. “Where is she?”

The redhead’s angelic demeanor vanished. “You silly boy,” she chided. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think?” he ground out, fists balling by his sides.

“I see. In that case, you should know that there is no one on this ship who isn’t ready to give their life to protect my lord’s interests. Currently, these interests include Cassidy Chandler.”

A muted pop-pop-pop from elsewhere on the ship punctuated her last words. Jackson recognized gunfire when he heard it. So did his tour guide, who looked pleased.

“It sounds like your colleague just figured that out, too.”

Jackson pulled out his own gun, but his thoughts immediately flew to the C-4 in Garrett’s backpack. Could a bullet set that off?

Monica’s condescending expression didn’t waver. More distant gunfire reached them, making him brace for an explosion that didn’t come. Instead, there was a small sound directly behind him.

Raising his weapon, he whirled around, but only made it far enough to spot a large body clad in black from the corner of his eye. Shit! How the fuck had he missed that guy? Why hadn’t he checked the closet, too?

His racing thoughts came to an abrupt halt when something hard connected with the back of his head. Stars exploded before his eyes.

Then he saw nothing at all.

27

Edge of Night Eternal

Beneath an indigo sky, which wasn’t quite day nor quite night, Cassidy was breathless with exertion. “I love you. More than life itself.”

Dominique, hovering over her, took her mouth with his, hard and fast, the way the rest of his body took hers. With sweet, wanton desperation, they consumed each other—body, mind, and soul—until emotion and release shuddered through her.

He cradled her in his arms afterward, rubbed the back of her neck. Her fingertips caressed his sensitive throat and strong shoulders, the taut muscles of his chest. In her thoughts, she spoke to him of her need for him, her love, her devotion. Nothing must ever come between us again.

“Death will come between us,” he whispered in her ear.

Her fingers stilled their exploration. Don’t say that.

“But it will, if we let it.”

Let it? A frisson of apprehension scurried over her damp skin.

“You love me more than life itself?”

Words. Only words uttered in moments of mindless passion. But where had they come from? Could they be true? Would she give up life in the sun to be with him? As long as she was mortal, she was his humanity. Would he give that up to be with her literally forever? And why did he bring this up now? Weren’t there more immediate things for them to worry about? Although, what they might be, she couldn’t remember just now. In his mind, she saw…

Nothing.

Cassidy pushed back to search his face. “What are you trying to—” Unfamiliar face. The indigo sky was gone. She blinked, disoriented. The gentle sound of wind in long grasses morphed into a distant, grumbling hum, and the blanket she remembered was now a softly swaying bed. “What—”

It all came rushing back. Her insides crumpled into a void, sucking all the air out of her body. “You.” She breathed the word. Why hadn’t she noticed that smoky stench before now?

Because he owned her head. That’s why.

“Do you love me?” Kambyses murmured.

“How dare you.” Shaking, Cassidy extricated herself from his proximity and straightened her slip, which was rucked up to her waist. Dear God. How much of what she just experienced was real? At least he was still dressed from the waist down, though where his hands had gone on her body, she didn’t want to think. But why the charade? Why trick her into believing she was with Dominique when Kambyses could just as easily make her give him what would otherwise never be his?