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Finally, she sighed as though he’d said something helpful. “That’s why I’ve called in your debt. I’m in need of a bodyguard.”

He exhaled a slow breath, a sense of dread twisting a knot in his gut. Surely, he’d misunderstood. “Me? Bodyguard?”

She offered a brief, business-like nod. “I have a number of events scheduled that I cannot miss. Since a full security detail would prove cumbersome, you will serve as my escort.”

That knot twisting in his gut got tighter. “You mean to tell me you brought me here so I can watch over you while you waltz about, rubbing elbows with all your snobby friends?” His skill set was better suited to destroy, not protect. Alex could vouch for that. His family as well.

“I realize you and I have had our differences over the years, but there is no one I trust more to keep the jackals at bay.”

“Names?”

“Quoi?”

“Don’t give me ‘what.’ I said names. Give me names, and I’ll rip your enemies limb from limb.”

“I don’t know their names,” she said, her tone too contained for what was at stake.

That knot in his gut inched higher, rising to squeeze around his chest. “A trail then. Give me a trail to follow, and I’ll lay their heads at your feet.”

“There is no trail.” She winced. “Unless you’re an expert on eviscerated cats.”

“Cats?” What kind of sicko would harm a cat? He liked cats. They were cute and fluffy, and… Aw, hell. He sure as heck wasn’t getting involved in this mess to avenge her pussy cat. “Give me a list then. Tell me who it is that wants to hurt you, and I’ll take care of them.”

“As we discussed earlier, that would be a long list.”

She was right. Every male in the underworld was suspect. That knot tightened again, rising into his throat. Time to give it to her straight. “If you’re looking for a bodyguard, you’ve got the wrong guy, Viv.”

“How so?” She canted her head, her patient demeanor only fueling his panic. Fuck, she really expected him to do this.

What was she thinking? Only people less qualified to be her bodyguard than Liam were the idiots she’d hired for the gate. “You saw what happened with Alex and me. She ended up in that auction on my watch.” Wasn’t long after she wound up dead. If not for Jericho turning her into a vampire, Liam would have lost her. Just like his mother and—

No.

He pushed the memory back, refusing to take a stroll down that dark path of failure. Instead, he kept things brief, explaining, “Believe me when I tell you, Alex wasn’t the first to fall under my watch.” And so help him, he’d make sure she was the last. Only way to ensure that was by not taking on another damsel in distress. He was retired, for gods’ sake.

Vivian—damn her—was undeterred. She set her glass on the table and crossed her legs. “I witnessed firsthand the lengths you went to in order to free Alexandra. When you came to me, asking for my assistance, I saw the genuine concern on your face. Frankly, I was touched.”

Viv was touched, all right. Touched in the head. If she’d asked him to be her bodyguard, thinking he’d gone soft, she was wrong. “Yeah, well, I was concerned because I’d promised Alex’s mother I’d keep her safe. Made that promise while she was bleeding out with her throat ripped open. That promise turned into a blood oath because I screwed up a job, letting a rogue vampire get one over on me.” This, he said louder, leaning close to drive his point home. “That woman died in my arms, her little girl hanging onto the tail of my shirt because I’m no fucking hero.” A fact he’d proven time and again.

Still, Vivian’s patient expression remained unchanged. “Two weeks of that same devotion is all I’m asking. By that time, construction will be underway, and some of the tension will have eased.”

“You’re not hearing me.” He rubbed his face, his whiskers rasping under his blunted nails.

Undeterred, Vivian uncrossed her legs, smoothing her skirt down her thighs, her touch a slow caress. “Is it such a chore then, watching over me?”

The subtle change in her tone captured his attention. He studied the way she caressed her stocking-clad calf, and his mouth went dry. “I… Um…”

“Shall I make it an order?”

He stifled a shudder, his cock standing up and taking notice. Gods, but the idea of Vivian ordering him around shouldn’t have that effect on him. “Yes? I mean… No.” Did he want to be a slave to the oath he’d made? No. No, he didn’t. He was grateful Vivian hadn’t taken advantage of the power she wielded over him—yet. “That won’t be necessary.” Surely, even he could keep a female alive for two weeks.

“Okay,” he said, resigned to his fate. “For the next two weeks, if anyone looks at you cross-eyed, I’ll flatten them.” Viv wanted him to follow her around and knock a couple of aristocratic skulls together? Fine by him.

Come to think of it, it would probably be the most fun he’d had in a while. To his surprise, it felt good agreeing to protect her. Felt right. In more ways than he cared to analyze. Maybe that seduction of hers was working after all.

“Good.” She let out a long exhale, seeming relieved. “Since we’ll be spending so much time together, there are a couple rules we should establish.”

“Rules?” He didn’t do rules. Vivian, of all people, should know that.