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She dropped to her knees and reached for his belt, unbuckling the clasp.Now we’re talking. His mind hazed. Rope binding his chest, Vivian at his feet, her subtle perfume filling his lungs. Damn, but he liked her brand of kink. He’d given her what she wanted. Now, it was time for his reward.

He ached to have her lips on his swollen cock.

“My big, strong mate. So eager to protect me from the evils of the world.” She nuzzled his hip bone.

His chest swelled. Damn right, he would protect her. “Hurry,” he urged. “Need that gorgeous mouth on me.”

“Patience,mon coeur. I will give you what you deserve.” With a wicked gleam in her eye, she unbuckled the dagger’s sheath from his thigh. He’d yet to feel comfortable with it out of his sight.

It was a bit of a turnoff, too, seeing that connection to Alistair in her delicate hands. If Liam had his way, she’d never lay eyes on the dagger or its creator ever again.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he’d rid her of the disgusting thing. Destroy that painful link to her old life, the final connection to her former captor. This time, he would not fail to protect her.

She tucked her fingers into the pocket of his jeans and snagged the keys to the Jeep. Confusion cut through his lusty haze. The leather sheath needed to go before she could drop his drawers, not the keys. “Going somewhere?” he teased.

She kneeled at his feet, beautiful eyes gazing up at him. Then, it happened. The change in her rolled in like a blizzard off the mountain tops. Her gaze, once warm and liquid, hardened by degrees, becoming two pools of crystallized honey. Her crimson lips pressed into a thin line, her face sliding into an indifferent mask. He could almost see the walls she was drawing up around herself, jagged icebergs rising from the ground.

“Viv, you okay?” he dared to ask, though his gut told himshe knew. Somehow, she’d discovered his plan. He’d sensed something was off with her earlier. Fool that he was, he’d brushed away the signs, wanting to show her a good time before he had to leave.

She pushed to her feet on stiffened limbs. Voice snapping, she said, “That’s Mistress to you. Rule Number One. You will address me as Mistress, not Viv.”

Oh, yeah, he was screwed, all right. Dread curled through his gut. Still, he played dumb, hoping he was wrong. He furrowed his brow. “Thought we were done with rules.”

She raised her chin, squaring her shoulders. “Rule Number Two, you will not touch me ever again.”

He tipped his head back, knocking his skull against the wooden beam.Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.“You heard me talking with Jericho.” Instead of confronting him, she’d plotted, biding her time, then trussed him up like a sacrificial lamb. And here he was, the horny beggar who’d fallen for her wiles. After all they’d been through, she was still leading him around by his dick.

He forced gentle words past clenched teeth. “Vivian, honey, I can explain.”

In response, his Bride bared her fangs, far from mollified. “Rule Three, you will not come looking for me. Instead, you will remain here while I destroy the soul sword without you.” She leaned in close, snarling an inch from his nose, “Trust me, my darling, it’s for your own good.”

He growled low, pulling on his restraints. “Dammit, Vivian. Untie me. Now.”

She spun, collecting the dagger and keys. Shit, she was leaving.

“Viv, stop. You don’t understand. I only wanted to protect you. Damn you. Why are you doing this?” Rope cut into his forearms, growing tighter when he pulled.

She cast him a hardened look over her shoulder. Her voice, void of emotion, she stated, “Because I’m the Black Widow. Cold and heartless, I lure men into my web, then bite their heads off. I don’t need you or anyone else to protect me. The Black Widow takes care of herself.”

She strode for the door, and panic sparked over his skin like an electric current. If she went out there on her own, she’d be killed or captured.

He needed to do something before he lost her forever. Jericho had tried to warn him that secrets between mates could be disastrous. Maybe it was time Liam eliminated the biggest of those secrets.

“I felt it,” he shouted.

She paused with her hand on the door.

“That’s right. I. Felt. It,” he bit out.

Slowly, she turned to face him.

“I felt it that night at the burlesque club.”

Vivian took a step closer, and his heart hitched in his chest.

Come back to me, Beauty.

“You’re lying,” she accused, eyeing him cautiously. “You’d say anything to trick me into staying. To keep me a prisoner. Just asHeonce did.”