As I watched Jarrett and Jaymi, I smiled and couldn’t help thinking they looked like they’d just stepped out of a fairy tale.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Miss Valli?” The words whooshed across my bare neck and shoulders like an arctic chill.

Spinning around, I brushed against Slade Vale—he was standing that close. I took three steps back.

His lips turned up in a clever smile and he lifted his glass of champagne to his mouth, watching me over the rim. He took a swallow, his dark eyes glistening with satisfaction, making me frown at his smug expression.

“Don’t you mean Mrs. Phoenix, Mr. Vale?”

A stark brow shoved high up his forehead and he flitted his gaze down my person as though considering that question—like he was testing the name with the character before him. “Ohh,” he drawled. “I suppose I’ve gotten used to Valli. It’s a lovely name and perfect for you. It means valley, you know?”

Okay, that’s just weird. I blinked, staring at him, and realized this is the first time I’d really looked at him. He was always so bold in his perusal of me that I took great care to never return his gaze or give him any sign of interest, for that matter. In fact, I now realized that, before this moment, I couldn’t recall anything more about him than that he was tall with blond hair and a darker goatee. I mean, gosh, I even thought he wore glasses until Jaymi corrected me on that one. Looking at him now, I had to admit I’d never noticed the seriousness of those dark and mesmerizing eyes beneath those slanted brows. Nor had I noticed his wide mouth with perfectly full lips and straight white teeth. Jaymi claimed that he was gorgeous, but in all honesty, this was the first time I could agree with her.

I replied to his bizarre statement. “Yes, Mr. Vale, I’m well aware of what my maiden name means.”

He gave me a strange look but then smiled. “Well, did you know my name, Vale, also means valley? And my first name, Slade, means child of the valley.”

What the hell? I leveled a blank stare at him, unable to believe we were having such an eerie conversation. “No, I wasn’t aware of those facts.” I tried to ignore the hairs on my body doing a stadium wave from one end of me to the other and forced a passable smile as I studied his expression. I knew I’d forever associate those gorgeous features with hair-raising creepiness.

My gaze took a stroll around the room, searching for Devon. This guy is spine-chilling! Who invited him, anyway? Where is Devon and what’s taking him so long?

“Would you care to dance with me, Miss Valli?” Vale leaned to his side to set his drink on a nearby table. He reached for my elbow.

Alarmed, but even more annoyed, I huffed. “My name is Phoenix. And no, thank you, I’m waiting for my husband to return.”

“Your dear Mr. Phoenix looks preoccupied at the moment.” He motioned across the room to where Devon held two glasses of champagne. Dad’s arm was flung around him, clutching his shoulder. Dad was obviously bragging on his new son-in-law to the general and his wife.

Vale laid an insistent hand against the small of my back and began ushering me onto the dance floor. “Come now, you shouldn’t be rude to a guest.”

Reminding myself that we were in a crowded place where I’d be perfectly safe, I moved with his guidance but tried to sound firm as we went.

“Look. First of all, I don’t have on my shoes. And second, I would never dream of being rude to a guest. To be honest with you, Mr. Vale, I don’t remember your name being on the guest list. Not trying to be rude, just an observation.”

Reaching the center of the room, we found ourselves surrounded by a sea of swaying people, and he whirled me to face him, encircling my waist and pulling me too close. With a smile on his face, he flirted.

“First of all, I promise not to step on your toes, Elysian, which I notice are quite lovely. And second, I assure you I have a legitimate invitation. Your wedding planner was most accommodating. In fact, women are always eager to accommodate me—but not you. And I don’t know why that is.”

This just gets weirder!

He looked directly into my eyes and his calm restraint seemed to weaken. His lids fell heavy with unmistakable desire. “Surely you have known it is my purpose that we’ll belong to one another.” His voice was tender—pleading, almost as though he had no choice. “Had I known you could so easily be led away from your previous boyfriend, I would have secured you as mine the moment I arrived in Boston those many months ago.” He exhaled softly, and his breath, which to my surprise stirred my senses like the finest dessert from a three-star restaurant, caused a few of my loose curls to swirl around my face.

“But to be honest,” he continued, “there was something so different about you that I had to make sure it was truly you. You looked the same, and you smelled the same, but you weren’t burning the same.”

His mouth curved into an affectionate smile, and I had no idea what he was talking about other than the fact that he was freaking me out.

“And then your fire was back that night at Ryder’s Club. While I haven’t seen you since—a fact I must confess has nearly driven me mad—I’m quite satisfied to see you’re still burning now. I would like to believe it is because you are back in my arms.”

Staring into his eyes, it was so strange because on one hand, I was freaking out, thinking he was a real nut case, but on the other, I was thinking he was gorgeous, and I felt as if some strangely alluring force was trying to draw me to him. His warm voice was mesmerizing and smooth, making me feel like I was naked and being bathed in warm, liquid velvet. His breath surrounded me with the most enticing scent, like hot mint amidst the highest quality vanilla and other spices drifting into my nostrils to tempt my senses. There was a part of me that knew… If I didn’t love Devon, this man could have me eating out of the palm of his hand.

Where all of this was coming from, I couldn’t say, but regardless, I’d been trying to loosen his possessive embrace, believing he must be going off the deep end. I was at a loss what to do because he wouldn’t let me go. His grip was like steel. I needed to get away from this creep and decided that since my physical efforts were no good, I’d try for fearless, though I felt anything but.

“Let go of me, Mr. Vale, or I will make a scene.”

He ripped his gaze from mine—his expression changing in one fell swoop, becoming dark and challenging as he stared past me at our surroundings. I didn’t know why, but I was positive he was avoiding looking at me for some reason.

“That wouldn’t be a wise thing to do, Elysian.” His voice was no longer mesmerizing—it was chilling and scary as hell—and strangely, his breath was now highly acidic. “Why can I not entice you when I can entice any other woman in the world? What is the barrier that holds you from me?”

Why would he say that? What is he, a hypnotist?

He frowned. “I thought I might have trouble convincing you. That’s why I made a point of bringing along something I know humans—we humans—fear, a pistol. Though it is small, it kills just the same.”

I swallowed a sharp gasp. Oh my God! He’s serious! “W-what?” I managed to say.

His hands clutched at my back, crushing me to him, and once again he spoke with affection, though he still wouldn’t look me in the eyes. “Don’t be afraid of me, my sweetling. I would never harm you nor would I ever allow anyone else to.” His features darkened again. “However, I know you don’t want to see your poor Phoenix dead, do you? So really, it will be in his best interest if you do exactly as I say.”

“Oh no.” My voice was but a whisper from the fear choking me. “What reason could you have to do something so extreme?”

His hold on my back loosened as he caressed in smooth circles, and my mind screamed for him to get his hands off me, but my tongue was chained with fear for what he might do to Devon if I said it.

He looked into my eyes and his features again softened, betraying his desire. “What reason?” How damn creepy is it that his breath is pleasurable again? “I still love you, Elysian. After all this time, I still love you. We are meant to be together, sweetling. I have waited so damn long to have you. You’ll not slip through my fingers this time. I’ve learned from my mistakes and I will not lose you again.”

“Mr. Vale, please—”

“Slade. My name is Slade, and I must insist on hearing it from your lips, which are so beautiful, my love.”

I frowned, but decided not to upset him. “Slade, please listen to me. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you’re confusing me with someone else.”

He caressed my back again, still holding me bound to him. “It doesn’t matter if you understand or not, sweetling. You just need to accept it. You will love me—I know you will.”

I stared at his face. I wanted to be brave and scream at him, slap him, push him away from me and tell him to get the hell out of my house and that if he ever even looked at Devon, I’d scratch his dark eyes out of his head and feed them to the buzzards. But I couldn’t, and my voice was far too weak to sound brave because I wasn’t—I was terrified for Devon. I said, “I love Devon. That will never change, no matter what happens here tonight.”

Pain seeped through his features, but I watched it turn to anger. His voice flew at me in an acidic hiss. “Well, then, maybe that will work to my advantage, for if you love him, you would not want to be responsible for his death, would you? I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you from disappearing from my life again. And while my threat is indeed extreme, and the use of a gun quite dramatic, I felt I had no choice when I found out only today that you’re leaving for England tomorrow. What else could I do? I love you and need you. My life can never be put to rights without you. We must become one, for it is only you whom I will allow to bear my beautiful son.”

I panicked amid his disturbing gibberish. It felt like everyone and everything became arrested by time, slowing dramatically. It was reminiscent of nightmares from my youth, being chased by someone or something, and no matter how I struggled to get away, my body was sluggish. I could never make it move to my commands and I was unable to catch up with time.

Trying to loosen his hands that were again at the small of my back, I forced my head to turn and look across the room at Devon, who now saw me struggling to free myself of Slade Vale’s hold. I saw in his eyes he perceived the absolute fear and panic within me. His features changed to alarm, chased by an image of utter rage. He moved, and my conscious mind knew he erupted into action, but to my eyes his movements seemed to play out as my nightmares had—in slow motion. I watched as a severe expression crawled over his countenance, his gaze remaining fixed on me as champagne sloshed upward through the air at a snail’s pace when he shoved the two flutes into the hands of my confused father. He leapt into a slow-motion run onto the dance floor. Even the flapping of his coat behind him seemed to swim against the current of time. Then my mind clicked and everything was moving at normal speed again with Devon actually advancing at full sprint, his look severe.

Vale followed my gaze, turning just in time to see Devon nearly upon us. Shoving me away, Vale reached into his pocket, and my heart leaped into my throat because I saw he was going for his pistol. Before he could pull it free—thank God—Devon tackled him at top speed, and they both went sailing.

I screamed, “Devon, he’s got a gun!”

 

 

Trapped beneath the proud arm of Elz’s father, I looked over to where I’d left Elz, hoping to catch her eye so I could give her a silent apology for taking so long with the drinks. She was not there, so I scanned the room. What the hell?

I saw her trying to loosen the large hands at the small of her back that belonged to none other than Slade Vale. She turned and looked at me, terrified, and my emotions hit the ceiling.

I shoved the glasses of champagne into Rocco’s hands and took off across the dance floor, pushing people out of my way, my eyes remaining fixed on Elz.

I was nearly to her when Vale’s head turned and his gaze crashed into mine. He shoved Elz away—I was glad for that—and reached into his pocket just as I slammed into him, taking him airborne.

Elz screamed, “Devon, he’s got a gun!”

We hit the floor with a hard thud, skidding several feet as women screamed and guests tripped and scrambled to get out of the way.

Leaping to my feet, I jerked Vale up and unleashed a double elbow strike, his head whipping back and forth so fast he hadn’t an inkling of what had happened. As a result of using the tip of my elbow, the double hit, which took less than a second, had left wicked gashes across both his cheekbones, and he dropped to one knee, trying to shake off the shocking blows.

Regaining his bearings, he looked at me, surprised, but to my own surprise, he also looked impressed. Evidently, I was more skilled than he’d given me credit for. A sly grin curled his lip, and I reeled back, pain shooting through my forehead as I felt blood trickle over my eye. I was more stunned at his speed than at the actual blow. Like a flash of lightning, he’d leapt into a single elbow strike of his own, leaving a nasty cut on the outer edge of my left brow.

He advanced for another blow, but I recouped and gripped the tops of his shoulders, yanking him forward as my knee met his gut with two and a half tons of force, bringing his feet off the floor. I’d used the leverage of his advance to maximize the thrust of my strike. The second his feet hit the marble again, I used the same karate body punch I’d used on Grant Hollister at Ryder’s Club, and my rotating fist to Vale’s gut sent him staggering back.

His arms went out in a wild flail, but he regained stability and turned his hips just enough to fire off an angle kick, sending the bridge of his foot bulleting into the side of my ribs. His long legs and fast rotation gave him the speed he needed to unleash the wicked blow.

Thrown hard, I grunted, reeling backward, and sank onto one knee, clutching my side and doubled over. Bloody hell!

I lifted my gaze to his, certain I’d just taken the most powerful strike of my life. I stared at Vale with new insight. For a man to know how to generate that kind of torque, especially after the blows he’d just received from me, he had been trained by the very best, and I was convinced I was fighting a highly skilled opponent. This man can kill me if I’m not smart. I had no choice but to do everything in my power to defeat him.

I got to my feet and struck back with a left-handed punch to the jaw to distract him and draw him off balance. He brought his arms up for the block, leaving his organs unprotected, as I expected he would. I seized the moment and fired my foot between his ninth and tenth rib for a detrimental kick to the liver, followed by a right-handed slam to the side of the head. I finished the rapid combination of blows by swinging around into a spinning back kick and thrust my heel straight into his solar plexus. It delivered a good fourteen hundred pounds of force by using the rotation of my body and the snap of my knee.

Vale stumbled hard and dropped to the floor, holding his side and staring at me as if he couldn’t fathom that the tables had turned, and that I was some perplexing specimen in a freak show. I felt certain he’d never been defeated…but neither had I. Knowing now what a worthy opponent he was, I was sure he thought he was stronger than I and wasn’t counting on my elevated fighting techniques. He probably believed he was the only lethal weapon in the room and was shocked that I, too, knew where to strike to hit the vital organs. I hoped he realized he might not be so lucky with my next blow.

I had to act before he did, so I lunged forward to seize the advantage, but the distance between us allowed him the time he needed to rip the gun from his pocket. And again using lightning speed, he managed to twist away from my attack and come around to position the gun directly at my head.

Shit! This isn’t good.

Gasping for breath, his words came coughing and hissing out. “Nobody move, or I’ll lay his brain open like a book.” He coughed. “I swear I will!”

Elz screamed, “Nooo! Don’t, Slade! Don’t! Please. I’ll come with you, just move the gun away from his head. Please.”

My gut twisted with horror, and wild fury chased through me as my gaze shot to hers. “Like hell you will!” I glared at her with immobilizing fear attempting to seize me. If this psychopath got his hands back on her, she might end up dead. I had no idea what he planned—why he had a gun. Did he intend to rape and murder her? My mind scrambled to think of what to do as I measured the odds and my surroundings. I could not allow her to go anywhere near Vale.

Dropping my tone in an attempt to convey the gravity of my meaning, I spoke through clenched teeth. “I’ve never been upset with you, Elz, but you get the hell out of here right now, or you will see my wrath. I mean it.”

Vale’s nervous gaze darted between Elz and me, as he seemed to calculate his next move. I was terrified of what Elz would do, because she looked willing to do anything he asked. I’m guessing he saw this, as well. I felt the pressure of the gun harder against my temple and he said, “Come to me, my sweet Elysian. No one has to get hurt. If you and I are able to leave here together and without incident, Phoenix will live a long life. And he can rest easy in the knowledge that you also shall live a long and happy life. Not with him, but with me. Along with the beautiful son you will soon give me.”

“Over my dead body,” I growled.

The gun dug into my flesh. “That will suit me fine, Phoenix. Now shut the hell up. I’m talking to my lady.”

I sucked down a breath, wanting to strike but knowing I had to be smart. Get myself killed and I leave Elz to this psychotic nut job.

“Oh, you will give me a beautiful son, sweetling.” The yearning in Vale’s intonation deepened. “I intend to secure that future the very moment I get you alone.”

My mind raced to assess my surroundings. If I attack, is Elz far enough away that no harm will come to her? Will she stay out of it and let me deal with this?

Out of nowhere, I was slammed with the gut-twisting and absolute awareness that Elz would ignore my threat and sacrifice herself for me. God! I didn’t know how I knew this, but I did. I had to do something, and fast. My gaze sifted through the crowd, and I saw the McElroy brothers, both looking ready to help, and I considered the thought, but spotted Jarrett. He’d maneuvered his way through the crowd, stepping in fairly close to Elz. We made eye contact just as Elz began moving toward Vale and me.

“I’m so sorry, Devon, but I love—”

“Grab her Jarrett!” I yelled, cutting off her apology to me for going against my demand. “Get her out of here!”

 

 

 

Jarrett lunged for Elz, snatching her around the waist. He pulled her backward and disappeared among the guests who had all frozen at Vale’s earlier warning. He stepped fast, refusing to listen to Vale’s bellowing threats to kill Devon, neither did he give in to Elz, who was flailing and fighting him—crying and pleading with him to let her go back to help Devon.

With one arm he held her, her rear perched at his hip. With the other he shoved through the crowd. “Stop kicking my shin, woman. You may be barefoot, but that still hurts.” In a flash, they crossed to the front of the ballroom, a safe distance from the danger. He lifted her onto the stage, not letting go as he hopped up behind her. Turning her to face him, he squeezed her shoulders. “Stop this, Elz. Right now.”

She stopped fighting and stared at him with pain gripping her expression.

“Devon can take care of himself since you’re out of harm’s way.” His voice was sympathetic, yet firm. “Things will be fine; you have to trust him.”

Elz blinked. “I do trust him, but Lord help him, Jarrett, he has a gun to his head.” Her pleading sobs spilled with her tears. “Please let me go back and help him, please. Vale won’t hurt me, but he is going to kill Devon.”

Jarrett remained calm and looked around before pressing his mouth to her ear. “I know Devon’s got a gun to his head, Elz, but have you forgotten what you have surely read in the history books concerning your husband? Not to mention what you just witnessed of his fighting skills? Remember his quick wit, as well. Trust him. I’m sure he’s come up against worse than Vale, and now that I’ve removed the only true weapon Vale could use against him, Devon is safer, and he’ll defeat the man. I know it.”

Her hand covered her mouth in horror and she pulled back. “Oh, no. I put Devon in more danger through my actions, when I was trying to save his life?”

Jarrett winced, but she needed to know. “Well, that seems a bit harsh, but the truth is, yes.” He delivered the fact with kindness. “As long as you’re not within Vale’s reach, he has nothing to use against Devon. He also knows that if he kills Devon, he’ll have no leverage against you. So you see, he’s off balance right now, and if I know Devon at all, he will use that to his advantage.”

Uncertain, a frown drew her face. Deciding to trust Jarrett’s words, she nodded, and she and Jarrett turned to face Devon and Vale, watching and praying.

Vale was still howling. “I’ll shoot him, I swear that I will. Bring her back here, damn you. She wants to come to me.”

Captivated by the fire that he’d seen growing so brightly in Elz’s eyes before Jarrett snatched her away, Vale blindly believed it had been caused by his alluring voice—a voice he’d hated using on Elz since he wanted her to love him for himself and not for any other reason, but he’d used it nonetheless. That voice was one of the greatest assets of his heredity. His ancestors had lured many to their deaths through the use of it; however, he didn’t want Elz dead—he loved her and wanted her love in return. He hated using such tactics, but at the moment, he’d use whatever weapons he deemed necessary to gain her.

He was holding to the hope that her flame burned so brightly for him. Vale didn’t realize that it was Elz’s love for Devon that shielded her and far overshadowed the power of his voice. Nor did he realize that what had fanned that visible flame in her eyes into such an inferno the moment before Jarrett had taken her was the surge of love she’d felt for Devon, being willing to sacrifice herself for him. She’d cried out her apology to her husband for going against his demand and had started to declare that she loved Devon too much to let him die, but her declaration had been cut short by Devon’s shout to Jarrett.

Her words had given Vale false encouragement. His mind had completed the sentence for her, and what he’d heard Elz say before Devon’s interruption had been, “I’m so sorry, Devon, but I love Slade now.”

Desperate to believe she’d finally weakened to the allure of his voice, Vale had thought she was apologizing to Devon because she believed herself in love with him—Slade. This would have been the case with any other woman in her shoes, as no woman could resist Slade Vale, and he it. In his mind, she had finally succumbed.

“Do you hear me? She wants to come to me.”

Devon saw his opportunity and planned to do his best to rattle the man. He laughed in a sardonic sneer, taunting him. “Keep living your fantasy, Vale, because that’s all it is.”

“Shut up.” Looking this way and that, Vale began to panic while considering his possibility of escape. He came to the swift conclusion that he had very few choices left since he was surrounded by a multitude of angry-looking men—the women had sought safety the moment the fight broke out.

“She didn’t want to come to you, you mad bastard.” Devon pressed him further. “She wanted to save her husband. And whether you like it or not, I am that man. What was it, Vale? What was the sick game your psychotic parents played on your mind?”

Those random words had the jarring effect Devon intended. Vale was enraged at Devon’s proclamation of Elz’s loyalty to him and he was thrown by the unexpected shock of Devon’s slur toward his beloved parents. Before Vale could recoup, Devon whirled with sonic speed, grabbing Vale’s wrist beneath the gun, and forcing it into the air while running Vale backwards. They slammed into one of the large pillars on the dance floor, a loud groan ripping from Vale’s lungs at the impact.

Vale struggled to keep Devon from knocking the gun out of his hand and completely overpowering him.

Devon claimed the advantage, kicking Vale in the inner thigh while tilting their bodies off balance. He swept his heel around to the back of Vale’s leg, breaking the lock of his kneecap. The speedy move forced Vale to drop into a kneeling position where he couldn’t use his legs. With Vale in the inferior position on the floor, Devon squatted low, like Atlas holding the world over his head, except his hands weren’t above him, they were holding Vale’s arms out in a battle of wills, keeping Vale on his knees.

With his arms shaking beneath the strain put on his muscles in an attempt to regain control, Vale’s eyes widened from the shock of Devon’s sudden, supernatural might. He couldn’t believe this mere human was gaining the advantage.

Devon, having just risked his life for Elz by attacking Vale while a gun was pressed against his head, didn’t realize that he had activated Faramond’s potion. He was unaware of his sudden boost in strength. If he had truly known his enemy, the secret would have been clear to him, but he thought Vale was just a man—a superior fighter, but just a man. He had no idea who and what he was truly fighting. He had no suspicion of the tremendous strength this being had; thus, Devon’s own strength remained unknown to him.

Vale held Devon’s other wrist in their battle of wills. Convinced now his only sure defense against this daunting man who loomed over him was to keep the gun within his possession, Vale let go of Devon’s wrist in order to reach over in an effort to free himself from his iron grip. It was a grave mistake on Vale’s behalf. Devon seized the moment and clamped a death grip around Vale’s throat, crushing him against the pillar.

Vale gasped for breath and the gun fell to the floor when he brought both hands to his throat, trying to loosen Devon’s choking hold, but to no avail. Devon had no intention of allowing this man the opportunity to abduct Elz.

Pushing in close, rage coursed through Devon’s veins as he added more pressure to Vale’s carotid arteries, cutting off the blood supply to his brain. He spoke so only Vale could hear. “I warned you, Vale…thief!”

Vale’s eyes flickered as they took in Devon’s severe expression. Without blood flow to the brain, his fight was over. His arms weakened and dropped limp, no longer struggling as his consciousness shut down. Devon’s hand compressed around Vale’s throat; he held the man’s weight with nothing more than one hand pinning him to the pillar. He brought his other hand over and was about to snap Vale’s neck when he stopped cold at the sound of a cocking revolver.

“I know you’re tempted, son.” The deep voice was at Devon’s ear. Devon eased his gaze around to see the general he and Rocco had been talking to earlier. The man’s gun was aimed directly at Vale’s chest, and not at Devon. A wave of relief washed over him.

“I would be tempted, too. But with all these witnesses, you would be wise to walk away now.”

Glancing around at the onlookers, Devon gathered his senses, thinking of Jarrett’s warning to him at Ryder’s Club all those months ago. If he killed Vale, who wasn’t even conscious, it would certainly not be in self-defense. Not willing to risk going to jail and leaving Elz vulnerable, he pressed his lips together with a brief nod of understanding and released Vale, who dropped in a comatose heap on the floor.

Spinning around, Devon scanned the room for Elz and heard the cry of his name in the distance. “Devon!” He saw her at the head of the room on the stage, still in Jarrett’s arms.

Rocco’s voice emerged beside him: “I’ll help the general deal with this. You go to my daughter.”

Devon ran to Elz, forcing his way through the crowd, and leapt onto the stage. Jarrett stepped back, and Elz and Devon rushed toward each other until their bodies collided and they were crushed within each other’s arms. Clutching Elz to him, Devon wrapped her in an armored hold, pressing a long kiss to the top of her head. “Oh, God. I could never bear to lose you, Elz.”

Sobbing with the fear that nearly paralyzed her heart, and knowing that a mere three minutes earlier, the only thing that stood between Devon and death had been the slightest movement of Vale’s trigger finger, Elz withered into his strength and wept into his chest, unable to stop her tears and emotion.

He scooped her up, stepped easily from the stage, and carried her to a nearby settee at the side of the room. He knelt before her, cradling her head to his chest and willed his reeling emotions under control. “I’m here, cara. It’s all right,” he said, soothing her with his calm voice. “Shhh…it’s all right, darling.”

Elz didn’t feel his dread or see him close his eyes against the fear of what could have happened to her. No, all Elz knew was that he was a rock, a pillar of strength, comforting her for as long as she needed, calming her with his tender words.

Devon pulled back so he could see her face. Using his thumbs to wipe away her tears, he pressed his lips to her brow and whispered against it, “No one will hurt you, Elz. As long as there is breath in me. I swear it.”

Thinking of that vow, Devon reflected on how terrified he’d been only moments before, and still was, at the thought of losing her. He understood he’d just made an oath he would never be able to keep unless he treated Elz like a prisoner, and he could never do that to her. He’d have to enlist her help to an extent if she was to truly be safe. But how could he do that if he was not allowed to tell her why?

He determined that he must one day teach her the true art of fighting, but for now all he could do was demand she stay out of trouble by letting him do his job of protecting her and not the other way around. He looked at her again, his expression now fierce and altogether uncompromising.

“Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again, Elz. Don’t you realize that I would never have allowed Vale to walk out those doors with you? There was nothing you could have done to save me. I would’ve died before allowing that to happen. You remember that from this day forward.” His rebuke was harsh, although his voice revealed his fear of losing her, growing shaky as he continued. “Never think to sacrifice yourself for me again, Elz. It will not happen. Do you understand me? I am your protector. Your provider. Not the other way around.”

She watched him wide-eyed, and her mouth fell open at the raging fear she saw in his expression.

“But I love you so much, Devon. If I ever lose you—”

He crushed her to him, fighting back the tears burning behind his eyes. “You’re not going to lose me. But if you truly love me, you will never do anything like that again. You scared me half to death. Now promise me, Elz.”

“But—”

“Elz!” He gripped her upper arms and held her from him. “I’ll have your promise.” His pained expression became one of fierce determination as he waited for her answer.

She saw in his face that he’d stay kneeling, holding her and never moving, until he had her oath. Blinking at the tears, she nodded in submission. “Yes, Devon. If that’s what it’ll take to keep you safe in my arms, you have my promise because I do love you, so much. I’m sorry for putting you in more danger…I’m so sorry.”

Again he snatched her forward, cloaking her with his embrace and whispering his relief against the top of her head. “Never worry over me. Just keep your promise, and I’ll be fine.”

 

 

The police and an ambulance arrived, and Slade Vale was taken to the hospital under guard.

Devon, Elz, and the many guests the police had questioned concluded their statements, and the ballroom finally began to clear. As the guests receded, the staff began the cleanup while everyone else lumbered off to bed.

Emotionally drained, Devon and Elz hauled themselves up the large staircase and down the long hallway to Elz’s suite. With everything that had happened, in addition to the long day ahead of them come morning, Elz took down her hair, and they simply brushed their teeth, shed their clothing, and crawled into bed.

Snuggling in close behind Elz, Devon spooned his naked body against hers, calming his strong need to wrap himself around her, to encompass her with his limbs and shield her from anything harmful. He lay there contemplating Faramond’s warning concerning certain men who wanted to steal Elz from him, and he thought about Vale’s obsessive words of how he wanted a son with her.

Who is this man, and how did he know me at Ryder’s Club those months ago? Maybe he’s some type of history expert—one that kicks some serious arse—and he’s guessed who I really am.

Recalling all he knew about Slade Vale, he mulled over Kane’s words that were spoken at Ryder’s Club. He’d told them Vale had a number of art galleries in several cities around the world, one of which was in London. A memory flashed through Devon’s mind of the time-traveling conversation he and Jarrett had engaged in on the plane ride from London to New York.

Maybe Vale was on that plane with us and overheard Jarrett and me talking.

Devon didn’t know if that was the answer, but he was certain Vale knew him somehow.

His gut twisted with the need to just explain to Elz the reality of who she was—Faramond’s descendent and Devon’s soul mate, which made her quite unique. And who he was—the knight ordained to protect her from men who would be drawn to her because of the flame that burned in her eyes for him. But Faramond had warned him not to. He’d said it was vital that he wait, for reasons he couldn’t yet explain.

Although Devon felt unsure about the future, one thing he was sure of was that he trusted Faramond and would continue to do as he’d instructed.

At least Elz was safe now, and he planned to keep her that way. Letting go of the negative energy of the day, he kissed his wife’s shoulder…her neck…her temple. “I love you.”

She turned her head, meeting his lips with a kiss. “I love you, too, Devon…so much.”

With no more words between them, Devon held her tight, and they both fell asleep without fear. Elz could sleep because she was safe within his arms, and Devon could sleep because…well, because she was safe within his arms.