Liz woke with a smile on her face. She’d fallen asleep in Sutton’s arms after his brilliant impromptu proposal. Looking around, she realized she was in her suite and wondered when he’d carried her up here. She hadn’t slept well for a few nights. She must’ve crashed hard for him to carry her all the way up here and tuck her in without her knowing it.

Springing out of bed, she was tempted to swim first like she did most days, but no, she wanted to find Sutton and kiss him again and again. A dark cloud passed through her happiness as she ran into the bathroom to brush her teeth, freshen up a little bit, and dress in a sleeveless, blue sundress. Sutton hadn’t told her specifics, but she knew he was leaving soon to execute the plan against James. What if he didn’t return to her? She was the first one to know how powerful and ruthless James was. She hadn’t explained the extent of the abuse to Sutton, but it had been a life of constant fear and intimidation.

The first time she’d tried to escape was when Ally was almost six months old. James’ men had hunted them down even though she’d hired her own protection and was hiding in a remote cabin in Switzerland. They’d killed her bodyguards without blinking and hauled her and Ally back to James. He’d broken her ribs for the first time by squeezing her. The second attempt, her father had helped her set up. Ally had been two. James had found them in Australia and had her men killed one by one in front of her. Ally had been shrieking and trying to get out of Liz’s arms and help her “boys.” Liz still couldn’t picture that day without crying.

After her men were all dead, James almost drowned Liz in the bathtub, holding her underwater until she thought her lungs would explode. When he finally released her, he explained how he would do worse to their daughter if she ever dared try to escape again. She’d increased her swimming after that and taught herself how to hold her breath for over a minute and put on a good act of flailing around the next time.

She shuddered at all the awful remembrances. There was nowhere on earth out of James’ reach, and his evil and manipulation was so strong. Sadly, most people thought he was the charming politician he portrayed.

Liz finished primping for Sutton and pushed thoughts of James far away. She hurried out into the hallway and down to Sutton’s room. The last fifteen minutes since she’d awoken were too long to be away from him. She smiled to herself. She was thinking and acting like a teenager, but she didn’t care. Didn’t she and Sutton deserve happiness too?

Sutton’s bedroom doors were closed. She knocked once and waited, lifting her hair with her fingertips and licking her lips. He didn’t come so she knocked again. When she didn’t hear an answer or noise inside, she realized he must be in his office. Almost skipping back down the hallway to the wide staircase, she pranced down the stairs and into his office. It was empty.

“He asked me to give you this.” Agatha’s voice came from behind her.

Liz jumped and whirled. “Good morning, Agatha.” Her heart leapt as Agatha handed over a letter. A love letter? How cute was he? She bit at her lip. Okay, Sutton couldn’t be called cute. He was too accomplished, debonair, and handsome to be called cute, but a letter for her was adorable. “Thank you.”

Agatha nodded, a somber expression on her face. She stepped back but didn’t leave. Liz turned slightly to have a little bit of privacy. She slid open the envelope and pulled out a short note.

Liz, my love. I held you while you slept and wanted to wake you so desperately to say goodbye but maybe it’s easier this way.

Liz’s heart stopped. Easier this way? He’d left and was telling her goodbye through a letter? Sutton didn’t take the easy route, ever.

I don’t know if I would’ve been strong enough to leave if those lovely eyes of yours were open. It was hard enough to tear myself away from you. I love you. It’s time for me to complete the mission and make everything right with Gunthry. I’ll be back before you can miss me.

Love,

008

Emotion clogged her throat. She had known this was coming, but how could he have left without saying goodbye? She already missed him, so his last line was complete rubbish. When she saw him again, she was going to cuss him up one side and down the other. After she kissed him good and long. Ah, Sutton. She understood his need to take James on. She knew that she couldn’t keep him from that, but fear churned in her gut. There was so much she should’ve told him about James and how he operated. She needed to go to England, help him in this battle.

She glanced up and saw Agatha was staring at her with pity. “I’m sorry, love.” Agatha opened her arms, and Liz crossed the room and clung to the smaller woman. Her soft frame was warm and comforting. Liz’s mum had been gone for so long she’d forgotten the comfort of an older, loving mother figure.

Finally, Liz pulled back and wiped at her eyes. “I’m going to kick his perfectly-formed keister for leaving me without saying goodbye.” She stole Agatha’s expression.

Agatha chuckled. “I want to be privy to that show.”

Liz smiled. A plan started forming in her mind. Agatha was Alfred, Batman’s right-hand man. How could Liz convince her to go support him in the field? Could the two of them talk whoever had been left home to guard them into taking them to London? Could they get there fast enough to help Sutton?

“Come in the kitchen with me, and I’ll get you a spot of tea,” Agatha said.

“That would be lovely.”

They walked side by side toward the open kitchen and living area with all its glass and open-air areas overlooking the beautiful pool and ocean. Liz sniffled again, thinking about swimming with Sutton, kissing Sutton, loving Sutton. Last night had been so perfect as they’d cuddled on that very chaise lounge. She needed to be with him.

Agatha started a kettle of water.

“Who stayed with us?” Liz asked.

Agatha glanced up. “Blayze and Steve and some local security. Sutton’s private security team and the other SEALs will meet him in London. Don’t worry, love. He’ll be safe.”

“Agatha, I need to go. I can help him.”

Agatha shook her head sharply. “He would never allow that. You being in harm’s way would devastate him.” Agatha’s lined face softened. “I’ve watched his face fill with remorse and longing throughout the years any time you appeared on the telly. He’s loved you for so long. Please don’t do anything that would risk you being harmed. It would kill him.”

Liz’s lower lip quivered. She bit it, needing to be strong. The thought of Sutton longing for her throughout the years was painful yet so tender. It made her love him even more. As if that were possible.

“Besides,” said Agatha. “My place is here. That’s why I’m not Robin or Catwoman, remember?”

The front doors banged open, and they heard voices in the entry. Liz assumed it was the SEALs or other security men, but then she noticed one of the voices was higher-pitched. It sounded like …

“Ally!” She called out, taking off at a run.

Ally met her at the entrance to the great room. They collided and hugged and hugged. Liz couldn’t hold back the emotion as she held her girl and inhaled her lovely coconut scent. Tears streaked her face. She was so happy. If only Sutton was here to share in this happiness.

She pulled back and studied Ally’s tanned, grinning face. “Oh, you look so lovely!” She hugged her again.

Ally giggled. “Blimey! I feel like a million pounds, Mum. This marriage stuff is brilliant.”

“Well, that’s lovely.” Liz felt herself turning red as she noticed her new son-in-law standing next to Ally and grinning widely. She released her girl and turned to him. “It sounds like you’re a proper husband for my girl.”

Ally laughed louder. River opened his arms, and Liz found herself hugging this burly man. It was comforting, and she loved him already for rescuing and loving her girl.

“She’s easy to be good to,” River said, releasing Liz from the hug.

Agatha moved in for hugs and congratulations, oohing and ahhing over Ally’s ring. Liz brushed her hair back from her face and heard Ally gasp. Her daughter grabbed her left hand. “Mum?” Ally said. “What happened to your ring?”

Liz couldn’t help but smile and stand a little taller. “I chucked it into the ocean.”

Ally’s eyebrows shot up. “Blimey. It was only worth what, a million dollars?”

River’s eyebrows went higher than Ally’s, and Agatha let out a choking sound.

“It was a symbol of my servitude being over. The demons are now drowned in the sea.”

“You’re done.” Ally smiled proudly at her. “Good for you.”

Liz nodded. She felt good. Ally didn’t know about her divorce being final, but it was more than the divorce to Liz. She would never submit to James again.

She turned to River. “We need to go to England.”

He stared at her. His eyes had gone all military, not revealing what he was feeling at all. “I’m sorry, Liz. I’m under instructions to watch over you here until Sutton gets back.”

Liz bit at her lip. She narrowed her eyes and used the tone she’d been trained to use as a duchess. “River Duncan. I am ordering you as your mother-in-law to take me to England.”

“Mum,” Ally breathed. “Don’t.”

River shifted his weight, uneasiness creeping into his eyes. “You know I want to start our relationship off right, Liz, but I’m sorry. I’m much more worried about crossing Sutton than I am you.”

Liz closed her eyes. What should she do? Who could she turn to for help if River wouldn’t even help her?

Footsteps came from the basement. Liz hadn’t been down there, but Sutton had told her it was where the security team’s living area was, and his equipment and cameras were. Steve appeared in the entryway to the great room. His face split into a wide grin. “River!”

River strode across the open space, extending his hand. Steve swept past the hand and looked like he was going in for a manly hug, but then Liz saw the flash of sunlight sparkling against steel.

“River!” she screamed.

He didn’t need the warning. Dodging away from the blade, he whirled and slammed his fist into Steve’s side. Steve tried to come back around, but River kicked Steve’s wrist and the knife flew out of his hands.

Ally ran toward River. Liz grabbed at her arm, slowing her but not stopping her. River was dismantling Steve, driving him back against a wall, landing punch after punch into Steve’s face.

Men streamed up the stairs and Agatha screamed. The men surrounded Liz and Ally, yanking them apart. Two black-clad men Liz recognized as the duke’s henchmen grabbed Liz and pinned her between them.

“No!” Liz screamed, struggling ineffectively against them. She saw Ally pushed up against the countertop by three men as she kicked and hollered. Agatha was imprisoned in the pantry.

River was on top of Steve now, pounding him into the slate floor. Two men tried to pull him off but River elbowed one, sending him sprawling, and threw his head back sharply into the other. The man flew back into the side of a couch with blood pouring from his nose. Four other men took their places and River stood and faced them. He glanced at the knife but it was on the other side of them.

It didn’t matter. River fought like a superhero, knocking one guy out after another. None of them even touched him. As the last one fell, River turned toward Ally and the men who were holding her. Steve was lumbering to his feet, holding out a thick gun. No, it was a Taser.

Projectiles shot from the device, trailed by thin wires, and buried themselves in River’s flank. He grunted and fell face first, completely stiff. Liz’s heart was in her throat and her shriek of horror was almost as loud as Ally’s as she watched her new son-in-law’s agony. The buzz of electricity accompanied River’s suffering, but he roared with effort and reached one rigid arm around to his side and yanked the barbs out of his skin.

Unsteadily, River rose to his feet and stomped toward Steve. Liz couldn’t see his face, but Steve’s eyes went wide and he backed away. Another man who River had already dealt with pulled another Taser and shot River again, square in the back, knocking him down again. He must have kept his finger on the trigger because it buzzed and River trembled under the electricity until Steve arrived and knelt on River’s neck. Two other men quickly pulled his arms back and put thick plastic cuffs around his wrists.

Ally was screaming for her husband, begging for Steve to stop. Liz’s heart echoed the sentiment. Not River!

Steve let out a couple of choice swear words and took a step back, gasping for breath. Blood was streaming from a cut on his cheek and his right eye was almost swollen shut. Good.

“You filthy traitor.” River slurred, still not recovered from the electricity. He struggled to be free, but there was a man on each leg and one on his back holding his face tilted on its side, pressed into the tiled flooring as he glared up at Steve.

Steve handed the Taser to one of his men. He stalked toward River and slammed a fist into his cheek. The sharp impact echoed through the room.

“River!” Ally cried out again.

Liz wanted to close her eyes and hide away. She’d brought this on River and Ally. She should never have let Sutton rescue her. James would’ve killed her and maybe let River and Ally live happily ever after if she hadn’t been so selfish.

“You planted the bomb?” River asked, acting like he hadn’t just been assaulted or electrocuted and was probably going to be murdered soon.

Liz prayed desperately, seeing no way to stop this horror.

“Yes. Brilliant, eh?” Steve brushed off his shirt. “But when Sutton and the duchess stepped outside I knew the bomb wouldn’t kill them so I thought fast. By warning everyone, I was rewarded with Sutton’s trust, which made this little infiltration possible. On the other hand, if I would have snuck away quietly and been the sole SEAL survivor, as planned, you know Sutton would’ve killed me.”

“He’s going to kill you now,” River spit at him.

“I doubt that.”

“He will,” River said confidently. “How can you live with yourself?”

Steve grinned and thankfully didn’t hit him again. “I’m going to live just fine. The money from Sutton and the money from the duke are going to set me up for the rest of my life. Why do you think I left the SEALs? How do you think I thought to contact the duke on our flight from England to California? My skills are far too valuable for government work.”

“You won’t be able to find a hole far away enough to crawl into. We’ll track you down and take you apart piece by piece,” River growled.

Steve threw back his head and laughed. “SEAL Team 7. Ooh. You all thought you were so amazing. Where’s big, bad Blayze? Hogtied in a closet downstairs, lucky that I’m gracious enough to let a fellow SEAL live.” He paused, grinning wickedly.

Liz fought to breathe, maybe Steve had a trace of humanity left in him. At least he hadn’t slaughtered Blayze like the duke’s men would’ve done.

“Who’s on the floor?” Steve continued, lifting an eyebrow. “And who’s going to beat you until you cry for mercy? I’ll let you figure that one out.” He took a step toward River.

Liz gasped, her body trembling in horror. “No … please.” She begged.

Steve turned to her, elevating one eyebrow. He slowly walked her direction, an evil smirk on his lips. Pausing in front of her, his eyes trailed over her fitted sundress and everything the material didn’t cover. Her skin crawled. He turned and looked at Ally for a few excruciating seconds. Ally glared at him but said nothing. Steve’s gaze swung back to Liz and his grin widened.

“The most beautiful women in the world.” As he trailed his fingers along her neck, revulsion filled Liz’s stomach. “You can ask me a lot sweeter than that, Duchess.” His fingers reached her collarbone and kept descending.

“No!” River’s roar was louder than Ally’s scream of dismay.

Two bodies went flying. River had spun around to his back and kicked both the men holding his legs in the face. Somehow, he flipped up to a standing position without using the hands bound behind his back and was charging at Steve.

“Hit it!” hollered Steve, backing quickly away.

The guy with the Taser pulled the trigger. Electricity hummed and River went down again.

Steve rushed forward as soon as River hit the ground, screaming, “Give me the injection! This is over!”

Liz struggled to free herself as more men piled on to River. Steve grabbed the needle someone produced and jammed it into River’s arm. River’s movements slowed before he lay terrifyingly still.

Ally and Agatha were both screaming and struggling to free themselves. Liz felt strangely detached and cold as Steve walked toward her, another needle in hand. He tsked. “Ah, Duchess. Too bad I’m on a job here. You and I could’ve had a good time.” In his British accent he said, “I’ll come and chat you up when you get back home. Fancy a go? You up for it, lass?”

Liz couldn’t move an inch as the men on each side of her sandwiched her tighter. She spat at Steve, but it didn’t hit him.

He chuckled and slid the needle into her arm. The cold medicine seeped into her veins.

“I’ll never be with slime like you again.” She hurled the words at him.

Steve laughed louder. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and the other men released her. Liz tried to struggle free, but the drugs were taking over, and her feet could no longer prop her up. She leaned heavily against Steve, her stomach rolling and her head full of clouds.

“Never say never, Duchess,” he whispered into her ear. “Soon enough, you’ll be begging me to help you.”

Liz yanked away from him and felt her body crash to the floor, but everything was swirling, and her fall didn’t even hurt. Steve’s crude laughter and Agatha and Ally crying out to her were the last sounds she heard.