Sutton stayed in the shadows as the wedding ceremony progressed. He felt a momentary burst of joy for the young couple. They looked radiant and completely in love. He and Liz had looked like that once. Liz. His eyes shot to her, pressed close to the duke’s side. James. Duke of Gunthry. He was even more repulsive than he’d been as a teenager. Too bad everyone but a few believed his lies and fake smiles. Sutton’s neck grew hot around the collar as his anger rose. Liz thought her ex-husband had power. Sutton would prove to her that power was fleeting.

If only he could claim Liz as his own. He’d given away far too much as they danced. It had been too hard to resist her completely. He hated that she’d been abused by the duke, yet she’d chosen the duke over Sutton years ago without so much as a letter. He loved her, but forgiving her for not loving him back would never happen in this lifetime.

Sutton had lost everything that mattered to him—Doug, his commission in the Royal Navy, and Liz. The only things left to him were these SEALs who worked so brilliantly to right wrongs and protect others, and his pride. He would cling tenaciously to both and pray that Liz didn’t find a chink in his armor. It would be hard to be around her while he, Kingsley, and Barry Duncan executed their plan to dismantle the duke’s empire, but Sutton had dealt with harder things in life. Liz’s beauty and her sweet smile couldn’t affect him any longer.

He watched River and Ally kiss and felt a dart of jealousy. The crowd cheered as the wedding concluded. It was time. Soon, he would be escorting Liz away from England, and he would have her all to himself. Too bad kissing and love were not in the plans. He’d be relying on all his military-learned self-control, but he could resist her charms and take down his enemy from years past. All that mattered was Liz being safe, Ally and River being happy, and the duke paying for what he’d done to all of them.

* * *

Liz watched James hug their daughter. She was so distracted by the sickening image she barely caught the whispered words River said to her as he gave her a brief squeeze. “Stay with my mom. Sutton will come for you.”

Liz glanced sharply at him. Her new son-in-law was handsome, well-built, and kind of intimidating, but there was a kindness in his eyes that reassured her. “Ally is all that matters,” she said back. “Please protect her.”

“With my last breath.” He gave her a broad smile then switched places with Ally and shook the duke’s hand. River flashed a large smile and had a dangerous glint in his eyes. James winced at the pressure River put on his hand but kept his own smile in place.

Ally flung herself at Liz, and she gathered her sweet girl close, wondering if she’d ever see her again. “I love you,” she whispered. “Don’t you worry about anything but being happy.”

Ally hugged her back. “I love you, Mum. It’s all going to be brilliant.”

River took Ally’s hand, and they moved on to receive more congratulations.

Liz felt the duke’s darkness oozing toward her as she stared after River and Ally, but Poppy grabbed her arm and tugged her the other direction. “Would you mind showing me the potty while our sweetie pies talk business?”

Poppy winked at James whose face blanched at her terminology, though he kept his politician smile in place. “Don’t be long, love.” He commanded. Anyone else would probably assume he actually enjoyed being with her.

Ally was free, and if heaven cared for her at all, Poppy was taking Liz to Sutton. Liz took the hand James extended to her and dug her fingernails into his palm and the back of his hand. He winced and tried to pull away, rage filling his gaze, but Liz held on, bravery rushing through her now that Ally was with River. She leaned in close and whispered, “I’ll be as long as I want, you twit.”

She released him and Liz had the satisfaction of James shaking out his hand and confusion warring with the anger on his pompous face.

Poppy linked their arms, and Liz walked with her through the ballroom and out into the main hall of the mansion. With bright smiles, they greeted people Liz had known her entire life, but there was a pressure in Poppy’s grasp that showed she was as nervous as Liz. Was this really happening? Had she really just stood up to James like that? It was easy to be brave without his bodyguards around, but if Sutton wasn’t waiting for her she was in for a world of hurt later tonight.

“There go our darling children,” Poppy said brightly.

Liz caught sight of the front door opening and River and Ally slipping through. “They look so happy.” There went her life. Her only joy.

“They are.” Poppy reassured her.

The two women walked sedately down the hall toward the ladies’ room. Poppy squeezed her arm as she turned toward the door. “I’ll look forward to seeing you again real soon,” she said.

A hand on Liz’s other elbow drew her attention at the same time that she smelled that mixture of musk and sandalwood. “This way, Duchess.” He gave her a cocksure grin that seemed to peel the years away, despite the deprecating way he called her “Duchess.” Back before he’d left for the Navy, Sutton had been full of mischief, and she remembered many times him giving her that grin before taking her on some adventure, often something that her father would not have approved of.

Liz allowed him to direct her down a side hallway and toward the back of the house, joy rushing through her. He’d come. “It’s just Liz,” she murmured.

He glanced down at her again, and now his expression turned cool. “No, I don’t think we need to be that friendly.”

“Why not?” Liz demanded.

They turned into the mansion’s industrial kitchen. Cooks and the serving staff peered at them. Liz thought Sutton’s plan was a little on the daft side. The duke would have no trouble figuring out who she was with and where she’d gone. Sutton’s strength radiated off of him. Maybe that was exactly his plan. He’d always been ready for a fight, and he seemed keen on taking James down. But he had no clue how far-reaching James’ power and authority extended. Loads of money and being an extremely talented liar with Satan’s powers could accomplish anything.

“You answered that question over twenty-five years ago.” Sutton’s stern tone brooked no argument, but Liz was sick of men telling her what to do.

“Your information is flawed.” She shot the words at him.

Sutton smiled patiently and said, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating, Duchess. This way.” They headed down a rear staircase and into an underground car park. Liz wondered if it was for the Kingsley’s staff, but then she saw Kingsley’s prized Bentley collection.

She stopped on the steps and realized her fleeting dreams of running away with Sutton couldn’t happen. Ally was safe, for now, but James’ power was worldwide. “This is barmy. I need to stay and deflect James from chasing after Ally.”

“That worked so well in Kauai.” Sutton arched an eyebrow condescendingly at her.

It killed her that he was being so cold. Her heart had been light and happy thinking about being with him, but he obviously didn’t love her anymore. If there was no chance of them reigniting their love, she should definitely stay here and keep the duke from pursuing Ally and River and endangering any more lives. True, it hadn’t worked in Kauai when James had found Ally and killed River temporarily, but Liz would rather fight than run and the fact that James’ men had bested River in Kauai was even more reason to slow down his search for Ally.

“I know how to deal with the duke.”

Sutton’s brows drew together, and the glower was terrifying enough Liz took a step back up the staircase.

“I’ll give my life for Ally’s,” she said simply. James might allow the trade, if she left him all her fortune as well. What did she care about money if it gave Ally more time to hide and kept Sutton from having a bull’s eye on his back?

“You’re good at giving up your happiness for others, aren’t you Liz?” Sutton bit out the words.

Did he know what she’d done for him? If he did, why was he treating her so coldly? Yet he’d just called her Liz again, and even that one slip made her warm inside.

“I need to stay,” she said again, growing stronger in her conviction. She was two steps above him, and she felt empowered being close to his height.

Sutton rolled his eyes, swept her off her feet and flipped her over his shoulder. His hands wrapped around the back of her thighs. Liz cried out in surprise and dismay. “Sutton Smith! Put me down!”

“I’ve got no time to argue with you, Duchess. Be calm and trust me for once.”

Liz used to trust him, but this new Sutton was a stranger to her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to trust him or smack him good, yet being this close to him, even in this awkward position, was making her insides feel fluttery and she also was feeling something she hadn’t felt in twenty-five years … hope.

Sutton rushed through the car park with Liz in her formal, her stomach pressed against his shoulder like some kind of silly debutante being stolen away by the rugby captain. If she cared what anyone thought anymore, she would’ve been mortified.

He approached the passenger side of a silver Aston Martin. The doors clicked open, and he lowered Liz off his shoulder a lot more carefully than the way he’d thrown her up there. She slid to her feet, and their faces were much too close. Liz pulled in a quick breath as she stared into his exquisitely blue eyes.

Sutton’s eyes slowly traveled over her face, resting on her lips before capturing her gaze again. “Liz.” Her name slid out in a husky sort of groan that constricted her oxygen supply even further.

She held her breath, hoping, praying he’d simply touch his lips to hers. How she’d longed for him all these lonely, horrific years. When he simply stared at her with a torn, almost broody expression and never even leaned in, giving her a chance to meet him halfway, she couldn’t take it any longer.

“You really are 007 not 008.” She inclined her head toward the expensive vehicle. “The Aston Martin, making women fall for you.” She hoped it came out jokingly, referring to Poppy’s reaction to him, instead of the irrational jealousy that rushed through her. He was so exquisite, wealthy, charming. She couldn’t imagine how many women had fallen prey to those charms over the years, and it made her fighting mad.

“Are you falling for me, Liz?”

She was under his spell, that was for sure, and he’d just used her nickname again. But her tongue was thick, and her jealousy of all the other women who’d been in his life stopped her from saying anything.

His eyes shuttered, and he glowered at her. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t have time to be your little fling anymore,” he said shortly.

“What does that mean?” Had he really just claimed everything they’d shared in their youth was a “little fling?”

“Oh, please. I know how it works with your kind. How little I meant to you. Spare me being your latest conquest, Duchess.” He stepped back quickly and ushered her into the car, shutting the door.

Liz sat there with her back ramrod straight, cold and heat warring in her body. How dare he act as if what they had meant nothing to her and like she’d turned into some loose woman. Your kind? What sort of barmy insult was that? He had no clue what her life was like. Besides the fact that she had morals, the mere thought of her cheating on the duke with anyone was laughable. She knew James was with different women every week, but she was simply his slave and treated with less respect than any of their employees.

Sutton obviously hated her, and it killed her. She wanted to explain everything but how could she explain to this new Sutton? This beautiful, cold, and accomplished man who didn’t seem to care for her any longer. She’d ditched him to keep him safe. Would she ever dare tell him what she’d done for him?

He slipped into the car and pushed the start button. The motor purred to life. Sutton sat as straight in his seat as she did in hers, not glancing in her direction at all. No. There was no reason to tell him the truth. The past was in the past, and even without James beating her, Liz was destined to be miserable.