page26 (1/1)

She told herself she was is But deep down she knew she wasn’t Liam was attracted to her No, it was beyond that He was beco territorial where she was concerned

Vishenko had been territorial, keeping her for his exclusive use for two night Island mansion for certain of his associates who ca in his power over her Knowing she was frighteningly aware of the punishment he would inflict once they were alone if she repulsed hiht him in private, he didn’t care In fact, he enjoyed it But she was not to cause him to lose face

Cate had learned that lesson the hard way And to her sha his after the first fewhi him the power he insisted onin public

Thenpretending to concede even in private after the first year She’d fought that battle with her self-respect, but Vishenko had broken her resistance enough so that she knew the only way to escape was to pretend To loosen the stranglehold he had on her To lull him into a false sense of security where she was concerned Hating hi him—and herself—she’d subain Not just to Vishenko, but to any man

Liam wasn’t like Vishenko She knew that In her heart she knew that, butshe didn’t want hied to hiain Even if she died for it

After they found D’Arcy in the living room and told him Cate’s decision, Liam watched Cate walk away from them without another word, up the stairs to her bedroo the door behind her

“Did she take ?” D’Arcy asked him

Liahts away fro his head “Not really She’s sh to knohat’s best for her It’s just been a lot for her to take in Including everything that happened yesterday”

D’Arcy’s face reflected his regretand his frustration with hi like thatand have been prepared for it Especially after the other witness was killed But I’ll be honest I thought she was safe in the courthouse Which just proves I can make mistakes—bad ones—like every other man out there I just don’t happen to like it”

One corner of Liam’s mouth curved upward in a half smile “Baker Street Isn’t that what Keira and Cody call you? And McKinnon, too? Because you’re so omniscient?”

“Yeah, I have that reputation,” D’Arcy said, returning Liailance And this proves I’m not really oet this close to taking her out” He sighed, looking his age for once, before his face hardened “Don’t let anything happen to her, Jones I know I don’t have to tell you that—you and your brother did a daot her safely all the way here But this case now rests on the sliet it Vishenko and his cohorts walk free Again”

“What about the extradition to Zakhar? Cate told es there, as well”

“Yes, and the US has an extradition treaty with Zakhar But Vishenko’s lawyers will fight it It could drag out for years And Vishenko will be free on bail in the meantime, just as he is now Do you really think he’ll ed off to Zakhar for a trial that will be little iven how the Zakharians feel about the monarchy?” D’Arcy shook his head “I don’t think so If this conspiracy trial tanks, Vishenko will fight extradition all the way, and in the end I’ll bet he skips bail rather than go to Zakhar, extradition or no He has the o anywhere in the world There are countries without extradition treaties with the US and Zakhar that would harbor hieefor a price”

Liam stood just inside the closed door to his bedrooht about what D’Arcy had said about Vishenko Then his thoughts moved inevitably to Cate, and the need to keep her safe Not just for the trialfor himself, as well And wasn’t that a kick in the teeth He hadn’t seen it co Not at all

He needed to get himself under control Cate wasn’t his woman, and he had to stop the damned knee-jerk reaction every ti for Alec So what? Alec was a prince of a guy, and she wouldn’t be the first woman attracted to him What the hell business was it of his anyway?