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.”“And then you ran.”“Hague had injected me with the craving virus.So that I’d survive his experiments.By the time I fled, I wasn’t in my right mind.I could barely fight off the hunger, let alone actually think about what I should do.And my father—I couldn’t go home.It was the first place the Moncrieff would look.And he’d threatened—”“It’s all right,” Garrett whispered, his hands stroking her hips as he rocked her.“You don’t have to be frightened anymore.”So easy to surrender to that gentle touch.She wanted to.“You don’t understand.The duke knew what Hague was doing.They have no conscience, no…no empathy.You can’t arrest them.You can’t duel them; only a blue blood of the Echelon can.With this ability to reverse the craving, the duke owns the prince consort.Any court case would simply vanish, and the witnesses too.”Garrett’s hold tightened.“So you’ll stay with him.Knowing what he did.”“I will do what I need to.”“And so will I,” he said quietly.“Don’t.”“If I asked you not to stay with the duke, would you obey?”Perry’s jaw tightened.“I thought not,” he replied.“So don’t ask me to watch the woman I love go with another man to save my life.I won’t have it, Perry.”“Stop saying that.”“I’ll keep saying it until you believe me.” His arms locked around her, drawing her close, his breath a harsh exhalation against her cheek.“I love you, Perry.I’ll always love you.And I’ll tell you every day for the rest of our lives if you need me to.”She couldn’t keep fighting him anymore.And the dance was drawing to a close, people’s eyes turning their way.He was holding her far too closely for even the assah.Her eyes met the Moncrieff’s.The duke was waiting for her on the edge of the dance floor, a blank expression on his face.Too blank.“Trust me,” Garrett whispered.It broke something inside her.“I’m frightened,” she admitted.“All of this… Everything I’ve done… I can kill a man with one blow, but as soon as I see the duke, I’m just a frightened young girl again.I hate it.”“The problem is that you still think you’re alone.”She looked up.“And you’re not,” Garrett said fiercely.“You have me—you’ll always have me.And Lynch and Rosalind, Byrnes…even Barrons is here… Do you think we’re frightened of the duke?”Hope stirred, that fickle bitch.“What are you going to do?”“Promise me you haven’t given up.” He used her own words against her.Another darting glance at the Moncrieff.Perry wet her lips.“Garrett…” She wanted to believe him.In her entire life, she’d never met anyone who gave her as much hope as he did.“Swear it,” he demanded in a fierce whisper.Their heads were curled together.He was barely rocking her now, both of them cocooned in their own little world.Perry tasted his breath on her lips.Her heart gave a wild thump.To take this step frightened her almost as much as Hague did.She’d been trying to protect Garrett, to protect her father, but if she didn’t do something, she’d be trapped forever.There would always be someone the Moncrieff could use against her.And I don’t want to do this anymore.Her heart twisted again.I want to be with Garrett.“I swear it.”The hard line of his shoulders softened.“Good.My first impulse was to come in here with that recurring pistol Fitz has been dabbling with and kidnap you like a pirate, but Lynch and Barrons—and common sense—have convinced me to wait until we have a workable plan.We’re putting things into place for tomorrow at the exhibition.I still need to contact several people, but I needed you to know you weren’t alone.” Gloved fingers brushed against her hair.“I’m not going to duel him, Perry.Though I damned well want to.But this is another world and I’m going to play by their rules.”“And me?”“Be prepared,” he whispered.“For anything.Lynch will give you the details at the exhibition—I daresay I won’t be allowed close to you.” For a moment his eyes darkened.“Moncrieff won’t hurt you? Tonight?”“I can handle him,” she stressed, her voice a little stronger now.“He can’t afford to hurt me.Not now.In a way, returning to the Echelon was the safest thing I could have done.He can’t do anything to me without destroying his standing in society.”“What about Hague?”“There’s been no sign of him, and I doubt I will see one.The duke knows how I feel about that.And Hague is disciplined, despite everything.He will be working on the device.”The muscle in his jaw ticked and he shut his eyes, his chest expanding as he took a slow breath.“If he lays one hand on you…”“If he touches me, I’ll break his fingers,” Perry whispered, squeezing his hand.That warmth was spreading through her now.Belief.She had the ridiculous, light-headed feeling that they were going to do this.“You know I will.”For a long moment she didn’t think she’d convinced him.Garrett opened his eyes and stared at her, releasing the breath he’d been holding.“Tomorrow,” he said.Then, foolishly, “I don’t want to let go of you.”“I don’t want to let you go, either.”His eyes searched hers.“You mean it.”“I always meant it,” Perry whispered.“Even if I never dared say it.”The light in his eyes almost made her smile.But neither of them dared, at this moment.Garrett squeezed her hands where they were laced through his.“Don’t tempt me to take you out of here,” he growled.“Tomorrow, when this is done, I’m going to lock you in my bedchambers and make you tell me that until you’re hoarse.”“Tomorrow, then,” she whispered.“I’ll hold you to that.” Garrett glanced over her shoulder as if meeting someone else’s eyes.Perry didn’t dare look; she could feel the Moncrieff’s gaze drilling between her shoulder blades.Slowly she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, bringing his attention back to hers.“Trust me.”“Tomorrow.” He said the word as if it was a promise, then he gave a taunting nod to someone behind her and, turning, strode away through the crowd.A hand locked around her elbow.“What the hell is he doing here?” the Moncrieff hissed.“Saying good-bye,” Perry whispered, watching as the crowd swallowed up the man she loved.Twenty-threePerry had barely gotten a wink of sleep for the nervousness that racked her and the fear that something was going to go wrong, that Garrett would be harmed.That was truly her worst nightmare.To come so close to being in his arms—his heart—and have it all torn away from her.To lose him forever.“You look rather unimpressed,” the Moncrieff murmured at her side, tearing her thoughts from the man who held her heart.Perry blinked.She’d barely noticed any of the exhibitions they’d passed, or the chorus of amazed exhalations from the attendees.Everyone was curious about her, of course, and though she’d exchanged small pleasantries, they’d been distracted ones at best.“The exhibitions are truly first-class,” she said, meaning none of it.“The prince consort shall be overjoyed with their reception
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