Katarina reclaimed the phone and placed it on Speaker.

“No matter what Keeley tries,” Torin said, “she can’t find the box or the Star. And now she can’t even look for them.”

“Why?” Baden demanded.

“The artifacts are missing. Three of them, at least. Danika is still with Reyes, but the painting of the office is missing, too.”

Artifacts? What artifacts? Painting of what office?

The box, she could guess. Pandora’s box. Why did the men want it back? Hadn’t it caused enough trouble?

“Who would—” Baden began, but Torin cut him off.

“Cameo. Our girl kidnapped them. I’d say she planned to ransom them back to us just to mess with me, but the agonized look in her eyes the last time we chatted tells me otherwise.”

The announcement enraged Baden. He punched the wall, cracking the stone and probably his knuckles. “Is no one going after her?”

“Are you kidding? She’s a big girl. She texted to say this is something she has to do.”

“The fool woman is going to get herself killed.”

“You know better than anyone. We can’t help those who won’t help themselves.”

Baden scrubbed his free hand through his hair, the strands proving stubborn and remaining in adorable spikes. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” He ended the call.

Katarina petted his arm, offering comfort, but he shrugged her off. The rejection stung, even though she knew its source. Self-recrimination.

Always end on a positive note.

Hands on her hips, she said, “You heard Galen’s earlier orders. You need a shower...and I need to tease you sexually until you beg for mercy you’ll never receive.”

Baden frowned at her. “He never told you to make me beg.”

“Well, good news, big boy.” She winked at him. “I’m going to make you do it, anyway.”

24

“I am the one who put laughter in manslaughter.”

—Fox, keeper of Distrust

SEX IN THE SHOWER, sex on the floor, and all I want...is more, more, more.

Katarina snickered as she snuggled deeper into Baden’s side. She couldn’t get enough of the man, and he obviously felt the same about her. He couldn’t go a few minutes without touching her, and she loved it. Just like she loved—

Whoa. Slow down.

“I’m never letting you go, Katarina.”

His startling confession left her shivering with delight. “Maybe I’ll consider thinking about the possibility of maybe becoming immortal.”

Once upon a time...

A new story. A new chance for happily ever after. But—argh!—she still couldn’t get past the fact that this particular story would last for-freaking-ever. More time, more room for error.

“That isn’t good enough. You will become immortal. One way or another.”

An-n-nd goodbye happy mood.

“Ask nicely,” she said, her nerves razed.

“Not this time. I’d rather deal with your anger than your death.”

“I’m a grown-ass woman, Baden, and you don’t get to make my decisions for me. My opinions matter. My wants matter. Whether you agree with me or not.”

He wasn’t deterred. “One day, you’ll thank me for my insistence.”

“I won’t.” I won’t reinforce his domineering tendencies. “Now back off before you push me too far.”

“I won’t back off. I can’t. This is too important. You’re too young and too human to understand the—”

An animalistic growl sprang from deep inside her—a sound she’d never before made—and he went quiet. Not because of her, she realized, but because of the pups, who’d risen from their mound of pillows, the hair on their backs standing up.

Fury, a mirror to her own, pulsed off them.

The dogs dove for the bed—for Baden. Their teeth were bared, as if they planned to rip out his throat.

“No,” she rushed out, and they twisted midair, soaring past Baden as he threw his body over hers.

“No?” He anchored his weight on his palms to loom above her, his beautiful features dark with anger and determination. “Do you hope to protect me? Or them?”

“Both. Though I can’t fathom why I’d save you right now.”

“Because I’m willing to do anything to see to your safety. Even go against your wishes. You might not like it, but some part of you must appreciate it.”

Was that what she’d reinforced?

As the pups prowled around the bed, waiting for her signal this time, Katarina forced herself to calm through every means possible. Deep breathing, counting to ten, imagining herself in a happy place—a field of wildflowers where her former pups could play with her new pups.

“How did we go from making love and cuddling to this?”

“Very easily. Making love, cuddling...you showed me the desires of a heart I’d thought long dead. And one day you might decide to take that away from me? One day someone might kill you or old age might get the better of you? No.”

The romance of his words was ruined by the harshness of his tone. “Might? One day? Oh, no, kretén. I’m taking the desires of your heart away from you today. You’re so hardheaded, my warning wasn’t able to get through. Action is needed.” He would learn a lesson, and she would calm down. “We’re going to spend some time apart.”

She stood and nuzzled the dogs to assure them all was well before dressing in a T-shirt and jeans. “When you deny my right to choose, you don’t deserve me.” She strode to the closet, grabbed an empty duffel and began to fill it with her clothing. “So I’m leaving. Going somewhere far, far away from you.”

“No.” He spat the denial as if it were poison. “You’re staying here.”

“Another command.” She tsk-tsked. “You can’t stop me without harming me. Because I will fight you.”

He jumped up, copper eyes hot on her, and ripped the bag from her grip. A bag he tossed across the room. He backed her into the wall, a mix of carnality and acrimony as he flattened his palms beside her temples, caging her in.

She wasn’t afraid...but might have been a little turned on. Stay strong! The long-term outcome was more important than the short-term pleasure.

To her surprise, the dogs remained quiet. Sensed no threat this time?