She wrinkled her nose as she eyed his suit up and down. “Well, I haven’t done anything wrong, but I would like to make a statement against her.” She pointed at Livy, as I turned to shield her from the brunt of April’s words. “She endangered my life by forcing me to leave with her and then nearly got me killed in a car.”

  DI Jones lifted a brow. “You want to file charges because she rescued you?”

  She seemed just as incredulous as the rest of us. “So you didn’t want to leave captivity? Did you know your captors, Mrs. Van Linsted?”

  April scowled at the shorter woman. “Of course not. Don't be daft. My husband would have paid whatever ransom they asked for, but she insisted we had to leave. Thereby endangering my life. She dragged me through filth. Then we were rammed by that car. None of this would have happened if she hadn’t been following me at the gala.”

  Jones turned back to Livy. “You followed her?”

  Olivia’s voice was clear and even. “Yes. It was right after we’d all been robbed. I was trying to organize everyone who was hurt to one area so we could do the basic injury assessment. I saw April leaving down a corridor. I followed and called out to her. I was concerned that she was hurt, but I think she was headed for an exit.”

  Jones watched April carefully. “Where were you off to, Mrs. Van Linsted?”

  “First of all, I don’t have to explain myself to you,” April huffed. “Secondly, I was trying to get to my car and my security. I would have called the police to give a statement eventually.”

  Jones again lifted a brow. “But instead, you were taken?”

  “Yes. And then this woman forced me to escape. I could have been killed.”

  DI Jones made a note as she muttered. “Seems to me, you were lucky to be kidnapped with someone so resourceful.” She turned to Livy. Now, Miss Ashong, can you run us through what happened?”

  With a sigh, Livy ran through their harrowing escape. When she finished and leaned against my side, I was sure Spencer was half in love with her overall badassery. Jones’s expression was all respect. Jones tapped her tablet. “Do you know which way they took you?”

  Liv shook her head. “I don’t know. They drugged me before they took me from the gala, and when I woke up, we were in some kind of industrial building.” She swallowed hard. "But I do think we were in a warehouse outside of Harringay. There were some signs as we drove out. I’m sorry I should have paid better attention. I was more concerned with getting away.”

  Jones nodded. “You did fine. And Mr. Covington, how did you find Miss Ashong? How handy that you came up on her car just at that moment.”

  There was no way around that one. So I told the truth. “Tracking chip. When she didn’t phone after the Gem Gala, I went looking for her. As I’m sure you know, she was attacked in our home several weeks ago. The perpetrator wasn’t caught, so I went to extreme measures."

  Jones blinked. “You didn't call the police? Instead you went to go find her by yourself?”

  “Well to be fair, the police have been dragging their feet on finding the man who terrorized her. Or do you have something to go on to find Spivey?”

  DI Jones sighed. “You realize you could have put her in more danger?”

  “But I didn’t.” I had to end the interrogation for Livy’s sake. “Are we done here?”

  April Van Linsted spoke up then. "She almost got us killed, taunting them. My husband will hear about this."

  Livy sounded bored, as if she'd been listening to April’s complaints for far too long. "I'm pretty sure your husband will be as thrilled as I am when he has you back.“

  DI Spencer ignored my attempt to end the meeting. "Do you know who took you?"

  Livy shook her head. "No. They were Eastern European though. They did speak English at times, but mostly in terms of talk about ransom for her." She indicated April. "I got the impression I wasn't for ransom. At one point, one of the guys did say that I had another purpose. He didn't elaborate, and obviously, I didn't ask questions."

  "Right. So after you liberated the car, you were on the main road when you were rammed from behind?"

  She nodded. "Yes. There was a car coming in just as we’d made it out." Her gaze met mine then. “The driver had a burn on his left hand. I could see it under the streetlight.”

  My gut knotted. I’d been too late to get him. Too late to stop him.

  From her chair, April whined. "I told her to take me to my estate, to have my husband deal with it, but she did not comply."

  "Well, your husband would only be concerned about your welfare and safety, not mine. For all I know, he would have given me back to those idiots who took us. And I really wasn't in the mood. So like I said, since I was driving, and I had planned the escape, I wanted to go where I felt safe."

  DI Jones looked curious. "Why do you believe that Mr. Van Linsted would have given you back to your captors?"

  Livy rolled her eyes. "I don't. Not really. But if it was between keeping me or that one safe, I had no doubt where his loyalty would be. After all, she herself tried to sell me out to the kidnappers."

  When I heard that, I glowered at April. "You daft cow. You were always a self-serving bitch, weren't you?"

  "You know each other?" DI Jones asked.

  It was East that jumped in then. "Yes, professionally. We grew up with her son, Bram."

  Another note in their goddamn notebook. Everything was unraveling right in front of our eyes. But somehow, Bridge was keeping it together. "How lucky it was for Mrs. Van Linsted that she was taken with Livy, who obviously kept her cool under pressure. You probably should be thanking her. Thanks to her, you didn't have to wait for your husband to mount some sort of rescue or ransom."

  April's eyes went wide. "You weren't there. You don't know. She was antagonizing them. Spitting in their face, calling them names, she was hardly a benefit."

  DI Spencer gave Livy another once over. "Well done then. You managed to escape. Did anyone look familiar? Do you know them from somewhere?"

  It was the only moment Livy hesitated. "The one with the burn on his hand. I'm doing a research book for my mother. She passed away recently. The book was about the disappearance of Caroline Ritter. She was a diplomat. The man with the burn was in a couple of her photos.”

  DI Jones nodded at Liv. “You’re very brave. We’ll need to talk to you again. Where can we reach you?”

  I was already on it. I pulled a card out of my wallet and handed it over. “You can reach her here for questions.”

  “Thank you. Miss Ashong, you’re very brave and very lucky. Tonight could have turned out very differently. But thanks to your quick thinking, it didn’t. I don’t want you to worry though. We will find your assailants. We just need to know why you were taken in the first place.”

  Livy’s gaze met mine and spoke volumes. She didn't give away anything to do with London Lords or the Elite, but her gaze said it all. This might not have anything to do with the Lords at all, but rather to do with her mother's book, which led us to a whole new set of questions that I didn't have answers for right at that moment. All I wanted to do was grab her in my arms and never let go.

  "If we're done here, Detective Inspectors, she just had a long day. For anything else, you can come to us at Covington House in Belgravia after she’s had some rest." They exchanged another glance, but they nodded and put away their notebooks. "Sir, I do suggest you get her medical attention. That lip is going to swell at the very least."

  I glanced at her. "Yes, I'll have a doctor look at her tonight."

  "You know, I can hear you." she protested. "But this time, I agree. I think a doctor is a good idea. I think I need stitches."

  April moaned from the chair. "She needs stitches; I need stitches. Do you know how they abused me? It was inhumane—"

  I turned my back to her self-pitying act. "Let's get you looked at. I want to make sure nothing else happens to you. Do you understand me?"

  "I don't think you can stop it, Ben. I had the protection of our whole team, and still, someone got to me."

  It chafed to know that she was right. Someone had taken her right from under my nose. But I still had to try and figure out a way to make sure that never happened again.

  Livy

  Once we were able to leave the penthouse, Ben wasted no time and scooped me up like I was a child without a word. A doctor had been called for April to deal with her concussion. Ben told me one was coming to the house for me.

  I got to have no opinion, no thoughts about where we were going or what we were going to do. I assumed he would take me home, but it wasn’t like he said anything.

  The ride from the elevator down to the car was a quiet one, although everyone stared. I was clearly a mess. Blood on my torn clothes. My face was a mess, and my hair was worse. And Ben, wearing black jeans and black sweater, with his slightly too long blond hair and ice-blue eyes, easily carried me out of the hotel as if this happened every damn day.

  All I got were one-word answers from him as he eased me onto the passenger seat of the car that was waiting for us at the valet area. But this time, there was no driver. He drove us to the house, and once again, the whole drive from Soho to Belgravia was tense, quiet. Traffic was light, but he said not a single word. He didn't take a phone call. He didn't even put on the radio. I had no choice but to sit there, letting my mind wander. But I was too afraid to let it wander too deep. How much of the ordeal was going to come bubbling back up to the surface if I let it? So I didn't dare close my eyes.

  When we reached the house, for some reason it felt like I was seeing it for the first time. Maybe because I’d wondered if I would ever see it again. If there would ever be a moment when I’d walk through those doors again and marvel at the unassuming contemporary design, knowing full well that instead of one stately townhouse, Covington House was actually two done together and going three floors deep below the surface. Why? Because everyone needed a gym, a sauna, and a pool. And of course, a movie theater. Not to mention the multitude of rooms on the first, second, and third floors. There was more to the house than I could ever figure out. And somehow this place felt more like home to me than anywhere in the world ever had.

  When we parked, Scott came out of the side door to take the keys from him and he shook his head. He wouldn't even let Matthew open the door for me. "I have it."

  Those three words... those were the only words he'd spoken since we’d left East’s penthouse.

  When he opened the door, I tried to step out, but he prevented me and instead scooped me up. He carried me through the side door, past the mudroom and the offices into the great room. "I would take you to the bedroom first, but a doctor needs to check you out. Where do you think you'd be most comfortable?"

  "The bedroom would be great. I would love to clean up and get a bath."

  He winced. "I know, but I'm not sure if it's safe."

  I frowned. "What do you mean, safe?"

  "You might have internal bleeding."

  I laughed. "I'm fine. Sure, they got a couple of hits on me, but I wasn't impaled. You should see the other guy."

  His lips quirked, and that was the most emotion I'd seen from him in nearly an hour. "Ben, do you think—"

  The doorbell rang, and he jogged to answer it, quickly checking the security cameras on the way. When he returned, a middle-aged man followed him. Dark hair, kind eyes, around five-ten. When he smiled though, he definitely became more handsome. I could see how he might be one of Ben's gorgeous friends. Ben introduced him. "This is Dr. Callahan. He's going to check you out."

  "Honestly, Ben, I just need a few stitches."

  "No, give me some sanity. Please let him do his job."

  For the minor intrusion into an otherwise extremely long day, Dr. Callahan was kind, efficient, and patient with me. But still, he worked to get me as cleaned up as he could with antiseptic, had sure fingers to sew up the gashes, and then gave me butterfly clips for the smaller cuts. When he was done, he stepped back and admired his work, then gave me a nod. "None of it looks really pretty right now, but I promise you, you are lucky there is no major damage to your face. We'll put a cold compress on that eye and that cheekbone. No broken bones. So, no worries."

  I nodded slowly. "Right. I sure feel damn lucky."

  "I know. If you do need someone to talk to, you can call one of the therapists on my team."

  "Thank you, I appreciate it."

  Once Ben was sure I would live through the night, he showed Dr. Callahan out. When he returned, his hands were tucked in his pockets and he rocked back on his heels. "It's probably safe for you to try a shower now. I just wanted to be sure."

  I gave him a nod and pushed up out of the seat, nearly stumbling as I tried to keep from pitching forward. God, I was tired. Just plain exhausted.

  Ben rushed toward me. "Let me help you."

  I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. I don't need your help."

  "No, of course, you don't."

  I whirled back around and glowered at him. "So you are mad at me?"

  "No, I'm not mad at you. That’s not what this is."

  "Then please, explain to me exactly what this is. You're pissed off. You haven't said a word to me since we left the penthouse. This whole time, I have been trying to get back to you, and you have the nerve to be mad at me? Like, oh yeah, I asked to be kidnapped."

  He closed the distance between us and loomed over me, his ice-blue eyes boring into mine. "Is that what you think?"

  "What am I supposed to think? You're tense. Cold. Flat. You haven't said a word. You're pissed off. I can see it in the set of your jaw, the way your muscles tick, the press of your lips. I know you, Ben. If you're mad at me, just come out and say it. You're pissed off that I ruined your plan. Well, that wasn't exactly what I meant to do. I saw April running down the hall. I thought she’d seen one of our guys, so I tried to stop her. The next thing I know, I wake up smelling of gasoline and tied to a chair. Then some random Eastern European asshole thought it would be fun to grope me."

  His eyes went wide and then he stopped rocking. "What?” That one word was laced with rage.

  “It’s okay, I’m pretty sure his face is caved in… since I hit it with a pipe.”

  He blinked several times before the words tore out of his chest. “I'm not mad at you."

  "Well, it sure feels like it. You won't talk to me. Honestly, all I want you to do is to tell me that you missed me, and you were worried, and you're happy to have me back, and—"

  He placed his hands gently on my face. "I'm happy you're back. I'm happy you're safe. You're not seeing anger, Liv, you're seeing fear. I was fucking terrified. I love you, and you were gone. Every woman I love goes away. My mother died. Lila, well, let's not talk about her. And you... My love for my mother is a memory. Lila, I'm convinced I never really loved. But you… You, who owns me and the depths of my soul, you were gone. And I wasn't there to save you, or help you, or anything, and I had no way to get to you. So, yeah, I'm a little tense. You're back and I'm relieved, but I'm also scared that it will happen again. I'm also guilty and angry that I wasn't the one who was there to help and protect you. That's what you're sensing."

  My mouth formed a small O. "Why didn't you say something?"

  "I was trying not to let the fury with whoever took you blow back on you. It was better if I kept my mouth shut."

  "I needed to hear something from you, Ben. Anything. It's terrifying when you won’t talk to me."

  "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry you were scared. I am sorry, I wasn't there. I could kick myself. You needed me. And where the hell was I? I don't know if I could ever forgive myself if I lost you."

  I grabbed his hands and then kissed each of his palms. "I got out because I was thinking of you... of getting back to you."

  The tear that escaped his eye and rolled down his chiseled cheek surprised me. "Ben?"

  "I love you so fucking much. I don't know what I’d have done if something had happened to you. Please don't ever leave me again."

  He didn't want me to leave? He loves me?

  Yeah, you idiot. Pay attention.

  "I love you too."

  He nodded, and then gently, his lips brushed over mine. I couldn't help but wince, and he drew back. "Oh, right. Sorry. As soon as that heals, I'll give you the proper kiss you deserve. But right now, let me take care of you, okay? And then I'll hold you until you go to sleep, and I'll use that sleep to plot the demise of the people who took you."

  When his hands started to slide off my face, I held on to them tight. "Ben, none of this is your fault. It's on me. That man… Like I told the police, he was in my mother's photos. That's where I know him from. I was taken because of my research, not because of what you're doing. That's why. This isn't because of the Elite. This is because of me, what I've been working on, what my mother was working on. I put the target on my own back."

  4

  Livy

  Ben kissed my forehead, then scooped me up. When we reached the bathroom, he eased me onto the floor, then turned on the shower. Steam started to fog the glass as he turned to me.

  Gingerly, the two of us worked to take off the rest of my clothes, then he helped me into the shower before impatiently stripping down and joining me.

  My first priority was a shower. I still smelled of gasoline, and I had bumps and bruises and just wanted to be clean. I stepped into the stream of scalding water and groaned. There were patches that stung, but God, it mostly felt amazing. I turned my body, letting the spray hit my back and work out those sore muscles. Pressing my body into his I couldn’t help the moan that escaped.

  His grin was wolfish. “I can make that happen, but maybe we wait?” He swallowed hard. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’ve had a rough night.”

  I had. But standing with him, surrounded by a cocoon of steam, I wanted to feel alive. And he could help me with that.

  There was nothing I loved more than wet, naked Ben. His grin flashed quickly, and his ice-blue eyes narrowed. Under his intense gaze, my skin went hot and prickly. “See something you like?”