Page 40

I check the time on my screen. 4:47 a.m..

I pull out my secure phone. I dial Rourke.

“Prep the motorcade.” I issue the command the second he answers. “Ghost protocol. We relocate to the mountain property tonight. Rig the estate to blow if anyone breaches the inner courtyard.”

“Understood.” Rourke ends the call.

I leave the study. I walk down the silent hall and unlock Liv’s door.

I step inside the suite. She lies on her side. Her blonde hair spills across the silk pillow. She looks younger in her sleep. The sight of her stirs a vicious protectiveness in my blood. I sit on the edge of the mattress. I stroke her warm cheek.

Her eyes flutter open. She registers my face. Her shoulders drop in absolute trust. No tension. No fear.

“Jax?” Her voice is thick with sleep. “Is everything okay?”

“We need to take a trip, little bird.” I brush a stray curl behind her ear. “You, me, and Ari. Somewhere safer. We leave tonight.”

She sits up. She clutches the sheets to her chest. Worry knits her brows together. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Your sister and Hunter plan a disruption.” I offer a careful version of the truth. “I am taking you somewhere they cannot reach us. Somewhere we can continue our life without interference.”

Panic flashes in her hazel eyes. “Are they coming to take me away from you?”

The fear validates every hour of my work. She fears the rescue. She dreads returning to her old life.

“They anticipate a fight.” I cup her face. “I will not let them take you, Liv. You are mine. You belong with me, and I protect what is mine.”

She bites her lower lip. “Will Ari come too?”

“Of course. He belongs to me as well. I need you to trust me today. The environment changes, but I keep you safe. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” The answer carries no hesitation. “I trust you.”

I kiss her forehead. “Pack your essentials. Nothing traceable.”

She throws off the covers and heads for the closet. I watch her for a beat before I exit the suite.

Ari’s cell feels colder. Darker. He sits on the edge of his cot. His head rests in his hands. He snaps his chin up when I enter. The tension returns to his shoulders, but his pupils dilate. His breathing turns shallow. The conditioning takes hold despite his mental resistance.

“We need to talk.” I close the door.

Ari tracks my movements.

“Hunter mounts an assault on this estate within forty-eight hours.” I lean against the concrete wall. “We relocate tonight.”

Ari processes the information. His green eyes widen. The internal war wages across his face. Rescue approaches. The Vipers did not abandon him. Hope battles the dark submission I planted inside his chest.

“You could signal them.” I cross my arms. “You could cause a disruption during transport. Leave a trail. Or you could make the choice to come with me. Trust that I keep you safe. Accept your place with me.”

Ari swallows hard. His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat. “They are coming to rescue me.”

“They are coming to retrieve an asset.” I push off the wall. “They want the Ari who existed before you entered my compound. The charming operative. That man is dead. You are becoming who you were always meant to be.”

He grips the edge of the cot. His knuckles turn white.

“Go back.” I offer the alternative, keeping my voice low. “Pretend again. Return to the empty life. Keep everyone at a distance. Die of loneliness while you smile at society galas.” I step closer. I invade his space. “Or stay with me. Stop hiding the parts of yourself you never showed even to Liv.”

“You hold me captive.” Ari shakes his head. His voice cracks. “This is manipulation.”