Bang! Bang! Greg froze, his hand halfway to Juliet. She had been forced to lie on the cot. He hadn't told a soul which bunker they'd be using. There were six on the property, all identical from the outside, all rigged with different access codes. Nobody else in the entire Forbes organization knew the combination to this one.Who has come knocking? Greg crossed to the reinforced panel and squinted through the peephole. A man stood too close to the door in ordinary clothes, in work boots and a dark jacket. The viewing angle cut off everything above the shoulders. It must be the maintenance crew, Greg decided. Or one of the gardeners who had wandered too far and gotten curious. His mouth twisted in annoyance. "Get lost!" he barked into the speakerphone. "This bunker is being used for an urgent Forbes family lockdown. You don't belong here. Scram!" The figure stood where it was. The voice that answered was calm and almost mild. "Then let me in. I'm important to the Forbes family."

Somewhere above the east wing, the estate alarm was still blaring. Juliet's eyes opened slowly. The first thing she registered was a steady rocking, gentle, movement. Her body was cradled rather than lying flat. Then the arms around her, one under her knees and one across her back, and the warmth of a chest against her shoulder. Jack. Carrying her down a corridor as if she weighed nothing. She smelled blood on him before she was fully awake. "Let go of me." He stopped at once and set her down carefully. The sudden change of position made the corridor tilt. Juliet caught herself against the wall, fingers pressed flat to the concrete, and waited for the world to settle. "Why are you carrying me..." It returned in pieces, the way bad things do, not in order and not clean. The bitter taste at the back of her throat. The dizziness arrived faster than she'd understood what it meant. Greg's voice, very calm, explaining what he'd done and what he was going to do to her. Her legs wer

The footage caught a deep horn blaring from Bowman's ship, telling the port that he had arrived. It was a massive show of force, a message that he answered to neither the government nor its borders.The blast rolled through the living room speakers, making the crystal glasses on the side table tremble.On screen, Bowman's massive hull slid into the harbor while port workers scattered like startled birds. Donald's fingers dug into the arms of his chair.Lydia's breath caught, and she edged toward her husband, fear plain on her face.Juliet's heart sank. She grabbed Jack's hand without meaning to, fingers closing tight around his.Not now, Juliet thought, fighting the rising panic. Not after everything. I don't want to be taken like this.Dean and David started getting fidgety. Dean shifted his weight, his shoes creaking against the floor. David tugged his collar loose, sweat beading at his temples.Their eyes met across the room. If Bowman learned they had courted Juliet, trouble would

As the sole heir, and the man known in upper circles as the Dark Prince, Jack's word carried absolute weight. Generals and admirals answered to him without question, even from halfway around the world.Jack Hardy, if he wished, could topple nations. Yet here he was, using that power for something as simple as turning away a gangster's army from his fiancée's doorstep.Not that I'd ever admit that out loud, he thought, his gaze drifting to Juliet.She looked equal parts relieved and bewildered, her cheeks still flushed from the earlier stress.But I wouldn't mind showing off a little more of Springfield's reach, if it keeps her safe.Showing off what he could really do, for Juliet's sake, gave him a rare spark of pleasure.For now, though, staying in the shadows as plain Jack Hardy suited him just fine. He would gladly do far more than that to keep her safe.Juliet's grandfather let out a deep breath and clapped his hands together once. "This is tremendous news. The threat is averted!"

Zendaya was smitten, and she did not care about subtlety anymore. She let her eyes stay on Jack so long he began looking like dinner to her.Jack reached for his clothes. He pulled the undershirt over his head, then stepped into his pants and fastened them without hurry."What is your name, handsome?" she asked, her tone half interested and half flirting."Jack Hardy."Zendaya tilted her head, studying him as if filing the name away. "Do you know who I am?"Jack shook his head once. "Am I supposed to know everyone who invades my privacy?"She hugged her arms across her chest, her lips curling. This man was handsome in that raw, alpha way, and her fame had slid right off him.Most men tripped over themselves at the mention of Zendaya Seymour's name. This one stood there as though she had walked in on him brushing his teeth.She stepped into the changing room and closed the gap a little."Are you single?" she asked, smacking her lips."I am not married. Yet."Zendaya's smile widened and