Wyatt’s grin widened. “Yep. That’s about it. He thinks he’ll fight a little fire with fire.” Wyatt stood over Trap’s body, one foot planted on either side of his legs. He whipped out his cell phone. “Need to get me a few shots of this. No one will believe she got the drop on him.”

Put that away, Wyatt, Trap demanded. He sent a scowl toward the swamp – toward Cayenne. I’m never going to live this down. He takes those pictures and the boys will have a field day. You didn’t have to bite me.

I had to bite you.

I didn’t mind the bite. I’ll take the bite if you like that sort of thing. It was kind of sexy, but lose the venom next time. I can’t satisfy your needs, baby, if I can’t move.

Draden pulled out his own cell phone. “I think it best if more than one of us has the proof. He’s not above destroying evidence.”

Wyatt slipped his phone back into his pocket, reached down and heaved Trap’s weight over his shoulder while Draden steadied the boat. Trap hung helplessly down his back, arms dangling free. Mordichai came out of the darkness. He reached Trap, caught his longish blond hair in his fist and lifted Trap’s head to peer into his eyes.

“She fucked you up royally,” he observed. He dropped Trap’s head with a grin and pulled out his own phone. “I’ll have to email these to the boys so they don’t miss out on the fun. Hang tight, Wyatt, let me get a few shots.”

I’m fucking going to kill every one of you, Trap snapped.

“Not if that woman of yours gets ahold of you. We won’t have to worry about a thing,” Draden said.

Wyatt glanced into the swamp. Straight at Cayenne, as if he could actually see her crouched there in the trees and brush. He raised his voice and gave her a little salute. “Thanks, lady. We don’ often get Trap over a barrel. We can have months of fun with this. Don’ you worry, we’ll take care of him for you. Go on home where you’ll be out of harm’s way. He’s safe with us.”

There was a small silence. Cayenne emerged from the swamp right out into the open, knowing she was exposing herself to real danger. She looked very small and lost. Wyatt stood sideways so Trap could see her there, risking getting shot. Knowing she stood right there visible to Ezekiel’s lethal trigger finger.

“He should be coming out of it by now. The Comeaux brothers both were up and moving within minutes after you were gone.” There was worry in her voice. “He shouldn’t have any ill effects, but maybe he’s allergic.”

I’m not allergic. You just injected a little too much venom. It’s already wearing off. Go home. I’ll be seeing you sooner than you think. Trap made it an order. She wasn’t good at taking orders, but she was anxious about him, and he was just as anxious about her. If his teammates perceived anything wrong with a single movement, if they thought her a threat, something bad could happen. He didn’t want to have to kill anyone he loved.

She hesitated, and then she looked up toward the roof. She knew exactly where both Ezekiel and Malichai were – something most others would never be able to pinpoint. Cayenne faded into the shrubs, and that told him she didn’t have a clue about Gino or his whereabouts. Wyatt turned toward the lab.

“We don’ have much time, Draden. He wants as much toxin in his blood as possible to work with. Mordichai, get the door open and get us the blood draw kit. I’ll want a lot of tubes,” Wyatt said. “This is funny as hell, but he’s still our brother and we’ve got to take his back. The next time she thinks she has him at her mercy, she’s going to have a very big surprise.”

Mordichai had already punched in codes and yanked the door open. Wyatt took Trap through to the long padded table where he placed the limp body gently. “When we develop this vaccine, Trap, and I have no doubt we will, make certain that it will guard against a lethal dose, accidental or not, just like we did with Pepper and the girls.”

Wyatt pulled Trap’s arm straight, found a vein and inserted the needle Draden handed him, his movements quick and sure. Pushing the first tube into position with his thumb, he watched the blood fill it. He filled five tubes. During that short amount of time it took to do so, he noticed Trap could move his head around.

“It’s wearin’ off. If she’s still close, reach out and tell her,” Wyatt suggested.

She doesn’t deserve to know after exposing me to the crap I’m going to get from all of you. She can get her beautiful ass home and stay up all night worrying about me.

“Before you start work, you’re going to have to let me check you out. You’ll need food, something to drink and a few hours of rest. I know you. You’re going to work day and night until you find what you’re lookin’ for. I’ll work with you, but you’ve got to follow my advice on this, Trap. We don’t know if there are any long-term effects yet.”

It might take me much longer, and I want to spend tomorrow night in my own home.

“You’ll do what I say. I’ll help, that will cut down the time. We’re already way ahead of the game because we’ve got the breakdown of Pepper’s and the girls’ venom. We know what we’re doin’ now and what to look for. I know you want to get into your home and be with her, but one or two more nights will help with gettin’ that woman nervous and anxious over you as well. She told you to leave her alone. Wait it out. She won’t be so quick to bite you when you show up.”

That made sense. Cayenne had it in her head that she wasn’t going to be his woman. She didn’t trust the connection. He had no idea how much she knew of Whitney’s experiments, but he paired his subjects using a combination of pheromones and something else no one had identified yet. She might not know that, and she’d be even more confused than he was about overwhelming emotions.

Trap didn’t give a damn if he had been paired with Cayenne by a psycho mad scientist or not – not when he knew it was more than physical attraction. He could have walked away from that, or had really great sex a lot, but there was much more than his body involved in the way he felt around Cayenne. He didn’t know if it was the same for her. Giving her a few days without him, to think it over, to miss him and worry about him was a good idea.

She should have left the area, hell, even the state, the moment she was freed from her cell. He knew that had been her intention, but she hadn’t gone. She’d stayed right there in the swamp with no home, no money, nothing at all but her connection to Trap. She’d stayed for him whether she would admit it to herself or not. She’d stayed because she couldn’t leave him any more than he could leave her.