Broken Princess: Ruthless Rulers Book 3

by Hart, Stella

  My jaw dropped. “You gave her fucking hints? Why didn’t you just pull her aside and make her listen to everything whether she was interested or not? Or at least warn her that her fiancé’s mother might be a secret sociopath?”

  Rowan held up a palm. “Logan, I had no solid evidence of anything. All I really had in the end was a bunch of suspicions. I wasn’t sure what this secret society was actually doing, or whether or not Willow would ever be in danger because of them. So what exactly was I supposed to warn her about?”

  My shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” I muttered, scrubbing a hand across my face. “It’s just so fucking frustrating not knowing where she is or what’s happening to her.”

  “I get it. What have you tried so far?”

  “Everything I could think of. I used Caldwell’s databases to check flight logs, traffic cam footage, and other stuff like that. It was all a dead end,” I said. “That’s why I came here. I thought you might be able to help me find her.”

  “Well, I’m certainly going to try,” he replied.

  I tilted my chin to one side. “Do you think she could be at Lilith Hall?”

  “There’s no way for me to tell. She could be anywhere.”

  “Okay, but from what you know about the place, do you think it’s likely they took her there?”

  “Not really. From what I’ve read, the winery gets hundreds of tourists visiting it every day, and the resort next door has hundreds of guests at any given time too. It would be hard to keep the president’s daughter locked up there without anyone noticing.”

  “That’s true.” I nodded slowly. Then I jumped up, slapping my palm against my forehead. “Shit! I can’t believe I almost forgot about this. We need to find T.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “I think he or she might be one of my mom’s most trusted followers. When she was pretending to call Willow the other night, she called them instead. I figured whoever it is might be the one who actually did the dirty work of taking Willow from the White House, and there’s a good chance they’re still with her now.”

  “Did you see their number at all?”

  My lips flattened. “I didn’t have a chance to look at it for more than a second. I remember it had three nines at the end, but that’s all.”

  Rowan turned to his computer and started typing again. “This is the list of numbers I told you about earlier. The ones your mom contacts the most frequently,” he said, bringing up a document. “Do any of them look familiar?”

  I leaned closer and scanned the page. “That one,” I finally said, pointing to a number in the middle of the list. It ended with a triple nine. “That’s got to be it. Who does it belong to?”

  Rowan clicked something and frowned. “Sorry, it looks like a burner phone. It isn’t registered to anyone.”

  I slammed my fist on the desk. “Fuck!”

  “Calm down,” Rowan said, lifting a hand. “I can set the phone number up in Vigil, and we can start listening. We might get lucky and hear the person talking right away, and if we recognize their voice, we’ll have a real lead.”

  “Oh. Yeah.” I breathed a short sigh of relief. “Fuck, I’m so glad I came to see you.”

  “Never thought I’d hear Logan Thorne say he’s grateful for my existence,” Rowan replied, raising his brows as he typed. “Okay, we’re linked up. Let’s just hope the person has the burner on them right now.”

  Some sounds started coming out of the speakers, but there weren’t any clear voices. It was just the generic noise of a restaurant or café with the unintelligible buzz of people talking in the background, silverware clinking, chairs scraping, and heels clicking on tiles.

  “This is good,” Rowan whispered. “They might not be talking right now, but they’ve got the phone on them, and they’re in a public place. That means they’ll probably start talking soon.”

  “I hope so.”

  A clear masculine voice finally emanated from the speakers. “Thanks. This looks great.”

  Rowan’s mouth twisted as he listened. “He sounds familiar,” he muttered. “But I can’t figure out why.”

  “Yeah, it’s the same for me,” I said, tapping my chin with an index finger. “I know that voice. I just don’t know how or why. I need to hear him talk again.”

  We waited another ten minutes, hoping the man would speak up again. Unfortunately, he seemed to be dining alone, so there was no clear conversation at his table.

  “Excuse me? Can I get another glass?” he finally said, presumably addressing a passing waiter.

  My eyes widened, and I sat up straight. “Holy fuck. It’s Jamie Torrance.”

  “You’re right,” Rowan said, forehead creasing. “No wonder he sounds so familiar.”

  A wave of anger washed over me. “He was talking to Willow at the Christmas party. She trusted him. So did I.”

  “Really?” Rowan’s nose wrinkled. “Why?”

  “Long story short: she thought he might know something about the Order, and she thought he might be able to help us.” I sighed and leaned forward, putting my head in my hands. “I should’ve fucking known. He was way too nice to her.”

  “Nice? No way. Jamie Torrance is a total sleaze.”

  “You think so?”

  Rowan nodded. “Yeah. He’s always looked at Willow like she’s some sort of prey,” he said. “I’ve seen him doing it at every single party or event we’ve attended over the last few years.”

  “Really? I never noticed.”

  “Trust me, it’s true. Whenever I looked at Willow, he’d be right there in the background, creepily staring at her. Every single time.”

  I raised a brow. “You know, for someone who claims to only see Willow as a friend, you sure do spend a lot of time observing her and everyone around her.”

  “I—”

  I held up a palm and cut him off. “Don’t worry, man, I’m just kidding.”

  “Oh. Right.” Rowan’s face flushed, and he swallowed audibly. “Can I… can I tell you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “I wasn’t lying earlier. I’m honestly not interested in Willow at all. It’s just… I’ve always had trouble with… um…”

  “With what?” I asked.

  “Social stuff, I guess,” he said, scratching at his cheek. “It doesn’t come naturally to me. I just don’t get it. So I look at popular people and watch their body language. People like Willow. Then I try to copy their behavior.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  “I think it helps me a bit,” he went on. “I mean, I know I still seem awkward most of the time, but if I didn’t do it at all, I’d probably just sit in the corner staring at the floor.”

  I stared at him, brows knitted. “Jesus, man,” I said. “I had no idea you went through shit like that. I’m sorry.”

  He gave me a half-hearted shrug. “It’s not your fault. I’m just weird,” he mumbled.

  “No, really. I’m sorry. I’ve always been such a fucking dick to you,” I said. “Willow is lucky to have a friend like you. I don’t think I’d even be able to find her without you.”

  “Oh. Well… thanks.”

  “No problem. It’s just the truth.” I turned my gaze back to the computer screen. “Anyway, is there some way you can track Jamie’s burner phone to confirm he took Willow?”

  Rowan nodded slowly and started typing again. “I should be able to trace previous GPS activity,” he said. He paused and squinted at the screen. “Here we go. This is the night of the White House party. The data shows him leaving the White House at half past ten.”

  My heart began to pound. “That’s the exact same time Willow vanished from the party. Where did he go after that?”

  “Looks like he went down to Alexandria. Ended up at a marina. Then it goes dead for a while. He must’ve been on a boat with no signal.”

  “Can you see anything after that?”

  “Yes. His phone came back online about seven hours later, in North Carolina.”

/>   My brows shot up. “Do you think that’s where they’re keeping Willow?”

  Rowan shook his head. “It was probably just a tactic to stop you from finding her on any flight logs or traffic cameras in or around D.C,” he said. “The data says he left Wilmington on a plane almost immediately, and he flew up to… guess where?”

  “Lilith Hall?”

  “Close, yeah. A private airfield nearby. Then he drove there. To Lilith Hall, I mean.”

  I swallowed thickly. “So he probably took Willow there with him.”

  “Maybe, but I can’t be sure.” He frowned at the screen. “It looks like he’s actually been up there a few times over the last few days. Also, your mother was there two nights in a row, between midnight and two A.M. So she’s spending way more time there than she usually does.”

  “Like she’s hiding something really big.”

  Rowan turned to look at me. “Yeah. So you’re right. Willow is probably there.”

  I lifted my hands. “Hey, don’t give me any credit. You’re the one who found this place.”

  “Eh, it was a team effort,” he replied with a modest shrug. “Anyway, what are you going to do now?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” I said, smiling thinly. “I’m going to Lilith Hall, and I’m getting Willow the fuck out of there.”

  7

  Logan

  By the time I got back to Wonderland, it was almost nine o’clock. I headed straight for the top floor, and I ended up crossing paths with my mother as soon as I stepped out of the elevator.

  I could barely look at her without feeling a desperate, blazing urge to pick her up and throw her out a window, but for now, I had to smile and pretend everything was fine. I couldn’t let her know I was onto her.

  “Logan!” she said with a bright smile, air-kissing my cheeks. It took every ounce of willpower I had to not flinch at her touch. “Where have you been?”

  “Just out with a friend.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” Her forehead wrinkled as she stepped back. “Are you all right? You look exhausted.”

  “I haven’t been sleeping much.”

  “Why?”

  I swallowed thickly. “I guess I’m just worried about Willow.”

  “Don’t worry, she’ll be back before you know it,” she said, patting my forearm. “She called you, didn’t she?”

  “I got a voicemail from her the other day, but I haven’t been able to call her back.”

  She shrugged. “You know what it’s like when you’re out on a yacht. No phone signal most of the time, and you’re too busy having fun to think about calling anyone anyway.”

  I forced a tight smile. “Yeah. I’m sure she’s having a lot of fun.”

  “Yes. Anyway, I better go,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I’m meeting someone downstairs for dinner. I’ll see you again in an hour or so for tea by the fire?”

  “Sure.”

  “Maybe we’ll make it scotch instead,” she said with a playful wink. “That’ll help you sleep.”

  I nodded. “Good idea.”

  “Actually, that reminds me—I won’t be around for our nightly drink tomorrow.”

  “Why?” I asked, lifting a brow. I was already ninety-nine percent certain that I knew the answer. I just wanted to hear the bullshit excuse she came out with.

  “A friend’s daughter just got engaged, and I said I’d help her throw a party, so I’ll be out most of the afternoon and night. I might even stay out there until the next day. So don’t wait up for me.”

  “Okay.” I swallowed thickly, wondering what the hell she had in store for Willow tomorrow night. There had to be a reason she was going up to Lilith Hall for so long.

  “Anyway, see you later, darling!” Mom air-kissed me again before sweeping down the hall toward the elevator, leaving the cloying scent of her perfume lingering in the air.

  I gritted my teeth, took a deep breath, and headed down to my father’s study. He was sitting at his desk, glasses halfway down his nose as he pored over some paperwork. When I walked in without knocking, he glanced up and frowned. “Logan. What are you doing here?”

  I sat down without waiting for an invitation. “I just wanted to talk.”

  “Since when do you want to talk to me?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

  I lifted a conciliatory palm. “Since now. I know there’s been a lot of tension between us over the last few months, and I wanted to apologize for that.”

  His eyes widened slightly. “Oh. I see.” He coughed and cleared his throat. “I suppose it’s fine. Both of us can be irritable on occasion.”

  “So we’re good?”

  A ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Yes. We’re good.”

  I returned the smile. “Cool. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something. Have you ever heard of Lilith Hall?”

  I watched his face carefully as I spoke. I knew I was taking a risk by asking him about the place, but I was quite certain he wouldn’t have a clue what I was talking about. He wasn’t part of Mom’s shadow council, after all, and that meant he didn’t have the privilege of attending the top-secret meetings.

  I also knew for a fact that he’d never been to Lilith Hall. Rowan confirmed that for me earlier, using his phone’s GPS data. On top of that, Rowan said he’d frequently heard my mother lying to my father about where she was going when he listened in on Vigil. That suggested he knew nothing about her true identity as Q, and he had no idea that she was constantly sneaking off to clandestine shadow council meetings.

  While he definitely knew that the higher-ranking Order members were up to something shady, and he clearly helped out with their schemes (Willow and I had both witnessed him with pregnant women at some point, so that was a no-brainer), I was quite sure he was kept in the dark about what went on in the uppermost echelons of the society.

  This question would either confirm or deny that for me. He’d always been a bad liar, so if he knew about Lilith Hall, it would be written all over his face.

  “No, what is that? A band?” he asked, brows gathering together. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he waited for my response.

  He wasn’t lying.

  “It’s a winery with a luxury resort attached to it,” I replied. “Mom’s family owns it.”

  “Oh. What was the name again?”

  “Lilith Hall.”

  He scoffed. “What a stupid name for a winery.”

  I smiled thinly. I’d actually Googled the place while I was with Rowan earlier, and I’d spotted an unrelated page discussing the name Lilith and the mythology behind it. According to the page, the original Lilith was a sexually-wanton demon who stole babies in the night.

  That gave me a pretty good idea of what really went on up at Lilith Hall.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty dumb,” I said, affecting a casual air. “Anyway, I brought it up because I’ve been looking at possible wedding venues.”

  “For you and Willow?”

  “Yeah. I thought I could start organizing things while she’s on vacation as a surprise.”

  “I’m sure she’d appreciate that. Were you thinking of using this Lilith place?”

  “Yes. I thought it would be good to use a family-owned business. Also, I’ve been Googling what it looks like in spring up there, and it’s pretty nice. I think Willow would like it.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Yeah. I’m planning on visiting soon to get an idea of the layout.”

  “Ah, I see.” His brows rose. “You should take your mother with you. She’d be thrilled that you’re using one of the Hale businesses.”

  “No. Mom can’t know about this,” I said hurriedly.

  Dad raised his brows. “Why not?”

  “I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but she’s become very close to Willow lately. If I tell her, she’s bound to let it slip.”

  “So?”

  “So I want this whole thing to be a surprise for Willow, remember?”

  “Oh, that’s right.” He nodded slowly a
nd rubbed his chin. “You might just have to trust her, though. You’ll need a second opinion when you’re looking at the place.”

  “Why?”

  “Because otherwise you might miss things,” he said. “Trust me, the last thing you want to do is accidentally pick a bad venue for your wedding. Having another pair of eyes will be helpful.”

  “Well, maybe you could come instead,” I said.

  I’d hoped to go alone, but he wasn’t dropping this idea of me having a travel buddy, and asking him to join me was the only way I could think of to get him off my back.

  At least this way, I could keep an eye on him. Make sure he didn’t accidentally let it slip to my mother that I was heading up to Lilith Hall.

  “Hm. That could be nice, I suppose. We’ve never taken a trip together, have we?” Dad said, brows furrowing. “Just the two of us, I mean.”

  “No, we haven’t.”

  “All right. How about we go next week?”

  “I was actually planning on going tonight after I have a quick catch-up with Mom.”

  “Tonight?” He frowned. “It’s already nine o’clock. How are we supposed to look at the place when everything is pitch black and freezing?”

  “I was thinking we could fly up there, spend the night to get a feel for the rooms in the resort, and then spend the day tomorrow checking out the rest.”

  He hesitated for a moment, forehead creasing. Then he shook his head. “That won’t be possible. I just remembered I have an early breakfast meeting tomorrow, so there’s no way I can leave Wonderland tonight.”

  I let out a short sigh as I rubbed the back of my neck. I wanted to go up to Lilith Hall as soon as possible, but the inclusion of my father in the scheme had thrown a real spanner in the works.

  I should’ve just gone there without telling him anything. It would’ve made life ten times easier.

  Then again, I knew Mom wasn’t heading back up there till tomorrow afternoon. That meant Willow would probably be safe until then, and that gave me some breathing room.

  “What if we leave right after your meeting?” I asked.

  He looked down at the paperwork strewn over his desk as he mulled it over. “Hm. That could work,” he finally said.