“Yes, I think we do.”
“Okay, we’ll get it set up. You need the usual? Fresh clothes, cash, weapons?”
“Yep. I’ll work with her and send you the location of where we’ll be. I need Olly to work his magic and get me schematics of the place before we arrive.”
She searched my gaze, and I wasn’t sure she liked what she saw. “Be careful, boss.”
“Always am,” I said. She just shook her head, and I wanted to curse at her. But I couldn’t.
Because we both knew I lied. I wasn’t always careful. And sometimes it cost people their lives.
I closed and locked the door after she left and turned as London came out of the bathroom.
“I take it you didn’t enjoy the phone call?” I asked, knowing I was an asshole.
She narrowed her gaze. “No, I didn’t. But apparently, I don’t have a choice in the matter. I don’t have a choice in a lot of matters.”
“I’m not going to force you into anything, but I am going to keep you safe.”
“Because my brother said to?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest. I tried not to look at the way the movement made her breasts lift.
Damn it. “Your other choice is to go home.” I spread my hands. “These are your choices. Choose well, princess.”
She puffed out a breath. “If I go back to Alden, things are going to get worse for my country, or at least for our family.”
“Rian is the woman you were on your way to?”
“Yes. She was supposed to be here this week but got delayed for work. But she was still going to let me stay at her place in the city to get away for a while.”
My attention locked on what she said. “Get away from who?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that what I’m running from at the moment has anything to do with who could be after me. If there is anyone after me.”
This was the thing with wealthy clients. Nothing was ever as it seemed. “Hold up here. Let’s just assume for the moment that someone is after you, because your pretending that you didn’t get shot at is just idiotic.”
“Please don’t do that. I get enough patronizing shit from my family. I’m not pretending anything. I know of no reason anyone would want me dead. So being of sound, rational mind, I don’t jump to the immediate conclusion that I, London, was being shot at. No one has anything to gain by me being dead.” Her jaw was tight, and her voice clipped as she spoke.
“All I know is that as soon as you got into the car, after you’d already been run off the road once, bullets came at me. Bullets came at both of us, but no one tried to run me off the road. I’m going to assume it was you they were after. We are here to protect you, just like your brother wants.”
“And I don’t have a say.”
“Apparently not. But you’re not an idiot.”
“You sure are acting like I am.”
I ran my hand over my hair and cursed. Feelings. I had to find my feelings and employ empathy. How hard could that be? “I know you’re scared. I get it. But you need to tell me what you’re on the run from so we can get you home when the threat is neutralized. Your safety is the only thing that matters.”
“You believe that?” she asked and shook her head. “I’m in a cage again, and this time it’s not one of my own making.” She sighed and turned away from me. “Or maybe it is.”
“What are you talking about?” I wanted to reach out to her, but I didn’t. There would be no use.
“I’ll tell you why I can’t go home, but it has nothing to do with who might have shot at us.”
“Lay it on me.”
“There is an obscure law in our kingdom that states if there is no heir to our generation by the time the youngest of us reaches thirty, the entire family line loses the throne, and it goes to the next in line. In our case, it would be my cousin, Barkley.”
I blinked at her, shaking my head. “Excuse me?”
“What I’m saying to you right now is a secret. Nobody else can know. If one of my brothers or I do not produce a child within the year, since I just turned twenty-nine, my brother loses his crown, the family loses its throne completely, and the title goes to my cousin. My Aunt Rebecca is doing everything she can, along with my brothers, to try to fix this, but the Council of Lords wants my brother out.”
“I have so many questions,” I said, shaking my head. “But first, why does the council want your brother out? For a king, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy. I mean he’s a bit of an asshole but par for the course, right?”
And I didn’t even have to have a tooth pulled or an arm twisted to say that.
“You guys just yelled at each other and threatened one another,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Men.”
“He wants you safe. You’re his sister. I don’t see a problem.”
“You wouldn’t, would you? And the Council of Lords doesn’t like my brother because he’s progressive. He doesn’t want the roadblocks of tradition and heritage stopping the way of progress and hindering the health of our community and our people. He steps on toes, and he is an arrogant jerk about it. If they can get someone like my philandering drunken cousin on the throne, something they can mold, all the better.”
“And you don’t think that’s a reason for people to shoot at you?”
She shrugged. “Roman’s been making waves since he took the throne. At first, he let Aunt Rebecca guide his decisions, but once he started going off book and making his own decisions, many of the council felt threatened. They hated his choice of fiancée. They hate the changes he wants to bring about regarding how laws are handled for commoners. Equal pay. Criminal justice reform. He’s vocal. Not just on our local stage either. There are many who would prefer someone else rule.”
“Again, enough to kill you?”
She shook her head. “He does have enemies. Some who would look for a way to hurt him. Lord Osterow threatened him publicly about the criminal justice law. Said it would be the end of Roman. Lord Banks threatened to put a measure to vote to limit the royal allowances when Roman pushed through equal pay for women four years ago. He was so angry. He was drunk one night at a ball and told Roman he would ruin him.” She sighed. “So now they’re trying to use an arcane rule to force me to produce a child. If they truly wanted Roman off the throne, then the Council of Lords would do something to him, not me. I’m fourth in line. And the easiest thing to do is to let me be. No way am I getting married and having a kid in the next year. There is no reason to kill me. None.”
I thought it through. Maybe somebody didn’t want to wait for the crown. “Are your brothers safe?”
She paled a bit but nodded tightly. “They have security too, even though Roman hates it. They all do. The only reason I didn’t was that I’ve never traveled under my own name, and I was safe. I’ve done it before.”
“Could someone have followed you?”
“No one is trying to kill me,” she said softly. There was steel in her voice. Like she needed to believe it.
“And what if they are?
“All they want is for me to produce a child.”
“With who?” The bitter bile of jealousy ate away at me. No way was I fucking jealous of an imaginary random asshole.
“I’m not.” She let out a breath. “My aunt has a farfetched plan to marry me off to some duke. It’s the twenty-first century, and I’m still going to be forced into an arranged marriage with a man I don’t even like to produce an heir, even though my brothers could do the same exact thing. But no, I’m the woman; therefore, I get to be the one who spreads her legs.”
An all-too-ready image of London spreading her legs under me flashed in my head, and my cock twitched.
Jesus Christ. I was losing my damn mind. I needed to sleep. I needed to get her out of my thoughts.
“Okay, then. Let’s assume that this could be a reason.”
Her brow furrowed. “If that is the case, then I’m worried about my brothers.”
“I get that. But like you said, they are wel
l-protected and there is nothing you can do to help them. You are the priority right now.”
“Am I? Because if they’re coming after me, they could go after them too. Roman is a better target.”
“I’ll get Sparrow on it. She’ll contact their people, and we’ll figure it out. You and your family will be safe.” I just hoped to hell I wasn’t lying like I had the last time.
That scream echoed in my mind again, and I cursed myself.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” London said.
“But it is, and we can’t stay here for long. There are people after you, and if they knew where to try and run you off the road, then they’re watching you. They might have access to cameras and surveillance, so this is just going to be a temporary stop. We’re going to need to get you to someplace safer.”
“Okay,” she said before rolling her shoulders back and looking like the fierce princess I had met the night before. “As long as my brothers are safe, that’s all that matters. I’ll listen to you. Still, Rian has a safe place for me to go. If there’s someone actually after me.”
“Bullets, London. And we’ll see about you going to this Rian’s.”
“I heard you the first time. I’ll go along with this because not doing so would make me an idiot. However, I’m not just going to kneel and do everything you say.”
Visions of her kneeling filled my head this time, but I did a better job of hiding my reaction. “You’re going to listen, princess. Because I’m the one who’s going to keep you alive.”
“I’ll listen to you because I’m not stupid. But you don’t have to act like an asshole.”
“Baby, I’m always an asshole.” And then I turned on my heel and walked out of the room, needing some air.
Somehow, I was her protector. I was the one who was going to have to keep her alive.
I just had to get her off my fucking mind first.
Chapter 7
London
I thought a bed was for resting.
* * *
I’d been in here too long.
But the scalding-hot water had felt like such a reprieve after the call from hell. I wasn’t sure what I expected from Roman. I honestly should have known. He loved me; I knew that. Deep down, deep inside, when I looked really hard, I could see it, but damn, he really thought he was my father and not my brother.
One advantage of the shower was that it washed away the tears and I didn’t have to crumble in front of Kannon. He already made me feel unsettled and my skin far too itchy. I wasn’t going to add tears to the mix.
To make it all worse, I’d sneakily checked my emails. I knew what Kannon had said. I knew that prolonged usage of the phone and checking email could let someone know where I was. But I needed to check in with work.
Before I left home, I’d emailed my boss Brianne and let her know I had to pass on Brazil due to travel plans.
Travel plans, right. I was an adult. No way in hell could I say, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry I can’t take this huge step in my career because my brother forbids it.’ I couldn’t say everyone admired my talents just as long as I anonymously submitted for galleries and didn’t put my name on any of it. I couldn’t very well say that my brothers supported my ‘hobby’ as Roman called it but balked at me having a real job that didn’t involve twiddling my thumbs.
No. I couldn’t say any of that, so I’d said none of those things. Only that she should keep me in mind if she had anything near Paris in the next week. And low and behold, she’d emailed me back that some kids in the city of éité, right outside of Paris were using art as environmental protest.
It was a risk, yes. But lucky for me, I had a whole new team of bodyguards. After all, I’d done that dozens of times, gone on assignment with hulking goons surrounding me. It wouldn’t be any different now.
Except someone shot at you.
Despite the steamy heat, a shiver ran up my spine. There could be danger, but that’s what Kannon and his team were there for. I didn’t want to add to the risk of their jobs, but I’d listen to all protocols, and we were heading out anyway.
And I really, really needed to feel like me, even if only for five minutes with my camera. Not the me my aunt told me to be. Not the me my brothers demanded I be, but the real me.
All I wanted was to be free, to find a purpose that wasn’t wearing a crown and cutting ribbons. You’ve found it.
Except to Roman and Aunt Rebecca, it wasn’t suitable. But I knew there had to be some kind of middle ground. I’d seen other royals achieve it. I just had to figure out my way.
I’d put my life into my charities and to helping others, but at the same time, it wasn’t enough. Nobody saw past the tiara.
And now I was in the position of securing a royal line for my country. What complete and utter bullshit. What I wanted to know was why no one was rushing to pull out the mail order brides for Breck or Wilder. Women fell over them constantly. Surely one of them could have impregnated someone. Hell, knowing Breck, he probably already had.
I turned off the water and slicked my hair back. Kannon had mentioned that we might be heading out after I took a shower, and I was trying to focus. I couldn’t quite believe that this was what was happening in my life. I’d dealt with threats before. I’d had to deal with security since the time I could crawl. No, long before that, when I was an infant, safely tucked into my mother’s arms with security on either side of her.
I’d always had someone trying to protect me, someone saying they knew what was best to keep me safe.
And yet, it was different now.
Maybe it was because of the bullets that had been flying at me.
Or maybe it was because of who was trying to protect me.
No, I was not going to think about that.
Just because Kannon happened to look like some kind of hot Viking with his build, bright blue eyes and tousled blond hair, that didn’t mean I needed to act as if he was the only attractive man I had ever seen in my life.
Lies. He’s the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen.
Over six feet tall with shoulders I couldn’t see around. The kind of Superman-like square jaw that made even the handsomest of aristocrats jealous. He was beautiful. And I was sure the idiot knew it. He had that kind of casual confidence that came from being gorgeous and athletic his whole life.
I didn’t have time to think about the way he felt against me when he kept me steady. Or the way the corner of his lips twitched when we bantered. Not like I had time for that.
I had more important things to consider.
Like getting home safely. Keeping my brothers safe. And not having to become a baby-maker for king and country.
I knew from the bottom of my heart that my brother would never let that happen, but he might renounce the throne if he had to.
And that was something I would never let happen.
Roman might be stoic and sometimes grouchy. He might shout and at the same time act cool and distant.
Yet I knew he had a soft heart. Buried deep, deep down where others might ignore it.
And I knew why he buried it, but that wasn’t something we talked about.
All three of my brothers would protect me until the end of their days, but now it was my turn to protect them. By not going back until that stupid rule was taken care of.
But if I needed to, I would go back, and I would protect them.
But first, I needed to protect myself.
I could protect myself.
And damn Kannon anyway.
I sighed and looked down at my things. There wasn’t much to choose from. I’d been more concerned with my lenses. I’d only put a change of undergarments, leggings, and two T-shirts in my bag. The rest of the room was taken up by camera equipment, passports, and cash.
I glowered at the clothes on the bathroom floor. I had passed out the night before and still wore what I had been wearing the day I traveled to Paris. It wasn’t a good look.
My wet hair clung to my brow, and it ha
d tangles in it.
Inside the bundle of clothes was my toiletry kit, and for that I was grateful. I at least had my leave-in detangler so I could work on the bird’s nest that was my hair.
The scent of home filled me as soon as I sprayed my ends, and I relaxed marginally.
I could do this. I was stronger than this. I wouldn’t panic. I would get home and tell the council they could shove their rules.
I had been a good girl and had done what I was told for far too long.
I was not going to breed for the sake of the monarchy.
Aunt Rebecca would help. I knew she had meant well with her suggestion about the duke, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.
She had been the only one I could really rely on for most of my life. When my parents died, I didn’t really have anyone else to confide in. My brothers had been just as broken as I was and had gone off in different directions to heal. At least that’s what I had figured. It wasn’t like we actually talked about it.
Because talking about your feelings was not what a Waterford did.
Aunt Rebecca had been stern, set in the old ways, but had always listened. She had helped to raise me. And she would stand by my brothers and help me get out of this situation.
I just hated that I wasn’t there to deal with it myself. Well, that was going to change. As soon as I could, I would deal with it.
As I detangled, the echoing sound of the bullets pinging against the car ran through my mind again, and I shivered. This time, it had nothing to do with pleasure.
I could have died. If whoever had shot at the car had actually been after me, I could have died.
And I had Kannon to thank for saving my life.
Once my hair was detangled, and I’d moisturized, I looked around for my underwear.
I must’ve dropped them on my way into the bathroom. Crap.
I cursed, but I hadn’t heard anyone come in, so no one should be out there.
I’d be safe.
I quickly opened the door and spotted my lacy black thong on the floor, sitting there and mocking me.
Royal Line Page 7
