by S. E. Rose
“May I tell you my theory?” I ask him.
He slowly nods but doesn’t speak.
“I think your mother met your father while she was working as a journalist in Europe. I think they secretly fell in love and conceived you. I think they secretly wed. And then I think something drove them apart, and she left with you when you were only a baby,” I say. “I don’t know why your father hasn’t reached out to you. I don’t have those answers.”
“Why would someone want to kill me?” he whispers. “I’m no one.”
“Correction…you’re the heir to a kingdom, the next in line for the throne of Montelandia. That alone is a reason to kill you,” I say.
He looks at me, his eyes wide with surprise.
“You came here to save me?” he asks as his brows knit together.
I nod and then laugh bitterly.
“It was stupid at first, a schoolgirl fantasy of James Bond come to life. Then I met you…and…I’m so sorry, Logan. I should have just alerted the authorities. I’ve done that before when I see these things, but something stopped me…I can’t explain it. I…” I trail off as I look at him, tears in my eyes.
“Thank you,” he says, he leans forward and kisses my forehead. He lingers for a long moment and swallows. When he pulls back, he looks determined.
“So, who is trying to kill me?” he asks.
“You believe me?” I ask him, partly shocked because I just dropped the motherload of all information on him. I’m actually surprised that he’s handling it so well.
He sighs. “Well, you sort of just shocked the fuck out of me, if I’m being completely honest. This information is going to take days to fathom, but clearly, you were worried about my well-being, or you wouldn’t even be here. So, let’s hear it,” he says.
I clear my throat. “There’s a man…an assassin. His name online is Martin Mayhem. He goes by ‘M.’ He’s good. He normally kills cartel leaders and the like. I’ve seen his name before, and I’ve never seen any intel that any government agency knows who he is. He’s completely off the grid. I only stumbled upon all this by accident, a needle in a haystack. And because of that, I could see he was offered the bid. I could track him briefly until he left. He used an alias I’ve seen associated with him, Kenneth Jones. He left Dubai the day before we left with you,” I explain. I pause, trying to get a read on him, but he just stares at me. “I don’t know who hired him. It’s a false IP address that links to a false account that links to a server that is untraceable, almost like it was deleted after the message was sent, which could be the case. They are paying millions for your death, whoever it is. That’s what keyed my interest. It’s not normal to see bounties on the heads of normal citizens and especially not at that price point.”
His eyes widen when I say millions. “You’re telling me that someone wants me dead so badly that they are willing to pay millions of dollars to have it done and they’ve hired one of the best assassins in the world to do it?” he asks.
I shrug. “Fifty million to be exact,” I say.
His eyes are nearly popping out of his head now. I touch his arm, concerned.
“Logan, are you OK?” I ask. The words are out of my mouth before I realize what a stupid question that is.
He swallows. “I’m…processing,” he says slowly. I nod and stay quiet while he lets all of this sink in.
“So, to sum up, things, I’m a prince, an heir to a throne of a European country, and someone is paying an assassin fifty million dollars to kill me,” he reiterates.
“Yeah, I suppose that about sums it up,” I say.
He runs a hand through his hair and stares back at my computer screen. “And M’s on Nassau, right now?” he asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know, but I assume so,” I say.
“Shit,” he says.
“Yeah, that also about sums it up,” I say.
“Does anyone else know anything about this?” he asks.
I shake my head.
He reaches out and cups my cheek. “Susanna, this is dangerous stuff. You shouldn’t be involved in it,” he chastises.
I glare at him. “You think I can’t handle myself?” I say, a little too loudly.
“No, I—”
“Just because I’m a princess and small, doesn’t mean I can’t kick someone’s ass. So, don’t even start with me,” I growl.
He tries to curtail the smile that is creeping on his face.
“Hey,” I say, slapping his arm. “It’s not funny. I can kick ass. Hell, I can kick your ass, and I will if you don’t wipe that grin off your face.”
He laughs at that and stands up to his full height. “I’d like to see you try,” he says with a smirk.
I cock my head to one side. “Are you serious?” I ask.
“As a heart attack,” he answers.
“OK, pretty boy. Prepare for an ass whooping,” I say.
“Pretty boy? Ass whooping? Did they teach you that in princess school?” he teases.
“Oh, that’s it. You’re dead,” I say, standing up and getting in a fighting stance.
I fake a right hook and duck, waiting for him to take my bait, and he does. He whips me around and locks his arms around me. I use the standard kick and hand drop motion to get out of it.
“Impressive,” he says.
“Child’s play,” I say.
He reaches for my arm, and I twist up as he grabs me. I kick off the wall and flip over him, landing on the bed on my knees. I am thankful I’m small and can tuck my bottom half or that would have hurt considering the low ceiling in here.
“Jesus, you aren’t kidding,” he says.
I stand and beckon him forward with my hand. He attempts to get me, but I duck and roll through his legs. He manages to grab my right ankle, and I twist my body, pushing into his right leg and causing him to fall to the ground. He pins me down with both hands and stares into my eyes.
“Now what?” he says.
“You should stop,” I warn him.
“I need you to show me what you got,” he says.
“You’re not gonna like it,” I say. He leans forward until our noses are almost touching.
“Try me,” he says. I shrug and lean up to plant my lips on his. It’s just enough distraction that I can knee him in the balls. He groans and rolls off me.
I grab an umbrella and stand, pressing it into his throat as he curls into a moaning ball on my floor. I hear movement in the hallway, and I clamp my hand over his mouth. There’s a knock at my door.
“Anna?” I hear Pete’s voice. “Everything OK in there?”
I put my finger over Logan’s lips, and he nods with a grimace on his face. I actually feel a little bad because it looks like he’s going to be sick. I stand and walk over to the door, cracking it open so Pete can see me.
“Sorry, Pete. I’m just doing a little tae kwon do practice in here,” I say.
He raises an eyebrow. “At one thirty in the morning?” he asks.
I shrug. “I’m jet-lagged, can’t sleep,” I explain.
“Well, just be careful. The nearest hospital is a good four-hour ride away,” he warns.
I nod. “Will do. Goodnight,” I say as I shut the door and look back down at Logan, who’s still in the fetal position clutching his manhood.
“Are you OK?” I whisper as I bend down. I’m suddenly tossed on my back, and Logan is again hovering over me on all fours.
“Damnit, Logan. That’s the oldest trick in the book,” I curse at him, annoyed with myself for falling victim to such an obvious ploy.
He winks. “You did get me pretty good, but never check on your enemy. That’s like rule number two,” he states.
“What’s rule number one?” I ask.
“Never fall for your enemy,” he says as he leans down and kisses me.
Chapter 15
I’m momentarily transported to another planet…I think. His lips are as amazing as I thought they would be the first time I saw him in person. I sigh against them, a
nd he licks between my lips. It’s not my first kiss, but it feels like it. I tentatively swipe my tongue against his, and he makes a growling noise as he deepens the kiss, tilting his head to the side. He releases my wrists, and his hands go to my face, cradling it so he can get the access he wants. I find myself reaching out to run my fingers through his hair. I’ve wanted to do this for days now. His thick hair feels amazing. I push his head harder against mine, seeking more.
It feels so wrong to be kissing him, but I can’t stop myself. I remove my hands from his hair and run them down his body, feeling the wall of perfect muscles from his chest down his abdomen. He groans into my mouth as my hands hover just above his shorts.
He pulls back slightly and rests his forehead against mine. “We should stop this, Princess,” he says.
I try to pull him back down, but he pins my wrists again. “Logan,” I pout. “Please.”
We’re both breathing fast as we try to catch our breaths.
“I got carried away. Forgive me?” he asks.
I suddenly feel ashamed as though I did something wrong. “Fine,” I say. I let my body go limp, and he releases me, sitting up on his haunches between my legs. He runs a hand through his hair again as he looks down at me and then stands, offering me a hand. I don’t take it and instead stand on my own.
“I should head back to my cabin,” he says as he walks toward the door.
“Wait,” I say. “We still need to figure out what to do about…you know, everything.”
“Get some sleep, Your Highness. There’s nothing we can do about it right now,” he says as he opens the door and leaves. I stand there staring at it for a long moment. Part of me wants to follow him and part of me is so humiliated that I want to bury myself under a pillow until we dock. I sit back down, and then curl into a fetal position on the floor, hoping that the marine carpeting will suck me into another dimension.
Chapter 16
I wake with a start. I’m still lying on the floor. I’m momentarily disoriented as I rub my eyes. Memories of the previous night flood into my head like a tsunami. I sit up and groan. I’m an idiot. I fumble on the ground searching for my phone. Eventually, I find it on my bed next to my computer which is still up and running. I’m about to head out to the galley to get coffee when I notice one of my searches has a notification. My blood goes cold as I click on the small icon.
I freeze, contemplating what I’m reading. For a long moment, I hear nothing else, see nothing else. The words on the screen slowly start to come into focus like a word puzzle. M is here.
“Shit!” I whisper-yell to myself.
M has checked into a hotel on Nassau under one of his known pseudonyms. Clearly, he’s not worried about being spotted. That alone confuses me. Using his name to get through airport security, yes, I get that. It can be costly and time-consuming to get a proper fake passport, but this…well, it’s odd.
I sigh. Everything about my life at this moment is odd. The double life that I created that once seemed so easy to maintain is now an epic disaster. My two universes are about to collide, and the world will never be the same. I take a breath and garner my last semblance of bravery. It’s time to tell my brothers. I'm an idiot if I think I can do this on my own.
I walk out of my room and then quickly back in after I realize I’m still dressed in my clothes from yesterday. I shower and change. I grab a coffee from Vicky as I walk up to the deck. Thomas and Logan are discussing something, and my brothers and Mia are at the other end of the boat.
For a moment, I’m perplexed as to which direction to go. After weighing my options, I head toward Logan.
Thomas nods at me and is about to say something to Logan when Vicky calls him to help her with something below deck. He heads down, leaving Logan and me alone.
Logan looks like a deer in the headlights. He looks everywhere but at me.
I clear my throat, and he finally makes eye contact.
“We need to talk,” I say quietly.
“No, we don’t,” he says.
I raise an eyebrow. “I just told you there’s a bounty on your head, and you don’t think we need to discuss that?” I ask.
“Nope,” he says.
I sigh. Men.
“Logan, I know everything I dumped on you last night was…overwhelming, but I…you…have to be careful now,” I stammer as I try to search for the right words since telling him that I like him and don’t want him to die seems a little out of the question.
“I’ll handle it,” he says gruffly as he turns to start preparing the boat for our final sail.
I place a hand on his arm, and he freezes. The wind whips his hair around, and I so desperately want to run my hands through it again. I pull my hand back in order to stop myself from doing that exact thing.
“I’m going to tell my brothers,” I whisper.
His eyes widen. “Really?” he asks.
I nod. “It’s been a long time coming, but you need their help, and I can’t keep this part of me a secret anymore,” I admit. “I’ve been fighting battles on my own for too long.”
Before I can talk myself out of it, I whip around and walk to the front of the boat. I clear my throat and my brothers look up at me.
“Hey, sister, what’s up?” Auggie says cheerfully, but his smile disappears when he sees the look on my face.
“I need to speak with you both,” I say to them. I look at Mia apologetically. “Alone…please.”
Mia nods and heads down toward Logan, who’s watching me like a hawk.
“What’s wrong, Suzy Q?” Chris asks, patting a cushion next to him.
I sit down and take a deep breath, and then I begin to tell them everything, every itty-bitty little detail of my secret life.
My brothers don’t say a word while I speak. Their eyes are wide. Chris shakes his head when I talk about giving tips to Interpol a few times in the past. Auggie looks on the verge of a coronary the entire time I speak. I don’t leave anything out, including the fact that all this started because I wanted to find our mother’s missing crown.
When I finish, they remain silent for a very long time.
It’s Chris who eventually clears his throat. “Wow,” he says.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Anna!” Auggie finally manages. “Are you mad? You could have been killed!”
I glare at him, and he shuts up.
I’m shocked when Chris is the one to chastise him before I have the chance. “If you started this as a kid, and you have managed to evade all of us and, well, essentially the whole world, I’d say you are far, far more brilliant than I’ve ever given you credit for, little sister,” he says, touching my shoulder. “You’re a real-life superhero,” he adds.
I giggle. “That’s a bit of a stretch, but thank you, Chris. It means the world coming from my lion,” I say, using my childhood nickname for him.
I look to Auggie. I can tell he’s still pissed, but I’m taken aback for the second time when he pulls me in for a hug.
“I’m just glad you are alright. To think of all the things that might have happened,” he says into my hair. He pushes me back to look into my eyes. “Chris is right. You are bloody brilliant! Crazy, a bit reckless even, but brilliant,” he says finally flashing his world-class smile at me.
“So, all of this was a setup,” Chris says.
I smile guiltily. “Well, sort of, you did happen upon Logan’s services by some crazy coincidence,” I admit.
“Un-fucking-believable,” he murmurs.
“Why exactly are you telling us this now?” Chris asks, suddenly very serious, as though the reality that we are approaching an island with an assassin on it has just dawned on him.
“I-I need your help,” I admit quietly. It’s bittersweet that after all this time, my hand has been forced. I have to tell my secret to save a man that, if I’m being honest with myself, I’m falling for.
Auggie and Chris look at each other and back to me. Then they both glance over their shoulders toward Pete and Logan.
>
I bite my lip, afraid of what they will say.
It’s Auggie that grins first. “I feel a little like James Bond,” he says. I roll my eyes.
“Only, this is real, and we could actually get killed,” I say in a low voice.
“So, he knows?” Chris asks.
I nod. “Yes, as I said, I told him last night,” I say.
“OK, what do we do? Do you have a plan?” Chris asks.
I shake my head. “We need to get Logan out of here. We can’t protect him on this island. The assassin that took the job is good, like really good. We need to take him home with us. Then we can figure out everything else,” I say. “We need to buy ourselves some time.”
Chris laughs. “You want to waltz home with a tanned, yacht captain in tow, into the palace, and you think Dad’s just gonna let that fly,” he says.
I glare at him. “Obviously, we’ll need some sort of story, and we’ll need to talk Logan into coming with us,” I add, biting my lip again.
Auggie puts up a hand. “Wait, he doesn’t know anything about your idea to take him home with us?” Auggie asks.
I shake my head.
Auggie runs a hand through his hair.
“Jesus, you do like to live dangerously,” he says.
I shrug. “Please, I need you to help me persuade him,” I beg as I put my hands together.
“He has a life here, Anna. He has friends, a business. You can’t expect a man to just drop everything because you toss him some crazy story about him being a prince and being a target for an assassin,” Auggie says.
“Well…I think he does actually believe me about the prince thing, but I agree, it’s hard to wrap one’s head around it. If I hadn’t spent years on the dark web, I’d have thought it was a little far-fetched too,” I say.
We are quiet again, all three of us in deep contemplation. Only the sound of the wind and water fill the void made by our lack of conversation.
“He’s a businessman, right?” Chris finally says.
Auggie and I look at him. “What if I were to suggest a business partner out our way? Ask him to come back with us,” Chris says.
