Royal Heist

by Rachelle Mccalla

  Given the level of public interest in the royal weddings, the Tate Jewelry reproductions should sell well. Maybe even well enough to save the family business. But Ruby had a lot of work ahead of her if that was going to happen. She didn’t need the interference of an attacker to set her even further behind. If Galen hadn’t come to her aid, she might be as broken as the sunglasses in her purse.

  Horrified that Galen had been hurt while helping her, Ruby turned away from the sight of the injured guard. It was hard enough for her to be near him at all. Seeing him hurt, remembering how much she cared for him...it was too much to think about, especially in the wake of what happened.

  Ruby stared through the street-side window at the crime site, a mere dozen yards away, where she’d struggled against the masked man. Galen’s blood had splashed on the cobblestones, marking the spot. Her heart pinched at the sight.

  Galen Harris.

  She’d purposely avoided him since she’d been back in Lydia because of her embarrassing last encounter with him the previous summer and her feelings toward him that had made their final parting so awkward. She’d made up her mind that she needed to keep her distance from him, but telling him so had proven catastrophic.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy his company. It was precisely the opposite. The man could distract her from anything, even her goal of saving her parents’ business, which she must do to earn back their trust after her accidental betrayal years before.

  If she revived her friendship with Galen, she didn’t know if she could leave Lydia again. The tiny Christian kingdom was her favorite place in the world, not just because of the friendly people and perfect climate, but because of the fascinating history of the place. The kingdom of Lydia could trace its history all the way back to the days of the Bible. The kingdom was named after the woman whose house church had grown into a small, independent nation. Princess Stasi and the rest of the Lydian royal family could trace their lineage all the way back to Lydia, the dealer in purple cloth who appeared in Acts 16: 14 & 40.

  Ruby wasn’t sure which was more difficult—leaving Lydia or leaving Galen. One glance at the guard stirred her dormant feelings back to life. His ready smile was irresistible. His dark hair, now cropped to military shortness, curled as it grew out, ready to burst forth like his fun-loving nature the moment it escaped the rigid parameters around him. But given the way she’d left things with him the year before, she doubted he’d want to be friends anymore, anyway.

  Rather than think about Galen, Ruby focused on the cobblestones outside and tried to sort out what had happened.

  Why had that awful man attacked her? The brute had obviously planned ahead—he’d brought whatever that was that he’d put on to disguise his face. Ruby shuddered at the memory of the man’s fearsome appearance.

  He’d looked warped—grotesque, even. And yet, Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d seen him before somewhere. She tried to recall his features. His nose had seemed large, but then again, maybe that was because the mesh had flattened it. His hair had been...pale.

  She wanted to remember more, but the one thing that stuck with her was the lingering sense of recognition. In spite of the distorting effects of his mask, there was something familiar about him. Unsettling, but still, familiar.

  She couldn’t place it. Maybe it would come to her.

  “I think the bleeding’s stopped.” Galen sniffed a few times as if to be sure.

  Ruby turned to face him, saddened that his lopsided smile had been erased by the attack. His bushy eyebrows—which bent stubbornly downward and gave him a sad-eyed teddy bear look—were ruffled, swelling upward from a bruise already forming on his forehead.

  Her heart wrenched with concern, but she managed to keep her voice level. “Thank you for saving me.”

  Galen opened his mouth, looked as though he was about to protest, to say that he hadn’t saved her at all, but then he nodded. “I’m just glad I heard you scream.”

  She thought perhaps he might say more, even wished he’d bring up their awkward parting so she could apologize, though she dreaded having such a conversation. Instead he turned to face a bank of monitors, clicked a few keys on a keyboard, and a moment later, one of the screens showed the scene just outside the window.

  “I’m going to back up the security footage and review what happened,” Galen explained gently. “I was watching the view of your apartment door when the attack occurred, so I haven’t seen what this camera recorded. I understand if you don’t want to watch, but it might be helpful—”

  “I want to.” Ruby surprised herself with the conviction in her voice, and Galen’s eyebrows went up. “Maybe I’ll recognize him.” To her relief, Galen didn’t ask any more questions. He simply reversed the footage to the point when she came running into view.

  At the sight of her own terrified face, Ruby wasn’t so sure if she should have insisted on viewing the replay after all. But her attacker appeared on the shadowy periphery a moment later, pulling her back until they struggled just beyond the scope of the security camera, their feet darting on and off the edge of the screen.

  The screen showed Galen clearly as he ran to her aid and Ruby shuffling backward toward the gatehouse.“Not a single image,” Galen muttered as he clicked back to the moment when the attacker had rushed her, head down, and pulled her from the camera’s view.

  “It’s as if he knew the range of the camera,” Ruby whispered.

  “It wouldn’t be hard for him to guess if he had scoped out the palace wall ahead of time. The cameras are in clear view to deter trespassers.” Galen reviewed the scene again, this time zooming in toward the man’s head. The high-resolution image stayed crisp, but it still didn’t help much. “I can see the top of his head under his nylon, but I can’t even see if the man has hair or not.”

  “And we can’t see any of his face.” Ruby realized she’d bent down and taken hold of the back of Galen’s chair as he sat using the security computer. When he swung his chair around, suddenly their faces were quite close.

  She pulled away a reluctant second too late. She’d seen more than she wanted to of the swelling bruises on Galen’s face. She’d met his eyes long enough to feel the latent connection, to know in the bittersweet pit of her heart that he remembered all the time they’d spent together, that he wondered where they stood now.

  What could she tell him? I’m sorry. The words burned in her throat, unspoken.

  “Are you going to report this incident to headquarters?” Elias asked.

  “Right away,” Galen assured the older guard. “I was just hoping to have an image to send along with my report.”

  “I should head back to my apartment and get out of your way.” Ruby took a step toward the door.

  “Wait.” Galen stood. He raised one hand as though to reach for her, then returned his arm quickly to his side. “Do you want someone to walk you home?”

  Ruby felt her heart swell with a mixture of regret and appreciation. Even though she was within the protective walls of the palace grounds, beyond the reach of the man who’d attacked her and run away, she still hadn’t been keen on stepping out into the darkness alone. How thoughtful of Galen to consider her feelings.

  Before she could muster up words, Elias stepped forward. “I can walk her home. You’ve got a call to put in and a gatehouse to keep secure. I’m off duty.”

  “That’s right.” Galen looked the tiniest bit disappointed as he accepted Elias’s offer. “Thank you.”

  And though Ruby felt grateful for the older guard’s willingness to see that she arrived back at her apartment safely, she couldn’t help feeling the slightest bit disappointed, too. She told herself it was simply because she’d hoped for another opportunity to thank Galen, but her heart wouldn’t believe it.

  She wanted him to walk her home, though she dreaded discussing the way they’d left thi
ngs, and she’d told herself a thousand times to keep her distance. It was precisely the reminder she needed. Galen was a distraction she couldn’t afford, not with all the long hours of hard work that lay ahead of her, both in Lydia and back in the US. Perhaps it was best to leave things at that.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, the words inadequate after the blows he’d taken on her behalf.

  “Just doing my job.” He kept his face to the screen, but she glanced back to find him looking after her, too far away now for her to read his expression. She might have thought she saw a glimmer of longing, but it was surely just a trick of the light.

  * * *

  “You abandoned your post.” Jason Selini, the captain of the Lydian Royal Guard, glared at Galen.

  “That guy was going to carry off Princess Anastasia’s assistant. Besides, Elias had the gatehouse covered.” Galen wished the royal guard had enough men to have two guards posted at the gatehouse at all hours, but following the attack on the royal family at the beginning of the summer, they’d had to let go any guard with ties to the insurgents. Rebuilding the force would take time.

  “Elias was off duty. You should have called for backup.”

  “And waited while that man—”

  “Guards could have arrived in under a minute. If that attack had been a ruse to draw you away from your post, you fell for it. You left the whole palace vulnerable.” Captain Selini flopped a file open on his desk.

  Galen recognized the pages with a sinking heart.

  “Last month,” the captain continued, “you let Duchess Julia through the gate without a guard. You have breached protocol twice in less than a month. That alone is grounds for suspension.”

  Galen felt as though a cold hand had clenched him in its grasp. He wanted to protest, but the captain clearly wasn’t going to listen to his defense.

  “In light of the events of last evening, Princess Anastasia has requested an evening escort for her assistant. She specifically requested you.” Selini raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Do you have any idea why?”

  “Because I fought Ruby’s attacker?”

  “Because you and Ruby have a history together, according to the princess. I looked into this history.” Selini flipped back several pages in his file.

  Galen’s heart sank. He knew what those pages held. During the tenure of the former head of the royal guard, Galen’s infractions hadn’t been considered much of a concern. But the former captain had been engaged in the treasonous conspiracies that had led to an ambush on the royal family, and had nearly toppled the monarchy. Jason Selini had taken the traitor’s place and seemed determined to restore the royal guard to its former glory by wiping away every trace of misbehavior.

  “It seems two years ago,” the captain summarized from the report, “you made an unauthorized journey to the archipelago in a royal guard motorboat with the princess and her friend at night.”

  Galen recalled the event distinctly. Princess Stasi had wanted to watch a meteor shower far away from the lights of Sardis. Galen’s plan to borrow the boat would have worked perfectly if only the engine hadn’t refused to start when they’d tried to head home. After attempting to row back to the marina with little success, he’d ended up tying a rope from his waist to the prow and swimming back to shore, tugging the disabled craft behind him. They’d arrived at the dock shortly after daybreak, an hour after the boat was reported stolen.

  The former head of the guard had laughed heartily when Galen had explained the story.

  His new boss didn’t laugh. “Compounded with your recent infractions, these reports provide sound basis for your immediate dismissal.”

  Galen couldn’t speak. Would he really lose his job? Jason Selini, appointed in the wake of the ambush in June, had terminated any and every guard who’d been linked to those who’d conspired against the Royal House of Lydia, determined to defend the royal family even from those hired to protect them.

  Captain Selini obviously had no qualms about firing guards. And while Galen had wholeheartedly supported his boss’s decisions—supported every move that would restore the royal guard to its former glory—he hadn’t expected the captain’s zealous housecleaning to threaten his job.

  Selini ran his hands through his thick hair, revealing a few gray roots that had sprung up in recent months. His face, too, had lost its former easygoing expression, replaced with a stern grimness impressed by the weight of his newfound responsibilities. “I’ve got six new recruits scheduled to start in two weeks, as soon as they can be officially transferred over from the Lydian army. I can’t afford to let you go just yet. You have two weeks left.”

  With a pounding heart, Galen listened to his supervisor’s words, waiting for the final verdict. The treason among the ranks of the guard had dealt a horrific blow to their prestige. Galen’s own brothers ribbed him mercilessly for wearing the same uniform as those who’d tried to overthrow the monarchy. Galen had vowed to help reclaim the royal guard’s reputation.

  He couldn’t do that if the captain fired him.

  How could he ever face his older brothers if he lost his job? His family had served in the Lydian military for generations. His brothers were all men of rank. After serving four years in the Lydian Army, Galen had become a guard—in part to escape his brothers’ constant scrutiny and the reminder that he could never measure up.

  If he was fired from the guard, he’d never be able to show his face at a family gathering again. Worse yet, he wouldn’t be a part of the guard he wanted to help restore.

  The captain glared at Galen as he continued. “For the next two weeks, I’ll be keeping close tabs on everything you do and every choice you make. If, at the end of that time, I determine that these protocol lapses are typical of your judgment, then you will be terminated. However, if you can prove to me that you have what it takes to be a royal guard, then you can keep your job. Agreed?”

  Galen nearly sagged with relief, and panted to catch the breath he’d been holding the entire time Selini had spoken. “Agreed. Thank you. You won’t be sorry.”

  “I hope not.” The captain closed the file and rapped the pages against the desk like the blade of a guillotine slamming down. “Now, Princess Anastasia wants a royal guard escort for her assistant every evening on her way home from work. She’s specifically requested you for the job. I’m not thrilled with her selection given your record, but since we don’t have a decent picture of her attacker, and since you’re the only guard who’s actually seen the man, you’re the obvious choice.”

  Still feeling exhilarated by the news that he hadn’t yet been terminated, Galen smiled giddily at the thought of spending more time with Ruby. “Yes, thank you.”

  If anything, his boss appeared concerned by Galen’s response. He leaned across his desk, and his eyes, already glaring, narrowed to dark slits. “Are you certain you can handle that?”

  Galen sobered immediately. “Yes.”

  “Quite certain?” Selini didn’t look convinced.

  “Quite certain,” Galen assured his superior officer.

  It wasn’t until he’d been dismissed and made it halfway down the hall that he realized maybe he wasn’t after all. Could he handle walking Ruby home for the next two weeks, with Jason Selini scrutinizing his every move, ready to dismiss him for the slightest infraction?

  He wasn’t sure which was more worrisome—the man who’d attacked Ruby, or the thought of trying to maintain protocol while in her very distracting presence. He’d felt their old connection from the moment he’d looked into her eyes the previous evening. If it hadn’t been for her cold request the summer before, Galen might have acted on those feelings.

  As he’d promised Captain Selini, could he handle walking Ruby home? From a professional standpoint, it shouldn’t be difficult. He was a trained royal guard. He knew what he was doing. But what about the woman who could
make him lose his head with a single look? Suddenly he wasn’t so certain at all.

  * * *

  The evening after the attack, Ruby was alone at the studio after everyone else had left for. She looked up from the table where she sat sorting gemstones into precise piles by color and size and she startled.

  A broad-shouldered figure loomed in the doorway across the room. Shoving the magnifying goggles high onto her forehead, she blinked at the figure.

  “Galen!” She gasped in relief when she recognized him. “I didn’t realize anyone else was here.”

  “Kirk and the princess let me in as they left. I thought they’d told you I’d be stopping by to escort you home,” Galen explained. Kirk Covington, Princess Stasi’s fiancé, had been a sentinel with the royal guard for years before saving Stasi’s life and being assigned as her primary guard.

  “Stasi mentioned that she’d requested a guard, but she didn’t say who it would be.” Ruby peeled off the goggles and placed them on the table.

  “I’m the only one who saw the man who attacked you.” Galen shrugged, his words an excuse for his presence.

  Ruby still felt the urge to argue against it. “I caught a glimpse of him, too.” She stretched her arms above her head, releasing the kink that had built up in her neck over the course of the many hours she’d spent hunched over her work. “But that doesn’t mean I’d recognize him unless he came at me with panty hose over his face again.”

  “I hope that doesn’t happen, but if he shows up again, at least you won’t be alone this time.” Galen glanced around the studio. “Are you ready to head home?”

  “Not just yet, if you don’t mind. If I don’t seal these stones into separate containers, someone could bump the table and my entire evening’s work could be lost.” She picked up the first container. “It won’t take me more than ten minutes.”

  “Take your time. I’m going to walk the perimeter.”