Royal Heist

by Rachelle Mccalla

  “Great idea. Kirk does the same thing several times a day.” Ruby returned her attention to the task before her, making precise notations on each container to identify the contents.

  Absorbed by her task, Ruby had almost managed to stop thinking about Galen’s presence when he called out to her from across the room, “Ruby? I need you to come over here, but stay down, out of sight from the windows.”

  THREE

  Ruby felt awkward as she crawled on her hands and knees across the varnished wooden floorboards toward the second story window. Ahead of her, Galen crouched to the side of the expansive glass panes, hidden from outside view by the wide limestone window casing.

  “What is it? Do you see someone?” Ruby asked as she drew slowly nearer.

  “There’s a man at the corner smoking a cigarette. He’s leaning against the building across the street. It could be completely innocent, or he could be waiting for you.”

  She was almost to the window. “The man who attacked me last night had that lingering scent that smokers have.”

  “And Lydia has one of the lowest smoking rates on the planet. That doesn’t mean he’s our man, but it’s certainly an implicating factor.”

  Ruby reached the window. Instead of the cigarette odor they’d been discussing, she caught a whiff of Galen’s cologne, a faint but exotic scent that immediately reminded her of the time she’d danced with Galen, two summers before. Her heart began to beat faster as the treasured memory welled up. She tried to put it from her mind and focus on the situation.

  “Keep your head just above the windowsill,” Galen instructed her. “We’re on the second floor and he’s at ground level, so he shouldn’t be able to see you as long as you stay low.”

  Ruby slowly lifted her head just high enough to allow her to see out, while Galen crouched down beside her, until they were both peeking out in the same direction. The sun had nearly set, and though electric lights illuminated most of the cobbled streets, the place where the man had chosen to stand was cast almost entirely in shadows.

  The only thing Ruby could see clearly was the orange glow of a cigarette. “He’s certainly built like the man who came after me last night.” Ruby was able to make out enough of the large silhouette to determine that much. “I wish he’d step into the light so we could see his face.”

  “If he’s the same man, I doubt he’ll do that. But I’ll keep watching. You can finish what you were doing. I just wanted you to get a look before he disappeared.”

  “Thank you.” Ruby met Galen’s eyes, aware of how close their hands were, clinging to the windowsill, and how near his face was to hers. An indigo bruise branched out from his nose, deepening to a ruddy purple under his eye. Ruby sucked in a sharp breath. “Your face looks awful.”

  Galen grinned the lopsided grin she’d missed so much. After an awkward silence in which she tried to think of what to say to clarify what she’d meant, Galen responded, “Yours looks quite the opposite.”

  Mortified, Ruby dropped to the floor and crawled back toward where she’d been working. Had Galen meant his words to sound flirtatious? She didn’t want to know the answer.

  Over the course of her many summer visits to Lydia, she’d worked hard to maintain a purely professional relationship with the gorgeous guard. The first summer she’d had a boyfriend back in the US, so she’d made it a point never to act on the attraction she had felt toward Galen. And by the time she’d had a school year away to contemplate the feelings that wouldn’t go away, she’d realized that a relationship with Galen would never work.

  He was committed to life in Lydia. She had long ago promised her parents she’d help with their chain of jewelry stores once she finished her studies—and that required her to live in the United States. And she’d never been the type to have a casual fling with a man just because he was cute, even if he had sad-teddy-bear eyes. If she couldn’t foresee a future together, she didn’t see the point of wasting her time and emotional investment in a relationship.

  Galen was a great guy; definitely marriage material for some lucky Lydian girl. But Ruby belonged on the other side of the globe. Galen was a friend—a great friend, who’d only ever been a gentleman in the past, in spite of the adventures they’d shared that had given him plenty of opportunity to make a move on her if he’d wanted to. Most likely the amiable sentinel was just trying to be kind.

  There was nothing more for her to read into his words. There would never be anything more between them than friendship—their awkward parting the previous summer had surely guaranteed that. She’d hate to mess up what camaraderie they now shared by drawing attention to words he couldn’t possibly have meant to sound flirtatious. Even if he felt for her something like what she felt for him, nothing could come from it.

  It would be difficult enough for her to leave Lydia when her service to Princess Stasi ended. She didn’t think she could leave Galen behind again, not if he felt for her what she felt for him. It was best not to think about those feelings, certainly not to discuss them.

  Ruby had solidified her convictions by the time she labeled the last of the tiny containers. “Is he still there?” she asked Galen, who remained crouched at the windowsill where she’d left him.

  “I believe so. He stepped back, but I’ve seen that shadow move, so I think he’s just around the corner. Do you feel comfortable walking home or do you want me to call for a car? I’d have driven myself but—”

  “The streets in this part of the old city are too narrow for parking and driving.” Ruby understood completely. “The nearest decent parking is in the royal garage. And we don’t have very far to go.” She pondered the choices before them.

  Was the man on the corner the same person who’d come after her the night before? She had no way of knowing, not unless he tried to come after her again. And until they caught whoever had attacked her, she would never know when he might be lurking behind her. Perhaps it would be best to give him a chance to show himself. Maybe then her life would return to normal.

  “I don’t suppose you can ask your fellow guards to sneak up behind this guy and nab him, can you?”

  “Sorry.” Galen stayed low, out of sight of the window as he shuffled toward her, standing when he reached the table where she’d been working. “He’s not breaking any laws right now. We don’t have any way to prove it’s your attacker. The only way to legally apprehend him is to catch him in the act.”

  Ruby shuddered as she imagined what that act might be. Grabbing her? Fighting Galen again? What had the man been trying to accomplish, anyway? “Have you got a quick way to call in more men if this guy tries to jump us again?”

  “Yes. The head of the guard assigned extra men to this shift in response to last night’s attack. There are two men on duty in the guardhouse, and they can call more reinforcements if they need to. I’ll call them now and tell them we’ll be leaving, so they know to watch for us.”

  As Ruby listened to Galen’s half of the conversation, the guard used his radio earpiece to contact the other men and fill them in on the situation, including the fact that they’d spotted a man across the street. “We haven’t gotten a good look at him. Might be our guy. Might not. We should have a better idea in a few minutes.”

  Galen offered Ruby a focused smile as he ended the conversation. “They’ll be watching for us.”

  Reassured, Ruby did her best to sound confident. “We’ll be fine. You fought him off last night. Why would he be crazy enough to show up again? He has to know I won’t be walking home alone after what happened. That’s probably some innocent man taking a long smoke break.” Ruby made up her mind. “Your men are expecting us. Let’s just go.” She grabbed her pile of notes from that day’s work and stuffed them into her purse, strapping it across her chest as usual.

  Galen walked with her to the stairwell. “I’ll step outside first. Then I’ll stand behind y
ou as you close the door. I want you to walk just ahead of me, a little to my right, closest to the buildings. That puts me in between you and anyone who might come from behind.”

  “Okay. What do we do if he shows up?”

  “Let’s try to stay together. If I tell you to run, head for your apartment door or the gatehouse like last night. The guards will have one man watching through the window, and one watching the security footage of your door. I’ll call for reinforcements if this guy makes any move toward us. If I can, I’d like to bring him in—but not if it means putting you in danger.” Galen’s gaze settled on hers with a protective expression that bordered on...

  No, that couldn’t be it. Not affection. Galen knew better. She’d made herself perfectly clear the year before. Even if he felt things for her, she wouldn’t believe it.

  Couldn’t return it.

  Mindful of her decision not to let on to him about her feelings, she turned her face to the door. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

  * * *

  The night air felt cool on his face as Galen stepped outside. As promised, he took his position just behind Ruby as she bolted the door and slipped the key into her purse. In those brief moments, he turned to get a clear view of where the man had been standing.

  The spot was empty. If it hadn’t been for the lingering scent of tobacco in the air, Galen might have wondered if he hadn’t imagined seeing the shadowy figure. There was no sign of the man anymore.

  Ruby turned resolutely toward the palace.

  Galen listened carefully as he kept pace half a step behind her. He heard no footsteps, saw no evidence of life.

  He exhaled with his mouth half open, not wanting even the sound of his own breath to disguise any sign that Ruby’s attacker might be near. Tuning out the distant noises of traffic from several blocks away, Galen listened closely for the faintest footstep.

  Nothing.

  Good. Though he wanted to catch the man, he didn’t want to put Ruby in danger. If he’d thought the guy was crazy enough to show up two nights in a row, he’d have requested more guards with him. But no mere mugger would bother to show up two nights in a row or try to attack a woman surrounded by royal guards. If Galen made such a request only to walk home undisturbed, he’d look foolish. Jason Selini would question his judgment.

  No, it was better this way. No extra guards, and no sign of Ruby’s attacker.

  They turned the corner at the end of the block. The palace lay up ahead, in clear sight. Ruby looked at him over her shoulder and offered him half a smile, hope sparkling in her eyes. She felt it too, then—relief that the man had decided to leave them alone. Maybe Galen’s presence had been enough to keep the thug away.

  But a few steps later he heard a crunch like gravel under the sole of a boot.

  Ruby must have heard it, too. She stiffened and slowed her pace slightly, as if stalling her steps to hear as much as possible between each footfall.

  Galen held his breath, praying silently that Ruby’s attacker would stay away.

  A few more steps crunched softly behind them.

  He turned his head, quickly scouring the street behind them, but saw no one. The sound continued. It seemed to be coming from around the corner, though the echoing effect of the tall stone buildings made it difficult to tell for sure. The man could be anywhere.

  Ruby glanced up at him, her green eyes wide.

  “Walk faster,” he whispered.

  She didn’t need any encouragement. Galen took three long strides after her before the clear sound of footsteps rounded the corner. One glance over his shoulder told him their disguised attacker had returned.

  “Run!” Galen swept one arm around Ruby’s waist as he hurried her forward. At the same instant, he clamped down on his push-to-talk button to call the guards to their aid. But as he opened his mouth to speak, his ears were assaulted with a static-filled squeal.

  What was wrong with his radio? Galen didn’t have time for troubleshooting. Their pursuer was a mere half block behind them, maybe less.

  They crossed a bisecting street. Ruby’s apartment lay one long block ahead of them. Galen dared to look over his shoulder as they darted across the intersection, hoping to see that they were far enough ahead of the man to safely reach Ruby’s apartment. A shadow passed under a streetlight at the corner behind them, disappearing in the other direction.

  “Where is he?” Ruby gasped between breaths.

  “He’s gone.”

  “What?”

  Ruby’s steps slowed. Galen, likewise, stopped running to listen. Silence. Had the man given up?

  “I think I saw him dart around that corner away from us.” Galen shook his head, still listening closely. He heard a distant sound, which might have been footsteps, but it was difficult to tell as he and Ruby both sucked in deep breaths after their panicked run.

  “I hear—” Ruby began in a whisper.

  But Galen heard it, too, and pulled out his earpiece so he could hear more clearly. The sound of approaching footsteps had returned, but now they seemed to be coming from the side street opposite the corner around which the man had seemed to disappear.

  How had the man gotten across the street? Was it some sort of trick, or another person entirely?

  Galen formed a plan quickly. He wanted to ID the perp, if possible—but he couldn’t let Ruby stay out in the open. A deep alcove beckoned from the doorway of the nearest building.

  “In here.” Galen nearly lifted Ruby off her feet as he swept her behind the protecting stone enclosure, positioning himself in front of her, ears attuned, one eye peering just past the rim of the stonework.

  As he’d suspected, a massive man darted out from around the opposite corner, his face distorted by a semitransparent, tight-fitting elastic garment. The man glanced about as he ran, then skidded to a stop fewer than twenty yards from them.

  Galen ducked his head back.

  Ruby clung to the light blue shirt of his royal guard uniform, looking up at him from very close range, her expression trusting in spite of the fear that haunted her eyes. This close, he could feel her warmth and smell the light perfume she wore. He turned his attention from her to the street, refusing to think about how it felt to have her practically in his arms.

  Ordinarily he’d have backed away, honoring her wishes to keep a formal distance between them. He didn’t have that option, not with their pursuer moving toward them as the big man searched out his lost prey.

  The doorway where they hid was set back one yard or more from the stonework facade, the decorative archway providing a narrow nook for them to hide, out of sight from anyone looking directly at the building, provided they pressed flat against the adjoining wall.

  “He’s looking for us,” Galen explained, his voice barely a breath as he tried to compress himself as flat as possible against the wall without crushing Ruby. She too shrank back as they listened to the man approach, but Galen could still feel her heartbeat slamming into his.

  A gruff voice rumbled from the street. “Where’d they go?” A pause. “Not anymore.” A stream of curses was followed by, “Not tonight.”

  The sound of footsteps faded into the night.

  Galen waited a few more tense heartbeats, then peeled himself away from the wall. He needed to distance himself from Ruby, especially since he wanted to pull her into his arms to hold her close and keep her safe. Instead, he looked out into the night. The orange glow of streetlights illumined all that was left of the evening.

  “What happened to your guards?” Ruby asked in a tiny whisper. “I thought you were going to call them?”

  As she spoke, Galen heard footsteps—this time coming from the direction of the palace wall. He recognized the familiar dark slacks and pale blue shirt of the Lydian guard uniform.

  “Linus!” he called out.

 
The guard turned, relief on his face as Galen stepped from the doorway, pulling Ruby out after him.

  “What happened? I was listening for you, but when I checked the radio, all I got was static.”

  “He must have jammed the system.” Galen was still trying to sort out what had happened. “He may have been wearing an earpiece, as well. Even though he appeared to be alone, he was talking to someone.”

  “An accomplice?” Ruby’s voice, sounding small and vulnerable, pulled Galen’s attention from his fellow guard to the woman he’d promised to protect.

  Galen stared at Ruby as the full impact of her words hit him. It was worse than he’d feared. Not only was someone targeting her specifically, but they weren’t working alone.

  Cold dread filled Galen as he looked at Ruby’s innocent face and wondered what she was up against. He needed to figure it out—quickly, before the men did anything to hurt Ruby.

  And he needed to convince his boss that he knew what he was talking about when he requested more men for the next evening, and every evening until these men were caught. And in the meantime, he’d have to stop staring into Ruby’s jade-green eyes or he might easily give in to the impulse to pull her close to him.

  FOUR

  Ruby stepped through the pedestrian gate ahead of the guards and headed toward the royal guard headquarters, a three-story brick building located on the palace grounds across the courtyard from the garages. Before she and the guards reached the building, the vehicle gate opened and a car pulled through.

  “That’s Kirk’s car,” Linus noted.

  The coupe rolled toward them and Princess Anastasia leaped from the passenger door, rushing at Ruby and embracing her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Ruby felt grateful for the hug, but embarrassed that her friend had interrupted a rare evening out on her account. “You’re supposed to be on a dinner date.”

  “We hadn’t ordered our food yet. I was worried about how you were faring, so I asked Kirk to call the guards. They told us what happened. I feel responsible—you came to Lydia at my invitation, and now you’ve been attacked twice.”