Royal Target

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  “You must drink with us,” César insisted, nudging her glass toward her.

  Janessa shook her head, instantly aware that the prince was staring at her. Still, she spoke calmly to César, her voice low. “You know I don’t drink.”

  “This is different. It’s for a celebration.” An edge came into his voice.

  Felisa Navas leaned across her husband, her words slurring a bit as she added sternly, “You must drink. It is an insult if you do not.”

  Janessa looked from Felisa to César, realizing that Felisa had already had too much to drink. Hoping to shift the attention away from herself, she was about to initiate a conversation with the prince when Felisa reached across her husband and pushed the drink closer to Janessa.

  “You must drink with us.” Felisa’s voice raised another decibel.

  Donald leaned forward, clearly becoming upset by the scene unfolding. He lowered his voice and demanded, “What are you doing?”

  “I’m Mormon. It’s against my religion to drink, and I’m not going to get pushed into it,” Janessa told him in hushed tones. She sensed the prince’s surprise and wondered if he was familiar with her faith.

  The Navases made one more attempt to convince Janessa to drink with them. César was calm, trying to explain that she was breaking custom, but Felisa was clearly angry. All the while, Prince Garrett looked on silently.

  Finally, Janessa pushed back from the table and spoke in Spanish, her voice low in the hopes that she could avoid drawing any more attention to herself. “I am sorry if I have insulted you by not drinking this.” She waved a hand at the sangria. “But please understand that it is an insult to me that you would expect me to set aside my religious beliefs for a drink.”

  Felisa gasped at her words, but Janessa turned away, intending to have Levi cover for her until she could trade places with someone working outside of the ballroom. To her surprise, Prince Garrett stood as well.

  “I’ll escort you home.” He took her hand in his before turning his attention back to those at the table. “I hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  With that, he motioned toward the door and accompanied Janessa out of the room.

  Chapter 2

  Garrett stepped into the hall and studied the petite redhead beside him. Her cheeks were flushed with color, her posture rigid. He couldn’t help but admire her for standing up for her beliefs, especially now that he could see how shaken she was. His mind was still trying to wrap around the news that she was Mormon as he laid a hand on her shoulder and asked, “Are you all right?”

  Janessa nodded, turning to face him. “I’m fine. I can trade places with one of the others on security detail so you can go rejoin the party.”

  “Are you kidding?” Garrett tugged at his collar to relieve some of the pressure from his bowtie. “You just saved me from another two hours of boredom. I owe you.”

  Her posture relaxed somewhat, and she managed a small smile. “Would you like me to arrange for your car to take you back to your embassy?”

  Garrett considered what she was offering, the peace and solitude he had wanted all evening. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be alone after all. “Perhaps you can suggest someplace else we can go. I don’t think I’m quite ready to call it a night.”

  Janessa tensed, and Garrett could sense her reservations as she asked, “What did you have in mind?”

  “Perhaps you know of someplace where we can get dessert,” he suggested.

  Now Janessa relaxed and gave him the gift of a genuine smile. “I think we can manage that.” She stepped closer to one of his security guards that had followed them into the hall. She spoke in Italian, instructing the guard to inform Prince Stefano of his brother’s departure and to request a small contingent of guards to accompany them.

  Garrett looked on, surprised at her easy use of his language. “Where did you learn to speak Italian?”

  “I went on a mission for the Mormon Church to Italy.” Janessa motioned down the hall to the elevators. “We’ll take my car so that your brother can leave when he wants.”

  “I imagine he will be here for some time. For some insane reason, he actually likes these events.”

  Janessa just nodded as she stepped into the elevator. A few minutes later they emerged from the service entrance and were met by a member of Garrett’s security force. Janessa’s driver was already waiting for them outside, along with another car filled with security personnel.

  Janessa’s driver opened the door to let Janessa and the prince into the back seat. He then climbed behind the wheel as Garrett’s personal bodyguard slid into the passenger seat. Janessa leaned forward, informing the driver of their destination.

  Garrett expected her to choose some high-end restaurant nearby, but when the car approached one of the popular night clubs, he wondered if he should have gone back to the embassy after all. While the press often painted him as a man who spent his time clubbing, few people realized that he didn’t like crowds. To his relief, the driver continued down the street and pulled into a parking lot a mile later. He studied the glass-fronted ice cream shop, pleased with its simplicity and lack of clientele at this late hour.

  Out of habit, he stayed in the car until his bodyguard opened his door and indicated that the security sweep had been completed. Janessa escorted him inside, apparently comfortable in the simple setting despite the fact that she wore an evening gown and her escort was in black tie.

  Showing an unexpected warmth, she greeted the proprietor by name and led the way to a booth in the corner. Garrett slid into the seat across from her, somewhat surprised at how easily her professionalism had melted away. He nodded in the direction of the owner. “I gather you come here often.”

  She carelessly lifted a shoulder. “Once or twice a month.”

  “How do you know the owner?”

  “I introduced myself to him the first time I came in.” Janessa passed him a menu. “After you taste the ice cream here, you’ll see why.”

  Two of Garrett’s bodyguards stood by the exits, even though the place was nearly empty. A trio of girls occupied a booth in the center of the restaurant, and on the far side six teenagers were eating out of an enormous bowl filled with various flavors of ice cream.

  Garrett motioned across the room. “I hope all of the portions aren’t that big.”

  Janessa shook her head and laughed. “After the dinner we just ate, I think one scoop will do it for me tonight. The challenge is deciding what flavor.”

  Opening his menu, he began to understand what she was talking about. Over three dozen flavors were listed inside. He was still deciding when the waitress came over to take their order, and he finally chose something at random.

  As soon as the waitress left them, he turned his attention back to Janessa. “I gather you are stationed here in Caracas?”

  Janessa nodded. “I’ve been in the country just over a year.”

  “I have to admit, you don’t look anything like the security officers I’ve had in the past.”

  “Appearances can be deceiving,” Janessa said as the waitress approached with their dessert. “By the way, thanks for helping me out tonight. I didn’t expect to get cornered like that by my friends.”

  “It was my pleasure. Like I said before, you likely saved me from hours of boredom.” Garrett leaned forward as though telling her a secret. “And you also saved me from a rather awkward situation with Monique.”

  “Does this mean we’re even?” she asked with a smile.

  “Absolutely.”

  Janessa picked up her spoon and scooped up a little of the ice cream the waitress had set before her. “You said earlier that you plan to return home after the summit. Do you know what you’ll do once you get there? Do you have duties waiting for you, or can you sort of carve out your own future?”

  Garrett stared at her for a moment, more surprised by the fact that she thought to ask such a question than by the question itself. Reminding himself that he barely knew this w
oman, he kept his response neutral. “I’m still considering my options.”

  She nodded sympathetically. “I imagine being royal is difficult, trying to balance the doors that are open to you with the limitations your title creates.”

  “Not many people recognize the limitations,” Garrett stated simply. He took a bite of ice cream, and a slow smile crept over his face. “I can see why you chose this place.”

  “I try to stop by every time I’m in this part of the city.” Janessa smiled.

  “Where else do you suggest I visit while I’m here?” Garrett asked, relaxing back into his seat.

  “Well, you probably don’t have time to go to Canaima and visit Angel Falls.” Janessa shrugged a shoulder. “That’s one of my favorite places, but there’s a lot of history right here in Caracas.”

  Garrett continued to enjoy his ice cream while he listened to the charming redhead talk about the city and some of her favorite sights. She seemed at ease with him, reminding him of the friends he’d left behind in Washington, D.C.

  When the waitress approached with their bill, Janessa glanced down at her watch. “It’s getting late. Would you like me to take you home?”

  Garrett laughed as he lifted his hand and motioned for one of his bodyguards to take care of the bill. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

  “Not tonight.”

  * * *

  Janessa couldn’t figure him out. Prince Garrett leaned back in his seat as they made their way to his embassy, somehow looking comfortable despite the tuxedo he wore. He chatted amiably about his country, then asked about her family. He was acting so incredibly normal that the whole scene seemed surreal.

  Even more surreal was the fact that she was sitting beside him, somehow keeping up her end of the conversation. The stiffness she had first noticed in him had faded, and his demeanor was now friendly and relaxed. In fact, he seemed to have completely forgotten that she was present as a member of his security force, treating her instead like a casual acquaintance he had chosen to spend time with.

  Janessa slipped back into work mode when the Meridian Embassy came into view along with a half dozen reporters waiting outside the main gate. She leaned forward and instructed her driver to circle the block to give the prince’s security forces sufficient time to eliminate any potential threats.

  Prince Garrett waited until she turned her attention back to him and asked, “Can I expect to see you tomorrow?”

  “I don’t know if I’m on duty tomorrow.”

  He grinned. “Perhaps I should pull a few strings. Being royal does have its advantages.”

  Janessa laughed. “You just want to make sure that Monique sees us together so she’ll leave you alone.”

  “I’m a man who knows how to use his resources well.”

  “Of that I have little doubt.” Her smile stayed put as she noticed that they were approaching the embassy once again and that his security detail was now in place. “Thank you again for helping me out this evening.”

  “The pleasure was entirely mine,” Prince Garrett said as the driver opened the car door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Janessa responded automatically. “I look forward to it.”

  Then, with a spree of flashbulbs, he climbed from the car and disappeared behind the embassy gates. As the driver pulled away, Janessa glanced back over her shoulder, realizing that she really was looking forward to tomorrow.

  * * *

  “Your behavior was completely unacceptable.” Donald drummed his fingers on his desk. “Imagine my surprise when I found out that this was not the first incident you’d been involved in.”

  Janessa watched Donald open up her personnel file, afraid of what he might find there. She had thought the early morning summons to Donald’s office was to tell her she had been requested for Prince Garrett’s security detail. Instead, she found herself once again defending her beliefs. She held back a sigh, deliberately keeping her voice free of emotion. “I can explain.”

  “I don’t even want to know what happened at the bathhouse in Japan. Obviously you caused a major stir if you were reassigned after only two weeks in the country.” Donald skimmed over the papers in her file. “And then you punched the ambassador’s aide in Paris.”

  “He’s the one who made a move on me.” Janessa held up a hand as she made her point. “I tried asking him nicely to stop. He just wouldn’t listen.”

  “You broke his nose!”

  Janessa nodded, trying to look remorseful. A touch of humor still laced her voice when she spoke. “That was unfortunate.”

  “This string of unfortunate incidents leaves me little choice.” Donald shuffled the papers on his desk, standing when he located the one he wanted. “Here are your travel orders to go back to Washington. Your flight leaves first thing in the morning.”

  Sighing heavily, Janessa snatched the travel orders from Donald’s hand, muttering as she left his office. “So much for religious freedom.”

  Chapter 3

  The weeklong World Trade Summit had concluded several days before, but such events held no importance for the two figures clad completely in black. Soundlessly, they slipped through the darkness outside the gates of the US Embassy in Meridia. Thick clouds overhead blocked any light the moon might have provided, and together they ducked behind the row of cars parked along the street.

  Security cameras were perched in several strategic locations on the outside of the building, but they were blind to the two stealthy figures. The security guards inside would see nothing but darkness and parked cars. At least, they would see nothing until it was too late.

  A dog barked in the distance, causing them both to slow for a moment. Once satisfied that the animal was not a threat, they continued on in their hunched-over positions. The person in the lead came to a stop behind the car that had been chosen hours earlier, a car that had the size and positioning for their objective.

  Squatting down, they unloaded the contents of their backpacks and went to work. Several minutes later, one of them reached under the car and activated the bomb that would send their message to the world.

  * * *

  Prince Garrett Fortier walked down the cavernous hallway of the palace, his footsteps sounding on the tile floor. His ancestral home had been standing for over four hundred years, and, at its core, the palace remained very much the same as it had been at the time of its construction. Generations of Fortiers had ruled from this palace and would continue to do so for generations to come.

  From the windows on the west side, Garrett could see the ruins of the castle that had housed his ancestors throughout the Middle Ages. The demise of the castle had come in 1598, when the French civil wars had spilled over into Meridia. Garrett hesitated a moment before turning his gaze from the ruins. A fight for religious freedom had been the underlying cause of the destruction of the grand structure and had nearly forced his family from power.

  He thought of Janessa, remembering the brief battle she had waged in defense of her own religious freedom. He had been so tempted to confide in her about his plans. She had seemed so unassuming, and he sensed she could be trusted. Still, his upbringing had taught him not to trust easily, and ultimately he hadn’t been willing to risk sharing confidences with a woman he barely knew.

  His inquiry about Janessa’s availability to work on his protection detail in Caracas had revealed that she had returned to the United States. He hoped that a country that boasted of so many liberties wouldn’t penalize one of its citizens for exercising her religious beliefs, but the fact remained that Janessa was no longer in Venezuela.

  His impression of Janessa during their brief time together was that she would fight for her rights regardless of the consequences. Deliberately lifting his chin, Garrett knew he had to follow her example.

  Ignoring the nerves balled in his stomach, Garrett turned the corner toward his father’s office. Whether or not he could make his father understand his own need for religious freedom, he had to at least take a stand.
He knew the risks, and he understood the weight of his decision. He would be the first in the family to leave the Meridian Church to embrace another in over a thousand years.

  Anticipating the battle to come, Garrett ran a hand through his thick, black hair. He had arrived from Caracas only two days before and already he felt crowded by the heavy security and the constant presence of the household staff. His three years attending law school at George Washington University in DC had given him a taste of what he often craved but rarely attained: privacy and freedom.

  He had enjoyed the duality of his life in the states, both the endless variety of his official duties and those moments he had managed to blend in with the crowd. His best friend and study partner, Tim O’Donnell, had given him a glimpse of middle-class America and so much more—he had given him a Book of Mormon.

  Garrett had started reading the book out of curiosity, more because of his fascination with history than any desire to find religious significance. He couldn’t say that he had ever been very religious in the past, never having found the need for such things, but many passages of the Book of Mormon seemed familiar, as though he had read them before.

  The sense of discontentment he had always struggled with had melted away, but he didn’t recognize the source of the change. When Tim got married at the end of their first year of law school, Garrett had been shocked and angry to find that he wasn’t allowed to attend the wedding inside the temple. While he was waiting in the shadows of the temple, his temper faded and he realized that it was the first time anyone aside from his parents had told him he couldn’t do something.

  Ironically, being subjected to rules that made no allowances for his royal status gave Garrett a new respect and admiration for the Mormon Church. He soon found himself asking Tim more and more questions. The religious discussions they shared sparked something in Garrett, and before long he became a regular fixture at Tim’s house each Sunday. On occasion he even managed to attend sacrament meeting with Tim without being tailed by the paparazzi.