Page 32 of The Dauntless (Spy Girl 5)
The Prime Minister’s mouth drops open.
The queen pats the bottom of her chin and gives him the eye.
He quickly shuts his mouth.
Since I seem to have stunned the room into silence, I figure I might as well keep going. “I should add that the board meeting is tomorrow morning, and, if possible, I would like to have actual contracts to present to them, but I guess, if anyone can make it happen, the people in this room can. I also want to be transparent in the fact that I alone hold voting power on the majority of the shares, as per my father’s will. I have the ability to gift this technology to you, but I don’t want to risk a mutiny in the company my father built. I’m only asking for enough to appease them.”
Intrepid comes to stand behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders.
“Would you like to be knighted, too, my dear?” the queen asks me.
“No, thank you, Your Highness. I was knighted by the King of Montrovia after I rescued him from the kidnappers who were planning to assassinate him.”
“Very well. I think I will adjourn to my room since the hour is getting late. Gentlemen, I hope you will figure out a way to get this impressive young woman exactly what she asked for.”
As soon as she leaves the room, the British Defense Minister and the Prime Minister start talking about containment. The Prime Minister then makes a single call from the phone on the queen’s desk to a barrister he trusts to draw up the documents.
Intrepid’s boss, however, comes to stand in front of me. “Whom do you work for, Miss Von Allister?”
I shake my head. “No one.”
“All these things you’ve been taking credit for—” he says to Intrepid.
“I asked him to,” I state. “Before I found out I was Ares Von Allister’s daughter, I was training to be something other than a socialite.”
“You don’t work for the CIA?”
“I definitely do not. And I pray that you won’t tell anyone about my … special skills.”
“Can I hire you?”
“I don’t exactly need the money.” That gets a laugh from Intrepid. “But I would love to borrow a secure phone.”
When one is brought in for me, I call three people I know in the United States and repeat my story, leaving out the part about my special skills.
After the night’s festivities, I have Intrepid drop me off at Lorenzo’s London home. I know Chauncey will be asleep, but he’ll be surprised to see me sitting at the breakfast table in the morning.
I place my hand on the palm reader, which unlocks the door, allowing me entrance.
I expect to be greeted by someone on his staff.
What I don’t expect is to see him.
I don’t even think. I just rush into his arms and hug him. “What are you doing here?”
“I was supposed to attend a knighting ceremony, but my flight was delayed due to weather. You look beautiful,” he whispers, his eyes wandering down my body like a warm caress. “And you’re always welcome in my home.”
“I don’t think that’s appropriate now. I wanted to surprise Chauncey in the morning, but I’ll go back to the Prescotts’.”
“We were supposed to go to the British Grand Prix together,” Lorenzo says with a sigh. “I had hoped it would be our first public engagement after announcing our courtship.”
“You look stressed.” I glide the back of my curled fingers across his handsome cheek.
He grabs my hand, scrutinizing the engagement ring on it. “Reason number one why I’m stressed.”
“Even more than what’s going to start in Montrovia?”
He gazes into my eyes, holding them before finally replying, “In most seafaring cultures, they say the captain should go down with his ship. I love my country, but I fear it’s sinking, and it will take me under.”
“It would help my investigation if you were honest with me,” I chastise, although it’s hard for me to be angry when I’m finally back in his arms.
“I have been so honest with you, Huntley; I’m practically transparent.”
“You’re telling me you didn’t know a TerraSphere would house the Olympic athletes? That it’s being unveiled for all the world to see in Montrovia?”
“No, I didn’t.” He looks genuinely concerned.
“How can that be? Have you not toured the areas where the events will be held?”
“Actually, not yet, but it’s on my schedule next week. I will be traveling the country to each event location. A final inspection, if you will. You must come with me.”
“Okay.”
“Really?” he asks, taken aback.
“Lorenzo, is there a vault filled with gold at your castle? A doomsday vault?”
“Yes, most governments have such living facilities in case of nuclear war. Even if we weren’t directly attacked, we would worry about fallout. Although larger, the one in Montrovia is very similar to the one here.”
“What if your country were attacked in a different way?” I ask.
“Have you figured it out? What’s going to start in my country?”
“Yes, and no.”
“Give me the yes,” he says, taking my hand and leading me to the couch in the parlor where we sit down.
“The great culling is going to start in Montrovia and has to do with the food supply, possibly grain specifically.”
“The great culling?” he asks.
“A systematic and purposeful reduction of the population. We’re talking ninety-three percent dead. What’s left of the world will be called Arcadia. The same name on the currency we found.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s ridiculous,” he scoffs. “No one could pull something like that off. Unless we’re talking nuclear war.”
“Well, the good news is, somehow, you and I are supposed to survive.”
“How do you know that? They have tried to kill me on numerous occasions. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead.”
“When their plan with Ophelia didn’t work, I think they decided they’d use you.”
“Use me how?” he asks incredulously.
“Because you were dating me.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“Because that’s what Lorenzo the Magnificent wanted, sort of. And what Ares wanted for Arcadia. The ring is in your vault. Has anyone approached you about it yet?”
“I’m still stuck on the part where they tried to have me killed.”
“They tried six years ago with Alessandro and then again recently with Ophelia. Dupree told me that they decided you and I would be the new Arcadian royalty of whatever is left of the world. His exact words were this: ‘You were destined to marry Lorenzo and become the Queen of Arcadia while your brother took his rightful place at our table.’”
“And you really believe they have a plan to kill off over ninety percent of the world’s population?”
“It doesn’t really matter what I believe, Lorenzo. My mother believed it, and it got her killed. Did your grandfather ever mention a special key?”
“Funny you should ask that. As you know, I’m building a public space to house much of Montrovian history in honor of my father. Since I haven’t been sleeping well—”
“I can see it under your eyes,” I say softly, interrupting and knowing I still love him.
He holds my gaze for a moment, making me feel like he knows exactly what I just thought, before continuing, “I have been going through boxes of memorabilia at night, and I found my grandfather’s journals.”
“You already told me about the building that will allow you to close the palace to the public to keep your future children safe.” I can’t hide the venom in my heart when I think about him and Lizzie together in that way.
“That’s correct,” he says simply, not wanting to get into all that right now.
“The children you will have with Lizzie. Are the two of you, um, working to, uh, fulfill that part of her contract?” I find myself stuttering out even though I don’t want to know the answer
.
“I will not sleep with Lizzie until after we are married,” Lorenzo states emphatically.
“Is that in the contract, too?” I snap back.
“No, my mother would like her pregnant before the wedding, but I—”
I watch as his expression softens, and I see my own feeling on the subject reflected in his face.
“Just can’t?” I ask.
He nods his head. “Not when I am so incredibly in love with you, which brings us back to the ring,”
“Yes, the ring, the key to—”
“I mean, this ring, Huntley,” he says as I realize he’s still holding my hand.
“And I mean, this ring,” I say, holding up the other.
“Why is it, every time we are about to have a serious conversation about us getting married, this stupid ring comes up?” he asks in a frustrated tone.
“Because I need to know, Lorenzo. Why, out of all the jewels in the vault, did you choose that one?”
