Page 108 of Stolen Princess

“Could be her,” the prince agrees, pacing around in a circle and shooting glances at the younger bodyguard. “We never saw her face or anything in the video from the neighbor.”

“May I have my phone?” I ask, holding out my right hand.

“What for?” the king demands, sitting back in his chair with his arms and legs crossed.

“I have an idea.”

They hand me my phone, and I call Antonia. It can’t hurt, and I have nothing to lose at this point. It rings and rings and goes to a recording informing me that a voicemail hasn’t been set up. I growl in frustration, fearing that I’ll never find her or that she’s already gone, clawing through me, ripping me apart, and bleeding me.

I dial Sven next, but it immediately goes to his voicemail as if his phone were off. I wonder if he’s dead. I hope he is, though I’m disappointed I wasn’t the one to make him so.

“Can you show us where you found her?” the bodyguard asks. “Where was that cottage? Maybe she was taken back there. Regardless, it’s the best place to start.”

I go into my phone and pull up the rendezvous school on my Maps app. I scroll around, following the path I took as best as I can. It takes me a couple of minutes, but then I find the general area where I think the cottage was.

“Here.”

The prince and the king come and sit beside me on the bed, which is wild, but whatever.

“Where is that?” the king asks.

I zoom out without losing the spot, and the king gasps.

“What?” everyone asks at once.

“That’s our land. It’s royal land. That river was once much larger, and the building was where goods, livestock, and anything else the palace in Carona needed were delivered. It was sort of a small port location for the palace, going back a couple of hundred years. I was there as a boy. Our father took me…” He trails off, and a chilling silence settles over the room.

“Antonia used to work for your father,” Marcella picks up. “They had an affair. Maybe he took her there? Regardless, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to know about the land.”

“If it’s your land, then get someone there immediately,” I demand. “Though I will say that it’s a motherfucker to get through the barrier fence Antonia has set up around the cottage. There is an entrance on the roadside through the forest, but it requires a code to get in.”

The older Spanish guy pulls out his phone, but before he can call anyone, it rings in his hand. He answers with, “May I call you back—” He stops abruptly and listens to whoever is on the line for a very long minute. “What? Yes, I understand. I’ve got it. Do we have a number for her?” He hisses a curse. “Text it to me.” He disconnects the call, and his phone immediately pings with a text.

“What is it?” the prince asks.

He holds up his hand. “Let me make sure. It could be a trap.” He calls the number. “Yes, hello, I’m trying to reach my girlfriend, Genevieve?”

My breath catches, and I spring up to my feet. The man holds out his hand to me, stopping me from advancing, but Jesus hell, my heart is pumping straight out of my chest. Please let it be her. Please, please.

“Genevieve?” he questions. “Hi. It’s so wonderful to hear from you. What happened?”

He puts the phone on speaker, and her sweet voice echoes through the room and I die all over again. It’s her. It’s my girl. She’s alive.

“I got lost in the woods when I was on a hike near my mother’s house. I fell and broke my wrist and lost my phone somewhere. I found the road, and this lovely gentleman stopped to help me. I told him that my boyfriend worked at the palace, and Richard let me use his phone to call you.”

My eyes pinch shut, and I sink into a crouch before I spring back up. I nod at the man, letting him know it’s her. She doesn’t sound good. Actually, she sounds awful.

“I’ve been worried sick,” he continues. “We all have been. Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“Richard is taking me into town⁠—”

“Carona,” a man’s voice comes from the background. “I’m taking you to the big hospital there. It’s about a forty-minute drive from here. But your wrist is broken, and you’re bleeding badly from your head. The small hospital out here is horrible. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

Fuck. I hate hearing how badly she’s hurt. Antonia and Sven could easily find her if they suspect she’s hurt. Everyone in the room is having the same thought.

“Good. I’m glad you’re going to get help. I’ll be there within the hour for you. Stay safe.”

“Thank you. I will.”