Page 109 of Stolen Princess

She disconnects the call, and I just about lose my mind.

“It’s an hour drive from here but twenty minutes by air,” the bodyguard declares, and for the first time, I realize I have no clue where I am other than at a royal residence. The bodyguard and the older man immediately go for the door while the bodyguard makes a call to someone to get the helicopter ready.

“We’re going to bring her back to the main palace,” the older man states. “The plane is ready and on standby to take you all back too. We shouldn’t stay here. No one is to know you’re not at home.” He points to the king.

“Yes. We need to get back,” the king agrees. “I need to be with my family.”

They’re getting ready to leave, and I don’t know what happens next with me. I’ll never see the necklace again. They could throw me in jail. They’re going to get her. She’s going to be okay. She’ll be safe, and they’ll take care of her.

They’ll manage the threats that still face her. She’ll be with her family, and with that, she’s going to need time to get to know them. To discover who she is with them.

I don’t enter into that.

I never did.

She thinks I’m dead. Maybe that’s the best way for this to go. What do I bring to her life? I should let her go as I was going to do. Even if the thought of never seeing her again makes my heart hurt in a way it never has before.

35

DESTA

I’ll admit, when the car pulled up, I had a worst-case scenario going through my head. I envisioned it was Antonia or Sven or some other person I’d have to survive. I caught a break from that, and no, that’s not a pun given my current situation. For once, luck was on my side. Or perhaps Ferrin sent me an angel.

An older gentleman pulled over and rushed out of his car with worry creasing in his eyes. “My dear, you’re not well.”

Understatement of my life.

“Let us get you to the hospital. Do you have someone to call? Someone to meet you?”

I fed him a bullshit story, and he offered me his phone.

Except I had no one to call. No numbers that I knew. So I looked up the main number for the palace, and a woman named Emily told me someone would call me back. I don’t know who I spoke with after that. I have no clue if anyone is actually coming for me. Right now, that’s okay because the nurse gave me some medication for the pain, which is way better than the stuff Sven juiced me up with, and cleaned and fixed the cuts on my face and body. They put me in a gown, and a woman is wrapping a purple cast on my arm after the X-ray declared it’s not displaced and I don’t require surgery.

A simple radial fracture, and in four to six weeks, I should be good to go.

I was lucky. That’s what the doctor said. It’s what the nurse said to me too.

Lucky. Again with that word.

Is that what I am? Honestly, that’s a scary notion to hold onto. Especially when I feel like it’s the eye of the storm, where everything is deceptively calm. Not to sound like Ferrin, but as long as Antonia is lurking about, I’m in danger. I don’t know where Sven is. That’s an issue too.

After they’re done with the cast, I’m left alone until the door to my room opens and a tall, handsome man enters. The door shuts behind him, and he closes the curtain. My heart starts to pound at his quiet intensity. Not to mention he’s huge. Like the size of the freaking doorway, huge and all muscles with it.

“I’m Gabe, Prince Rowan’s bodyguard and his chief of security.”

I blink and my eyes glass over. “Um. Hi.” I don’t know what to say. What does one say to that? To this situation.

He bows at me, and I shake my head, not understanding the gesture until it hits me. He believes I’m the princess. But why? I haven’t met anyone in the family. Haven’t talked to any of them. Are they simply going based on whatever Ferrin told them? I suppose they are, but that seems… wrong.

And how do I know this isn’t a trap? Antonia could have sent him here. She knew I was hurt. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to figure out that I went to a hospital.

“Prove it.”

A smirk curls up his lips. “Smart girl.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his country ID along with his palace ID badge. Works for me.

“What happens now?”

“My colleague is working on getting you discharged. Once that happens, we’ll take you to the palace for you to meet the king and prince.”