by Dana Mentink
“I know,” he replied in a gentle tone. “You must be starving.”
“I am hungry.”
The few dollars she had saved from her part-time job at the local diner had lasted only a couple days. She’d slept where she could find a safe spot and survived on vending-machine snacks, just getting by, waiting for today, when she was supposed to meet Leo.
Leo would have known what to do.
She had complete trust in her brother, and he’d sent this man to her. She sneaked a glance at his strong profile again. For the time being she would have to trust him, too. There was something about him that still raised warning flags in her mind. He had secrets, things he hadn’t shared completely with her. But she’d see this through. Despite her reservations about going home, she needed her brother. If this man could take her to him, then she’d go along with him for now. But that didn’t mean she’d trust him blindly.
Something about him and this situation didn’t sit quite right, but she would find a way to turn it around, even if it meant letting him be her protector for a few days. It would be worth it to see her brother. If there was even a remote chance she could be reunited with Leo, she would take it. For so many years she’d only dreamed of having a normal life once again. It wasn’t easy to trust him, but what choice did she have?
She didn’t like needing someone else to fight her battles for her, and she didn’t want to endanger any other lives. But she was smart enough to know she’d never find the answers without help. He was her best chance at finally finding out who had killed her father and wanted her dead. Once that person was caught and punished, she’d at least have a chance at a normal family once again.
*
She attacked the plate of french fries as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks. As soon as the waitress had placed the meal in front of her, Thea had bowed her head and given a quiet prayer of thanks, then dug into the food with her full attention.
A twinge of guilt shot through him. He’d driven longer than he probably needed to, but he couldn’t take the chance they were being followed. Even now they were taking a chance. But she had to eat.
There was a very real possibility this was the first meal she’d had in days. Her most recent safe house had been compromised last week. Ronin hated to think of how she’d been surviving since. Or how she’d even managed to make it out safely. He smiled to himself. She probably went out through a window. Not that it was a laughing matter. She was in very real danger. He’d do well to not let himself get too comfortable with her. He needed to keep reminding himself of that.
Her safety had to come first.
He checked his watch. They’d driven for several hours. It would be midnight soon. With the weather it had been slow going. It didn’t help that he’d stuck to using mostly back roads. There had been no sign of any other vehicles in miles, besides those whose drivers had lost control and ended up in ditches along the highway. Like he’d promised, when he was sure they were safe, he’d pulled over for a much needed break and food.
They sat at a table near the back of the truck stop. Only a few people—all truckers from what he could tell—were out at this time of night and in these conditions. From his position he had a good view of the entrance over Thea’s shoulder. Ronin took a bite of his fries, hoping she wouldn’t notice how intently he’d been watching her and the doorway behind her. She’d been on edge since they’d left the town behind them. Not that he could blame her. The fact that she hadn’t fainted dead away or lapsed into a fit of hysteria spoke a great deal for her inner strength.
He’d studied every written fact about the princess for months knowing that she was probably the best, if not only, hope he had of clearing his father’s name. But all of the studying he’d done hadn’t begun to prepare him for the truth of who she really was. All of the words written on paper couldn’t really capture the essence of her.
Although after all this time and all she’d been through he hadn’t expected a pampered, tiara-wearing princess. He watched her take a very large, unladylike bite of her cheeseburger. He hadn’t really anticipated her being able to blend into her surroundings so well, either. He should have known better. “Expect the unexpected” was a good motto to live by.
Despite the fact she had learned her fair share of survival techniques, he could still see a softness around the edges. She would be offended to know he noticed.
By all appearances she was paying him little attention while she ate her meal. But he’d caught her watching him, even though she’d kept her eyes lowered. She was guarded and wary. Both were good qualities to have when you weren’t sure where danger might be lurking. She’d be wise to not trust every stranger they might come across.
She was wise to not trust him.
“You have some ketchup…” He made a motion at the corner of his own mouth, hoping she’d find the spot. “Right there.”
The tip of her tongue flicked around the corner of her mouth, licking her pink lips clean.
“It’s not polite to stare.”
“I’m sorry, Princess Dorthea.” When she shot him a glare, he corrected himself. “Thea.”
“You must think I’ve turned into a barbarian.” A juicy hamburger grease mixture with mayo and tomato ran down her fingers. She set the remainder on her plate and used her napkin to wipe her hands clean.
“If I were going to think you barbaric, it would have been when you hit me with that brick.”
“I might do it again if I felt threatened.” She smiled but he knew how serious she was. He could already tell she was very stubborn. That was just another characteristic about her that surprised him.
“No matter how sorry it made you, of course,” he teased, tossing back her earlier statement.
“Of course,” she agreed with a nervous laugh.
“While I admire that you are capable of taking care of yourself, your brick-wielding days are over. I’m here to protect you now.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath and noticed the flash of daring in her eyes but was spared the reply as the waitress walked up to their table.
“Can I get you guys a refill?”
“Yes, please.” Thea pushed her nearly empty glass of water to the edge of the table, where the waitress could pour from the pitcher she held in her hand.
Ronin nodded and did the same.
“I hope you’re planning on leaving a good tip,” Thea said after the waitress had walked away. “Most waitresses live on tips, you know.”
He couldn’t say that he knew or didn’t. It was one of those things that in this place and time didn’t really matter much in the grand scheme of things. But it mattered to her.
Thea fidgeted with the straw in her drink, swirling it around between the ice cubes, staring at it, but he could tell her mind was somewhere else.
Ronin knew nearly everything there was to know about her. She’d been allowed to work part-time as a waitress at local diners near her last few homes. The choice had been a foolish one. Being in the open made her an easy target. If not for the fact any money the sympathizers had managed to get from the sale of family jewels and salvaged belongings had long ago run out, it probably wouldn’t have even been considered. Although he’d only known Thea for a short time, he could imagine she’d been very stubborn about wanting to pay her own way.
Foolish or not, the job might have saved her life.
“I worked as a waitress.” Thea pulled her hands back and placed them in her lap. “I wasn’t home when they came for me. A coworker asked me to cover a shift and I snuck out. I was at work. I came home and found them…” Her words trailed off.
Ronin reached across the table, willing her to take his hand so he could pull her from the terrifying memories she was lost in. Just then, the waitress reappeared, pad and pen out in front of her ready to tally up their meal and any extras she might be able to talk them into. “Can I get either of you some dessert?”
Thea jumped in her seat. For a brief moment he thought she might get up and run.<
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“I’m sorry, hon. Didn’t mean to startle you,” the waitress said, noticing Thea’s edginess. “The pecan pie is very tasty and made fresh this afternoon. We even buy the pecans locally from a grove down the road.”
“No nuts, thanks. We’re allergic.”
Thea eyed him from across the table. The fear seemed to change to suspicion.
“I think we’re about finished up here,” he said, glancing over at Thea. “Unless you would like something else?”
“I’m fine, thank you,” Thea replied guardedly.
“Just the check, please,” Ronin requested. The sooner they got back on the road, the better.
“Sure thing,” the waitress replied. “You two aren’t from around here, are you?”
“Just traveling through.”
“We don’t get many travelers this time of night, especially with this weather.” She rambled as she totaled up their order, ripping the paper from the pad and laying it on the table next to his plate. “Now, in the summer, that’s a different story. We have some of the best catfish fishing spots around just a few miles down the road.”
Ronin pulled out a few bills, with a large tip figured in, and laid them on the table.
“I’ll be right back with your change.”
“You can keep it,” Ronin replied.
“Thank you. That’s mighty kind of you.” She flashed him a big smile. “You two be careful out there. We don’t usually get storms like this one this late in the year. Even so, it’s turning into the worst storm in years. Many of the highways will be shut down soon if it keeps up.”
“I’d like to use the restroom before we get back on the road,” Thea stated after the waitress had gone.
Ronin wasn’t sure if she was asking for permission or voicing a fact. The tone in her voice was one he hadn’t heard from her yet. It left no room for argument. As she brushed past him, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d just been put in his place.
With large strides he caught up with her just before she entered the bathroom. Blocking the door, he flicked the light on and checked out the small room before letting her pass.
“I think we need to get something straight.”
“We do?” Her eyebrows raised in question.
“Yes, we do.” Ronin took a deep breath. “This is the way it’s going to be. While I am protecting you, I am in charge.” He paused, waiting for the argument he was sure would come before adding, “You will do as I say.”
She crossed her arms in front of her and stared but said nothing. Was she mulling his words over in her mind or had she already totally dismissed them?
“You’re not thinking of coming in here with me, are you?” she finally said.
“Not at all,” he replied. He enjoyed the flash of fire in her eyes as he teased. “Just checking for windows.”
Ronin leaned a shoulder against the wall by the door and waited. He might appear relaxed, but he kept his eyes and ears tuned to any movement and noise around them. That conversation had gone better than expected. There was a storm brewing in her mind, though. It was just a matter of time before she let it all loose on him.
He smiled. He rather enjoyed the idea of that. He admired a woman who wouldn’t just sit back and do as she was told. But the pluck had to be tempered with just the right amount of wisdom. There was a time and a place. He could only hope she fully understood now was the time to listen and do as she was asked.
Whether she liked it or not, he had to take the lead. His first priority was keeping her safe. He couldn’t do that properly if she were questioning him at every turn or trying to run. The earlier attack proved how real the threat was. They had just been fortunate that the men hadn’t used their guns earlier. He had seen one of the men pull his weapon. Then they’d argued. Probably about the police and the scene it would cause. But another attack was inevitable.
Now that rumors were circulating about the long-thought-dead prince and princess being alive and hidden away in the United States, there would be more attacks. They wouldn’t stop.
If that information had stayed safely hidden away like it had for the past fourteen years, this would be a walk in the park. He would have stayed with Leo, and his brother Jarrod would have come for Thea. That had been their plan. But things hadn’t gone according to plan. Leo had been shot, and more men had been sent to him. Then word had leaked about the prince and princess being alive. Ronin was the closest and had learned of her plan to meet her brother, so he’d come for Thea.
The person responsible for the information coming out early was just as guilty as the men who had attacked the safe house and killed innocent people. When the leak was found, he or she would be tried right along with the assassins.
He heard her shuffling around inside. He imagined her indignation at being watched over and told what to do. Like it or not, he would watch her a lot more closely now. When he was positive she was safe and sound at the royal estate just outside Denver, she could order him to take a very long hike if she wanted. But for now, she would do what he asked.
The door creaked open and she emerged. Without a word he helped her into her coat and they made their way outside. Only a few trucks and trailers were parked along the edges of the parking lot, and his car stood alone near the front. The wind blew with such force it was a struggle to walk a straight line. He wrapped his arm around Thea and together they trudged, heads down, to the car.
Out in the open and exposed as they were, his senses were on alert. If anyone were going to make a move, this would be the perfect time. Arriving at the car, he opened Thea’s door and helped her inside before moving around to the driver’s side. Quickly, he scraped off the snow and ice that had accumulated on the windshield before joining her inside. They might be safe now, but at any point another attempt could be made on Thea’s life.
Despite the circumstances, he was actually looking forward to the long drive. She surprised him. In the short time he’d spent with her, he’d already begun to admire many things about her. One couldn’t help but be drawn to her passion for life and caring spirit.
He glanced in her direction before pulling out onto the highway. Thea’s eyes remained focused out her window. It was probably for the best. He needed to keep the distance he’d put between them by telling her the way things had to be. Getting too close and forgetting this was a job would jeopardize not only getting to the truth he craved, but also her life.
THREE
“How did you know about the nuts?” She’d been staring out the window, watching the snow fly by for the past hour or so. She was bored. Despite the fact she was annoyed with him, she couldn’t sit and do nothing for another moment. Her mind had been so focused on his overbearing, macho orders, she’d nearly forgotten her curiosity over his remark about her allergy earlier.
Silence was her only immediate reply, and for a moment she wondered if she’d need to repeat herself or if he was going to answer at all.
“I know everything about you,” he said quietly.
“Everything?” she asked. Surely he couldn’t know everything. Her mind raced with some of the more private moments of her life that she wouldn’t feel comfortable with a complete stranger knowing.
“You are a princess. Your life is well documented.”
“Well documented?” Thea resisted the urge to shriek, but she felt it building inside her nonetheless. “Documented how?”
“Everything about you has been written down from the day you were born. Your first steps, your first smile. Your first tooth is on exhibit in a museum back home.”
“Really?” she gasped, studying his profile.
“No.” He glanced her way and shot her a quick smile. “I was only teasing about the tooth. But you have always been observed.”
“You shouldn’t tease me that way.” Embarrassment coursed through her. She’d known she had always been watched and her family would forever be a part of their country’s history. History was one thing, though. It was something to look
back on years and years from now and ponder. They weren’t things she wanted to share in the here and now. They definitely weren’t things she wanted to share with a man who already thought he knew everything there was to know about her. It was unnerving that he quite possibly knew more about her than she remembered herself.
He smiled, a wide, knowing smile, and it only fueled her discomfort.
“It was important that I know all that I could about you in order to do my job and properly protect you.”
It was only a job. The fact should have lessened her embarrassment, but it didn’t. It wasn’t right that one person should know so much about another. It was an unfair advantage that he knew so much about her and she knew nothing about him.
“That’s hardly fair.” Thea crossed her arms and stared ahead out the windshield. The snow fell heavily in large, perfect flakes. It was as if they were in their own private spaceship on a voyage through the stars. Snowflakes zoomed by at what seemed like lightning speed, but she’d been watching the speedometer and knew they were barely crawling along at well below the speed limit. The beauty of the snow kept her mind from racing off through the many other things he might know about her that she’d rather he didn’t.
“Would it make it fair if I told you something about me?”
“Of course it would.” Any idea of who this man was would help if she were going to continue to hold her own against him. She had to have a clue of what she was up against.
“Then ask away.”
She had no idea where to start. There were so many things that she wanted to know. Jumbled thoughts of questions to ask ran through her mind.
“Do you believe in God?” In the dim light of the dashboard, she could see the play of emotions race across his face. It seemed she’d surprised him with her question. Her own faith and beliefs were central to her identity. She knew without a doubt she wouldn’t be who she was now if her faith hadn’t given her the strength to see the good that could come from all the bad she had experienced in her life. If she were going to trust him with her life and spend any amount of time with him, she needed to know if he shared her convictions.