He tugged on the knot of his tie and unbuttoned his collar. “They’re just ruling out suspects. It’s standard procedure. Nothing to worry about.”
We fell silent as the driver navigated the big vehicle through the narrow alley and back onto the main thoroughfare. Outside the tinted window, the city lights flashed past the car. I twisted the wedding band in circles around my ring finger. “I heard you arguing with her last night.”
“Eavesdropping?” He ruffled his hair with his strong fingers then pulled his phone out of his pocket and began reading messages.
“You were shouting. I had no choice.” I waited for his gaze to return to mine. “You sounded angry.”
“She broke the code of silence about the club. I had her membership revoked.” He returned the phone to the breast pocket of his jacket. “Violations of the NDA aren’t acceptable.”
Guilt soured the contents of my stomach. I’d been the one to tell Roman of her breach. Had she been so distraught over his censure that she’d taken drastic measures? With Aunt May’s death still fresh in my mind, Lavender’s passing reopened the wound. “You could have fined her or suspended her or something.”
“She was always prone to bouts of depression. I tried multiple times to get her into therapy. She always refused.” He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face, his voice weary. “There’s nothing to be done about it now.” The leather seat creaked as he slipped an arm around my shoulders and tugged me into the crook of his arm. “We’ll send our condolences to her family.”
I settled into his embrace, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine, grateful to be alive and at his side. He nuzzled my temple. Overwhelmed by the events of the evening, I struggled to hold my eyelids open. Eventually, lulled by the motion of the car and Roman’s even breathing, I let them close.
The next time I opened my eyes, sunlight beamed through the open windows of my penthouse bedroom. I swept a hand over Roman’s side of the bed. The sheets were cold and empty. I blinked at the clock on the nightstand. Nine o’clock? I never slept this late.
When I arrived downstairs, Roman had already left for the airport. He had a three-day conference in Los Angeles, leaving me to my own devices. My footsteps echoed through the large penthouse. Usually, I traveled with him, but this time around, I had a full schedule. The first day of his absence, I spent time with Julie. She’d lined up interviews for two new personal assistants. In between those appointments, I reviewed the management of Roman’s numerous homes. Aside from his Park Avenue penthouse, I’d only been to the London manor house. He also owned a villa in Portofino, a vineyard in Tuscany, houses in Malibu and Miami, an estate in Brazil—the list went on and on.
Later that night, I fell into bed, exhausted but unable to sleep without Roman. By the following day, I was completely overwhelmed. From behind my enormous desk, I chewed on the end of my pen and contemplated the enormity of my new position. No wonder Roman never slept more than a few hours each night. There weren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish the outstanding tasks. I began to value the merits of a personal assistant, someone to sort through my emails and daily tasks while I tackled the larger problems.
My phone vibrated, stealing my attention from purchase orders, bed linens, and landscape bids. I glanced at the caller ID screen and cringed. Everly. She’d already left a voice mail and sent several texts, which I’d ignored. Call me chicken. Although we’d always been open with each other, some things were better left unsaid, and I didn’t know how to face her after our night at the Devil’s Playground NYC. The moment she saw my face, she’d know I was hiding something. After her third message and a threatening text message, I gave in and returned her call.
“Why are you ignoring me?” she asked without preamble.
“I’m not. I’m just busy.” The excuse sounded flat and lame, but it wasn’t a total lie.
“I’m in your lobby. Do you want to do lunch?” The hopeful lilt of her voice reminded me of all the reasons I loved her and crushed my resolve to avoid her. I was being ridiculous. She’d been more of a sister to me than a friend, and I missed her.
“Sure. Come on up.” The stacks of paperwork would have to wait. By the time I’d powered off my computer and filed the completed purchase orders, Everly had arrived.
The hem of her dress swirled around her trim calves as she entered the room on a captivating cloud of expensive perfume. The girl never missed a chance to make a grand entrance. She couldn’t help it. With her silky hair and doe eyes, she made a riveting picture. As always, she was dressed in classy perfection; a brown dress with white and gold blossoms, pearl earrings, and matching pumps. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push out the picture of metal handcuffs on her wrists. When I blinked up at her, she stood in front of me. “This is your office?” She lifted both eyebrows in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“Um, yes.” Roman had insisted I move out of my tiny assistant’s office and into the vacant executive office adjacent to his. “It’s ridiculously big, isn’t it?”
“I have got to find myself a billionaire.” She swept a finger along the back of the red leather couch. “This is unbelievable. And look at your view.” Sunlight sparked on the gold strands in her auburn hair as she faced the wall of windows overlooking the city and clapped her hands together. “I’m so happy for you, Rourke. You deserve every bit of this.” Her voice broke on the last word.
“Thanks.” The walls of my throat tightened. Instead of hugging her, I returned to my desk chair. Our shenanigans at the Playground had erected an invisible wall between us. Should I tell her that I’d seen her with Nicky? Had she seen me? I fanned my face with an envelope. Instead of confronting her, I opted to be a coward. “Where should we go for lunch?”
“I chose last time. You pick. But not that sushi place. That was horrible.”
“Okay. How about Viggo’s Deli?” She nodded. I sent a quick text to Lance, asking him to have the car brought to the front, and used the opportunity to avoid her gaze. “So, what’s new with you?”
“Not much. I went out with Nicky last night.” A blush spread up her neck and into her face, turning her creamy skin rose-red. I’d never seen her get embarrassed about a date in all the years I’d known her. Did she know that I’d seen them?
“I need to visit Roman’s houses over the next few weeks. Do you want to go with me?” I returned the phone to my desk drawer and pretended to search through a file folder, trying desperately to steer the conversation away from Nicky. “The one in Miami might make a for a nice long weekend.”
“Sure. I’d love that.” She opened her purse and began digging inside. “Aren’t you going to ask me about my date?”
“Do I have to?”
“Rourke!” She frowned at me. “You said this wasn’t going to be weird. Did you change your mind?”
“I just don’t want to pry.” The leather chair squeaked beneath me as I searched for a comfortable position. When we were in college, we’d always shared the details of our dates the next morning. Or Everly had shared everything. I’d never really dated anyone and preferred to keep the occasional one-night stand to myself.
“What about you? What did you do?” She tilted her head to one side. “Did Roman take you out?”
“Yes.”
“Where did you go? Anywhere interesting?” Her pointed questions made me squirm in my chair.
“Dinner. Drinks.” I fiddled with the objects on the desk to avoid her suspicious stare. One of the plastic pieces broke from the bottom of the stapler under my nervous fingers. I swept the shattered fragment into the waste basket next to my chair.
“Rourke? What’s wrong with you?” She snatched the stapler and moved it from my reach.
“Oh, God.” I buried my face in my hands and shook my head.
“Rourke Donahue Menshikov. You talk to me right now.” When Everly spoke in that tone, the one laced with steel, no one dared to defy her. “Something’s up. You need to tell me what’s going on, and don’t you dare lie to
me, because I’ll know. You’re a terrible liar.”
Unable to hold back any longer, I let the truth burst out. “I saw you.”
“What?” Her face transformed from pink to ghostly white in a matter of seconds.
“At the Devil’s Playground.” We’d never been less than honest with each other, and I couldn’t keep evading the subject. Her eyes grew large and round. She pressed a hand to her mouth and made a strangled noise. I lifted a hand. “No judgment.”
“Nicky swore no one would know me there.” Irritation rapidly replaced her mortification. Her bright gaze locked onto mine. “Wait a minute. You were there?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that rumor,” I said, shifting focus to the ceiling.
“I’m so embarrassed.” With a groan, she planted her face in the palms of her hands. After a few seconds, she peeked through her fingers at me. “Are you scandalized?”
“Maybe at first, but I’m more relieved that you didn’t see me having sex in the reception room in front of an audience.” We avoided each other’s gazes for another long moment, then a tiny twitch twisted one corner of her mouth. I bit my lower lip to hold back a smile. Her shoulders began to tremble. Soon we were enveloped in belly-shaking laughter.
“Thank goodness you know.” With a tissue from the corner of my desk, she dabbed at the tears of laughter on her cheeks. “I’ve been dying to tell someone, but that darn NDA had me terrified.”
“I know, right? Isn’t the whole thing unbelievable?”
“I’ll say.” She leaned forward in her chair, lowering her voice. “Was that your first time?”
“No.” I told her everything, starting with the Masquerade de Marquis and finishing with the castle keep. The more I talked, the larger her eyes became.
At the end of my story, she let out a low whistle. “Wow. I had no idea you were such a freak.”
“Hey, careful. I wasn’t the one chained to the wall.”
Her blush returned. “I’ve never done anything like that before. It was interesting…different…but I’m not sure I’ll be going back.”
“If you do, be sure to let me know so I can make other plans,” I said. “Seeing you was quite the shock. My eyeballs will never be the same.”
“Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
We broke into laughter again. “No. I guess not. Just keep an eye on Nicky, would you? He’s dangerous.”
“You worry too much.” She rolled her eyes.
“As long as I have breath in my body, I’ll worry about you,” I said. “So, get over it.”
Her smile returned, brighter than before. “Deal.”
We chose a nearby delicatessen for lunch. Lance and the rest of my security team stood outside the building, solemn in their dark suits and ear pieces. Once we’d placed our orders, my thoughts turned to Lavender.
“Did you know Lavender Cunningham?” I asked.
“Yes, she planned a few of my charity events.” Her playful expression sobered. “We never really got along, but I respected her work. She never seemed like the type to take her own life.”
“I just spoke with her a few days ago about the guest list for the masquerade and she seemed fine. I guess you never know what’s going on inside someone’s head.” Even though we’d been short-term acquaintances, I couldn’t stop thinking I should have been less territorial over Roman and nicer. Maybe I could have done or said something to help her.
“Nicky thinks it’s all a coverup. Apparently, she was rubbing shoulders with the Russian mafia and got in over her head.” She paused while the waitress delivered our food then picked up the thread of conversation. “He said she pissed off the wrong person.”
My thoughts went immediately to Roman’s angry voice echoing through the walls of his home office and Lavender’s name on his caller ID. Did he know more than he was telling me? I shook away my suspicions. Roman had never done anything to make me question his business ethics. I refused to let gossip and conjecture shake my faith in him.
“Have you gotten a dress for the masquerade yet?” Everly asked as she picked through her salad to remove the croutons. At the change in topic, the tension in my shoulders eased.
“Like I have time for that.” I rolled my eyes at her.
“You’d better get a move on. It’s only eight weeks away.”
“Stop it. You’re making me nervous.” I paused, fork hovering in mid-air. I’d been so busy finalizing the plans, I’d forgotten to worry about a formal gown and mask.
“Just think, last year you crashed the party, and this year you’re the hostess. I was getting married, and now I’m divorced. Funny how things change, isn’t it?”
The enormity of her words hit me with the impact of a fist. I set the fork on my plate and drew in a shaky breath. In the space of a year, I’d gone from unemployed personal assistant and party-crasher to the wife of an exiled prince and billionaire. I blinked away tears of gratitude and sadness. Aunt May had passed away a few days after Christmas, my parents years earlier. Life shifted course in unpredictable ways and always when you least expected it.
“Hey.” Everly covered my hand with hers. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I smiled through the watery haze in my eyes. “It’s just a little overwhelming to think about.”
“Mrs. Menshikov?” Someone tapped my shoulder. I glanced up to see Lance, his expression solemn. “Madam, I need you and Ms. McElroy to come with me. Right away, please.” The urgency in his voice made my heart stutter.
“Is something wrong?”
“Please, madam.” As I stood, he pulled away the chair and handed my purse to me. “I’ve taken care of the check. The car is waiting in the rear.”
Everly grabbed her belongings and stood. “For goodness sake, Rourke. Don’t argue. Let’s go.” Her calm presence snapped me into action. As the daughter of a United States Vice President, she understood the urgency of a security risk.
We followed Lance through the kitchen, out the back door, and into the alley. I trotted to keep pace with him. Two unfamiliar black Escalades parked outside the door. Lance opened the passenger door to the first vehicle. “I don’t want you to be alarmed, madam, but there was an assassination attempt on your husband’s life an hour ago.”
The world stopped spinning. I reached out to steady myself. Everly wrapped an arm around my shoulders, shoring me up. Assassination? Who would want to hurt him? Things like this happened to government officials and drug lords, not my husband. A headache spread between my temples. This couldn’t be happening. “Take me to him.”
“My number-one priority right now is to get you to safety.” He gave me a gentle shove in the direction of the vehicle. “Now, madam.”
I balked, frozen by terror. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t have any information. All I know is that I received a Code Orange. I’m to initiate Operation Sidecar and await further instructions.” His menacing glare escalated my fear. Lance had always been quiet and cooperative, always until now. He closed the door behind us and climbed into the passenger seat next to an unfamiliar driver.
The SUV exited the alley and rounded the corner to the main thoroughfare. A throng of reporters, television news vans, and camera crews swarmed the front of the bistro where we’d been peacefully eating our lunch a few minutes earlier.
“Geez,” Everly muttered beneath her breath. “This is insane.”
“Lance, take me to Roman right now.” I fought to keep the panic out of my voice. “That’s not a request. It’s an order.”
“I can’t do that, madam. Mr. Menshikov gave very explicit instructions if this should happen. You’re going straight to the airport. You’ll be relocated until he gives the word.” Lance’s features softened with empathy. He’d shown more emotion in the last ten minutes than the past six months of our acquaintance.
Frustrated by his lack of compliance, I dug my phone from my purse and dialed Roman’s number. The call went straight to voice mail. Unable to accept defeat, I
found Ivan’s name in my contact list. He never left Roman’s side. No answer. My lungs burned as I struggled to draw in a full breath. “Lance, I’m only going to ask one more time. Either you take me to Roman, or I’m going to jump out of this car.”
“If you do, I’ll be forced to jump out of the car after you. I don’t think either of us wants that.” He met my gaze. I had no reason to doubt his threat. “Mr. Menshikov was very explicit in his directive. You’re to be protected at all costs, and that’s what I intend to do. The threat is real.”
Everly had been silent, her face pale and more worried than I’d ever seen in my life. I tried to wriggle out of her grip, but she pulled me closer. “Rourke, slow down a second. Roman put in a lot of time and effort to assure your safety. If you go to him, you might be compromising his well-being. Did you think about that?” As the daughter of the former Vice President of the United States, she had more experience with these kinds of things than me. Her soft tone and gentle touch steadied my erratic pulse. Lance shot her a look of gratitude.
“No.” I gulped air and placed a hand on my chest, fighting away the unbelievable ache. Tears burned my eyes. “I need to see him, Everly.”
“I know, sweetie. I know.” She pressed a kiss to my temple. “Hang tight. I’m sure Lance will keep you posted. Until we know the details, you need to remain positive.”
“Absolutely,” he replied.
“Do you know what happened?”
“I’m not sure.” Lance donned his black sunglasses, shielding his eyes from us. “Someone is supposed to give us a status update before we reach the plane.”
“Can you at least tell me where I’m going?” I squeezed Everly’s hand until she winced.
“I’m not sure about that, either. Mr. Menshikov was very adamant that your destination be kept secret. Only the pilot and Ivan are aware of the location.”
“Can you get Ivan on the phone?” He’d always been a source of stability in Roman’s chaotic life and the mastermind behind his security. If anyone had answers, it would be him. “He’s not answering my calls or texts.”
The Exiled Prince Trilogy Page 28