Forbidden Earl

by Pinder, Victoria

  Instead of a normal reply, Grannie immediately said, “We’re heading over to the palace now. Lucinda’s phone number is +13865552671.”

  His entire body went numb. “What?”

  “Lucinda. What is her phone number?”

  His grandmother made no sense. He quieted his voice and scrolled through his contacts, matching what Grannie said. “That’s a new number than what I have for her, but that doesn’t matter. We’re trying to find Cassidy.”

  “She has Cassidy,” Grannie said. “Chelsea will explain when we get there.”

  Lucinda! A zap raced through him. He jotted down the number and handed it to General Babik at the table. “Can you track this number?”

  He nodded, but said, “Give us two minutes, maybe longer. The best IT person we have is missing.”

  Cassidy was far more than IT. She was sweet and kind and full of life. He couldn’t imagine his own without her. He patted the general’s shoulder. “My wife doesn’t even know she’s my wife right now. I just need to get her back.”

  Grannie hung up, but at least she sounded like her old self. Before she started dying of the influenza that never quite left her body, she’d been the most competent person he’d ever met. He had to believe she was that again.

  Cassidy needed him and he’d get her back.

  Babik announced, “The phone with that number is currently in Nice.”

  France. It had been too many hours before he’d known she was missing, and they’d gotten far. He lifted his phone. “I’m calling my pilot. Can you put the tracker on my device?”

  “Give us a few minutes,” Babik answered.

  Remy told his pilots his plans so they could get the paperwork in order and then handed the phone to Babik. “Hurry, please.”

  He paced as the princes all discussed treaties. He didn’t care about any of that. His blood boiled that he needed to bring Cassidy home.

  A tall, skinny man with nice hair and a bright smile walked in with his head down. He said, “Cassidy was so excited to wow you with our work today. I wanted to stop by and say I’m sorry.”

  Her stylist, Michael. Remy had read his statement when he’d first arrived at the palace and now shook his hand. “Thanks.” Hair and makeup didn’t matter. Cassidy’s sweet face came to mind. He told Michael to be polite, “Her hair yesterday was soft though she’s prettier without makeup.”

  Michael winked. “Only the good husbands say that.”

  Suddenly his grandmother walked in the door with Cassidy’s sister. He kissed his grandmother’s cheek. “Grannie, that was fast.”

  Grannie pushed Chelsea forward. “Tell Remy and the royal princes what you told me, if you don’t want to be in more trouble.”

  Her face was white but Chelsea lifted her chin, stubborn to the end. “Look, I was getting ready to go to the wedding. Michael even did my hair.”

  “I did.” The stylist added, “She left fifteen minutes after Cassidy.”

  The accident would have happened too fast for her sister to be there.

  Chelsea took a deep breath and let her arms fall to her side. His grandmother must have put the fear of God in Chelsea for this sudden change.

  Chelsea met his gaze. “When I was leaving the palace, Lucinda called me and told me she was with Cassidy and that my sister didn’t want to marry Remington. As I don’t think they love each other, and my sister is a big believer in love, I was happy with her decision.”

  Her words stung, but he widened his stance and gazed down at her. “You were happy to be the next Countess of Paston.”

  She bit her lower lip, met Grannie’s gaze for a second, and said, “No, well, yes—no. I want a dowry where I can choose my husband and good men will want me. There is nothing wrong with that.”

  He glared at her. “If you kidnapped your sister-”

  “Do you love Cassidy?” she asked, talking over him. “If you loved her and she loved you then she wouldn’t have gone off, but I don’t think either of you really care.”

  Now his skin felt like it burned off his body. He glared at her. “That’s not your business.”

  Chelsea hugged her waist. “Look, we don’t get along, but she’s always been a sucker for happy endings and true love. It’s why she helped all the princes here.” She waved into the room with a huge table that had computer images shining on it while the princes spoke more about treaties. She put her hand down and said, “She was even telling me she found my true love. She won’t be happy unless you love her.”

  This conversation was for Cassidy to bring up but even his hair prickled. He told everyone, “Her safety matters first.”

  Babik handed him back his phone. “Your phone is programmed, Lord Sky. Prince Marco is going with you.”

  “I’m on my way,” Remy stared at the blue dot on his screen.

  Chelsea grabbed his arm as he walked past. “What’s going to happen to me? I didn’t know that Lucinda planned to kidnap my sister.”

  He took his arm back. Her words about Cassidy hovered in his mind—she did believe in love, but he couldn’t make false promises. He stared at the other princes in the room. “I’ll let the palace, and then Grannie, decide.” He stepped away from the ladies.

  Gigi then called out to him. “Remy, wait.”

  “Yes?” He held his grandma’s hands and released a deep breath. She’d been dying, and now Cassidy was gone. He couldn’t lose either of them.

  Her hands trembled. “Bring my Cassidy back to me.”

  Yes, Grannie loved them both. He hugged her. “Grannie, you’re my pillar of strength. But rest now.”

  “I’ll take care of all the other details for you. Cassidy is going to want another wedding, and you need to think about what Chelsea told you.” His grandmother spoke so only he could hear.

  He shook his head. “I don’t care what Chelsea said—Cassidy and I have a deal.”

  Grannie walked with him to the door and kept her voice low. “You should. She’s her sister and for better or worse, she’s right. Cassidy believes in love and so do I.”

  Cassidy had always been part of his family, part of his life. And yes, they were right that she had a soft heart. He patted her arm. “I have to get her back, Grannie.” At the exit, he turned around and met one of the prince’s stares. “Your Highness, can you make sure that Gigi gets in her limo to go home?”

  Antonio nodded. “It will be my pleasure. Keep us posted. We’re going through the embassies to ensure our police can arrest Lucinda for kidnapping. Marco knows how to handle foreign governments, which is why he’s going with you, but our issue is that Lucinda’s not an Avcean, so the laws are different.”

  His heart sped fast. It was time to go, but he nodded his acceptance of the situation. “I don’t care about any of that. I just want Cassidy home.”

  “We’re with you on that one.” Antonio gave him a salute.

  Prince Marco joined him at the door. “Let’s go.”

  A royal limo waited for them outside to take them to the airport. While it was good that his government cared about finding Cassidy, he needed to wrap his arms around her and hold her so she never left his side again.

  He’d do whatever it took to ensure her safety. Lucinda was clearly even more of a mistake than he’d realized. His own vanity had caused Cassidy’s pain and it was time for him to change his own priorities.

  Chapter 15

  From a sitting position in the backseat of a vehicle with smooth leather seats, Cassidy tried to rub her forehead—her arms were too heavy and she heard the clink of metal. She cautiously opened her eyes and saw the handcuffs around her wrists.

  She blinked at the fast-moving trees beyond the car’s window—was she moving? Cassidy didn’t recognize the black leather interior of the vehicle—an SUV. The same one that had plowed into her limo? “Where am I?”

  The driver coughed and Cassidy stared at the blonde, blue-eyed woman in the driver’s rearview mirror. Lucinda. Instantly the crash replayed in her mind. Lucinda had won. She must
have stopped the wedding.

  The model’s pretty face wore a snarl no magazine would print. “Nice, at the moment, but that’s just for the night.”

  This didn’t make sense. Lucinda could have any man she set her sights on. She didn’t need Remy. As a supermodel, she was so beautiful that any noble or rich man would want her. She had more options than Cassidy might even imagine. She leaned forward and saw her cell phone between the front seats. “Lucinda, taking me out of Avce won’t win Remy back.”

  She laughed but stayed focused on the road. “He must marry within weeks. If you’re no longer the safe bet, then he’ll return to me. He doesn’t have many choices.”

  Cassidy’s handcuffs rattled, so she kept them as still as possible, but her gaze returned to the phone that fell between the seats. If she had a way to reach Remy, he’d get her out of this. “This isn’t how to find a husband. Look, I’m good at matchmaking. I found the royals their brides, the Duke of Oakley his bride—give me a computer and five minutes and I can find out who your true love is.”

  A scoff echoed through the car as Cassidy kicked her foot forward and tried to drag the phone backwards. “True love is a joke for people like you.”

  Her hands went to her heart like she was offended but she stayed close. “Like me? I planned to marry a man I grew up with, Lucinda. Remy and I were never about love.”

  “Yet you slept with him.” Lucinda upturned her lips like she was disgusted as she answered fast.

  How did Lucinda know that? She swallowed and reached down to the floor to swipe the phone as she asked, “Would you marry a man you couldn’t have sex with?”

  Lucinda shook her head like Cassidy was a child. “Sex is the way a woman controls a man.”

  “Wait, what?” Cassidy sat on the phone. With luck, Lucinda wouldn’t notice what happened to it.

  Lucinda met her gaze through the driver’s mirror. “If he desires what you do for him in bed, then a man is yours for the taking. Didn’t your mother teach you that?”

  Her cynical view was sad. Love existed—she’d found proof in her royal matches. Cassidy kept the conversation going so Lucinda never suspected anything, even though the phone was warm under her thigh. “My mother married my father. Why would I listen to her on men?”

  “Fair point.” She reached across the seat for her pocketbook. “It’s time for you to sleep.” Was she reaching for another needle?

  Her heart beat fast. There had to be a way out of this situation. She jolted backward in her seat but met Lucinda’s gaze in the mirror. She needed to appear fine and use the phone away from her gaze. She moved her leg so she could reach underneath when she wasn’t looking as she said, “No wait. I’ll be quiet. I swear. In a way, you saved me from marrying a man who didn’t love me.”

  Lucinda rolled her eyes. “Shut up.”

  She leaned closer as the phone wiggled between her legs. “No, I mean it, Lucinda. I’d like for us to be friends.”

  Lucinda gripped the wheel and her nose wrinkled. “You promised to be quiet.”

  “Like a mouse,” Cassidy agreed though she had so many questions, like what Lucinda planned. Her questions mattered less than getting out of here.

  She sat there for minutes without daring to move. Lucinda acted like she was completely in control of everything as she drove forward. She slowly slipped her hands to her lap and kept her legs as a buffer so Lucinda couldn’t see what she did. She quickly searched the phone for info and copied it to her text. Remy, the IP address of this phone is fe80::5efe:173.117.187.133 and the DNS Server is 68.28.58.92 68.28.50.91. We’re past Nice but on the move.

  “What are you doing?” Lucinda asked.

  She slipped the phone under her thigh and let out a dramatic sigh. “Looking out the window. Can I talk?”

  Lucinda then said, “Yeah, I don’t like when you’re that quiet.”

  At least she had hope now. The road was sparse of much traffic. “So, are we heading to Paris to find alternatives to Remy? If so, I ran the computer program for my sister Chelsea and there is supposedly a wine grower near Nice that is her true love.”

  A laugh echoed through the SUV. “You honestly believe in that fairy tale, don’t you?”

  For other people. For her own life, she didn’t get her hopes up. Remy would never love her and she knew it, but she smiled and nodded. “Yes. I always wanted to find the one guy who was supposed to love me.”

  Lucinda turned around. “Then why did you change so much for Remy?”

  Her hair? The makeup? Okay, the makeup was dramatic today, but she’d intended to get married. “I did it for Gigi.”

  Lucinda’s face softened slightly as if she finally understood Cassidy’s motivation. “You were always at the house like a squirrel, talking to that battle axe.”

  Gigi hadn’t liked any of Remy’s girlfriends in years, including Lucinda. She often complained about them. Cassidy chose to keep that to herself. She leaned forward again. “She’s like my own grandma. Mine died years ago during the Russian takeover saving Gigi and Remy.”

  “You really are like family to him,” Lucinda said and the car skidded a little. A curl fell near her ear and she shivered. Nice was further north and it was winter now. There must be ice on the road, as they were heading north. In her borrowed gray sweats and white button down shirt, she wasn’t dressed for inclement weather. The pearls in her hair were at odds with her clothes, she’d never met anyone who might see hair pearls as some sort of money to use as bartering. But she could try if she had to. “I had no idea.”

  Lucinda regained control of her SUV.

  Cassidy sat back and nodded fast to encourage Lucinda’s trust which might allow her to lower her guard. “Yes, he said I was the closest thing he had to a sister.”

  “All men are idiots,” Lucinda said, like they were best friends now. Cassidy began to relax but then Lucinda’s voice became more edgy. “Before or after you had sex with him?”

  Her face went red. They were not friends—Lucinda had drugged her, handcuffed her, and kidnapped her. “Before. It fueled why I felt I had to do it.”

  Lucinda made a tsk sound in her throat like she clearly didn’t believe her as she said, “The night before your wedding?”

  There was no way to escape Lucinda’s questions. Cassidy lowered her eyes. “How did you know?”

  “I still have a video camera in his room.”

  Her gaze shot up. Seriously? Who would do that? There was so much she wanted to say about that but all she managed was, “Why?”

  “I’m going to marry Remington.” She answered like it was her destiny.

  No man was worth kidnapping another person over. She held her thought and said instead, “He didn’t seem too interested the other day when you came by.”

  The steering wheel began to shake uncontrollably as the car skidded on ice. “He’ll be desperate soon.”

  The SUV jerked and spun out on the road.

  “Watch out!” Cassidy said, with almost no hope to save herself, but held onto the seat in front of her to block any glass.

  Her entire body shook as the car thundered into a tree next to the road. Cassidy braced and held her entire body tight as she heard the crack of tree limbs and metal all around her.

  Then stillness ruled. Cassidy sat straighter once she could and saw Lucinda bleeding on her forehead. Cassidy unbuckled her seat belt and reached for Lucinda’s pocketbook. She found the keys to the handcuffs and unlocked herself. “Are you okay, Lucinda?”

  Lucinda didn’t say anything. Cassidy quickly flipped through Lucinda’s bag and wallet for a clue on her plan, but she didn’t find anything. Lucinda moaned, and Cassidy’s pulse raced. Once she was free, she picked up the phone and quickly checked her wallet. She needed money if she wanted food or anything else, so she took the little cash that was there, but left the credit cards.

  Lucinda still didn’t move but another moan meant she was alive. Cassidy opened her door—it was time to run before Lucinda came to. “Well, it�
��s been real, but I’m going.”

  She ran through the thin strip of green trees that lined the highway and found a small side road. She’d have to find a house or a restaurant or something, but she kept her pace as fast as she could. She slowed down to text, Remy, please find me. I’m alone on a road in the South of France.

  I’m flying there now. Remy texted back. Keep the phone. She could breathe easier though she could see her breaths as her feet in her tennis shoes numbed. Now all she needed was shelter or a place to hide to wait for Remy.

  She texted back, Lucinda kidnapped me. Hurry.

  Remy knew everything. Soon, she’d get out of this mess. She rubbed her arms to keep the gnawing bitter cold at bay and ignored the goosebumps on her bare legs.

  Once she was home, she’d hug her parents, Remy, Gigi and even Chelsea. A shiver rushed through her and her skin turned bluish from the gusty winds whipping her body. The memory of Remy’s hot kisses last night had to be enough to keep her heart warm or she might die from exposure.

  Chapter 16

  Snow drifted down and Cassidy shivered, regretting her loose button down shirt meant to slip off easily without ruining her hair or makeup when she donned her wedding gown. She’d trade every pearl in her hair for a pair of jeans and boots.

  In the distance, she saw the orange red flickers of flames lit in organized rows. Fire meant heat, even just a little, so she turned into a field. The dampness of the grass soaked her tennis shoes. As she drew closer she noticed there were grapes on the vines.

  A vineyard? She hugged her chest and prayed the house or some form of shelter was nearby.

  It was dark already in the countryside though the sun had just gone down. She heard workers in the fields, but no one was close enough to see. She called out, “Help,” as she ran down the line—nobody answered. Finally, at the end of a long row of grapevines, she saw a simple white wooden house with lights on inside and one on the porch. She banged on the blue wooden door. “Please let me in. It’s cold.”

  She heard the door unlock and shuffled her feet to stay warm—then a man with kind brown eyes opened the door wide. “Who are you, mademoiselle?”