Blood, Love and Lies

by Brooke Sivendra

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that,” he said quietly.

  Abi shook her head. “No, it’s my fault. I get emotional when I think of her . . .”

  He nodded, seeming to understand. “That’s what I like about you, though. You’re not like the impassive, expressionless women I’m almost always introduced to. I like that I can read your mind—as much as I can. Although I’m sure there’s still plenty of secrets you’re keeping from me,” he said with raised eyebrows.

  Guilt washed over her. “Nothing that would interest you,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

  “I disagree. Everything about you seems to interest me.”

  Abi moved out of his reach, hoping to end the conversation so that she didn’t have to blatantly lie to him again.

  “Wine?” she asked.

  Asher nodded. “I really must sample what the prince drinks when he comes to visit.”

  Abi laughed. She concentrated on pouring the wine, but she was hyperaware of Asher’s movements. He joined her on the other side of the kitchen, took the glass from her hand, sampled the wine, and gave his nod of approval.

  “The prince approves,” he said with a smirk.

  He put the glass down, and then cornered her against the bench.

  “The prince is invading my personal space,” Abi whispered, biting her lip.

  Asher cupped her face with both hands, and his mouth crashed down on hers. She didn’t pull away, instead she allowed herself to fall into the kiss.

  His tongue swept over hers, and it lit her body on fire. Her arms were wrapped around his waist before she stopped.

  He studied her again, and she couldn’t tell if he was confused or annoyed at the mixed signals she was giving him.

  She dropped her arms and made a move to step aside, but he stopped her.

  “I can’t read you right now,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, I’m . . . I’m distracted,” Abi said quickly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We received some information from a villager, but we haven’t been able to identify it,” Abi said in a rush, trying desperately to clear her head. “I need higher level clearances for our intelligence team.”

  He stepped back and chewed on his cheek. “I’ll make some calls. I’ll do what I can, but I can’t guarantee you those clearances. If I can’t, can you give me the information?”

  Abi gazed into his deep brown eyes. “Yes,” she said, taking a leap of faith.

  He nodded. “I’ll make the calls tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank you,” Abi whispered. She had what IFRT needed, and now she didn’t want to screw this up. This would be her last date with Asher.

  He lifted her chin and kissed her again. “Do you like the wine?” he asked with a sly grin, releasing the tension in the air.

  “I’ve never tasted better,” she said, and it wasn’t a lie.

  He drew her back into his arms, and she didn’t resist.

  She would enjoy Asher’s company for tonight, and only tonight.

  Asher

  Her eyes were a puzzle he was determined to solve. Vibrant, a little wild, and a little tormented. He wondered if that was due to the things she’d seen. She was everything a princess needed to be, including courageous.

  He paused, stunned by the divergence of the thought. He’d never looked at a woman and thought of her as a partner. Not until now, right this moment.

  “Asher?” Abi asked warily, searching his eyes.

  He wondered what expression was on his face—clearly not a good one.

  “Sorry, checked out for a second,” he admitted.

  She ran a thumb over his forehead, smoothing out his crease lines. “Where’d you go?” she asked gently.

  Asher sighed. “Some family issues I truthfully don’t want to think about right now.”

  “Then don’t,” she said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. And when he looked into her eyes, it was, because for a moment the world stood still, and he wasn’t a prince. In that moment, it was just Asher and Abi—and he wanted to live in that moment for a few more hours.

  He swept a strand of hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.

  She looked at him patiently, not pressing him for further details. Finally, he said, “I think of everyone I’ve ever dated, you would understand my responsibilities best.”

  “Are there days when you wish you weren’t a royal?” Abi asked, her head tilting to the side thoughtfully, opening her neck. Asher’s eyes went there, and his lips followed.

  “Plenty,” he admitted as he placed sweet kisses up to her ear.

  He felt her chest rise against his, and it drove him wild—yet she still seemed reserved, and she shuffled on her feet like she was uncomfortable. Had Noah been right that she might feel insecure because of his royal title? Did she think he’d discard her when he became bored? He really hoped that was not the case.

  “But there’s a part of you that loves to serve, right?” Abi asked, her voice a little higher than usual.

  “Yes, it’s an honor. It’s just . . . complicated. I wish I had more freedom, but I should be grateful I’m not in Alistair’s position. He has even less freedom than I do.”

  Abi looked into his eyes. “What would you do with more freedom?”

  Asher raised an eyebrow. “To start, I would take you to dinner without everyone watching and paparazzi taking photos.”

  Abi grinned. “What else? There has to be more than that.”

  “I would travel more,” he admitted. “There are so many places I can’t go—at least without huge security teams.”

  “Where?” Abi asked.

  He thought for a moment. “I would like to see the ancient ruins of Mezcal.”

  Mezcal was an ancient civilization that had been destroyed when a volcano erupted hundreds of years ago. Lava had swept over the town, preserving it immaculately. It had been discovered twenty years ago, and archeologists were still uncovering hidden treasures there. Three days ago they’d found a small building that looked to be a palace underneath the main city.

  Abi’s eyes narrowed. “What career would you have chosen if you weren’t a royal, Asher?” she asked, but Asher knew she’d already figured it out.

  He grinned. “I would spend my days digging up the ruins of Mezcal, as you’ve clearly guessed—but given that it’s located in the heart of a war zone, and in a neighboring country that is no friend of Santina, I will not be going anytime soon.”

  “Maybe one day you’ll get that chance if the war . . .” At that, her voice trailed off, suddenly less confident.

  Mezcal was located between Santina and Lison—dead in the heart of the war zone.

  “Maybe,” Asher said, reaching for his wine. “But enough daydreaming. Tell me, what else is going on with you?” he asked. “How are Libby and Savannah?”

  Abi smiled sadly. “They’re as good as they can be. We have a psychologist working with them, as well as their extended families. Because there is so much shame associated with families whose women have been raped, it’s important we deal with that first, otherwise these poor women will never receive the love and support they need to heal. At the moment they’re living together in an apartment in the city. They formed a special bond—a friendship—in captivity.”

  “That’s a small blessing to come from such a horrific event.”

  “But a blessing nonetheless,” Abi told him. “When everything is taken from you, a small gift can be like a matchstick in a dark hole.”

  Asher kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger. “I think the world needs more women like you, Abi. I wish the world knew about the work you do.”

  “If that happened, I’d probably end up dead,” Abi said flatly. “People like me don’t make friends in this business. I step into enemy territory, infuriate their terrorists, bribe people, and then take away what they value as their property, their prizes. If my true identity is revealed, it would cause a host of issues.”

  Asher look
ed into her eyes. “The identity of Abigail Mackenzie?”

  Something flashed through her eyes, so quickly he couldn’t identify it. Guilt?

  “Yes,” she finally said.

  She held his gaze, but the shaking in her voice made him question it. He had security running background checks on her for his own safety, but they hadn’t yet reported any results.

  “Abi,” he said, drawing her eyes to his. Her eyes held a cocktail of emotions, but the longer she looked at him, the more they settled. He brushed his lips over hers, and she didn’t pull away.

  His body hummed, the back of his neck tingling as her hands draped around it. She tasted strong, yet sweet. Asher didn’t know if he was tasting the wine or Abi, but either way, he didn’t care. Right now, he didn’t care about anything other than her. He wanted to know everything about this woman.

  Then Asher pulled back, startled, as he heard the elevator open and footsteps approaching.

  Abi’s head snapped in the direction of the foyer, and Asher assumed she hadn’t been expecting a guest.

  Asher took a step back, surprised by the confusion on Abi’s face.

  A female walked in, carrying a laundry basket. She stopped, her eyebrows lifting to her forehead when she saw them.

  “Sorry,” she said, clearing her throat. “I didn’t realize you were here. I was coming in to change the linen.”

  “Hi, Maria,” Abi said. “Thank you. You can leave the basket in the master bedroom. I will change it before I leave tonight.”

  “Sure,” Maria said, diverting her gaze before scurrying down the hallway.

  “Sorry,” Abi whispered, biting her lip.

  “Unexpected?” Asher asked quietly, stating the obvious.

  Abi frowned. “I really don’t know why she’s here tonight.”

  Within moments, Maria reentered the room. “Goodbye,” she said, raising a hand as she passed them without a second glance.

  They didn’t move until they heard the elevator doors open and close again.

  “She’s an assistant,” Abi said. “But she had no reason to change the bed linen tonight.”

  “Should we be concerned that she saw me here?” Asher asked.

  “She’s worked for us for many years,” Abi replied slowly. “We’ve never had a problem with her, but that doesn’t mean we won’t. We rescued her about five years ago, and she still has family in her village.” She looked back to Asher. “Maybe she thought she would get it done this weekend rather than wait for Monday—but I’ll look into it further.”

  Asher nodded. “Let me know if it’s something I should be concerned about.”

  Abi nodded in turn. “Sure. So . . .” she started, looking into his eyes. “What do you want to do tonight, Asher?”

  He paused. “Can I take you somewhere?”

  She pursed her lips. “I thought we were keeping this private.”

  Asher nodded. “This will be private.”

  “Okay,” she said, beaming a grin.

  He loved her sense of adventure.

  Asher stepped back, holding out his hand. She took it as she slid down off the kitchen bench.

  “I’ll drive,” Asher said, knowing that if he wasn’t taking a security team, he should at least travel in his armored car.

  “To where?” Abi asked.

  Asher winked. “You’ll see soon enough.”

  Abi tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know if I should be excited or nervous.”

  “Excited,” Asher said, his smile growing.

  Asher

  His car was parked one block down the street. The night was cold, but Asher felt alive. As he passed a parked car, however, he noticed someone inside—the windows were tinted, so he couldn’t see the face, but he thought it was a man.

  Asher put a hand on Abi’s lower back, guiding her forward as he quickened his pace. He didn’t want to be seen because he didn’t want to be followed. Over the years, he’d been photographed in the most random, uninteresting places. As a member of the royal family, he could never be quite sure who was watching, and Asher didn’t want to cause problems for Abi. The sooner they were in his car, the better. Maybe he should’ve walked alone, but even then, if someone was watching, they would see him drive back and pick her up.

  He dropped his hand, realizing it had been a mistake to touch her if someone was watching. He had never been photographed on a date, so any photograph with Abi would be on the cover of every magazine tomorrow.

  Asher unlocked his car and climbed into the driver’s seat. Once they were inside and the doors were locked, he relaxed. His windows were tinted too, and given that his security team had changed his license plate this morning, the chances of Asher and Abi being noticed inside the car were minimal. Especially not where they were going—at least not by the public.

  “Are you allowed to do this?” Abi asked.

  “Do what?” Asher asked, his mind still on their destination.

  “Roam around without security,” Abi replied.

  Asher smiled at her choice of words. “I don’t often roam around without security, no. But if I can blend in, sometimes it’s easier to not have security because they attract a lot of attention.” Asher debated whether he should tell her the real reason he didn’t bring a security team and decided the truth was best. “I also thought it best not to lead a security team to your apartment. They already know about IFRT’s headquarters, and I wanted to respect your privacy.”

  “Thank you,” Abi said with a warm smile. “I didn’t think a member of the royal family went anywhere without security.”

  Asher winked. “Nowhere the public will see us. And no one will see us tonight.”

  Abi rolled her lips over one another. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  “No,” Asher said, smiling. He turned the key, slipped the car into drive, and pulled out onto the road.

  Abi was silent as they drove, and it wasn’t until they reached the outskirts of Patmos that she questioned him further.

  “Asher, I don’t have any documents on me,” Abi said quickly.

  “You won’t need them,” Asher said as they approached the blockade.

  Abi fidgeted with the end of her sleeve, and Asher wondered why she was suddenly nervous.

  “Can I give them the surname Mackenzie?” Asher asked, watching her carefully.

  “Yes,” Abi replied, her expression blank.

  When they approached the blockade at the city permieter, Asher slowed the car to a stop. He stole a glance at Abi and noticed she was playing with the sleeve of her sweater.

  Asher lowered his window and the security guard’s face transformed. He raised his hand in salute. “Prince Asher, good evening.”

  “Good evening, sir. Permission to pass, please?”

  “Of course,” the man said with a nod. “And the name of your guest?”

  “Abigail Mackenzie,” Asher responded.

  “Noted,” the guard said, stepping back and opening the security boom for them.

  When Asher took her fidgeting hand, he noted it was clammy. “What’s going on?” Asher asked.

  Abi sighed, shaking her hand. “Sorry, security passes make me nervous. I’ve been questioned at more than a few of them.”

  It was a viable answer, but the fact that she didn’t look directly at Asher made him wonder if she was lying to him. But why would she need to lie?

  He was running through the plausible options when she turned to him and smiled, easing his worry. “Seriously, where are we going?”

  “Somewhere special,” Asher said as he lowered his foot on the accelerator.

  Thirty minutes into the forty-five-minute drive, Asher asked, “Have you worked it out yet?”

  Abi’s eyebrows creased together. “The only thing out here is the ruins,” she said.

  Asher winked.

  “You do realize they’re closed, right? It’s almost midnight,” Abi said.

  “They’re not closed for Prince Asher,” he said
with an arrogant grin.

  Abi scoffed. “Oh, I see. You play the royal card when it suits you, right?”

  “Exactly. When it suits me, and when no harm can come of it, then you bet I do,” he said with a chuckle.

  “You really are a history buff, aren’t you?” Abi asked, twisting in her chair, facing him.

  He reached out and took her hand, placing it in his lap as their fingers entwined.

  “I love it. I often wonder how my family will be remembered one hundred years from now. Will we even be remembered? Legacy is an important thing. I hope we leave a legacy of a good family—one that was strong for its nation but kind to its people,” he said, nostalgically.

  “I think that’s exactly the legacy you’ll leave,” Abi said, meeting his gaze.

  He basked in her compliment only for a moment. The road to the ruins was windy and dark. Their car was the only car on the road, which was not surprising given that the blockades were in place.

  “Do they have security at the ruins at night?” Abi asked.

  “Yes, security is in place all day and night. But I’ve made friends with a few of the guards,” Asher said with another grin.

  Abi’s eyes narrowed. “How often do you come here at night?”

  Asher laughed. “Only occasionally. I like it at night. The ruins seem to come alive, their secrets whispered in the dark. And there are no crowds, so I can relax and enjoy it.”

  “Well, I must say, Prince Asher, this is the wildest first date I’ve ever had,” she said with obvious approval.

  Asher beamed a grin. “And you thought I was going to be a boring prince.”

  Abi scoffed. “Oh, I never thought that.”

  Asher saw the lights of the ruins ahead—the lights of the security guards. As they turned off the highway, he slowed down, not wanting to alarm security.

  He stopped at the first security station and lowered his window.

  “Good evening, Prince Asher,” the guard said, peering around Asher to see his companion. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes darted between Asher and Abi.