But then Tashya had many unprincess-like characteristics. Too many of them quite attractive. Luckily, pretending to be her brother forced him to keep his growing feelings under strict control. With the nanny along, he could not afford even a warm glance in Tashya’s direction. With Neve in the picture, their hours together in the woods would be fraternal, although his thoughts were anything but.
Reminding himself that the women were probably as hungry as he was, Hunter stopped his walk through the woods, removed his knife from its sheath and attacked the bark of a birch tree. The inner bark was sweet and sustaining, and could be eaten raw. After collecting a sufficient amount, he added pine needles to his pockets to make tea, found several pine nuts the squirrels had missed, pigweed for greens, and for dessert, a few handfuls of elderberries. Unfamiliar with the local variety of mushrooms, he left those alone since many could be poisonous.
He returned to their camp pleased with his find. But his satisfaction quickly turned to concern at the sight that awaited him.
Surrounded by stones, unlit firewood, which was stacked neatly in a circle, awaited a match.
The women were gone.
Chapter Ten
Hunter searched the ground carefully for signs of a struggle. He saw nothing to indicate that the women had been overpowered. Likely they’d gone off into the bushes to answer nature’s call. Still, he hesitated to call out. If they had been taken, he didn’t want to warn their captors of his presence.
Normally composed under pressure, he didn’t like the way fear surged through him, urging him to rush, to fight, to find his woman—especially when he needed to think. He couldn’t afford to go off half-cocked in the wrong direction. He couldn’t afford to let his concern overpower his critical thinking. He couldn’t afford to make a wrong move.
Giving himself a few moments to settle down, he wrapped the foodstuffs in a spare shirt from his duffel, then rested it against a tree, knowing he’d move more quickly without having to carry the extra bulk. Intending to scout a wide circle around their makeshift camp, he estimated that he hadn’t been gone more than half an hour. With everyone on foot, they couldn’t be more than two to three miles away.
But if he guessed wrong and chose the wrong direction, he might never find them. He could lose hours if he didn’t pick up their trail right away.
About to begin a large circle around the camp to attempt to pick up their tracks, he heard the sound of women’s laughter. The happy sound had come from upstream, and the tense muscles in his chest immediately eased. Tashya and Neve were probably taking advantage of the combination of water and privacy to bathe.
His relief caused him to sag with his back against a tree. He forced himself to breathe deeply. He silently cursed himself for worrying for no reason. But once the worry for their safety dissipated, other emotions rose to take its place.
The vision of Tashya naked under the dappled light of the trees, water splashing over her perfect skin, her hair slicked back and water droplets glistening on her eyelashes held him rooted to the spot. Blood rushed to his groin. He clenched and unclenched his fingers in frustration, banishing the enticing image. He should check on the women, but he was no Peeping Tom. A few more giggles assured him of their safety.
He set about lighting the fire and preparing supper, doing his best to ignore the flaming heat in his groin. Normally he had better control over himself. But, normally, he worked alone. He didn’t eat and sleep and converse twenty-four hours a day with a woman. He didn’t listen to her bathe. He certainly didn’t think of her as belonging to him when he well knew they couldn’t be together.
Tashya and Neve returned refreshed and happy to see him. He felt grungy by comparison and intended to wash up later. Out of sorts with himself and his unruly reactions, needing to protect the princess and to deal with his own longing to make love to her, he sat downwind of both women and tried not to look at Tashya with anything except brotherly affection.
Neve sat cross-legged by the fire. “Didn’t you say something about dinner, Highness?”
Hunter handed her a piece of birch bark. “We don’t have a pot or pan. But if you gnaw on the bark, you’ll find the meat sweet.”
Neve hesitated. Tashya had no such compunctions. She bit at his offering with enthusiasm, her bright white teeth flashing as she nibbled.
At the taste, Tashya’s eyes lit up. “This is quite good. Perhaps we could have the palace chef add it to our regular menu.”
Hunter handed over the greens and nuts to them, then stuffed his canteen with pine needles. “We can have hot tea.”
Tashya leaned over to look at his supplies. “And berries. Alex, I never knew you could be so resourceful.”
“Our father insisted that I know how to do more than order a meal in a gourmet restaurant. Actually, Nicholas was much more enthusiastic about camping than I was. Although I have to admit, I never thought any of Father’s lessons would prove so useful.” He gave Neve his best sheepish smile. “If Lady Madeline could see me now, she’d probably run for the hills.”
“Oh, I dare say, the lady would be willing to share anything with you,” Tashya teased.
Although Hunter knew she was pretending to the kind of easy banter she shared with her brother, he wished they could again be alone and share a genuine conversation where dissembling wasn’t necessary. With his doubts over Neve’s loyalty, they had to take care about every word they spoke.
He used a stick to hang the canteen over the fire. “We’ll sleep here.”
“And tomorrow?” Tashya asked, apparently not picking up that he only intended to give them a few hours’ rest.
“Neve will take us to the boys. The sooner we find them, the less traumatic it will be for them.”
Tashya’s face paled with worry, and he could have kicked himself for reminding her of the danger they were facing. The princess was often so strong, he forgot how unaccustomed she was to danger.
Neve seemed to notice her upset. The nanny placed a comforting hand on Tashya’s shoulder. “I don’t think the boys will be frightened. The guards didn’t seem the kind to take pleasure in scaring little children.”
If Hunter had been the kidnapper, he would have moved the boys immediately after Neve’s escape. However, if only lackeys remained at the cabin, they might not report Neve’s escape to their boss right away in order to avoid reprisals. Time could be of the essence. Although the urge to charge forward rushed through him, he could only push the women so much.
Hunter needed an excuse to speak with Tashya alone. He took advantage of the opportunity when Neve ambled down to the creek to wash the berry juice from her face.
Hunter pressed a gun into Tashya’s hand. “Take this. Don’t let Neve know you have it.”
“Okay.” She shoved it into her backpack and waited for him to explain.
“I need to scout ahead. I’ll be gone for less than an hour. Can you stay awake until I get back?”
“Yes.”
“Will you miss me?” he teased, and wondered where the words came from. It wasn’t like him to be lighthearted during a mission. His little sister always told him some woman would knock the seriousness right out of him, and he’d told her she was out of her mind. She’d only smiled knowingly at him and said something about the strongest men always had the farthest to fall. Was he falling for Tashya? He couldn’t recall the exact moment when he’d started thinking of her as his, and it disturbed him that the decision hadn’t been made consciously.
“Come back soon.” Tashya didn’t answer his question.
Neve had returned, interrupting their conversation. “You’re leaving?”
“Not for long. I suggest you both get some sleep,” he said for Neve’s benefit. “We’ll leave soon after I get back.”
“Why can’t we all go together?” Neve asked.
“You need to rest and if I scout ahead, I can take the most direct route through the forest.” And check for danger.
Already Neve’s eyes were heavy with sle
ep. She rolled up her jacket and stuffed it under her head. Minutes later she appeared to be sleeping like a hibernating bear.
Still, Hunter kept his voice down, whispering into Tashya’s ear. “Don’t wake her unless it’s an emergency.”
“I’ll be fine,” Tashya told him.
“I don’t like leaving you alone with her. But we have no choice. I won’t lead you straight into danger.” Hunter kissed her lightly on the forehead and then he walked away. Leaving Tashya behind was one of the hardest things he’d ever done—especially when he sensed danger closing in from all directions.
HUNTER HAD RETURNED without finding anything suspicious ahead, and they’d all slept until 5:00 a.m. Tashya and Hunter exchanged several whispered words before she awakened the nanny. Neve seemed a little groggy, but she’d walked steadily through the forest until they’d all arrived at the road that ran parallel to the one they’d left behind them. To the right lay a large town, to the left, a small village.
Hunter left them, entered the small village and returned with a vehicle. Alert as ever, Hunter drove inland toward Vashmira’s mountainous region.
He’d obviously taken time to clean up before rejoining them, Tashya though, but his hair still looked as if he’d run his fingers through it to comb it. Had he somehow failed to pack a comb or brush in that duffel of his? Obviously he hadn’t forgotten a razor. His chin, minus the dark stubble, looked determined as ever.
Neve’s presence had put Hunter and Tashya’s more private conversations on hold, and Hunter had done his best to appear no more or less than her brother, yet Tashya could feel an unresolved sexual tension simmering between them. Although their time together had been short and she didn’t know the details of Hunter’s life, she had come to appreciate his honor and integrity, traits that reminded her of her father and of Nicholas. But she recognized that the emotional strengths—toughness, detachment—that made Hunter good at his job, were also weaknesses that prevented him from establishing deep relationships. Just as she told herself there could be no future between them, that although she’d rejected the Toad, she would no doubt make a political marriage and that he could make no marriage at all, she couldn’t stop her natural inclination to want to respond to him.
She couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like if he’d accepted her offer back at the hotel. Would she have been even more reluctant to let him go when his mission was over?
She still wanted to know. Her personal plans might have been put on hold due to Neve’s presence and worry over her brothers, but Tashya fully intended to convince Hunter to make love with her. Sooner or later, she would get another opportunity and she intended to make the most of it.
An hour after they left the woods behind in the car Hunter had snatched and the cigarette lighter had partially recharged his cell phone battery, Hunter stopped at a café. They fortified themselves with a hearty breakfast of eggs, baked cheese pastries with blueberry jam and Turkish coffee. Hunter paid in small bills and left a generous tip. Tashya couldn’t be sure if anyone in the tiny café had recognized Vashmira’s prince and princess. Even with their creekside baths, clean hair and skin, they didn’t look like royalty. Their casual clothes showed signs of wear and tear, and her shoes were grass-stained.
Back in the car, Hunter handed Neve a map. “How much farther?”
Neve bit her bottom lip. “I’m not sure.” With a sigh of frustration she laid the map across her knees and peered out the window.
Hunter and Tashya exchanged a long look. Neve had fled in the dark. Obviously she’d been terrified and hadn’t paid too much attention to her route. They could be on a wild-goose chase, but since the kidnapper hadn’t called them, they had no other leads to go on.
They drove past mountain hostels that catered to tourists whose idea of a vacation was a long hike into the hills, before entering the small town of Sarnokov. The charming houses of wood and stone had steeply pitched roofs, colorful assortments of flowers in their window boxes and neatly trimmed lawns. Just a few blocks long, the town of Sarnokov had formerly been a mining town and now relied on manufacturing rugs for tourists. Prosperity could be seen in the late-model vehicles on the streets, children riding new bicycles on the sidewalks and the modern fire station.
Neve’s voice rose in excitement. “This town looks familiar. There should be a one-lane dirt road up ahead with a cow sign over a tavern.”
For the first time since breakfast, Tashya’s hopes rose. Although Hunter had told her that even if they found the cabin the kidnapper might have moved the children, maybe they could find a lead. A clue left behind in haste.
She couldn’t help worrying over Dimitri and Nikita. What would they think when they woke up in unfamiliar surroundings? As smart as Dimitri was, he would realize the danger he and Niki were in. She prayed he wouldn’t try anything foolish. A fresh sense of urgency washed through her. They had to find the boys soon.
“There’s the cow.” Neve pointed to the sign over the tavern. “It’s not far now. Maybe a mile or two.”
Hunter stopped the car. Before Tashya could ask him why, he explained. “I’m going in on foot. Alone.”
His statement alarmed Tashya. “You may need our help. You can’t carry Dimitri and Nikita and fight your way out, too.”
“I’m not placing you in danger.” His voice was hard as granite.
“Have you forgotten the kidnapper has demanded that we exchange ourselves for the boys? You need me to go with you.”
But what about Neve? Tashya could almost read Hunter’s doubts. The prince and princess could turn themselves over to the kidnappers in exchange for releasing the boys to Neve, only to find out that Neve was in on the kidnapping and their efforts were all for nothing.
Tashya had no wish to throw her life away. If she had to die, she wanted it to mean that her little brothers would live. Yet what choice did they have but to trust Neve, especially since Hunter refused to phone for additional help?
“I know you’re suspicious of my escape,” Neve interrupted. “But I swear I’ll do my best to make sure the boys get back to the palace safely.”
“I don’t doubt your heart is in the right place,” Hunter told the nanny, reminding Tashya how well and easily he could lie. “But the kidnappers may not hold up their end of the agreement. They could come after you. If someone manages to kill me, Tashya, Dimitri and Nikita, that would leave only our older brother and Sophia’s baby in line for the throne.”
Tashya stared at him in surprise. “You think someone is trying to wipe out our entire family?”
“It’s a possibility.” Hunter took out his weapon and checked the clip. “Our father was assassinated last year. Just weeks ago, a murder attempt on Nicholas and Ericka failed. With American Secret Service agents protecting the king and queen, they are relatively safe for the time being. So our culprit may be targeting the more vulnerable members of our family first, then intending to go after Nicholas when security around him relaxes.”
The more Hunter spoke about the dangers to her entire family, the more Tashya’s patience wore thin. This was her family they were talking about. Hunter’s analysis was all very interesting, but she wanted to go after her little brothers. She wanted to hold them in her arms and to know they were safe. “Surely, there’s someone we can call for help? Someone that you trust.”
“The only person who has nothing to gain by our deaths is Nicholas.”
“So call him,” Tashya urged.
“You’re forgetting that the palace phone line is probably tapped by the kidnapper. And if we ask Nicholas to join us, I have no doubt he would put his life in jeopardy to try to save our little brothers. The danger of our entire family being wiped out—except for Sophia’s baby—is just too great.”
Tashya realized Hunter’s logic was making sense. His ability to guess at the kidnapper’s possible motivation both awed and frightened her. She’d originally believed that the kidnapper might have been trying to stop her work for women’s rights,
but that had been a self-centered idea. Her politics simply weren’t that important. However, if someone wanted to murder her entire family, they could take over Vashmira.
Neve’s voice shook with either fear or excitement. “So then it’s just the three of us?”
“Looks like it,” Hunter agreed, albeit reluctantly. His dark expression hadn’t changed, and at the moment, his grim mouth looked nothing like Alexander’s.
Tashya’s pulse had skipped when Hunter had changed his mind about leaving them behind. He might issue orders like a general, but that he’d willingly compromised meant that he respected her opinion—something she hadn’t expected from an obvious loner like him.
Nevertheless, she exited the vehicle with trepidation. Since Hunter had never requested that she return the weapon he’d given her last night, she clutched the handle and fingered the trigger under the cover of her jacket pocket. Whether she was ready to shoot if necessary was another question.
By now she knew Hunter’s tactics well enough to realize he wouldn’t walk along the road, where he would give up the element of surprise and make an easy target. While the phone call may have alerted the kidnapper to their destination and they might be expecting someone to arrive, they couldn’t guess when.
After hiding the car behind a dilapidated barn, Tashya and Neve followed Hunter deeper into the woods. He chose a path that paralleled the road. The hike proved arduous because it was an uphill climb and there was no natural animal trail to follow. None of them spoke, saving their breath for the task ahead.
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