The Unknown Royal Heir

by Kimber Swan

  The warmth of his hand spreads through me, warming me immediately despite the cool weather. In my rush to escape, I forgot a jacket. Something flickers across his features, but he quickly hides it. Slowly, he lowers his head pressing our foreheads together. He kisses me gently. He turns his head to the side, our heads still touching. Every cell I have responds to his authority.

  “I promise nothing will ever happen to you as long as I’m around. You are mine to protect.” Daniel vows.

  He kisses me again gently. His body tenses. His grip tightens almost painfully on my hair, triggering goose pimples to erupt over my body. He pulls away and there is an icy edge to his voice.

  “Don’t. Ever. Run. Away. From. Me. Again.” He says crisply and clearly.

  “But-”

  My words are cut off by the fierce attack of his mouth on mine. When I try to protest by opening my mouth to speak, he takes advantage and presses his suit. His tongue delves deep in my mouth. In a matter of minutes, things are out of control. My back is pressed roughly against the cold, brick wall. His arms lift me up so I’m looking down at him. My legs wrap around him holding on. His silky hair glides through the fingers of both my hands as he tips his head back in what I can only assume is pleasure. Forgetting where we are, I start to unbutton my shirt, but his hands stop mine, pinning them above my head. His body my only support. He pulls back, shaking his head no.

  “Not here and not like this.” He says in a raspy voice, eyes full of heat.

  “Then take me back and make me forget. Make me forget that everything is a lie. Please show me what is real.” I beg.

  He looks deeply into my eyes, searching for something. The answer. The truth. Something.

  “No.”

  Then he slowly lowers me, my shirt rides up my back getting stuck on the rough edge of a brick. He releases his hold on me and regains his composure.

  “Everything has to be done by the book. I won’t let you risk it all for a quick romp.” He says pointedly with a smirk.

  “God forbid you do something spontaneous.” I huff, teasing him slightly.

  He pulls me back suddenly when I try to walk away. Something at the head of the alley catches our eyes.

  “Shh, don’t move.” He whispers, pulling me behind him.

  The rancid smells of rotting food and who knows what else penetrates my senses. I didn’t notice it before being as distracted as I was. Daniel’s body is coiled tight in front of me, ready to strike at any moment. I can barely see passed him. Two figures dressed in black appear at the head of the alley. They pause looking down and nod to each other. One starts to venture down with his hand inside his jacket, when the other calls out.

  “There they are.” He points down the street.

  They both run off in the opposite direction from where we came from.

  “How did they find us? No one knows about Jacques.” Daniel says to himself, turning to me. “Daphne, I need you to trust me.” He kisses my forehead, gripping my shoulders. “We can’t go back to the loft. Do you trust me?”

  His voice is full of emotion making me afraid of what may happen. Despite everything that has happened, I know deep down Daniel would never do anything to hurt me. Do I trust him he asks?

  Yes, with my life.

  I nod my head briskly.

  He pulls me behind him as we head for the mouth of the alley. Daniel looks first left, then right. Not daring either direction, he walks quickly down the street in front of us, dragging me behind him, constantly on guard. When we see the same two guys pass the head of this street, Daniel pushes me into a doorway, hiding me from their sight with his body. He leans out to inspect both directions again. Seeing it clear, grabs my hand.

  “Come.” He says, barely being heard as a loud car passes.

  My palms, sweaty from fear, slip his grip a few times. At the top of the street, Daniel stops looking in both directions again. This time he turns left. We are on a busy street, crowded with people and cars. I glance up to read the street sign and see the Eiffel Tower instead.

  “Oh God.” I murmur in awe, but Daniel mistakes my reaction.

  He whirls around shoving me behind him ready to fight. When he doesn’t see the threat, he looks to me questioningly.

  “I’m sorry. Look.” I point sheepishly.

  Agitated, he says, “Daphne, now’s not the time.”

  He tugs on my arm to follow.

  As we pass a café, a row of sleek motorcycles sit out front. Daniel looks in the building. He quickly strides to one with two helmets on it. He shoves one helmet at me.

  “Put that on.” He says.

  Then he dons his own, straddles the bike and hotwires it. He extends his hand to me, assisting me with mounting.

  “Quickly.” The helmet muffles his voice.

  I quickly jump on as he revs the engine with his other hand. Two guys come running out of the café, yelling at us as Daniel takes off. The force by which we take off nearly knocks me off. If it hadn’t been for Daniel holding my hand I would have fallen off. I wrap both hands around his waist holding on tight. He pats my hand then let’s go. With both hands on the handlebars, he speeds up.

  Daniel weaves in and out of traffic. His focused energy is aimed at dodging vehicles left, right, stopping short and driving onto oncoming traffic only to quickly swerve into the proper lane. Every time he swerves, I tense forcing my eyes closed.

  The motorcycle slows down. We are closer to the Eiffel Tower when I open my eyes. The street is more congested with cars and pedestrians. We are stuck behind two trucks but Daniel slowly maneuvers us between them to come out in front. An accident has the traffic at a dead stop. Daniel looks right, left then behind us. He inches us closer to the intersection when I notice two guys running at us. One has his hand raised in front of himself.

  The side view mirror of the truck to our right explodes. I tap Daniel on the shoulder. He looks back at me. I nod in the direction of the guys.

  “Gun!”

  Daniel sees them immediately and walks the bike a few more steps and changes our direction. We move sluggishly through congested traffic. The passenger window of the car next to us explodes.

  We pass cops and an ambulance at the site of the car accident. Daniel speeds up as the traffic lessens, but the guys chasing us are literally right behind us on a police motorcycle.

  “Daniel!” I scream.

  Chapter Twelve

  The nighttime sky makes it difficult to see Paris as it races by. This is not the leisurely tour I had hoped for. Men with guns chasing us, using real bullets kill the romance of the city. My scream of alarm is not a French love song. Daniel pats my hand. After a quick prayer, I close my eyes, hoping we don’t die as the motorcycle revs and tilts through the streets.

  The overcrowded street does not hide the sound of the other motorcycle. A loud horn to our left frightens me and I squeeze Daniel harder waiting for the inevitable pain. His quick reflexes stop that from happening. He is shaking with what I can only imagine is laughter. I’m glad he can find some humor in this life and death chase.

  Daniel makes a quick right onto another crowded street, but makes another right into an underground parking garage. After finding a parking space, he cuts the engine, removes his helmet and dismounts the bike swiftly. Once I dismount with his assistance, he takes my helmet then engulfs me in a fierce hug.

  “Are you okay?” He checks my body for injury.

  He sags in relief. My legs feel like liquid rubber as the adrenaline starts to leave my system. His eyes are bright, cheeks flushed with life and chest heaving with exertion. I grip his shoulders to stop from falling.

  “I’ll be fine. Why did we stop?” I question, loving the feel of his warm arms wrapped securely around me.

  “It’s too risky on the motorcycle. We’re out in the open. Those gun shots were too close.”

  He leans in giving me a chaste kiss on the lips.

  “Don’t think I forgot about you running away, but we have more pressing matte
rs to deal with. We need a car.” He says, tugging on my hand.

  “You have a car here?” I question.

  “Of course not. We’re going to borrow one, just like we borrowed the motorcycle.”

  After trying about a dozen cars, a Volvo sedan is unlocked. Daniel unlocks the passenger side door, swinging it open for me.

  “Get in.”

  Then he sets about disabling the alarm and hotwiring the car.

  “Seat belt.” He says as the car roars to life.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, securing my seatbelt.

  “I have a boat waiting for us in Germany.” He replies patting my knee. “Are you ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Can you ever be ready for danger, especially of the gun toting type? At that thought, a police motorcycle speeds by as we come to the top of the exit gates in the parking garage. I inhale sharply when I notice the driver is not dressed as a police officer. Daniel pats my knee and I crouch down in my seat trying to be invisible.

  “Don’t worry. You’re safe.”

  I squeeze his hand trying to reassure him I believe him. I believe in Daniel’s ability to protect me, but there are too many factors outside of his control.

  “I still don’t know how they found us.”

  “Does the Kin- Does the-” I clear my voice trying to sound more sure of myself. “Does my father know about me?”

  “I don’t think so. Not yet. There aren’t too many who do know and those who do are loyal to me and only me. I haven’t met with the King since before we met. Remember when I said he has withdrawn a lot from society?” He looks sideways at me. I nod. “Much of my job is doing what he fails to do. Think of it as he is the President and I’m the Vice President. If something happens to the President or he is indisposed, the Vice President steps up. Well, it is the same with us.”

  After paying the garage attendant, who doesn’t seem to notice the theft of the car, Daniel makes a left.

  “If the King knew about you and you had grown up in our lands, you would be performing these duties and more. I think I mentioned that the female line inherits the crown, unless no female is born?” He says.

  I nod and his smile leaves my stomach a fluttering mess.

  The outside fades away with the absence of noise as I ponder his words. Princess? The only truly positive thing out of this nightmare is I have a father who never knew I existed. This birthmark- no scratch that- “royal brand” was the clue all along. My mother knew, which is why she always had me cover it up.

  The silence grows between Daniel and me with mounting tension. The sudden sound of classical music lifts the quietness of the car. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Daniel take out his phone.

  “Yeah.” Daniel says with authority and listens to whoever is on the phone. “They found us. I can’t talk long. I’m getting rid of this phone, so I’ll be black for a while. Just make sure everything is ready for us in Germany. We’ll be there in the morning.” He pauses, listening again. “I don’t know. There must be a leak. Start looking for it. We can’t afford another one. I’ll be in touch.”

  As I gaze out the window, I realize I lost track of time. I was deep in my own thoughts. The freeway spans in front of us. Quickly, I look behind the car and sigh when I see no one pursuing us. The sudden cold gust of wind forces me to look for the source. I see Daniel tossing the phone out the window. I look back watching it bounce off the ground once breaking apart with the numerous subsequent bounces.

  “Daphne, I know you have more questions, but you need to rest now. You’ve had quite a day.” He says, dismissing me.

  “I’m not tired. Stop treating me like a child. I want to know more especially if I’m to believe you.”

  “Not believe me? What more do you need?”

  “You can’t just drop an atom bomb like you did and expect there not to be collateral damage.” I reply coldly. “You expect me to not ask questions and take a nap? Seriously?”

  “I can and I will.” He looks at me sternly and the butterflies take flight again. “You will do as you’re told. You ran and look what happened.”

  “No, no, no. Don’t you dare blame that on me. It’s a good thing I did run otherwise we would have been there when they fond us.” My face flushes with emotion. “Did you truly believe I couldn’t hear what you said to Dante? How dare you not tell me we’re engaged? That’s almost as big as being a princess.”

  “First off, we’re not engaged. We’re promised to each other.”

  “you say potato, I say potato.” I murmur.

  “Secondly, you’re probably right.”

  “I am?”

  He laughs.

  “Finally, take a nap. We’ll discuss this on the boat. You’re tired.”

  “You know what Daniel, fuck off.” I say and turn in my seat. “I’m tired of being dismissed by you.”

  “Watch your language. A Princess does not swear.”

  “Well this one does just like a truck driver.”

  “You’re a Princess. Start acting like one.”

  I turn in my seat acting like a wild woman, hitting him solidly in the arm, bruising my hands in the process. Daniel grabs my wrists in his one hand, reminding me again how much bigger and stronger he is than me. He pulls the car off to the side of the freeway. He drops my wrists as if they were hot coals and gets out of the car.

  Astonished, I stare as he stalks to my side of the car. The passenger side door is wretched open. Daniel reaches in unsnaps the seatbelt and grabs me by my upper arms, pulling me from the seat. He stares deeply into my eyes, unnerving me.

  “Stop acting like a spoiled brat.” He says a second before his lips descend on mine.

  The pent-up frustration, fear, and passion of the kiss ignites a fire in me. His hands release my arms and slide down my body to my waist. There they pull me into to him, molding my body to his, as he leans me against the car. His left hand glides down the curve of my ass to lift my thigh high on his hip. I moan feeling his hardness press against my most intimate parts. He nips my lower lip in response. I am putty in his arms. My anger forgotten. He pulls back resting our heads together.

  “I did tell you we were promised.” He says in a whisper.

  I look at him with confusion, blinking rapidly.

  “On the beach.” He continues, not looking me.

  The memory of that day comes back with a renew sense of lust. My mind is still whirling with so many emotions I can’t concentrate. All I know is the hardness pressing against me. He steps back, looking me up and down.

  “I never thought… I never dreamed…” He starts, but stops when a horn beeps at us bringing us back to the present with all its danger out here in the open. “Get back in the car, Daphne.”

  Suddenly, I’m exhausted. My emotions are ready to get off this roller coaster ride. The tension is always there. It never abates. My fuse is very short and slowly burning. Daniel closes my door and I lean my head against the window. I fall asleep and the last thing I remember is him putting the car in drive.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A shift in the car startles me awake, scattering an amazing dream to the mist. The vivid dream was about some guys wanting me dead at all costs because I was some princess. It ended in a car chase through Paris as Daniel and I were trying to escape. They kept coming despite what we did. When the last vestiges of the dream finally fall away, I sigh as I realize the dream is reality.

  “Where are we?” My vision is still cloudy with sleep when I open my eyes.

  “On the outskirts of Amsterdam, near the border of Germany.” Daniel replies. “Did you sleep well?”

  “No, I was having this awful nightmare where I was this princess of an unknown country and someone was trying to kill me.” I say sarcastically looking at his side profile. “But it wasn’t a dream, was it?”

  “No. I’m sorry, it wasn’t.” He says frowning.

  The sky is dark with hints of it starting to lighten up behind us. The highway
ahead of and behind us is black with not another soul on the road. The land is flat with few trees sporadically placed alongside the road.

  “What time is it?” I ask stretching.

  My shirt rides up my abdomen. I catch Daniel’s glance out of the corner of his eyes as he licks his lips.

  “Almost seven.” He adjusts his sitting position then asks, “Are you hungry? I need to stop and get a new phone.”

  “Not yet, but I could go for a cup of tea. Oh shit, I don’t have my wallet.”

  “Language.” He frowns shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. Neil has someone retrieving our stuff.”

  ҉

  The town’s historic feel is different than what I’m used to. The surrounding buildings are just the beginning. The canals act as streets. The shops’ windows are old, casement-like. The windy, narrow streets are cobblestone. Even modern stores such a McDonalds and Starbucks appear old but with a modern appeal probably because of their names.

  Daniel spotted the Starbucks and parks slightly further up the road, on what we Americans consider the wrong side of the road. Am I still considered an American? Daniel assists me out of the car and clasps my hand while we leisurely stroll the street towards Starbucks. The interior of Starbucks reflects nothing of the exterior. The modern touches such as the floating sconces and marble flooring are a pleasant surprise reminding me of home. The display counter holds a vast array of pastries, sandwiches and more, each looking more inviting than the next.

  At the counter, Daniel orders a black double espresso, two pumpkin scones and the strongest tea in the largest size possible. He discreetly removes a huge roll of cash from the front of his jeans. I stop my eyes from bugging out, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. I’ve never been in possession of that much cash. He must feel my eyes on him because he looks at me smiling.