by Claire Adams
I was sick to my stomach and my heart was heavy. My patience was running out. If I had to storm that palace myself, I was going to get Emma and my son out of there…if it’s the last thing I did.
I had Brandon come in and sit down with Luca to get the information about the tunnels. I was too anxious to sit still. I paced the kitchen and listened to the two men talk. Luca drew a diagram for us of where the tunnels began and where they ended. Although the entrance and exit were both guarded, he told us there were no guards down in the tunnels. “Is the entrance to the tunnel close to the room they’re keeping the princess in?” I asked him.
“Her room is at the end of that same hall and so is the princess Elena’s.”
Brandon asked him specifics about directions and how many feet from one end of the hall to the other and one room to the other. He made notations on the drawings that Luca made. When he finished, he asked Luca, “When is the next big event at the palace?”
“There’s a party being held on Saturday for the king and queen’s anniversary,” he said.
“Will you be on duty that night?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How do they decide who guards the princess?”
“It’s on a rotating schedule, sir.”
“So, do you know who is guarding her on Saturday?”
“An O-2 named Arturo Rico.”
“Is he a good guy?”
“He’s a decent guy, but very strict and by the book.”
“If he were to not show up, who would guard her during the party?”
“That would fall to me, sir, but Rico always shows up.”
“I’m afraid he might be sick on Saturday,” I told him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
EMMA
It was Saturday morning. I knew that there was a big party in the palace that night for my parent’s anniversary. I could already hear the footsteps and bustle out in the hallway. Everyone would be running all day, trying to get things ready. I pictured Elena across the hall trying to decide which earrings to wear with whatever designer gown she’d chosen for the event.
My only hope was that while they were all in the ballroom, Nicholas would come to get me and Gabriel. I had sent him a message that I was okay through Luca, but I hadn’t seen Luca since then, so I had no idea what they talked about or what was happening. I honestly barely had an idea what day it was.
There were times over the past week when I was able to stay hopeful and tell myself that things would be okay and Nicholas was coming to get us. Those times were usually only when I was with Gabriel and only when Carmelita wasn’t around.
She seemed to be there more and more as the days went on. She’d sit two feet away from me when I visited with my son and glare at me. I had no idea why she despised me so much, but it was more than obvious that she did.
Maybe it was because she knew that Gabriel wasn’t Miguel’s son. Anyone with a brain and eyes should be able to figure that out. Those blue eyes had to come from somewhere and they hadn’t come from me and obviously not Miguel.
Everyone else seemed to ignore it, but Carmelita didn’t even try and hide her contempt for me or my son. It broke my heart to think of what she might say to him when I’m not there. But when I was there, I did my best to concentrate on him and only him, and I prayed that when I wasn’t there, the feeling of how much I loved him stayed behind. He cried when I had to leave him and go back to the room that I’d come to think of as the dungeon.
Alone in that room was where I’d let myself begin to lose hope. There were times when I felt like someday they’d let me out of here and I’d find out that the rest of the world had disappeared, or worse yet, the world would still be there and it would be me that faded away.
I’d get myself so worked up sometimes that my heart would pound so hard against the walls of my chest that it felt like my ribs would break. I wouldn’t be able to sit or lie still and the walls around me in the huge room felt like they were closing in and I couldn’t breathe. My lungs would burn and I’d work myself into a panic and imagine clawing at the walls and trying to get out.
The only other saving grace besides getting to see my baby one measly hour a day was that Miguel had yet to come in and see me. I thanked God for that every minute, but at the same time, I worried about what it meant. What was he up to? Was he busy with the work of having me committed?
“Princess?” There was a knock at my door. They at least afforded me the privacy of knocking on the door that was locked from the outside.
“Yes?”
“It’s Luca, Your Grace. I have your breakfast; may I come in?”
A tickle of anticipation ran down my spine. “Yes, Luca, please come in.” I heard him disengaging the lock on the door and as soon as he pulled it open and I saw his face, I was almost tempted to kiss him.
I was told the day before that another guard would be there. He’s a big bully and he makes me a nervous wreck. Luca left the door cracked and walked over to set my breakfast tray on the table in the corner. It wouldn’t look appropriate for him to be in the room with me with the door closed, and besides, they’re not even supposed to be talking to me at all. He walked back over toward the door, glanced out in the hallway and then in barely above a whisper he said,
“Your Grace, you should be ready to move at nine tonight.”
“Ready to move?” I whispered.
“Yes, they’ll be coming for you and the young prince tonight.” I did grab and kiss him on the cheek then. Poor Luca looked shocked and then embarrassed. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was around.
“I’m sorry, Luca,” I whispered. “I’m just so happy. Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure, Princess. Try and have a good day. I’ll be back with your lunch. If you have any questions or requests, maybe a small note that you can slip in my hand would be better than us being spotted talking.
“Yes, that’ll be fine. I’ll do that.”
He must have thought that I was going to kiss him again. He backed out quickly as soon as he made sure the hallway was clear. My head was spinning as I listened to the sound of the lock being re-engaged. I hated that sound, but today it didn’t bother me as much as it had before.
Nicholas was coming! I knew he would. I couldn’t wait to finally be free again, and with my love and my baby. This time it wouldn’t be running away though, it would be running toward my future at last.
********
What seemed like the longest day of my life finally began to wind down. I could see out my small and very high window that the sun was beginning to sink low in the sky. The scuttle outside my door got more intense and I could practically feel Nick’s presence.
I had my visit with Gabriel around three p.m. He’d been so delighted to see me. We read books and played with his new toy cars. I knew it was silly because he wouldn’t understand, but I was so tempted to tell him that his Daddy was coming.
Although Carmelita wasn’t there, the nanny that was sat just outside the open door next to the security guard and I was afraid they would overhear. He wouldn’t understand, anyways. He calls Miguel Papa and each time it comes out of my sweet boy’s mouth, I feel sick.
I paced the room, unsure of what to do with myself. I took the gun out of its hiding spot in a loose floorboard and tucked it in my bra. Then I thought about the party and knowing Miguel would be in the house, I took it out and hid it again. I talked a good game about shooting him and being okay with that, but the truth was that I was terrified I’d choke and he’d use the gun on me.
I’m not sure what time it was, as they’d taken out all my clocks, but the sun had gone down about an hour before so I estimated it had to be around eight p.m. when I heard the lock on the outside of my door being unlocked. My chest was filled with excitement. I even had a smile on my face, expecting Nicholas.
Instead, I was suddenly looking into the dark eyes of evil and cursing my decision to leave the gun hidden. “Ariana, you’re looking...” he let his b
lack eyes drag from my head to my feet before saying, “pathetic.”
I bit back a retort and stood six feet away from him near where the gun was hidden. He smirked and said, “How has your week been?”
“Better,” I said. I was proud of myself that my voice didn’t sound as shaky as it felt. “This week I at least got to see my little man.”
“Our little man,” he corrected. He knew that wasn’t true. I didn’t argue the point. He moved, and I flinched. He smirked again and then paced across the floor to where the large picture window was covered. With his hands behind his back, he looked at it as if he was looking outside.
“Do you have any idea how lucky you are?” Again, I didn’t respond. He waited a beat and then he said, “Outside these walls are the most beautiful grounds and gardens on the coast, maybe in the world. You have the beach within walking distance, the colorful mountains against the blue skyline and everything in between is green and gorgeous. Do you have any idea how many people would have gladly traded places with you and grown up here?”
He turned and looked at me then. “My children are going to grow up here. For six long years, I waited for you to grow up. I waited until it was proper to put my hands on you.” I thought of all the dances and parties where his hands traveled across parts of me that they never should. It was when I first developed my distaste for him.
“Then when it’s finally time, when I think that you’re finally going to give me everything I ever wanted, you ran away. I spent six months looking for you and when I finally find you, you’re pregnant with another man’s bastard.”
My stomach clenched at that word associated with my Gabriel. If I had the gun in my hands, I might have simply shot him for that. “I took him in and I never told anyone that he wasn’t mine. I’ve been raising him as my own son.”
He barely looked at Gabriel, and usually that was only when the toddler happened to get underfoot. I wondered if he believed his own delusions. “Wanting to be sure he still has his chance at becoming the king of this beautiful country, I spent another two years trying to break that stubborn streak inside of you so that we could finally work toward becoming one of the most powerful couples on earth. We could have more children, many more, and I’d still allow Gabriel to be king.”
That was where I began to lose the composure I was barely holding onto. I snorted. He had nothing to do with Gabriel being the king. He’s my son and I’m the heir; who his father is doesn’t even begin to matter in that respect. “So good of you,” I said, sarcastically. He took another step toward me. I stood my ground.
“You’re a vile little witch. It amazes me that all that poison inside of you hasn’t seeped out and made you just as ugly on the outside. I’ve tried to break you, but a wise man once told me that some horses can’t be broken. Perhaps it’s time for me to accept that and pursue another route.”
“And, what might that route be, Miguel? Will you have me committed? Will you have me killed? How do you plan to get me out of my son’s life?”
“Your sister Elena is everything that a princess should be, do you realize that? Now that she’s 21, she’s just ripe, too.” I didn’t like my sister, but I still loved and cared about her. I almost felt guilty about leaving with Nicholas and my son. That would put her in the direct line of Miguel’s sights.
“Elena would never have you. She thinks of herself as much too good to marry the son of one of my father’s advisors. Elena has visions of marrying royalty. Did you not see how she made eyes at the young duke at her birthday party?”
The veins in his neck were protruding. The way I was talking to him would have gotten me beaten in the past. I looked at his clenched fists at his sides. I knew the only thing saving me at that moment was being in the palace. My father might condone a slap to put me in line, but never the sort of beating Miguel had on his mind. “Tomorrow, we all return to the villa,” he announced. “We’ll pick this conversation back up then.”
“I’m not going back to that villa and neither is my son.” He took another step toward me. It took everything inside of me to force myself not to move. He was like a dog that smelled fear. I didn’t want to give him the pleasure of smelling mine.
“You’ll do as you’re told.”
“When has that worked for you in the past, Miguel?”
“You’ll make it work this time if you want to live,” he said in a low, menacing tone. “Think about this – you have an accident on one of the horses and your pretty neck snaps. The grieving widower and the heir to the throne move into the palace. Your sister Elena and I are already friends; I’ll be able to confide in her how much I loved you and how hard I tried to make you into the princess your parents always wanted you to be.”
“My parents?” It suddenly dawned on me why Miguel had been given such free reign over me and my life. My parents had arranged for him to “tame” me.
He laughed. “They’ve been ashamed of you since you were a child. You never had the makings of being a princess. They hoped that I could change that, but you took off before I had the chance and you’ve continued to defy everyone since. The safest course of action for us all at this point is for you to be removed from the equation. Elena and I can carry on this family’s legacy.”
“With my son as your pawn?”
“My son,” he said. “My name is on his birth certificate, he’s mine. Think about that as you draw your last breath tomorrow. I’ll expect you ready to go right after breakfast.”
“If you want me dead, you’ll have to kill me here.” He closed the space between us and suddenly he was so close that I could feel his hot breath on my face.
“Do not tempt me,” he said. “You’re very foolish if you’re not scared to death for your life right now.”
“You know what, Miguel? I used to be scared to death of you. But that was before I realized that you have no balls.” He raised his hand to backhand me and I decided if I was going to get hit, I would have my say.
“I guess that explains why it only took Nicholas one time to make me pregnant and you’ve been trying with your tiny dick for two years and nothing has taken.” That did it. He swung that arm out and brought his big hand down across the center of my face. Blood spurt out of my nose as my body flew back into the wall.
“Stupid bitch,” he yelled as he took a step toward me. I reached for the loose floorboard, but it was far enough away that by the time I lunged, he was on me. “What do you have in there?” He pushed me back and lifted the floorboard up. His eyes widened when he saw the gun. He reached in and pulled it out and then he pointed it at me.
“You’re not going to shoot me in my parents’ home, so I’m not even going to pretend to believe you are.” Warm blood trickled from my nose into my mouth as I spoke. He lunged toward me again, this time pressing the barrel of the gun into my head so hard that it was going to leave a mark. That was, if he didn’t pull the trigger and leave a hole there instead.
He leaned in close, too close; I could almost taste his breath now. “No, you’re right…I’m not.” He reached down and grabbed my right hand. I tried to fight him and we wrestled on the floor. Even with only one free arm and hand, he was able to overpower me. He put the gun back to my head and brought my right hand up to cover it. “You’re going to shoot yourself.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
NICHOLAS
The tunnels were an intricate maze of twists and turns. We’d easily gotten by the guard once Brandon had choked him out. But now we had to find our way through almost a mile of darkness. According to Luca, they went off in more than one direction, so the slightest wrong turn could set us way off course. We’d been moving for almost an hour before I impatiently whispered to Brandon, “Are you sure we didn’t go the wrong way?”
“No, I’m not sure. I’m going on instinct at this point.”
“Maybe we should split up.” The tunnels were small and cramped. Brandon and I had left the rest of the team up top near the exit to assist with our final escape. We’d
talked about it and decided it would be safer and easier for the two of us to slip in, get Emma and Gabriel, and slip out. The whole team in these tunnels would have just caused a traffic jam that might have ended with none of us getting out.
“I don’t like that idea,” he said.
“We don’t have all night to be wandering around here lost, either. One of us has to make it up there at least. I’m going to take the next turn.”
I heard him sigh heavily. I couldn’t see his face, but I’d already worked with him enough to know how my stubbornness frustrated him sometimes. “Okay, but keep in contact with the radio.” We had out radios on, but turned down to an almost inaudible volume so as not to make too much noise and attract unwanted attention.
“Will do,” I told him. When we reached the next turn and I started off on my own, he whispered,
“Be careful. If they find you in here, they will shoot and simply say you were trespassing.”
“I know.”
I used my hand to feel along the smooth wall of the tunnel in front of me and began walking again. The only part that really bothered me besides how long it was taking was the idea of stepping on one of the things I’d heard scurrying around in the darkness.
I tried not to focus on that and instead I kept Emma’s pretty face in my sights. I also couldn’t wait to meet my little man. I’m not sure what kind of father I was going to be, but I was going to try like hell to give him and his mama the life they deserved.
I walked in the dark for another half a mile before I saw the light. It was just a sliver, like underneath a door, but the sight of it made me happier than anything had in a very long time. The closer I got, the brighter the light was, and I could see the things scurrying around out of my peripheral vision. I’d much rather face an armed man than a furry rodent, but I pushed on.
I finally came to the door the light was coming through. Luca had given me a key which I quietly slid into the lock. He told me this particular door was not alarmed since the guards used it to come in and out of the tunnels. I still held my breath as I quietly turned the knob and pushed it open a crack.