Royal Affair

  “It would not be abandoning. It would be like something you should’ve been doing a long time ago.”

  She didn’t know what to say to him. “I haven’t decided one way or the other yet.”

  “Whatever your decision is, it needs to be based on you. What do you want? What do you need?”

  “And if he demands that I leave my country?”

  “Then, we deal with that when the time comes. It’s time I stopped taking precedence in your life. It’s time you did.”

  The door to the chamber opened.

  Valantín held up his hand. “You do what you need to. I will take care of our country as I should.”

  She knew that the meeting was about to start, but she wasn’t sure what he was trying to tell her.

  “Go to Ludwig. Go to your project. Let me handle the council.” He didn’t wait for her to respond. Straightening, he walked through the door and he closed it behind him.

  45

  “I believe it will make the family look too strong if this Siobhan is included.”

  The group sat around a small scarred table in the back of a smoky bar, a pint of ale for each one of them nearly untouched on the table.

  Lauriana, Americo, and Aguilar exchanged looks, attempting to figure out exactly what they could do with this information that Marcelín had just brought.

  They were not in agreement about whether Siobhan’s arrival into the royal family would be a positive for their cause or a negative. They had to be successful in ensuring that Siobhan was seen as the enemy and not the savior of the country.

  “It’s not like we have a choice. We knew she’d likely join them at some point,” Americo said darkly, unhappy with the outcome at hand.

  Lauriana shrugged. “I think that if we raise enough suspicion in people about how she got there in the first place then they will distrust her just as much as the rest of the family. How would she relate to this country? She has never lived amongst the people, cried in their hardships, helped them in their greatest need? They will see her as an outsider with very little work.”

  “Or they could see her as their saving grace,” Marcelín added dryly. “We will need some well placed concerns amongst the revolt to ensure that no matter what she says, they do not believe her. They need to see her as an outsider, someone who cannot possibly understand what the country needs.”

  “We can make that happen,” Aguilar said, eyes flashing. “Kill them all when they are together. What could be better?”

  The group raised their glasses, clinking them all together over the center of the table before taking a swallow of the frothy liquid.

  When Ludwig arrived at the storefront which had taken the most damage, a rug shop, he joked with everyone good-naturedly but he was mostly excited to see Angelica, who promised to be there.

  He was less concerned that she was in danger, and more concerned that someone, like her brother or mother, might derail her. He was under no assumptions that they were able to keep her participation in the rebuilding quiet. Angelica had insisted on not inviting the press, but he knew that people talked. And word of Angelica assisting with this project would reach the ears of her family.

  And it probably hadn’t escaped anybody’s notice that she was spending more time with him.

  “What are you doing here?” A blonde woman asked, coming up to him.

  Ludwig studied her. She wasn’t anyone he had slept with previously. At least there was that. But he could smell something on her. She walked like a predator. She was very self-confident, even though she was dressed casually in jeans and a button-up shirt. “Who are you to ask?”

  She narrowed her eyes and offered her hand with a smile. “Emma Borell, from Global.”

  “Ludwig.” He took her hand and shook it, intrigued, to say the least, but guarded.

  “Just Ludwig? Did you leave your title at the door?”

  “It can sometimes get in the way.” That was like taking a cold shower. His intrigue slipped away and was replaced by a sense of danger. He took his hand back. “I hope you’re not here to start trouble.”

  “On the contrary. I have information…Angelica requested.”

  He didn’t miss the fact that she didn’t use Angelica’s title. “Are you here as a friend?”

  Emma dropped her gaze to the floor for a moment before meeting his again. “I sometimes get the feeling she could use a few of those.”

  That was an understatement. “So, am I to assume that you are?”

  “I’m undecided.” She took in his appearance, and tipped her head to the side, crossing her arms over her chest. “I would really be interested to know your intentions here. Are you playing our princess?”

  He bristled, but there was a part of him that liked the sound of those two little words. Our princess. “Nein.”

  She raised her chin. “Am I to believe that you intend to retire your old ways?”

  His eyebrows rose at her impertinence, but he answered in an even voice, “Already done.”

  “And,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “you intend to stay here, to make a life here?”

  “Ja,” he said softly. “If she will have me.”

  Emma thought for a moment, and then blinked, giving him a soft smile. She leaned forward and murmured one word to him, “Elope.”

  The last person Angelica expected to see in the rug shop was Emma, who was helping to hold up a set of shelves on the back wall. I hope this isn’t a stunt. But Angelica knew better than to trust in the true intentions of others.

  When Emma noticed her, she turned and smiled. She held up her hands and then gestured to the set of shelves with her head. “I decided it was time to get my hands dirty as well. Get over here and help.”

  Angelica did as she was bid and came to stand next to Emma, helping her hold up the shelves, which were heavier than she thought they’d be.

  Emma brought her lips to Angelica’s ear. “I have news of Abelardo that I think you might find interesting. How about we find a quiet corner and discuss it?”

  Angelica pulled back to assess the reporter’s expression, which was honest and sincere. “How bad is it?”

  “Let’s just say that you got very lucky when he left you.”

  After they finished getting the shelf in place, Angelica led the way toward the back where they could speak privately.

  “What did you find?”

  Emma stayed close so that her lowered voice could be easily heard by Angelica. “He was already married.”

  Angelica was stunned. “What?”

  “You heard correctly. He was already married. He was attempting to get divorced, but she wasn’t letting it go. He was trying to get money out of her, some form of blackmail. I haven’t been able to figure out what he had over her.”

  And he’d somehow managed to hide that from her? Why would he do that and then stand her up at the altar? If what Emma was saying was true, it sounded as though he had been preparing to actually marry her. “I don’t understand. We did an investigation on him. That never came up.”

  “He was able somehow to get the records removed. It’s as if his marriage never existed.” Emma glanced around and keeping her voice low, she added, “What’s really bizarre, is that her body showed up several weeks later.”

  Suddenly feeling weak, Angelica had to lean on the wall. “What? What do you mean? Several weeks after what?”

  Emma pulled back so she could meet Angelica’s eyes. “Several weeks after he stood you up, his wife’s body showed up. They were able to identify her, and her file was closed as a suicide.”

  That seems awfully convenient. “How did she die?”

  “Drowned. The official report shows they suspected she fell off the bridge into the river.”

  Angelica didn’t believe that. She didn’t know what to believe. She didn’t know what was going on. But she did have a hard time believing that. “What does your nose say?”

  Emma smiled at the reminder of their previous conversation. “My nose is smel
ling manure.”

  There had to be more to this. “Is he connected in any way to any political party?”

  “If anything, he’s the least political person you could ever meet on paper.”

  Which had been one of the reasons why her family had been so keen on choosing him. “How could we have missed all of this?”

  Emma looked around and then shifted her body so that she presented her back to the room. “That’s the reason I’m pretty sure he is well-connected. Someone knew the channels that would be used to investigate him. All of those channels were wiped completely clean.”

  What am I supposed to do with this information? Angelica felt as though her world had been bombshelled. Stay away from Abelardo, obviously. “Do you think he had anything to do with my father’s murder?”

  Emma stood silent for a moment. “That fits. Whoever murdered your father, had to have someone on the inside. Your fiancé was the perfect cover.”

  Guilt washed over Angelica.

  “But you need to know that whoever is supporting him is very good.” Emma’s voice was firm. “You weren’t supposed to ever know. The only reason you know now is because you chose to trust me and I got lucky.”

  That didn’t make Angelica feel any better. “These people are dangerous. Remember, they were able to kill a king. I doubt they’d hesitate to kill a reporter.”

  “I know how to stay alive. This isn’t the first deadly investigation I’ve gotten myself mixed up in. Trust me. I’ve got this.” Emma’s expression was serious.

  “Good.”

  “Also, I did a little bit of research on Ludwig.”

  That had been a little heavy-handed. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”

  “I was curious.” Emma shrugged briefly. “And I felt I owed you.”

  “Owed me?” Angelica was still reeling from the information Emma had provided about Abelardo. “You owe me nothing. If anything, I think I owe you.”

  “You owe your life to luck. Plain and simple.”

  Luck. Ha! This entire time she had felt humiliated and undeserving.

  “Aside from the fact that Ludwig can’t keep his dick in his pants, he comes up clean.”

  “He was only supposed to be a one-night stand.” Angelica didn’t know if she should be relieved. She had assumed that Abelardo had been clean as well.

  “Good for you.” Emma smiled and lightly tapped Angelica on the shoulder. “But, if you ask me, he is going to struggle with being with just one woman. His love for you might last a week, a month. Maybe even longer. But at some point, he will cheat on you.”

  “Does he have a record of cheating on women?”

  “No. It’s just I don’t think he’s capable of doing anything else. He goes from one beautiful woman to another, never staying longer than a few months. When that kind of guy tries to settle down, it usually doesn’t work.”

  “I see,” Angelica said, not able to hide the disappointment from her tone.

  “Well, for as much fun as this was, I really do have to get back to work. I just wanted to share with you what I learned.” She looked around. “Are you sure you don’t want me to write an article about what you’re doing here?”

  Angelica shook her head, still feeling dazed. “No. It would just be seen as me trying to do something for political gain.”

  “That’s not what this is?”

  “No.” Angelica looked up as Ludwig walked through the door. “If word gets out, there will just be protesters outside, and it’ll slow everything down.”

  Emma nodded and took a step back. Then she stopped herself, turned around and gave Angelica a hug. “Don’t shoot me. But I thought you could use this.”

  46

  “I’ve had enough of this nonsense. He has accomplished nothing with his plan, nor do I anticipate that he will.” Aguilar was tired of the way they had attempted to gain entrance to the royal family, deciding to take an easy way out instead of showing their hand, their strength. “We’re finished with him.”

  Abelardo had two redeeming qualities. His connection to the royal family through Angelica, and his access to money. Those two things had swayed Aguilar to listen to him and try his way, but time was running out, and he had outlived his usefulness.

  “Good. I never liked him anyway.” Americo feared what Aguilar’s decision would mean for the group and their future actions, but he did not dare cross Aguilar. Lauriana shot him a look before she backed out of the room.

  Walking outside, he spied her leaning up against the stone stronghold, her arms crossed over her chest.

  “Well?” she asked, arching a brow.

  Americo shrugged. “He’s out.”

  “I know that,” she answered, pushing away from the building. “I need a ride downtown.”

  “Fine,” he motioned to the truck. “Get in.”

  She did and they started down the road, the windows down to allow the cool breeze to filter through the cab.

  They both were quiet for a few miles before Americo palmed the steering wheel hard, swearing, “We are not supposed to be killing people. We are supposed to be helping people.”

  Lauriana watched his angry display, her stomach churning as she thought about how many times they had failed.

  Once, she had believed in the cause, believed they could make a difference and run the country how it should be. But with every turn, they had been unsuccessful to make even the slightest dent in the Royal family. Despite the protests and the acts of violence, the country still swayed toward the family. Even the death of the king hadn’t moved the nation to more of a free reign, not like she had anticipated at least. The new king, the queen, and her children had rallied on, much to their disappointment.

  What if she was on the wrong side all along? What if the leaders of this great movement had been wrong to think they could overthrow the royal family?

  What if she was fighting alongside the wrong cause?

  Ludwig didn’t know what had shaken Angelica so much, but she was pale when Emma left her side. “What did you say to her?”

  “I gave her information she requested. Anymore than that, you’re going to have to ask her.” When he stepped away to join Angelica, Emma stopped him with a hand. “If you have any doubt whatsoever that you won’t be able to stay true to her, leave. Leave now before she begins to trust you. She’s been hurt enough.”

  He looked at the reporter over his shoulder. “Are you going to threaten to hurt me?”

  “I’m a reporter. I can destroy you.” She removed her hand and smiled at him. “It would be an interesting challenge. I’m up for it if you are.”

  Ludwig watched as she walked through the door. What was it about Angelica that made people so loyal?

  He went to her and snaked his arms around her. “What can I do?”

  Her arms wrapped around his middle and she held him tightly. “Just this. It’s enough.”

  He didn’t believe that for a moment. Whatever the reporter had found out, it was bad and he was going to find out.

  He just had to figure out the best way to do and to keep his princess safe, because she didn’t make it easy.

  “I’m going to take a piss,” said Abelardo to Americo.

  Americo pretended to take a gulp on his beer bottle. He grimaced and asked, “Grab another beer for me on your way back, this one is hot already.”

  “Sure thing.”

  As soon as Abelardo was out of the room, Americo put the beer he hadn’t drunk on the center table and picked-up the two of Abelardo’s mobiles, which were lying there.

  It was time to move this revolt in a new direction. For that to happen, he needed to eliminate the weak link, the man that was holding them back from doing what needed to be done.

  He unlocked the first one and smiled—he had the correct phone—and putting it in his pocket, he rose and stealthily made his way to the kitchen.

  Abelardo was opening the refrigerator. From a sheath in his leg, he pulled out the dagger, one that had been in his family for ge
nerations. The heavy and familiar hilt in his hands gave him the comfort and courage to do what was needed for the sake of his country.

  But as he raised the dagger to bury it in the neck of his comrade of so many revolts, Abelardo spun around, gripping his wrist tightly in his hand.

  “Puta madre.” Abelardo shouted. “You think to kill me, maricón?”

  “You deserved to die,” Americo shouted, fighting the other man. “You are dragging us down.”

  Abelardo laughed harshly and pulled Americo toward him, yanking his arm down and back.

  He lost his balance and the dagger stung as it sank into his back, a peculiar warmth spreading through his veins.

  Americo tried to speak but he could not form the words, but the knife stabbed his chest repeatedly, numbness spreading through his body, the metallic taste of blood on his tongue.

  His last thoughts were of how he failed them all before there was nothing.

  As much as Ludwig could tell Angelica was enjoying her time, it was as if the sunshine of her soul hid behind clouds.

  And he wasn’t the only one to notice that she was unusually quiet. The Alicante family who owned the rug shop did as well. They tried to cheer her up with comments and jokes, which worked for brief moments. When Angelica had moved to leave, she was tackled in a hug by the Alicante’s eight-year-old granddaughter, Alizia, who had informed Angelica that she was invited to dine with them and that she would sit next to her.

  Her bodyguards stationed at the doors smiled down at the scene of Angelica melting down and accepting the invitation.

  When they had first started this particular project, Harrison had been rather high strung about the entire affair, not allowing Angelica outside of his view, and liking less when people touched her. After a couple of days, he came to realize that no one there meant her any harm.

  Ludwig on the other hand loved watching all of these little moments. He didn’t even know if Angelica realized how many of these tiny moments she had collected in the past few days. She had received more hugs in that time than he assumed she normally received in a year. At first, she had been stiff, but somehow she had begun returning them with ease.