Chapter 3
Coral sat at a table full of princes and breathed out some of her stress. She was safe in the Palisades. Every person at that table had a highly trained security detail. And hers would arrive within the hour. Her parents would be unhappy she’d not come to see them. She’d not even visited their island. But losing that anonymity was worth it in this case; she’d worked too long for the relatively normal life she’d led to let it be ruined by a few guys following her around in their car. Now that she’d let on she was in Greece, her security would know soon who they were and what they were up to. Her father’s body guards didn’t mess around.
“Coral. I didn’t think we were going to see you around here for awhile.” Prince Barak, sitting next to her, downed his water and waved for more. “There’s a lot going on you might want to steer clear of.” He glanced down the table at the new guy sitting by Nico.
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know him, but there’s some bad blood around here and we’re some of the few who refuse to hide in our palaces.”
“Have there been threats?” She wondered if her parents too had been threatened.
“Yes, and open hostility in some cases.”
“I came here alone, didn’t tell anyone. But I’ve been followed twice now.”
“So you came to Palisades?” He raised his eyebrows then nodded. “Good choice actually. There are enough guns in the hands of experts here to fend off almost anything.”
She raised her glass. “Here’s to security detail.”
Barak laughed. “I guess we’re not trying to outwit them any more are we?”
She bumped him with her shoulder. “Those were good times.” Barak was a handsome man. He’d been a squirrely, funny sort of boy but he’d filled out and chiseled up and she’d had more than a few crushes on him. But he’d been on and off with Demi, another in their circle, so often that she sort of figured they were a done deal when they finally realized what everyone else already knew.
The staff started bringing out everyone’s food. Partway through her sandwich, she knew that the new guy was watching. When she glanced up, he was always turned the other direction, but she knew the feeling of a man’s eyes on her, and his definitely were. He was tall, broad. It was rare to find a man who fit in with a group of Greek island royals. But he held his own. The broad shoulders, the olive skin, the bright eyes. From where she sat, she couldn’t tell if they were green or blue. She’d seen it all before, been raised with these men as though they were cousins. Their top ten handsomest man potential had less effect on her than it might on another. But there was something about this new man. His tie was in a unique knot. She nodded. So he liked to be different in classy ways. He held himself carefully, meticulously. His face looked almost…stern. He and Nico were discussing something in an partially heated way and then his face broke into a smile. Their laughs carried down the table and Coral had to appreciate the power of all that handsome facing her direction. She looked behind her.
And then groaned.
In a ridiculously cliché manner, a group of her old girlfriends approached. The princesses. She hated to be called that and hated more if she ever had to be clumped together with them. But separately, a few of them were actually really cool and people she could rely on. Barak stood. And then the others joined him.
Some kind of ruckus from the other room interrupted them. And then gunshots outside the window. The princes were immediately surrounded. Everyone had their detail sending them to the ground expect for Coral and the new man. Then his hands were on her and they were laying on the ground, with his body slightly over hers and crouching.
He was solid, no softness in any part of the chiseled muscle that touched her.
“What are you doing?”
“Keeping us safe.”
“Are you a bodyguard?”
“No, but I’ve had military training.”
An explosion sounded. His hands covered her head. Coral couldn’t tell if it was inside or outside the Palisades. But then all their group were on their feet ducking and running toward the back of the building. She and the man followed. She’d heard there was a bomb shelter. And a system of safe houses. They piled into a smaller room, everyone showing badges at the door. She and the man were stopped. But Nico called from inside. That’s Princess Coral.”
They turned to the man at her side but she shook her head. “He’s with me.”
He raised his eyebrows. Did she detect a hint of humor in response to her claim?
“You flatter me.” He winked.
Her eyes smiled back at him. A man who could find humor in dangerous situations. She liked that.
The room blocked most sound. And Coral didn’t like their position. “Who knows what’s going on outside?” The whole place could be bombed. Fire. Invasion. Her heart raced until the next breath felt so tight it was painful.
Nico had the best security on the Mediterranean, run by his brother Lucan. She moved to stand next to him. The man followed. Nico would have the most information. “What does Lucan know?”
“They aren’t sure the source. Some form of terrorism. But mild. They don’t seem to have the artillery to do much damage.”
A loud boom interrupted Nico’s next sentence. A faint rumble shook the floor. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Neither do I.” The man at her side put his arm protectively up against the wall so that it fell behind her without touching. “I’ve heard and felt things like that. It came from huge artillery.”
She lifted her eyes to his. Military experience was a comfort. “What is your name?”
“Rand McCarthy.”
“Thanks Rand.”
He nodded then turned to Nico.
“I reluctantly stand corrected. Perhaps we should begin our own evacuation.” He turned to their security detail. Each person there had at least two men, except for Coral and Rand of course.
A member of the Palisades security staff joined them. He held a handkerchief to his head, wiping an obviously bothered face, dripping with sweat. “I don’t have to tell you that an attack such as this is unprecedented.”
As if holding a collective breath all eyes turned to him.
“We have sustained considerable damage. And I regret to inform you that you will no longer be safe here. I’m sending your men the coordinates and instructions on how to escape through underground tunnels and side entrances. I have ordered our own team to evacuate as soon as possible. May God be with us all.”
Coral stared in disbelief. “What has happened? Are we just giving up? Who are they?”
“No one has as yet taken credit for the attack. But they are more equipped and better prepared than anything we expected. But we are pleased that our in-house security measures have worked well and there are no injuries or fatalities.” He wiped his brow again. “But we must hurry.” He held a radio up to his mouth. “Team. Begin Black Hawk protocol.”
The men hurried to the far end of the room, shifted furniture and opened two trap doors. Coral and Rand followed Nico, but he was buffered by his men as were the other princes. Coral knew well how this worked. And she and Rand didn’t have anyone tasked with protecting them. She turned to him.
But before she could say anything he nodded. “We’re on our own.”
“More or less.”
He put an arm around her. “Then I think we should stay close to them.”
They hurried after but were the last to approach the exit.
A crashing sound at the door behind them made everyone move faster. “Will they get through?” Coral was happy to have this stranger’s arm around her.
“I don’t know, but if they do, we aren’t going to make it down the doors and who’s to say they won’t follow right after.” His face was lined and his mouth a firm line. “I don’t like this.”
The sound grew louder. The last of the princes and his detail dropped down below. But Rand turned to her. “Do you trust me?”
She hesitated.
He pointed to the chairs in the corner. “I think we’d be better off hiding there than going down here. Let’s close these doors.”
“Are you insane?”
Another boom sounded at their door and a large cracking sound and the room filled with a cloud of dust.
“Duck! Get down there now!” Rand all but pushed her down the trap door. She stumbled down the ladder, almost sliding to the bottom and looked up.
A large dragging sound and then the trap door shutting followed.
The whole space around her went dark. “Rand!” She whispered. “Rand! Are you here?”
Large stomping steps sounded on the ceiling above her but no shouts. And no gun shots. She held her breath. Did they not see the trap door shut? Where was Rand?
Someone below her tapped her foot. She all but jumped out of her skin. But the hands were signaling that she follow so she moved the rest of the way down the ladder and then Nico’s face came into view.
“Rand is still up there.”
He nodded and whispered so quietly she almost didn’t hear him. “He’ll meet us back home.”
She followed, training her ear above and felt small comfort knowing that so far, there was no sound of any skirmish yet. Possibly, the steps might have even moved further away but she couldn’t be sure and she was now moving in the opposite direction.
Whatever happened to Rand, he saved them by staying up above and closing the door. She was impressed. And she didn’t know anything about him. He wasn’t a royal obviously. American. A friend of Nico’s? She kept walking, distracting herself with thoughts of Rand. It was helpful and harmless as she would probably not see him again after today. If she saw him today. She clenched her hands together. Hopefully he would be fine.
The Palisades. How could this have happened?
They walked for what felt like a long time, but she had no way of knowing, and anything would have felt long in their situation. She didn’t dare turn on her phone. Everyone else was moving in relative darkness until they slowed and the area ahead grew brighter. After a time, they entered a lit hallway which led to stairs.
The security talked into their ear pieces. Nico stepped closer. “Our cars will be here soon. Do you wish to be taken to your parents condo here or would you like to come back to our home here?”
“I want to stay with you. My parents are just becoming aware that I’m even in the country at all.”
“Say no more. I’ll ask my men to communicate your whereabouts and status to them if that is alright?”
“Yes, thank you. And…do you think Rand will join us?” She tried to keep the hope out of her voice, but she’d like to see him again, at least to figure him out. And of course she wanted to make sure he was okay. Nico seemed confident that he would be fine.
He nodded. “I think so. He never got to have his meeting with us for one, And I do think this is the kind of thing everyone gets back together to talk about, you know? He seems like the kind of guy who would make it out of a situation like this.”
She wrapped hands around herself. “What a trip to ditch the security.”
“Could you talk to Lucan about the men following you? I’m sure he will want to see if he can get an ID on any of them.”
“Do you think they’re the same people attacking the Palisades?”
“I’m hoping we get answers to all these questions in the coming days.” Nico turned to have a conversation with his detail, and Coral knew it was time to just follow along and not add more work to anyone.
Her phone started buzzing in her pocket. Sure enough, her parents had heard.
She texted quickly. “I’m still making my way out. We are safe. I’ll call later. Love you.”
Her mom sent a bunch of hearts. “We are so happy you’re safe. I can’t believe you’re here. Will we see you? Oh, yes, you will call. And then answer all my questions. I’m dying to hear!” More hearts and smiley faces followed. Emojis were too much fun for her mother. You’d never know she was the queen of a country by the way she texted.
Coral’s thoughts kept drifting to Rand. She knew she’d feel much better seeing that he was safe. And she admitted the longer she went wondering about him, the more the intrigue surrounding him grew.