Chapter Fifteen
The missive from Alexandre was a surprise. Gabriel looked at the email requiring his return for a few days of “royal protocol” meetings and frowned.
Gabriel did not wish to return to Alis. The longer he was away, the more he worried his return would end in…poor choices on his part.
He missed Evelyne like a limb. He wasn’t sleeping. His work suffered. His personal assistant had asked—repeatedly—if he should set up a doctor appointment for Gabriel.
No doctor could cure this sickness inside him. Nothing could. But if he went back to the palace, what might he convince himself would?
Luckily, though it felt nothing like luck, his reaction to being away only brought home one clear and important point.
This pain and suffering proved everything he’d told her.
Because if he had a reasonable, rational connection to Evelyne, if love could be normal and safe for him, wouldn’t he be handling a separation much better?
Perhaps with some pain but not feeling as though his very life had ended.
But he was dangerously obsessed, and he had to accept this pain and stay away. For her sake.
Except Alexandre was requiring his presence now.
What choice did Gabriel have? A king’s edict meant he had to obey, particularly now that he was an earl. If he found himself…energized by the flight to France, and perhaps enjoying the drive across the border…
He would handle it. By avoiding Evelyne at all costs. Yes, that’s what he’d do. No anticipation at seeing her because he would not. Perhaps he could even convince Alexandre that whatever needed his attention could be handled in one day and he would not need to spend the night.
He pulled up to the private entrance to the castle, frowned at the three guards who stood there, hands on their weapons, like they were barring entrance.
He got out of his car, handed his keys to the waiting valet. “Is everything all right here?”
The valet looked from the keys to the guards, then bowed and got in the car. Saying nothing. He drove away, leaving Gabriel with the guards.
Concerned that something bad had happened inside the palace, something dangerous or threatening, Gabriel approached the guards quickly. “Gentlemen,” he greeted. “Is there a problem?”
They did not answer, but the door behind them opening was an answer. Because out stepped General Vinyes. Dressed in his military regalia. He had been openly critical of Alexandre these past few weeks, but he had not mounted any actual attacks, nor did he defy any of the new king’s orders.
The general knew a good thing when he had it, or so Gabriel thought. Gabriel could not imagine what this was about though. Nothing good.
“Good afternoon, General. You seem to be in my way.” Gabriel smiled at him. The sharpness in the smile was not likely to be construed as friendly.
“Alas, I am afraid you will have to come with me, Mr. Marti.”
“Ah, but it isn’t mister anymore, is it? I believe you are to address me as my lord?” Gabriel hadn’t had cause to use his new title, but if ever there was a time to flaunt it, no doubt it would be to this vicious general.
The general’s expression darkened. “It has come to my attention that you were the person who kidnapped the princess.”
Gabriel studied the man before him. Pompous and smarmy, those were the two main descriptors that came to mind. Him even mentioning Evelyne soured Gabriel’s mood even further. “You mean my wife?”
“She was not your wife when you illegally absconded with a member of the royal family. We have evidence. You will be arrested.”
Gabriel found it odd he wanted to laugh. Instead, he stood where he was and acted bored. Because he was. “Have you brought this evidence to the king? Have you come up with charges?”
“We shall arrest you first.” The general’s chin moved up. “Once we have, we will present the facts to your friend. Even kings have to admit when their friends are in the wrong when presented with evidence. Because if he does not use said evidence to punish you, the people will know.”
Gabriel pretended to mull this over. “A word of advice, General? I would not recommend this course of action. Whatever it is you think you’re going to accomplish, I can assure you, you won’t.
” The public loved Evelyne. They did not love the general.
While this plan might cause a bit of a headache for Alexandre, and Gabriel regretted that, he also knew Alex could hardly arrest him for what he’d done at Alex’s behest.
Especially when Gabriel was currently married to the princess. Perhaps he was going to have to see her after all. It was certainly dread he felt at that realization.
Not hope.
The general leaned in, his eyes flinty and soulless. “If the king were still alive, you’d be tried for treason. And sentenced to death.”
“What a shame he’s six feet under instead,” Gabriel returned. He took a step to move around the guards, but their grips on the guns changed. Moved.
Aimed.
“I do not think the princess should be married to such a man. Perhaps there’s even a bit of Stockholm Syndrome happening. The king will sort it out, but you must be held while we do so.”
Gabriel looked from the guns, to the general.
“Have no concerns, my lord. I will ensure your…wife’s safety in the ensuing weeks as we sort this out.”
It was the most veiled of threats, but it was a threat. Gabriel looked down at the man, wondering what on earth gave him the gall to punch so completely out of his weight class.
“Mark my words, General, if you so much as look at my wife the wrong way, I will end you.”
“Your friendship with the prince—”
“The king, General. You forget yourself. And I am an earl now, as I have reminded you.” He smiled at the older man, though the expression held nothing but malice. “I believe that ranks me above you these days. Now get out of my way before this becomes an embarrassment.”
“You do not give me orders.” The general stood a little taller, the men held their guns a little tighter.
Gabriel surveyed the soldiers. The gleam in the general’s eye. And in a flash, saw this for what it was.
Bait. A trap. If he reacted as he wanted to—that roiling physical violence inside him—he would be arrested, perhaps even attacked if the general’s expression was anything to go by.
And while Alexandre could easily absolve him of kidnapping charges, clearing him of attacking a general might require some more work.
Gabriel did not wish to require this of his friend. It would be a mess, and it would risk things for Alex that need not be risked.
No matter how Gabriel would like to plow his fist into the general’s nose.
Instead, he smiled once more. He breathed. And he spoke, very carefully. “I suggest you let me go talk to our king without such theatrics.” And with that, Gabriel walked past them. There was no point in giving them the satisfaction of a fight. Though his fists clenched in spite of himself.
They did not stop him, and they did not follow. Gabriel could feel the general’s angry gaze on him, but nothing happened. It had been posturing at best, though Alexandre would need to know about it.
And nip it in the bud.
Gabriel marched his way through the palace and though he ached to see Evelyne, he would not give in to that. He was here at Alexandre’s behest, and he had to warn his friend about a general with a vendetta.
He was not here to see his wife.
So he went straight for Alex’s office, though his gaze moved toward the hallway that would take him to his—to Evelyne’s rooms. Or maybe she’d moved by now, to their connecting rooms. For their separate private lives.
Alexandre’s assistant greeted him as he approached. He gestured toward the office door. “The king will see you now.”
“Thank you,” Gabriel murmured, letting himself in. He shut the door behind him, lest the general decided he wanted to attend the meeting.
Alex flicked a glance up from his computer. “Thank you for coming so quickly, Gabriel,” he greeted. He typed a few more words before shutting his laptop. He stood. “There are some things that needed to be done in person.”
Gabriel nodded. “Very well, but first we must discuss the general.”
“Vinyes? What of him?” Alex looked down at some papers on his desk, eased a hip against it.
“He claims he has evidence that I kidnapped the princess. He made some noise about Stockholm Syndrome, and about arresting me.”
Alex glanced at him then. “Is that one of your concerns and why you stay away?”
For a moment, Gabriel was speechless. “What? No. Evelyne isn’t… Her feelings are genuine. I…” Gabriel could not remember a time he’d ever floundered in such a way, but the idea Evelyne might be swayed from a voluntary kidnapping…
“I know you took her at my behest, but you were her only contact,” Alexandre continued, like this was a normal conversation. “Perhaps that is why you do not trust yourself, because you do not trust her feelings?”
“Evelyne is in love with me,” Gabriel said firmly, temper snapping in every word.
Until he reminded himself he didn’t want her to be.
“Which…is ridiculous, but I don’t doubt that…
Why are we talking about… I do not care what accusations the general throws at me,” Gabriel insisted, not sure why he felt the need to defend Evelyne loving him when he wished she didn’t.
It wasn’t the point. “General Vinyes is a fool. I simply wanted you to be aware he’s skulking around making trouble.
Not just with me. He made vague threats about watching after Evelyne. ”
For a moment, Alexandre studied him. When he spoke, it was with an odd carefulness Gabriel didn’t recognize in his friend.
“So, he threw accusations at you, vaguely threatened that he’d be watching Evelyne, and you handled all of this without losing your temper, and instead came to me to address the situation. Is that correct?”
Gabriel blinked. It was correct, but… “I… I could have started a fight if I’d wanted to. I considered it.” Not really, but a little bit. He’d wanted to hurt the general, but he knew…