Chapter 41
Daniil
Reinhold has always been an asshole.
I’ve known him my entire life—he was an intern when I was a kid, working around the palace, learning the ropes in the summers while he was going to university. He was obnoxious then and he’s a big blowhard now, but the people in his region like him because he tends to get results.
That’s the only reason I put up with him.
In this instance, however, I will chew him into a billion little pieces and then spit them into the nearest fireplace if he had anything to do with kidnapping my son.
Courtney’s interrogation tactics with Nicola Mendel were brilliant. I was nervous at first, but she chose the right path in using Mendel’s motherhood to our advantage. And based on the fact that Erik let her leave, he believes her story.
As do I.
I step into the hallway to find the nearest restroom and run into Joe going in the same direction.
“Hey, how are you hanging in?” he asks.
“We have a lead,” I say, explaining about Senator Reinhold.
“Fuck him up,” he grumbles. “Kids should never be involved.”
“Believe me—I will. Speaking of kids, how’s Charlie feeling?”
He frowns slightly. “What do you mean? He’s fine.”
Something weird twists in my gut. “He wasn’t sick yesterday?”
“Not at all. He went to school and then had some friends over in the afternoon. Briony was beside herself that she couldn’t have friends over too.”
“Jesper told me he was sick—that’s why they didn’t join us at the street fair.”
Joe and I both stop walking and stare at each other.
“You’re sure?” he asks quietly.
“Of course I’m sure! He’s been acting a little weird lately so my invitation was an olive branch, hoping that he and Courtney can be friends and that there’s no awkwardness going forward if she’s going to be part of my life.”
He doesn’t move. Doesn’t blink. Doesn’t even seem to be breathing.
“Joe?” I watch his face carefully.
“He’s been…weird a lot lately,” he says gruffly, a plethora of emotions spanning his face.
“Weird how?” I ask carefully.
“Secret phone calls when he thinks I’m asleep—speaking Georgian instead of Limaji or English, which he knows I don’t understand.” He runs his hands down his face. “Barely any intimacy. A lot of…arguments. Over nothing. Like he’s looking to pick fights.”
I don’t know what to say to that, but my mind is spinning.
The recent jealousy is out of character for the man I spent nearly five years with.
Picking fights with a partner doesn’t sound like him either.
Something is definitely going on—and if he’s responsible for Micah’s kidnapping, I’m going to beat him within an inch of his life.
I slowly clench and unclench my fists.
Jesper.
It would make sense.
He has complete access to me—and Micah.
He knew where we were going to be and when.
He even knows about Marcus’s fascination with the langos truck.
Fuck.
I whirl and practically run back to the conference room, just as Senator Reinhold is being brought down the hall. Without hesitation, I intercept them just outside the door and bring my hand to his throat, shoving him against the wall.
“What the hell are you doing?!” he yells, his face turning red.
“Is it Vanta?” I growl, squeezing his throat tighter.
His eyes bug out of his head a little, face getting redder by the second.
Marcus is at my side and three really big guys come out of the conference room but I’m not looking at anyone but the senator.
“Answer me!” I snap, my patience wearing thin. “Is Jesper Vanta your mole here at the palace?”
He’s just staring at me, fear practically permeating out of him.
“You have a pregnant daughter,” I say without hesitation. “She’s pregnant with your first grandchild—is that right?”
He manages a tiny nod.
“I can have authorities waiting outside the room when she gives birth. I can have them take the child and put it up for adoption in another country where none of you will ever find him or her.”
I would never do such a thing but I’m not above using it as a scare tactic.
Despite how red he is, his face goes pale.
“Where is my son?” I growl. “Tell me—or your daughter will be taken into custody. Today. Not to mention your pretty young wife. How well do you think she’ll do in prison?” His wife of three decades lost a battle with cancer a few years back, and he married a woman half his age six months ago.
He sputters and coughs, moving his hands as he tries to speak.
“Let up long enough for him to answer you,” Marcus says dryly.
I release him, though I’m right up against his chest, pressing him into the wall.
“Your Highness…” He’s coughing and flapping his hands.
“Where the fuck is my son?!” I yell. “Sandor, find out where his daughter is.”
Sandor immediately pulls out his phone. He knows I’m bluffing about taking the baby or even hurting her, but we can put the fear of God into this motherfucker.
“No, stop! Please.” He pulls in a shaky breath. “Yes. Yes, it’s Jesper.”
I don’t even turn around, but Marcus knows I’m talking to him. “Find him. Take the Americans with you. I don’t care what you have to do to get the information we need. And if he doesn’t give it up in the first…five minutes, let me know.”
I shove Reinhold into the conference room. “Go talk to your king.”
He blanches.
“Mr. Reinhold. Please.” Erik has been standing off to the side this entire time, and he makes a big deal out of motioning for Reinhold to join him in the conference room.
Marcus, Grim, Rage, and a guy I don’t know make their way down the hall, talking quietly. I’m just about to go into the conference room when I spot Joe standing off to the side. He looks shaken, and I’m momentarily taken aback.
Joe is the consummate marine—the epitome of a soldier. Strong, tough, immovable. Yet he looks almost broken now, his face ashen as he stares off at nothing.
“Not your fault,” I say quietly. “You know that, right?”
“But he knows everything I know!” he says. “Or almost everything. Where secrets are hidden. Escape routes and plans. Secret maps—he’s privy to fucking everything!”
“He’s the Minister of Finance, of course he does. That’s not on you.”
“A Minister of Finance who isn’t sleeping with the head of palace security wouldn’t know where all the secret passages are. Or where to find the maps. Jesus, Dan, he could be planning a coup right fucking now.”
I pull in a breath and then turn on my heel. “Sandor.” I call my brother’s name and repeat what Joe just told me.
“I’m on it.” Sandor is already on his phone, speed walking down the hall.
“We need to get the royal family out of the palace,” Joe says to me.
“Sandor’s on it. Come on, let’s go see what else this asshole has to say.”
“Daniil?” Courtney comes out of the room. She looks pale—even more than earlier—and I’m reminded that she desperately needs rest. Probably a hospital bed. But I know she won’t go until we get Micah back.
Fuck.
“Yeah, babe?” I reach for her hand. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she lies. “Are they going to get Jesper?”
I nod.
“What will happen to him if he did this?” she asks suddenly.
I hesitate. It won’t be pretty. In fact, Erik has the authority to order him to be put to death. Any direct assault on the royal family is punishable by death. Erik doesn’t like to do that, but I don’t know what he’ll decide in this context.
“Nothing good,” I admit.
She closes her eyes and is so unsteady on her feet I just want to pull her into my arms. But I know better.
Her body language has been clear: don’t touch me.
I’m trying to respect her boundaries but it’s hard.
We should be weathering a storm like this together.
Leaning on each other. Instead, she blames me.
And that’s fair because if it is Jesper who orchestrated this, it’s personal. One hundred percent my fault.
He’s mad or brokenhearted or something else that goes back to our breakup, and the guilt would be crippling if I wasn’t so focused on getting Micah back unharmed. If my son has so much as a scratch on him, I will tear Jesper apart limb by limb.
“I wanted to go with them,” she says after a moment. “But I don’t think I can…” She puts a hand on the wall to steady herself. “Daniil, I need to sit down…”
Before she can protest, I scoop her up in my arms and head for the elevators.
“No…” Her protest is weak. “I want to be close to the action. Please…”
“You will be. I’m taking you to Lennox, who’s with the twins right now. She’ll have a direct line to Sandor, but she’ll also make sure you take it easy. Please, Courtney. A head injury is nothing to mess around with.”
She opens her mouth but then closes it again, her head resting against my chest.
It occurs to me this might be the last time I ever hold her, and it would have gutted me had I not been laser-focused on finding my son.