Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Kate doesn’t move from the spot where she’s crumpled in my hallway. I was hard as hell on her because pulling shit like that is only going to do one thing—get her killed.
Mikail’s looking as distressed as fuck when I walk into the kitchen. He’s got a death grip on the back of a bar stool.
“Take her with you.”
The kid’s face falls. “Where?”
“I don’t care where. Just out of my sight.”
Mikail’s face is white and sweaty. “Did he say he’s going to have me shot?”
“Shot? Is Isla Rosa that kind of Kingdom?”
He grimaces. “Not that I know of, but it is his only daughter we are talking about.” Good point. You never know what a man will do when his practically virginal daughter is the topic.
Mikail pulls at the neck of his shirt. He’s unconvinced that his life isn’t going to end by bullet when he steps foot on home soil. “Everyone knows the King doesn’t allow her to date.”
I pull a bottle of water from the fridge and twist the cap off so hard the lid cracks in my fingers. “Yeah, why is that? Some royal bullshit?”
Mikail frowns. “Because he has plans for her marriage.”
“And that includes you?”
“I thought so. But now? Now I wonder if it was manipulation to get me to keep a closer eye on her.”
“This King of yours is a real bastard.”
Mikail chews on that for a few seconds, then says, “You know, I’m not sure it’s him, actually. There’s this other guy…”
“Let me guess, Wilton.”
“Yep.”
Mikail relaxes a bit, he must get the sense that I’m not going to snap his neck. Even though I’d like to snap someone’s. Namely, my own.
“Between us, I was glad she got to come to the States to live a little.” His expression turns sad. “She’s a nice girl.”
When I breathe in, it hurts. I thought so too. But nice and playing games with me aren’t synonymous in my book. And that’s what the woman did. “You need to take her with you. I’m not going to assume responsibility for her safety any longer.”
Without another word, he leaves the room. Less than thirty seconds later, Kate’s footsteps cross the apartment to the front door.
Mikail opens the door and looks outside before motioning Kate to step into the hallway. Watching him rest his hand on her back as they descend the stairs makes my blood simmer again.
The jealous thing inside my brain is clawing to get my attention, but I shut that down. Kate the royal Princess is none of my business. And after we get this fucking farce of a marriage annulled, I’ll go back to creating a nice B.S. free life for myself.
From the window, I watch the pair pass through the glass entryway and out into the sunlight.
Mikail says something and motions toward the far side of the lot.
He glances back at me as Kate storms off toward the white pick-up that I’ve never seen in the lot before.
She doesn’t bother looking back as she stomps her way across the two-hundred-yard space.
Mikail shakes his head as he follows her at his own pace.
Screeching tires suddenly shatter the quiet morning. A white panel van careens into the lot. My senses instantly flip to warrior mode.
Oh fuck!
The front fender of the van clips Mikail, sending him rolling on the pavement.
“Kate! Run!”