CHAPTER 21
Jakob
Jakob did not like the look on Mallory’s face. Not one bit.
The moment the words had left Viggo’s mouth, something in her had shifted.
He had felt it, subtle, but unmistakable.
Her color had faded. Her eyes had gone wide and guarded.
And now she was staring at him in the middle of the bustling courtyard as if the cheerful music and laughter around them had suddenly turned foreign and threatening.
He should have known better than to let that conversation happen in front of her.
“Come with me,” Jakob said quietly.
“Where?” she asked.
“Somewhere private.”
Her chin lifted a fraction. “Are you finally going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes,” he replied. “All of it.”
That seemed to satisfy her for the moment.
He guided her out of the market with a protective hand at her back. He nodded at the vendors who greeted him but did not slow his pace. He had felt that the farmer’s market would be safe enough, but now the bright morning suddenly felt far too exposed and far too open.
He tried not to glance over his shoulder as he hurried her along. He felt like a total idiot who had made a rookie mistake. If the Ruecrags’ people were truly watching her, he did not want to make her such an easy target, especially while standing in the middle of a crowd.
The time had come that he needed her to truly understand exactly how serious this was.
They climbed the staircase and wound through quieter corridors until they reached the private wing of the castle reserved for his family. The guards at the doors straightened as he approached, but he waved them aside.
“My chambers,” Jakob said.
Mallory followed him inside without a word and glanced around with nervous curiosity as the heavy doors closed behind them.
The room was large but comfortable with the dark wood, deep chairs, and shelves filled with books and maps. A fire burned steadily in the hearth. Normally it was his refuge.
Today it felt like a war room.
“Sit,” he said gently.
She perched on the edge of a chair, with her back straight and her hands folded tightly in her lap.
“All right,” she said. “Talk.”
Jakob took a slow breath and paced in front of the fireplace while he tried to decide where to start.
“You heard what Viggo said,” he began. “About someone knowing you were back in town.”
“Yes,” Mallory replied carefully.
He studied her for a moment.
Her expression was attentive and calm, but also with a tinge of what looked like guilt. He started to ask her about that but decided to tell his story before questions.
“There was an incident last night as you know,” Jakob continued. “A group of men broke into the castle grounds. We believe they were sent by a criminal organization called the Ruecrags.”
Her brow furrowed. “The Ruecrags? The same ones that Bryn told me about? Her husband had the same issue with the group.”
“Close. Sven had to deal with the Skelvarns, who are basically the parent gang to the Ruecrags. They’ve been a thorn in my family’s side for years. Smuggling, extortion, blackmail. They operate in several provinces as renegades. Ruthless, organized, and very fond of making statements.”
Mallory swallowed. “Okay…”
Jakob stopped pacing and faced her directly.
“What you don’t know is that after you went home the first time, the Ruecrags ramped up their game and the theft and crime exploded.
We caught one of them who said the sudden surge was because their first plan had failed.
This guy wasn’t much more than a boy, and he was low enough in their organization that he didn’t have many details. But what he did know pointed to you.”
“Me?”
He nodded. “They were going to kidnap you and ransom you so they could finance their little gang for a long time.”
“Who did they think was going to pay that much in ransom? My parents don’t have that kind of money.”
“I have no idea, but unfortunately, due to our, uh, connection, I believe they were planning on coming to me once they had you under wraps.”
“Would you have paid them?” Her question was nothing but a mere whisper.
He cleared his throat. “Let’s not get distracted. There’s more. Back to the break in last night. When we searched one of the intruders, we found a phone,” he said. “On it was a message.” He hesitated. “A message about you.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “What did it say?”
“She’s back in town. Find her.”
The room went even quieter than it had been. A log popped in the fireplace and sent up a faint puff of sparks.
Mallory stared at him, her face unreadable.
“So, once again, we believe they intend to kidnap you,” Jakob said bluntly. “To use you as leverage against me. Or to hold you for ransom.”
For a heartbeat she didn’t react at all. He briefly wondered if there was magic that would allow him to read her mind. His dragon had been quiet lately but Jakob hadn’t had time to figure out why.
Then she let out a shaky breath. “Kidnap me?”
“Yes.”
“But why me?”
“Originally, I’m not sure. But now, I believe it’s because you matter to me,” he said softly. “And they know it.”
Color crept into her cheeks.
“They’ve targeted people close to my family before,” Jakob continued.
“Friends. Associates. Anyone they think they can use. That is the danger I tried to warn you about. But their original plan had nothing to do with me, it was before we even met, so it makes this whole situation even more confusing.”
Mallory looked down at her hands.
“So… last night,” she said slowly, “when you came to get me…”
“I was terrified,” Jakob admitted. “I thought they might already have you.”
Her throat moved as she swallowed again.
“I had no idea,” she whispered.
He waited for more. For questions. For fear. For outrage. Instead she simply nodded.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said.
The response was polite. Measured and controlled. And completely wrong.
Jakob frowned. She knew something that he didn’t.
“Aren’t you upset?” he asked.
“Of course I am,” she replied quickly. “It’s just… a lot to take in.”
Something in her tone prickled at him. He’d expected shock. Tears, maybe. Demands for answers. What he was getting instead felt like careful restraint.
“Mallory,” he said slowly, “is there anything you want to tell me?”
Her gaze snapped up.
“No,” she said. Too fast.
The word hung in the air between them.
Jakob straightened and crossed his arms while he studied her more closely. There were faint shadows under her eyes and tension in her shoulders. Her fingers kept twisting together even as she tried to keep them calm in her lap.
“You seem very calm for someone who’s just been told she was a kidnapping target,” he observed.
“I guess I’m still processing.”
Another careful answer. He stepped closer.
“Last night,” he said, “when I found you in the woods, you weren’t out there for a hike, were you?”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Yes, I was.”
“No,” Jakob said gently. “You weren’t.”
She stood abruptly. “Jakob, I told you—”
“And I didn’t believe you then, either,” he interrupted.
Silence fell.
For a moment he thought she might finally break and tell him whatever it was she was hiding. Instead she folded her arms and looked away.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“The truth,” Jakob replied.
“I am telling the truth.” But she wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Frustration mixed with worry in his chest.
He was desperately trying to protect her and she was keeping secrets from him that could possibly get her killed.
“Mallory,” he said quietly, “if someone has contacted you, if anyone has threatened you, you need to tell me. I can help.”
Her expression wavered. For one fragile second he thought she might actually confess. Then her face hardened again.
“No one has contacted me,” she said. “I swear.”
Another lie. He could feel it as clearly as the heat from the fire.
Jakob dragged a hand through his hair.
“All right,” he said at last. “If you won’t talk to me, then at least promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t go anywhere alone. Not until we know more.”
She nodded. “I promise.”
He wished he believed that.
Outside the window, bells from the courtyard rang faintly, cheerful and bright.
Inside the room, Jakob felt a growing sense of dread.
The Ruecrags were hunting her.
Mallory was hiding something.
And whatever it was, he had the sinking feeling it was far worse than she was willing to admit.