Love Inspired Suspense April 2015 #2 (24 page)

“No matter how sorry it made you, of course,” he teased, tossing back her earlier statement.

“Of course,” she agreed with a nervous laugh.

“While I admire that you are capable of taking care of yourself, your brick-wielding days are over. I'm here to protect you now.”

He heard her sharp intake of breath and noticed the flash of daring in her eyes but was spared the reply as the waitress walked up to their table.

“Can I get you guys a refill?”

“Yes, please.” Thea pushed her nearly empty glass of water to the edge of the table, where the waitress could pour from the pitcher she held in her hand.

Ronin nodded and did the same.

“I hope you're planning on leaving a good tip,” Thea said after the waitress had walked away. “Most waitresses live on tips, you know.”

He couldn't say that he knew or didn't. It was one of those things that in this place and time didn't really matter much in the grand scheme of things. But it mattered to her.

Thea fidgeted with the straw in her drink, swirling it around between the ice cubes, staring at it, but he could tell her mind was somewhere else.

Ronin knew nearly everything there was to know about her. She'd been allowed to work part-time as a waitress at local diners near her last few homes. The choice had been a foolish one. Being in the open made her an easy target. If not for the fact any money the sympathizers had managed to get from the sale of family jewels and salvaged belongings had long ago run out, it probably wouldn't have even been considered. Although he'd only known Thea for a short time, he could imagine she'd been very stubborn about wanting to pay her own way.

Foolish or not, the job might have saved her life.

“I worked as a waitress.” Thea pulled her hands back and placed them in her lap. “I wasn't home when they came for me. A coworker asked me to cover a shift and I snuck out. I was at work. I came home and found them...” Her words trailed off.

Ronin reached across the table, willing her to take his hand so he could pull her from the terrifying memories she was lost in. Just then, the waitress reappeared, pad and pen out in front of her ready to tally up their meal and any extras she might be able to talk them into. “Can I get either of you some dessert?”

Thea jumped in her seat. For a brief moment he thought she might get up and run.

“I'm sorry, hon. Didn't mean to startle you,” the waitress said, noticing Thea's edginess. “The pecan pie is very tasty and made fresh this afternoon. We even buy the pecans locally from a grove down the road.”

“No nuts, thanks. We're allergic.”

Thea eyed him from across the table. The fear seemed to change to suspicion.

“I think we're about finished up here,” he said, glancing over at Thea. “Unless you would like something else?”

“I'm fine, thank you,” Thea replied guardedly.

“Just the check, please,” Ronin requested. The sooner they got back on the road, the better.

“Sure thing,” the waitress replied. “You two aren't from around here, are you?”

“Just traveling through.”

“We don't get many travelers this time of night, especially with this weather.” She rambled as she totaled up their order, ripping the paper from the pad and laying it on the table next to his plate. “Now, in the summer, that's a different story. We have some of the best catfish fishing spots around just a few miles down the road.”

Ronin pulled out a few bills, with a large tip figured in, and laid them on the table.

“I'll be right back with your change.”

“You can keep it,” Ronin replied.

“Thank you. That's mighty kind of you.” She flashed him a big smile. “You two be careful out there. We don't usually get storms like this one this late in the year. Even so, it's turning into the worst storm in years. Many of the highways will be shut down soon if it keeps up.”

“I'd like to use the restroom before we get back on the road,” Thea stated after the waitress had gone.

Ronin wasn't sure if she was asking for permission or voicing a fact. The tone in her voice was one he hadn't heard from her yet. It left no room for argument. As she brushed past him, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd just been put in his place.

With large strides he caught up with her just before she entered the bathroom. Blocking the door, he flicked the light on and checked out the small room before letting her pass.

“I think we need to get something straight.”

“We do?” Her eyebrows raised in question.

“Yes, we do.” Ronin took a deep breath. “This is the way it's going to be. While I am protecting you, I am in charge.” He paused, waiting for the argument he was sure would come before adding, “You will do as I say.”

She crossed her arms in front of her and stared but said nothing. Was she mulling his words over in her mind or had she already totally dismissed them?

“You're not thinking of coming in here with me, are you?” she finally said.

“Not at all,” he replied. He enjoyed the flash of fire in her eyes as he teased. “Just checking for windows.”

Ronin leaned a shoulder against the wall by the door and waited. He might appear relaxed, but he kept his eyes and ears tuned to any movement and noise around them. That conversation had gone better than expected. There was a storm brewing in her mind, though. It was just a matter of time before she let it all loose on him.

He smiled. He rather enjoyed the idea of that. He admired a woman who wouldn't just sit back and do as she was told. But the pluck had to be tempered with just the right amount of wisdom. There was a time and a place. He could only hope she fully understood now was the time to listen and do as she was asked.

Whether she liked it or not, he had to take the lead. His first priority was keeping her safe. He couldn't do that properly if she were questioning him at every turn or trying to run. The earlier attack proved how real the threat was. They had just been fortunate that the men hadn't used their guns earlier. He had seen one of the men pull his weapon. Then they'd argued. Probably about the police and the scene it would cause. But another attack was inevitable.

Now that rumors were circulating about the long-thought-dead prince and princess being alive and hidden away in the United States, there would be more attacks. They wouldn't stop.

If that information had stayed safely hidden away like it had for the past fourteen years, this would be a walk in the park. He would have stayed with Leo, and his brother Jarrod would have come for Thea. That had been their plan. But things hadn't gone according to plan. Leo had been shot, and more men had been sent to him. Then word had leaked about the prince and princess being alive. Ronin was the closest and had learned of her plan to meet her brother, so he'd come for Thea.

The person responsible for the information coming out early was just as guilty as the men who had attacked the safe house and killed innocent people. When the leak was found, he or she would be tried right along with the assassins.

He heard her shuffling around inside. He imagined her indignation at being watched over and told what to do. Like it or not, he would watch her a lot more closely now. When he was positive she was safe and sound at the royal estate just outside Denver, she could order him to take a very long hike if she wanted. But for now, she would do what he asked.

The door creaked open and she emerged. Without a word he helped her into her coat and they made their way outside. Only a few trucks and trailers were parked along the edges of the parking lot, and his car stood alone near the front. The wind blew with such force it was a struggle to walk a straight line. He wrapped his arm around Thea and together they trudged, heads down, to the car.

Out in the open and exposed as they were, his senses were on alert. If anyone were going to make a move, this would be the perfect time. Arriving at the car, he opened Thea's door and helped her inside before moving around to the driver's side. Quickly, he scraped off the snow and ice that had accumulated on the windshield before joining her inside. They might be safe now, but at any point another attempt could be made on Thea's life.

Despite the circumstances, he was actually looking forward to the long drive. She surprised him. In the short time he'd spent with her, he'd already begun to admire many things about her. One couldn't help but be drawn to her passion for life and caring spirit.

He glanced in her direction before pulling out onto the highway. Thea's eyes remained focused out her window. It was probably for the best. He needed to keep the distance he'd put between them by telling her the way things had to be. Getting too close and forgetting this was a job would jeopardize not only getting to the truth he craved, but also her life.

THREE

“H
ow did you know about the nuts?” She'd been staring out the window, watching the snow fly by for the past hour or so. She was bored. Despite the fact she was annoyed with him, she couldn't sit and do nothing for another moment. Her mind had been so focused on his overbearing, macho orders, she'd nearly forgotten her curiosity over his remark about her allergy earlier.

Silence was her only immediate reply, and for a moment she wondered if she'd need to repeat herself or if he was going to answer at all.

“I know everything about you,” he said quietly.

“Everything?” she asked. Surely he couldn't know everything. Her mind raced with some of the more private moments of her life that she wouldn't feel comfortable with a complete stranger knowing.

“You are a princess. Your life is well documented.”

“Well documented?” Thea resisted the urge to shriek, but she felt it building inside her nonetheless. “Documented how?”

“Everything about you has been written down from the day you were born. Your first steps, your first smile. Your first tooth is on exhibit in a museum back home.”

“Really?” she gasped, studying his profile.

“No.” He glanced her way and shot her a quick smile. “I was only teasing about the tooth. But you have always been observed.”

“You shouldn't tease me that way.” Embarrassment coursed through her. She'd known she had always been watched and her family would forever be a part of their country's history. History was one thing, though. It was something to look back on years and years from now and ponder. They weren't things she wanted to share in the here and now. They definitely weren't things she wanted to share with a man who already thought he knew everything there was to know about her. It was unnerving that he quite possibly knew more about her than she remembered herself.

He smiled, a wide, knowing smile, and it only fueled her discomfort.

“It was important that I know all that I could about you in order to do my job and properly protect you.”

It was only a job. The fact should have lessened her embarrassment, but it didn't. It wasn't right that one person should know so much about another. It was an unfair advantage that he knew so much about her and she knew nothing about him.

“That's hardly fair.” Thea crossed her arms and stared ahead out the windshield. The snow fell heavily in large, perfect flakes. It was as if they were in their own private spaceship on a voyage through the stars. Snowflakes zoomed by at what seemed like lightning speed, but she'd been watching the speedometer and knew they were barely crawling along at well below the speed limit. The beauty of the snow kept her mind from racing off through the many other things he might know about her that she'd rather he didn't.

“Would it make it fair if I told you something about me?”

“Of course it would.” Any idea of who this man was would help if she were going to continue to hold her own against him. She had to have a clue of what she was up against.

“Then ask away.”

She had no idea where to start. There were so many things that she wanted to know. Jumbled thoughts of questions to ask ran through her mind.

“Do you believe in God?” In the dim light of the dashboard, she could see the play of emotions race across his face. It seemed she'd surprised him with her question. Her own faith and beliefs were central to her identity. She knew without a doubt she wouldn't be who she was now if her faith hadn't given her the strength to see the good that could come from all the bad she had experienced in her life. If she were going to trust him with her life and spend any amount of time with him, she needed to know if he shared her convictions.

“Yes,” he answered.

Thea sensed there was a lot more he wasn't saying. For a moment she thought of pushing further but decided against it. He'd tell her more when he was ready, or she'd find out by his actions. Besides, there was much more she wanted to learn about the man who already knew her life story.

“Are you married?” As soon as the words were spoken, she wondered if she was being too nosey. “I'm sorry—it's none of my business.”

“Don't be sorry. All's fair. After all, I'm fully aware that you are single. I could list the names, ages and social security numbers of the men you have seen socially, though, if you'd like.” He chuckled and, although she knew he was teasing her, she rose to the challenge.

“You and I both know I've barely been allowed to make friends, let alone date.” She paused for a moment. She wanted to make connections and have friends. But friendships were impossible when you were never allowed to stay in one place very long and were always being watched. “All right, then, I stand by my question.” She'd noticed he wore no rings, although that didn't always mean a man was single. Not all men chose to wear rings.

“I'm single. Never married. I have dated, but nothing serious, really.” He paused, flashing a grin. “Would you like names and ages?”

“I don't think that will be necessary, do you?” She grinned right back. Thea couldn't help herself. It surprised her how difficult it was to stay angry with him. Not to mention how at ease she felt when only hours ago she'd thought him capable of trying to kill her.

“How do you know my brother?” she asked, hoping to catch him off guard and finally get answers to the questions racing through her mind.

She watched as his face went from playful to serious in a flash. His brows furrowed as he thought. She knew in that second that whatever he told her would be the truth. He was only taking the time to say it as gently as he could. She admired him for that, but part of her just wanted for once to hear the unabridged version and not the watered-down, what-he-thought-the-princess-could-handle edition.

“I was his bodyguard.”

And Leo had been shot. He didn't say it, but she could tell he was thinking it. The guilt flashed across his face as he spoke the words. Maybe not so much for his own feelings, but perhaps because of what he imagined she'd think of him.

“Do you think I'm going to blame you for his being shot?” Thea folded her hands in her lap to keep from reaching over and smoothing the worry from his face.

“Don't you?” His shoulders slumped slightly, so slightly anyone else might not have noticed. But she had spent the past fourteen years of her life studying people, determining who was telling her the truth and who was lying to protect her supposed tender feelings. In that moment she knew she couldn't be angry with him.

“Of course not.” She couldn't blame him any more than those who had been trained to give up their lives for her and her family. Her heart broke for those who had already done so. Those men were so filled with duty and honor, they would never hesitate in doing what needed to be done. She was tired of the death, of the threats. She wanted it all to end.

She loved her brother more than anything. Without thought, her fingers found the medallion in her pocket and slowly began rubbing what was left of the raised surface of her family crest. He was all she had left. If he'd died, she would have lost a large piece of herself. Her life would have had an emptiness that would have taken a lot of time and prayer to ease.

“How did it happen?” Thea knew it would be uncomfortable for him to share and just as uncomfortable to hear. But she had to know. For now this man was her only connection to her brother. She reached across the space between their seats and lay her hand on his arm. She sensed the muscles in his forearm tense. “Please tell me.”

Thea was relieved Ronin kept his eyes on the road. It was bad enough he could hear the emotion in her voice; she didn't want him to see the feelings she was sure were not hidden at all on her face. She closed her eyes and waited, praying that he would give her at least a little of what she needed so badly.

She didn't have to wait long.

“I don't know for sure how much you know of your brother. But he has become a man with a huge heart. He tends to follow it into places he probably shouldn't.”

Thea smiled. She pulled her hand back and relaxed into the passenger seat. His words brought back images and memories of the teenage boy Leo had been before their lives had changed. The few occasions she had seen him since had hardly been enough time to judge the man he had become.

“He has hidden himself away the last year or so working in a homeless shelter in Chicago,” Ronin continued. “He's made quite a few friends there. He considers himself one of them.”

“Because he understands what it's like to be without a place to call home,” Thea remarked. It made perfect sense to her. Leo would experience a bond with those who didn't feel as if they belonged.

“Yes,” Ronin agreed. “That's the way he explained it, as well.”

“But how did he end up being shot?” Thea urged him to continue.

“One of his friends at the shelter went missing. Leo started investigating.”

“On his own?” she asked.

“That surprises you?”

“No, not really.” She sighed. “I probably would have done the same thing.”

“I had just made contact with your brother. Leo had already been at it a few weeks. He was close to a breakthrough, I imagine.”

“And that's what got him shot?”

“We think so.”

“So it wasn't the same people who are after me?” It seemed bizarre that so much danger had come into their lives at the same time but for different reasons.

“As far as we can tell.” Ronin paused for a few moments and gripped the steering wheel tightly as an eighteen-wheeler attempted to pass them on the slick road. “He has people with him looking into it to be sure.”

“Could you have done anything to stop it?” she questioned.

“I did all that I could.”

“Then you have your answer. It's not my place to judge what you could or couldn't have done.”

“How can you be so forgiving?”

Thea didn't have to think long. The answer was easy. She'd learned holding on to bitterness and blame brought only pain. The only way to truly live a happy life was to forgive.

“How can I not?”

* * *

Forgiveness was not something he was accustomed to.

Especially not so quickly and easily. He had done all that he could to protect Leo, but he'd been just that much too slow. He had been busy watching for an attack from those in power in their country; he hadn't expected it from some random source. But still, he'd failed and he did blame himself for that.

He would not fail a second time.

He glanced over at the woman next to him. Thea truly was special. At first glance she might seem rather ordinary if you didn't know of her heritage. A tiny jagged scar high on her forehead was the only feature keeping her face from being perfect. If you took the time to look deeper than surface impressions, you could see true beauty.

Wavy locks of deep chestnut hair framed a lightly freckled face. He knew from his research that she hated the freckles. But they gave her character. She was beautiful, but it was her inner beauty that shone through more than anything.

She had her father's faith, as well. When she'd asked him if he believed in God, he hadn't been sure what to say. He believed. He knew there was a God, but his faith had wavered so much since the day they'd come for his father. His friends and his country had turned their backs not only on him, but on his brothers also. He couldn't help but think perhaps God had turned His back, too.

He glanced over at Thea and she smiled at him. She might still have her doubts and questions, but he could sense her trust. She was her father's daughter in every aspect. The king had been a wise man. King Donovan had ruled his people not with an iron fist, but with love. His kindness and faith had made the small country the prosperous land it was. When it was believed that the king and his son and daughters had been killed, his people had mourned the loss greatly.

It was perhaps that state of mourning that had allowed the king's second cousin, Marcus Wendell, to step in and take over the throne. During these past fourteen years, their country had been under King Marcus's rule, and the nation had very slowly been on a downward spiral. That spiral was attributed mostly to the fact that the king was weak-minded. For the past few years he'd taken to finding a bride. That endeavor had led him to his engagement with a woman of questionable character, Lucia Delmont.

At first Lucia had fooled them all. Mostly because during the first months of the engagement, she'd wisely kept in the background. But recently, he'd given her more and more power despite the fact they were not even wed yet. It was then that her true colors had begun to show to those who were wise enough to see her for what she was. It was almost to the point now that the bitter woman was ruling the country through the king. When word had leaked to the people that the prince and princess might be alive, an outcry to discover the truth had begun.

Unfortunately, the rumor also gave the real killer of their father motive to find them first and see that they never made it back to their country. The people might think the king's murderer was in prison. But it was not the truth—Ronin knew it in his heart. He also knew the real killer would see the need to finish the job that had been started all those years ago. Leo would be a target as part of the royal bloodline. But Thea held the truths that could see the assassin brought to justice. She had seen the killer, and whether she remembered who it was or not, she would be hunted with a vengeance. That hunt had already begun. For now there were only rumors that the prince and princess were alive. Someone out there would go to any means to squelch those rumors and see that the heirs remained dead to their people.

Only this time their deaths would be of a much more permanent nature.

“How much do you know of what is happening in our country?” he asked. He'd thought she'd be kept up-to-date on most of the current affairs, but he wasn't sure.