Page 84 of Royal Caleva: Luis

“If you had bothered to talk with her, you would have learned she is a very impressive young woman,” Luis said.

“Have you acknowledged her as yours?”

“In private, yes.” Luis was not going to discuss that matter further with Odette. “She wishes to meet you.”

Odette’s head snapped back as though he had slapped her, but she recovered. “Of course she does. I am her mother.”

“No, you merely gave birth to her. The woman who raised Grace is her mother.” Luis let his control slip enough to show Odette his steel. “At least you chose well on that front.”

“You approve of…Eve, isn’t it? How does she feel about her adopted daughter suddenly acquiring a rather overwhelming father?”

Luis couldn’t stop the tiny curve at the corners of his lips as he thought of Eve’s initial reaction to his identity. “She is coming to terms with it.”

“What choice does she have?” Odette’s voice was pure acid. “Your wish is a command.”

“You have never understood what it means to be king,” Luis said. “Today, I am here as a father first.”

“Then tell me why Grace is so eager to meet me.” Odette lifted her cuffed hands. “I am a criminal, after all.”

“Perhaps she will tell you herself,” Luis said before he leaned forward and locked gazes with Odette. “But whatever she says, you will treat her with respect. You will not deliberately inflict any emotional pain on her. You will pretend to be a normal human being with some semblance of human decency. You fooled all of us for years, so you can fool your daughter for an hour.”

“Are you going to sit in on our heartfelt reunion and censor my every word?” Odette asked, but he saw a flicker of uncertainty in her face.

He wanted to be there in the room, ready to shield his daughter from the monster in front of him, but Grace needed to face Odette on her own. “Grace is a strong young woman. I trust her to deal with you.” He lowered his voice to a snarl. “But I will be watching every second of your meeting. If you say or do anything to traumatize her, I will end your encounter immediately and make your life here a living hell. If you damage Grace in any way, you will be on your knees, pleading for an end to your suffering.”

Panic flashed across her face before she pasted on a smile. “You used to be softer,” she said. “But you’ve been king a long time. And kings develop a ruthless streak because they wield the power to make and break people’s lives. You’ve broken me, querida. Are you happy now?”

Revulsion roiled through him at the endearment, but he didn’t let her see it. “You were broken long ago.” He pushed the button to call the guards.

As the door opened, Odette said, “Don’t you want me to swear I will be good?”

“Your promises are worth nothing.” Luis beckoned the guards forward. “I’m counting on your self-interest.”

Luis stood at the barred window in the warden’s office, his gaze on the nondescript brown car that had carried Eve and Grace to this grim, unhappy place. As he waited for Grace to be escorted through the layers of steel doors, he tried to think of a way to dissuade her from meeting with Odette. For all of his threats, he felt powerless to stop his former lover from hurting his daughter. Odette could spew too much poison before Luis would be able to stop her.

Luis did not like feeling powerless. Especially when he had promised Eve that he would be here to protect their daughter. If he failed, he would be failing the two most important women in his world right now.

The private door to the warden’s office swung open, and Mikel escorted Grace inside before leaving again. She had already shed the bulky coat and hat used to disguise her and was wearing a green blouse and tailored gray trousers. She looked pale but calm.

“Hija mía,” he said, going over to kiss her on both cheeks. “You can still change your mind about this meeting. I wish you would change your mind.”

“If I don’t face Odette, I will always have questions,” Grace said, her chin lifted and her eyes clear with resolve.

“I fear you will have yet more questions after you meet her,” Luis said, resignation in his voice.

“That will be her fault, not mine,” Grace said. “I will have done my best.”

“If only more people understood that concept,” Luis said, admiring her mature wisdom.

He led her to the warden’s large leather chair. “You will remain behind this desk at all times for your own protection.” He pointed to the red button bolted to the top of the desk. “This is the panic button. Do not hesitate to push it if you are at all concerned…about anything. Mikel and I will be in the next room.” He gestured to the door she had entered through. “We will come immediately.”

“Mikel said that Odette will be in shackles, so I don’t see how she could hurt me,” Grace said.

“There are many ways to hurt someone without physical contact,” Luis said, his heart twisting at the terrible potential. “We will also be watching and listening through the cameras in here. If I feel the conversation needs to be stopped, I will do so.”

She met his gaze straight on. “I know you and Mom believe that’s necessary, but it isn’t. Please do not interrupt us unless my life is in danger.”

She was strong, his daughter, but she had never dealt with someone like Odette. He would not hesitate to shut down the meeting if he judged it was going in a dangerous direction.

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