Page 88 of Royal Caleva: Luis

“Imagine your favorite niece going into this terrible place to face a woman who committed a hideous crime. A woman your niece shares genes with.”

After a moment of silence, Enrique said, “How may I help you?”

“Tell me about your nieces and nephews. All of them.”

Eve lost count of Enrique’s relatives and began to wonder if he was making some of them up to keep her distracted. Then he went silent, and Eve realized he was listening to his earpiece.

Another glance at her watch told her that thirty more minutes had passed. After a moment, he said, “They’re on their way out.”

“Oh, thank God!” she said. “And bless you, Enrique, for keeping me sane.”

Eve locked her gaze on the steel door, restraining herself from jumping out of the car as it swung open. She could barely see Grace because she was surrounded by bodyguards. Enrique remained inside the car—guarding Eve, as he had explained earlier. It was strange to need guarding.

And then Grace’s guards were hustling her into the car before one climbed in beside Enrique, and the others piled into their escort car.

Grace pulled off the knitted cap that had concealed her hair and threw her arms around Eve. “I’m so glad Odette gave me to you,” she said, her voice muffled in Eve’s shoulder.

“Oh, sweetie, what happened?” Eve wanted to strangle Odette with her bare hands.

After a long moment, Grace slid out of Eve’s grasp. “Do you have any hand sanitizer?” she asked. “I need to get the feel of that place off me.”

“Of course.” Eve dug in her purse for the small bottle she always carried.

Grace poured a generous pool of the liquid into one palm, handed the bottle back to Eve, and rubbed her hands together long and hard. Then she took a deep breath.

“She looked horrible, slumped and sickly and sad. And she was in chains. They even locked the chains into brackets on the floor, as though this pathetic-looking creature was going to attack me. I felt sorry for her until she looked at me.” Grace gave a little shiver. “The anger in her eyes was terrifying, and then I was glad she was locked down.”

“She didn’t try to get to you, did she?” Eve took Grace’s hand because she needed to touch her daughter.

Grace shook her head. “She wasn’t physically violent.” She turned to look at Eve, and her face was pale. “I think she did me a favor. She could have manipulated me by saying she regretted putting me up for adoption, but she was brutally honest. She didn’t want a child. I would have gotten in the way of her career plans.” Grace’s voice was edged with pain.

Eve realized she was gripping Grace’s hand too tightly and loosened her hold. “Oh, sweetheart. I’m so lucky she gave you to me.”

“I wanted to know the truth, and now I do. It’s a relief not having to feel regret that my biological mother is in prison for the rest of her life. She belongs there.”

Eve had no idea how to respond to that, so she made a sympathetic sound.

Grace looked down at where their hands were joined. “I thought I might feel something, since she gave birth to me, but there was no sense of recognition, no internal voice saying, ‘This is your mother.’ She was a complete stranger.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Eve offered.

“You’re the only mother I need or want,” Grace said, tears streaking down her cheeks.

“You’ll always have me, sweetheart.” Eve felt answering tears gather in her eyes. “And Luis.”

“Odette hates him,” Grace said. “Because he rejected her.”

“A long time ago,” Eve pointed out. “A normal person would have moved on.”

“I wonder what Luis was like back then,” Grace said. “I can’t imagine him young and reckless enough to have an affair with Odette. He’s so controlled.”

Eve couldn’t help thinking of Luis in bed. He was not controlled there.

“It was a tough time for him,” Eve said. “He had lost his father and his wife and was learning to be king. All that pressure needed an outlet.”

“I suppose I should be glad since I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t had the fling with Odette,” Grace said with a grimace. “The good news is that she promised not to claim me as her daughter, for the time being. I realize she could change her mind, but she believes she makes rational decisions, so maybe she’ll stick to it.”

Grace appeared to understand a fair amount about Odette, which was impressive.

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