Page 59 of Keep Her from Them

Alone in the last car, I wrote a reply.

Raphael: There’s been too many times that the press knew your movements or other details that they shouldn’t have.

Alex: I really hate that.

Raphael: I’ll keep you safe tonight.

What I’d wanted to do was lay a trap, but with only one evening left with her, time was running out. My resolve returned.

Raphael: Do me a favour? At some point this evening, send a voice message when only Will can hear you. Say that this evening you’re going somewhere.

Alex: Ooh, espionage. I like it. Do I do the same with Johnnie but a different location?

Raphael: Genius woman. That’s exactly what I was going to say.

Alex: Crack spy team! This will be fun.

I wanted to suggest she give Riss a third location, but I could only watch one of the places, and Riss would want to accompany her, I was sure.

An incoming call lit my phone, Valentine’s name on the screen.

We had at least half an hour left of the journey, and the driver was on a call with headphones in, so I took it, unable to stop a grin.

“Your passport trace came in,” he said.

“Ye couldn’t just text me?”

“Been missing your voice, fly boy. We all are. Jackson is mooching about all lonely without a bad joke to be seen. Ben’s grouchy. The place isn’t the same. Anyhoo, the man in question. Want the details?”

“Hit me.”

“Your target flew into Milan two days ago. No onward trace discovered, but his passport was registered at a hotel in the city a couple of hours later. Who is he?”

Damn. She was on the money with her Italy guess. “A friend of Alex’s.”

“Alex as in the princess? You’re getting friendly.”

I answered without thinking, lost in the familiarity of my close-knit team that I trusted with almost every detail of my life, and the consideration of what I could do with this information. “Ye have no idea.”

Valentine made a sound of interest.

I sighed. “Forget I said anything.”

“Ye didn’t actually. I’m just inferring a whole lot.” Glee filled his voice. “Wait until I tell Mia. She adores the royal family. Give me something juicy. Any lip locking going on? Shenanigans in the throne room?”

“Hanging up on ye now.”

“Wait! At least tell me that ye call her ‘Your Majesty’ when ye?—”

I ended the call, my grin spreading.

A new message had come in from Alex while I was talking. My heart thumped as I read her words.

Alex: Thank you for caring. Not many do. Know what I dreamt about last night? Getting the hell out of this city with a certain pilot flying me away.

Raphael: Would if I could.

Wasn’t that a promise I wished I could keep?

---