Page 7 of Iron Unicorn

Much like New York, Florida faced change, and it would come sooner than later.

I would worry about Florida later. “Where is Olivia now?”

“She’s within a quarter mile of your current location. The note directed her to the park we’d left you at. Remember that frou-frou hotel bordering the park?”

How could I have missed it? “You mean the one stuffy royals tend to favor?”

“Yes, that one. Your suite is there. If you’re feeling edgy, you can probably find her scouring the park for your kidnappers.”

“She certainly isn’t going to find you there,” I muttered.

Queen Jessica laughed. “She’s really not. I give her credit, though. She moved quickly when she got the note. She even went commercial to get here as quickly as possible. Commercial flying isn’t for her, by the way. It horrified her.”

Olivia would have been mobbed if anyone had recognized her. I sighed. “How many noticed her?”

“Enough. I had people keeping an eye on her, so don’t fret. I had Texan RPS agents in Billings, and they were planted on the flight. She’s been tailed every moment of the trip. She can take care of herself, but if her nose did cause her a problem, she’d have help nearby.”

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s that bad. It’s bad enough I’ve been talking to the Montana RPS so they’re in on it and the scamp doesn’t find out she’s missing until she’s recovering. We’ve already set up some distractions for him—and we’re going to keep him busy here. Spain will then ask that he accompany Daphne over to retrieve her new foal; they won’t want to ship the poor baby when so stressed her probable bond is far away. So, Daphne will have to go to Spain, and Spain’s playing along to make sure the scamp goes with her.”

“And Mackenzie?”

“She’s in on it, and she is staying home so she doesn’t blurt anything. She gave the royal approvals for the Texan RPS to enter Montana.”

With Queen Mackenzie in on it, I held hope we could pull off the operation without issue. “That simplifies matters.”

“Mackenzie is reasonable. The scamp is not. If you have any issues and I can’t be reached, contact her. If that fails, contact Ian. He’s aware of the details on the New York side. I wanted to keep him busy.”

“And she’s near or around the park?”

“According to my last update, yes.”

“Has the Texan RPS secured the hospital?”

“It’s actively being monitored.”

I narrowed my eyes, decided the only good solution was to take her directly to the hospital, and I’d make the rest up as I went. “I’ll drag her over kicking and screaming if I must. Text me with the address.”

“You know the big weird building down the street from the hotel?”

“I saw it.”

“That’s the hospital.”

Well, that simplified my work. “I can probably find it, then.”

“Go catch your princess before you have a heart attack, Terry. Update me.” Queen Jessica hung up.

At the rate I was going, I’d have a heart attack, a stroke, and a breakdown all at once. Rather than court any of those problems, I went in search of the princess I’d be escorting to her date with a surgeon.

* * *

A grumpy,bedraggled, and exhausted Princess Olivia of Montana stomped through the park. I lounged on a bench, grinned at her antics, and waited for her to identify me. On her third round, she blinked, halted, and turned my way. “Terry?”

About time. I got to my feet, strolled her way, and took hold of her chin, turning her head so I could get a better look at her nose. Sure enough, she breathed out of her mouth.

Damn it.

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