Page 99 of A Girl and HER Prince
“Intriguing.” Venice didn’t like the cold calculation in his uncle’s tone. “Perhaps wecouldarrange a match between you and that royal brat. I hear there are sparks between you.”
Yeah, sure… if they’re talking about the kind that fall into a keg of gun powder.
Achilles coughed, but to his credit kept up the pretense. “Yes, uh… I’ll take the princess. Definitely…. I’ve always had a thing for her.”
Venice groaned at the lie. Even with the murky clouds shadowing his mind, he couldn’t find the silver lining in this. Achilles was stalling in a no-win situation.
“Call them,” his friend snarled. “Do it or I back out of our deal.”
Atreus Mnon let out a grunt and then miraculously complied: “Pull back, Turner, Antonio, Mark. Do you hear me?” His voice echoed through his men’s radios. “Stand down!”
Venice could barely believe that Achilles had pulled this off.
“We’ll need hostages,” Atreus Mnon said, repeating the duke’s reasoning like it was his own. “Neutralize the princess’s bodyguards and bring the women to the house. We’ll take the helicopter out. We’ll need to carry away our hostages before my brother comes after his children. Oh… and we’re going to need Venice. Get that girl to spill where he’s at or else.”
Achilles growled out in argument. “If she knew where he was, she wouldn’t—”
“That’s the best you’re going to get,” Atreus Mnon cut him off. “You’re mine after this. You understand? Every law, every decree, every ally that country makes, will be mine. You won’t be calling another shot after this. Never forget it.”
His best friend was just another hostage.
Venice’s fingers clawed against the stone, but he waited. Achilles had done this for him, and he’d not blow his hard work now.
He listened to the Myrdons leave until their footsteps had faded away, and then he waited a minute longer before he shoved away the stone and inched away from the altar where Achilles had sacrificed everything he’d ever loved.
He swore none of this would be in vain.
He’d stop his uncle from taking his family hostage, and that included his best friend too.
Venice took a minute to catch his breath. Who could he reach first? Livvy was close by. He’d heard her screams. She was protecting Venice—and for nothing since he was no longer crouched like a cowardly worm underneath that altar. At the same time, traitors would murder his sister’s guards and take her and Deedee to Atreus Mnon’s base, where Venice might never be able to dig them out.
Glancing down, he found a cell phone with a pink glittery case set at his feet. He recognized it in an instant—it was Deedee’s.
Achilles must’ve nicked it from her earlier, and now he’d left it behind. But why?
His friend wouldn’t know the code, but Venice did. He scooped it up, praying it was still the same as before. His birthday and hers: December 7thand October 15th—1271015.
The home page opened on the screen.
His mouth dropped. Deedee’s obsession with him would save their lives. He called Bris first. “Pick up! Pick up!”
Nothing. Was it possible she’d left her phone behind? He tried his father next, not having as much hope that he’d answer an unknown number.
The automated answering machine informed him: “Voicemail box is full.”
He shouted in frustration. Not having time to text Bris, he clicked on the microphone and forced the phone to transpose his words while he dragged himself to his feet: “Danger! Traitors will try to kill your bodyguards.”
He pushed off the altar, heading to the watchtower. Besides the view from the Paradise in the Clouds, the open fields at the meadow provided a lookout to most of the island. Adrenaline forced him to pick up his speed. Pressing down the home button, he sent out a message to his father simultaneously: “Chises! Father! We’re on Scheria Island. Your brother is here; he plans to take us hostage. This is Venice.”
Livvy screamed. The sound filled him with horror. She sounded like she was near the cliffs. With a shout, Venice sprinted past the boulders, trying to catch sight of her. He should call the coast guard next. Multitasking wasn’t his strength. His fingers felt frozen to Deedee’s phone. He didn’t know the emergency number to call out. He was failing this phone challenge!
There was some way to open an emergency line on the phone, but he wasn’t sure how.
“I’ll never tell you!” Livvy shouted somewhere in the distance.
Where was she?
He hardly had the strength left to take on Turner with his bare hands. The element of surprise was all that was left to him, but he couldn’t find her either. She’d get hurt.
