Page 12 of Impossible Heir for the King

Butshewasn’t pacing, wasn’t crying. She’d done neither of those things all day. She was still, deep in contemplation. Not taking advantage of any of the entertainments available in the room—neither the books nor the screens with several streaming services. Not the offer of a massage or any kind of relaxation treatments. She just sat.

Pax glanced at another of the security feeds. ‘She slept for eleven hours solid.’

‘Yeah.’ More anger rippled through Niko. She’d curled up on the sofa, too exhausted to bother making it to the bedroom. She’d been so still it had been unnerving. He’d found himself checking on her, here in Pax’s office, far too many times through the day. Just to make sure she was actually still breathing. To make sure she was still there. There weren’t cameras in the bathroom or bedroom of course. There was no need given there was no way to escape from either of those rooms without coming through the small lounge where she now sat. When she’d finally woken she’d disappeared into the bathroom for a while, returning having clearly showered. He’d felt a ridiculous speck of disappointment that he’d still been unable to see her hair. While the fabric covering had gone, she’d swept her still-wet hair back into a bun at the nape of her neck so it was still impossible to determine anything much about it, including length and colour. She was still in those black trousers and that worn shirt. He should have arranged a wardrobe for her but he’d been so preoccupied processing the consequences of her pregnancy he’d not thought of it until late this afternoon. An assistant was on the job now. Tomorrow he would start over with her. Or so he’d intended—until he’d seen her just before.

‘She’s not going to stay,’ Niko muttered grimly. ‘She’s going to run.’

‘You’re sure?’ Pax asked. ‘She said something?’

Niko shook his head with a jerky movement, unable to explain how he knew, just that he did. His sixth sense screamed certainty. When they were outside Maia Flynn had stared him down. There’d been no coy look, no flirtation, not even a demure lowering of her lashes. No subservient mark of respect for her king. That wasn’t how she saw him at all. But it was as if he’d momentarily seen into her mind. He justknewshe was going to attempt an escape. So he’d given her information that would help. Just to see.

For once Pax removed his sunglasses and bent nearer to glare at the screen. ‘I’ll go—’

‘No.’ Niko felt that primitive rush of responsibility. She washisproblem. ‘I’ll follow her if she leaves the palace. I want to see how she plays this. Don’t let anyone interfere with her progress.’ He watched her gaze flicker to the window. To that view of the water. ‘I think she’ll go to what she knows,’ he mused quietly. ‘She’ll go to the dock. She’ll try to get on a boat. She’ll go before dawn. Allow it.’

Pax nodded slowly. ‘I’ll ensure we have people there. We’ll make sure she’s okay. We won’t lose her.’

‘I know we won’t,’ Niko said grimly. There would be no repetition of history here. No emotional, desperate journeys. Accidents happened when emotions were heightened—it was what had happened to his aunt after all. And his mother.

But he needed to know how far Maia would go. It piqued him, that she would lie and plot. That she was so appalled at the prospect of staying here with him that she would put herself at risk made his hackles rise. What did she expect? That he would allow a possible heir to the throne to just leave?Hewas trying his best in what was an appalling situation for them both. That she’d consider running away was unacceptable. But, a little voice whispered within, wasn’t itunderstandable?

No. There was too much at risk. Too much that was important.

He would give her a little rope and if she ran, then he’d tie her all the more tightly. That was in the best interests of all of them. He could not see another in his family suffer by being outcast from the palace circle.

Yet still he felt for her—she didn’t want this life with him and she didn’t even have the motivation his mother had had when she’d married his father—and that hadn’t worked. Even love was not enough.

‘Here’s the knife she dropped.’ Pax suddenly turned to him and almost smiled. ‘I retrieved it while you were in the midst of that scuffle.’

Niko ignored the rare tease from Pax and regarded the small knife thoughtfully. It was smaller than he’d realised, more like a fruit parer. But while the blade was small, it was sharp. And apparently it was her favourite. For what, and why?

‘Thank you for that. Good.’ He took it and weighed it in his palm.

Pax jerked his chin at the little bruise on Niko’s hand. ‘Not like you to hesitate and get caught.’

‘It’s not like me to jump innocent women,’ Niko growled back grimly.

But in truth that hesitation had been more than the distaste of the situation. She’d had her back to him, bending over that knife, but when she’d turned he’d seen the shine in her midnight eyes and there’d been that moment, a jolt of recognition—not of name, or status, but something far more elemental.

The shock of it had rendered him immobile. But in a flashshe’dbeen all limbs, all fury as she tried to get away. As she’d slipped. Hestillcouldn’t forget the sensation of holding her in his arms as he’d stopped her fall. Of locking her between his legs, feeling her lithe lusciousness. Of knowing her in a way he’d never expected to. He should not have felt aroused in any way given how inappropriate and extreme those measures had been. Yet he had been. When he’d then held her close on the journey it wasn’t for control, but for her comfort. For his own comfort too. He’d wanted her to understand that she was safe. When he’d finally felt her body relax into his it had brought him a satisfaction unlike any other.

He pocketed the knife and turned back to the screen as thunder hit. She didn’t so much as flinch. She was too focused on whatever it was she was thinking. Niko also ignored the rain drumming noisily on the roof. He was going to find out what she had planned, no matter what.

Exhilaration rose at the prospect of duelling with her again. Because shewasgoing to challenge him and he was so ready for it.

CHAPTER FIVE

THEDOCKWASeerily quiet—not even the song and swoop of birdlife disturbed it. It was as if the birds too were holding their breath in solidarity with Maia. She walked quickly, used to being unobtrusive and unnoticed. She’d covered her hair and kept her head down. Given that her freedom depended on this, her adrenalin was stratospheric for the second time in twenty-four hours. She had to succeed because it wasn’t only her life on the line. It was her child’s as well. Nothing mattered more than ensuring her baby’s liberty.

Escaping the palace had been surprisingly easy. There’d been no guard on her door and none on that side door through which she’d gotten into the garden. The carved wooden gate was small and, again, both unlocked and unguarded—or at least able to be opened from the inside. It had taken less than two minutes in that time just before dawn—when the sky was lightening but the world still—to get onto the street and disappear around the corner. It had to be because no one would dream of hurting the king, right? The man was too popular and the city too safe for them to need round-the-clock guards with guns.

She felt a flicker of guilt at abusing the trust he’d bestowed upon her by not having literally locked her away. She believed him when he said he didn’t mean to harm her and that he wanted to do what was best. But he also thoughtheknew best and that she would simply agree to everythinghewanted. But Maia could never sign her life over to him. Her mother had gone from one controlling man to another and she wasn’t making the same mistake. In order for things to move forward she needed to reclaim something to negotiate with and honestly the only power she could think of was that of her own placement—literallywhereshe was. If she was out of reach, then she had some chance.

The walk to the dock took forever but the sky was barely lightening by the time she got there. The exhilaration from her palace escape faded as the most challenging bit lay ahead. A number of fishermen were preparing their boats to depart for the daily catch. She only needed one to say yes. Her heart thudded.

Take it easy, act like this is normal.

Because it was. It was how most islanders moved around islands outside of ferry hours.

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