Page 7 of Mercenary Princess

Logical or not, Sophia worried about being found out by her guards and, in turn, her brother. Not that she truly feared William, but it would complicate things if her family learned she was eluding her security team. At the very least, she’d be fielding a lengthy interrogation before her protection detail was once again overhauled, as it had been after William ordered her from university after Riot and Irina’s magazine shoot.

Sophia sighed. “So this could be something worse.”

Jen nodded. “That’s something I plan to check out when we get to the house. No one should have known you were in this car. There were half a dozen other black sedans with blackout windows at the hotel. It’s very possible someone thought they were tailing a different high-profile guest.”

True.

The fact that Sophia had just bugged Jean Luc wouldn’t have gotten her followed so soon, unless he’d found the device or felt her plant it. He hadn’t appeared to have noticed, but that didn’t slow her skittering heart. As long as they retrieved the microtech bug through his laundry service as planned, everything should be fine.

The more she considered it, the more unlikely it seemed that the tail had been someone sent by Jean Luc.

If someone was after her because of her covert activities, it would most likely have to do with a past operation. Their group had always been highly cautious in their dealings, but what they did was dangerous even with their bankroll, security measures, and very public personas as spoiled and oblivious socialites. They’d know soon enough. James, their resident hacker, monitored all the players in their old jobs.

Jen’s thoughts about it being someone looking for another guest made the most sense. The alternative was that someone had been watching her far too closely and seen through her disguise, and she couldn’t believe she’d made that kind of mistake. In her life, paranoia was a near constant, but in this case, it might be unneeded.

Still.

“I swore I felt eyes on me while I climbed,” she admitted after some thought.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Jen’s head turn to her. “Tonight?”

“Yes. I’ve been tense in general for months and thought that’s all it was.” She’d been on edge for far longer than that, if she were being honest.

There was always another name on the list, and that realization had made her more and more cynical as the years passed, but there was no help for it. They did what others wouldn’t or couldn’t do.

Jen made a noise, clearly indicating she wasn’t thrilled with the news. “I know you’re burned out, and it’s wearing on your nerves. I also know you haven’t wanted to admit it. I get that. But from now on, you tell me when you feel eyes. I’ll sort out if it’s in your head. I didn’t see anyone on the grounds who shouldn’t have been there, just the usual security for the other guests, but no one was around to see you climb.”

Sophia’s head fell back on the headrest as she owned up to her mistake. “You’re right on all counts.”

“Viktor Popov is staying at the hotel, and his guards are everywhere. Considering only guests or employees should have had access to the courtyard, it makes me wonder if your toast had something to do with the tail.”

“That would be better than the alternatives, but still not ideal. I only did it to stop him from getting under my skin.”

“Yeah, I saw him eye fucking you all night. I didn’t say you were wrong for calling him on it.”

“He didn’t make any effort to speak to me or even look at me when he left. If he wanted me enough to have me tailed, why even let me leave the hotel?”

“He does deal in secrets.” Jen tilted her head before continuing. “But I’d say his interest in you was definitely about getting your clothes off.”

Sophia grunted.

“That man is the only person I’ve ever seen derail your perfect princess persona.”

Sophia cringed mentally at Jen’s assessment. It wasn’t good news that her attraction held the power to crack her façade. It was just one more reason to stay away from him. And if she ever got near him and William found out, her brother would lose his mind. William would use it as a reason to take even more of her freedom away.

It didn’t matter how wealthy Viktor was. He had ties that made him strictly off-limits to her. Yet a man like Jean Luc was invited to the palace, which left a distinctly sour taste in her mouth. “Nothing can ever happen with Viktor.”

“Maybe not publicly,” Jen mused as she took another turn.

They had to be winding down this trip. Sophia hadn’t seen any suspicious-looking cars in the residential area, and there were no cars behind them.

“Are you saying I should sleep with him? Don’t you think that’d be rewarding bad behavior if he’s having me followed?”

“If,” Jen allowed. “Listen. You’ve held on to this infatuation for years. When I first saw your reaction to him, I went to check him out, but James had all the Russian’s details already. Everyone knows you want him. Tonight, he made it clear he’s interested.”

Sophia knew James had been monitoring Viktor’s life because of her ridiculous obsession. Her friends had teased her enough in front of the team all these years. Nothing was sacred. Their group was more of a family to Sophia than her own flesh and blood.

With all Viktor’s questionable affiliations, it seemed he fit into the gray area of their world—he didn’t prey on anyone who didn’t deserve it. She wasn’t about to reanalyze their criteria for bad guys. The world was not black and white.

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