Royal Line by Carrie Ryan (lightweight ebook reader .txt) 📗

London shook her head. “No. It’s not that easy. He needs the Council of Lords to vote with him. The people elect the council to represent them, so no monarch can get too drunk on his power.”

I scrubbed my hand over my stubble. “Okay, what happened next?”

“My aunt tried to get the council to have an emergency meeting, and my brother didn’t like the options placed in front of us. And I trust him on that matter. We need to do what’s right for our people, not only our family. My brothers got me out of the castle so that no ambitious duke or lord who sits on the council would try and get themselves married off to me. Remove the temptation so to speak.”

I frowned. “So running was your brother’s idea?”

“I didn’t want to marry someone that my aunt picked for me and be forced into royal duties.”

“Aren’t you a princess? They can’t force you,” Olly said.

She crossed her arms. “They can. And actually, I’m a photojournalist. I have the occasional royal duties, charity events, ribbon-cuttings, and such things, but Roman is the one with the lion’s share of responsibilities. I help him in place of a queen when I’m needed, but my title is the only important thing about me where the court is concerned. I was excited to take a job in Brazil, documenting the environmental work some activists are doing. Then this happened. I got assigned another job in Lité on the way here and then we were ambushed. I checked with my boss and I’ve been benched until I can become more available. It was my dream job. But then this happened, so everything’s on hold.”

Was she telling the truth? Was it as simple as that?

I leaned forward. “Okay, so you left home. Your brothers put you on a plane?”

“Yes. Just in case the council tries to call me back and demand that I marry someone. I left with little more than what I could easily carry. We decided not to go with any of the usual safe houses because they’re all on record. But luckily, I had Rian for backup.”

I wanted to believe her, I did. But something about her story just wasn’t quite jiving. Not that I thought she was lying, but the sequence of events seemed off. “What did you do next?”

She studied my face, as if looking for something I wasn’t saying, but I kept my expression neutral. “I got on a plane and landed in Paris. And when I was driving out to Rian’s flat, everything changed. You found me at that point, Kannon. You know the rest from there.”

“So you land in Paris, a place where only three people knew you were going, and someone attacked you?”

She pinned her glare on Olly. “My brothers would never hurt me.”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t, princess. But what happens if you’re dead?”

I didn’t like the way Olly said princess. That was what I called her.

Jesus. I didn’t need to be territorial over the title. She was a fucking princess.

“If I die, my brother loses the throne unless one of them magically produces an heir in the next twelve months. Even if they wanted me dead for some reason, Roman would lose everything.”

Olly winced and then lifted his gaze to mine. “Farfetched and crazy, but I don’t think her brothers sent someone to kill her.”

I agreed, but I didn’t say that. “We don’t know anything for sure right now. Was there anyone watching you at the airport? Anyone who would have a vested interest in seeing you dead? Were you followed from, I assume, your palace to the airport?”

She frowned and spread her hands. “I don’t know. Wilder was keeping an eye out. He was watching surveillance feeds.”

“Why would he be doing that?”

“Oh, he’s our Director of Intelligence.”

I whistled low. “Okay then.”

“My brothers would tell me if someone was watching. They have nothing to gain from me being hurt. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

She might be right, but I had to explore every angle. “Your aunt, the one who’s trying to get the law changed, what’s her stake in all of this?”

“None. Everything would go to Barkley.”

“Who the hell is Barkley?” I asked.

“My cousin.” She winced. “He’s a womanizer and sloth, but not power crazy.”

Olly glanced at London. “Will your brother give me access to his surveillance?”

“We can see. I can call him.”

I shook my head. “No more calling anybody. Olly, see if you can access it the hard way.”

Olly grinned. “You mean the easy way? I just wanted to be respectful and ask permission first.”

I shook my head. Olly was a whiz with computers. He was that guy who people didn’t want to leave their laptop open around. He’d poke around, access your bank accounts, and generally just dick around. Luckily, he was on the side of good, not evil. So that was helpful.

I glanced at London. “Now comes the hard questions. Is there a husband or boyfriend that we need to worry about?”

Her eyes went wide. “A husband? No. Didn’t I just tell you—?”

I shook my head, cutting her off. “Maybe you had a boyfriend. Someone who’s not so happy about the new arrangement. Maybe you’re seeing someone you’re not supposed to be seeing? A commoner or something?”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Really? This is what we’re doing?”

I shrugged. “I’m sorry. We have to ask these questions.” I wasn’t sorry at all. I was pissed the fuck off. She’d walked out on me without a damn explanation.

Her lifted brow told me that I didn’t have to ask her questions like this. “No. The last boyfriend I had was six months ago. He dumped me because I was too focused on my career. I think he thought that I’d be more of a partygoer. More of a princess’s princess. So he found me lacking. Other than him, I’ve had a few other boyfriends, but those relationships have been over for ages. No one has any scandalous game.”

“Thank you