Princess in Peril (6 page)

“How old are you?” Isabelle realized she had no idea, having not thought about his age before.

“Thirty-one.”

“Hmm.” Yes, she had to admit it was a little old for pretending to be a student. “We need to be something far removed from who we really are,” she repeated his instructions,
trying to prompt her brain to think of possibilities. “How about poor people? Because I’m rich in real life, we could pretend to be poor people. I would match my passport photo then.”

“Poor people making an international flight?”

She grumbled in her throat. What then? She tried to think of the people she’d seen in airports the many times she’d flown back and forth to the United States when she’d
gone to college there. People traveling on business … but then they’d have to think of some business to be affiliated with. Too complicated.

Levi’s suggestion about being far from who they were stuck in her mind. “The media have a distinct impression of who I am,” she admitted slowly.

“I know.” Levi’s words were soft.

Her heart squeezed with shame and anger at Stephanos Valli and Tyrone Spiteri
for causing the situation that had created her reputation. “Ever since my failed engagement the media had labeled me as someone who’s unloving. Cold.”

“The Ice Princess.” Levi spoke the title gently, but his words still pierced her.

“I’m not like that.” She shoved back a tear that had sneaked out. “How many orphans have I held? How many impoverished people have I embraced? I’m not unloving.”

“But you haven’t been romantically linked with anyone. And Tyrone’s words after you broke off the engagement—”

She couldn’t let him speak the words out loud. “
He
is the one who fooled
me
. Our engagement was nothing but a scheme for more power. He didn’t care about me.” The memories welled up despite her attempts to squash them. “Tyrone saw me as just another possession. He wanted to take me to
make himself feel more powerful.”

“Did he—” Levi began but then stopped. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

But Isabelle felt the need to set the record straight. In the darkness of the back of the truck, with Levi far removed from her by bags of clothing, she felt safe enough to admit out loud what she’d never told the press. “He tried to rape me,” she spat the words out. “When he realized
I’d seen through his facade, he knew I wouldn’t go through with the wedding so he tried to force himself on me.” She straightened with the one shred of dignity she’d saved. “But I fought him off.”

“Good for you,” Levi sounded sincerely proud of her. “How—”

“When I was in the United States in college there was a self-defense demonstration on campus. They showed us an eye-jab maneuver. I didn’t
get it exactly right, but I injured
Tyrone’s right eye. He’s nearly blind in it now—which I’m afraid only makes him hate me that much more.”

“And that’s why he maligned you to the media.”

“Yes.” Isabelle sighed. “He has them all convinced I’m too frigid to ever love a man. I suppose I could find a guy to have a fling with just to prove them all wrong, but that would be the wrong reason to start
a relationship, and I won’t do that to myself or some innocent man.”

Levi was silent, and Isabelle wondered if she’d said too much. She hadn’t talked about Tyrone in the two years since those events had taken place. She’d thought maybe she was getting over what had happened, but the vengeance she heard in her own words told her otherwise. Now she wished she hadn’t spoken.

“Perhaps,” Levi’s voice
carried quietly through the back of the truck, “we could use those impressions to our advantage.”

It took Isabelle a moment to wrap her mind around what Levi was suggesting. “You mean, for our cover?”

“Yes. We could be a couple on a romantic getaway.”

The moment Levi made his suggestion he feared he’d gone too far. Isabelle fell silent, and with regret he realized his idea likely only made
her feel worse. He wasn’t sure why she’d trusted him with the truth about what had happened to her. And now he’d betrayed that trust by proposing such a ridiculous idea.

“I don’t—” she started, and Levi scrambled to think of some way to erase his suggestion.

But when she finished her sentence, he felt that much worse.

“I don’t know how.”

Levi’s heart froze. “Your Majesty?”

“I’m sorry, Levi.
It’s a good idea. I just don’t know if I
could pull it off. I haven’t ever really dated—I was quite sheltered for so many years. My parents were so protective of me I’d never really dated. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t realize sooner what Tyrone was after and all the things that weren’t right about our engagement. I’m afraid I don’t even know how a person ought to act.”

Her confession tore at him.
No wonder she’d let the media get away with calling her frigid. She didn’t know
how
to prove them wrong, and she was far too sensitive a soul to flub up something so important.

“I shouldn’t have suggested it,” he apologized. “It sounded like a good fit, but obviously … “ He cleared his throat, unsure when talking had become so difficult. “The student idea was a good one. Perhaps we should just
go with that.”

He heard her sniffle from the other side of the bags of clothes, and when she squeaked out, “Okay,” he realized she was having difficulty maintaining her composure.

His hand stretched across the bags in the darkness, and he tentatively felt for her face. His fingers touched wetness, and he wiped away a stray tear before gently cupping her cheek in his hand. To his surprise, instead
of pulling away, she leaned her head toward his touch.

If it hadn’t been for the bags between them he might have pulled her into his arms. But then, he realized he ought to be grateful their circumstances prevented him from getting any closer to her. It would be so easy for him to forget that she was more than just a beautiful woman for whom he felt growing affection. He couldn’t lose sight of
the fact that she was royalty and likely the only surviving member of her family. He’d promised King Philip he’d protect his daughter.

And that meant keeping her safe from him, too.

With guilt, he wondered if he hadn’t made the suggestion of a romantic couple because of the growing affection he felt for her. Was he subconsciously trying to get closer to her? He
had no right to feel the way he
felt toward her. The sooner they could go their separate ways, the better off they’d both be.

Reluctantly he pulled his hand away from the warmth of her cheek. “It feels like the truck is slowing down. I wonder if we’re nearing the border.”

“The road has been curving quite a bit lately, which is typical of the mountain roads as we approach the border.” Her voice held no more trace of emotion.

The truck eased around another corner and then slowed to a stop. Levi waited for Dom to open the rear door.

“If you’d like to find some clothes to change into, we can ask Dom if this is a good time.”

“Okay.”

A moment later the rear door of the truck cracked open and Dom’s balding head was outlined by the moonlight. “We’re at the Sanctuary outpost. I’m going to scope things out. You two stay
out of sight for now.” Then the door clicked shut and they were left in darkness again.

The minutes ticked by and soon Levi saw the greenish glow from Isabelle’s phone.

“It’s almost midnight,” she whispered. “I hope Dom is okay.”

“He’s a professional,” Levi reminded her, though he wondered how the aging man would fare if he encountered insurgents—and what the two of them would do if Dom ran
into trouble.

A few moments later he heard the door to the cab of the truck open and the vehicle started again. His pulse kicked into high gear.

Isabelle whispered, “I hope that’s Dom driving us.”

“I hope so, too.” The trucked rumbled over a bumpy stretch for what couldn’t have been more than a few kilometers before coming to a stop again. In the stillness Levi
could hear even footfalls as
their driver came around to the back of the truck.

Levi reached for his sidearm and pulled it from its holster, aiming it at the door. Silently he turned off the safety and prayed.

“P
ut down your gun, Levi,” Dom said as he opened the rear door of the truck.

Relieved to hear the familiar voice, Levi engaged the safety and put his gun back in his holster. “How did you know I had my weapon drawn?”

“I’d be quite disappointed if you didn’t. You’re supposed to protect this little lady.” Dom extended a hand to Isabelle as she waded over the bags in her evening gown. “Sorry
for the excursion. Nothing appeared to be obviously amiss at the station, but I didn’t recognize either of the men stationed there, and a still, small voice told me to get out of there. I’ve learned to listen when God talks to me.”

“I appreciate that.” Levi hopped out of the truck and looked back up the rutted path Dom had driven them down, which ran parallel to the Mursia River. He could just
see the swirling waters beyond them in the moonlight. “Do you think anyone followed us?”

Dom blinked into the darkness. “If they did, they’re awfully good at avoiding detection.” He shivered visibly. “But I don’t have a very good feeling about this. We need to hurry.”

“May I please change clothes first?” the princess asked.

Dom agreed that Isabelle should find some clothes among the bags in
the truck. He made sure she had a flashlight and
then closed the door for privacy. Then he walked toward the river with Levi and spoke in a low voice. “Levi Grenaldo.” He looked him in the eye. “I knew your father. We served together in this area years ago. He’s a good man.”

“Thank you.” Levi cringed just a little at the comparison. His father’s shoes would be difficult to fill, but he was determined
to do his best.

Dom continued. “Because I trusted him, I will trust you. I honestly don’t know how you’re going to get Isabelle to the United States, but I will give you the best head start I can.”

The ominous assessment did little to bolster Levi’s courage. “I appreciate that.”

“On the other side of the river there is a woodpile. Hidden in the middle, under quite a bit of wood and a tarp,
is a motorcycle.”

“Has it been started recently?” Given the age of the man he was speaking to, Levi feared the bike might be reduced to a pile of rust.

“Every couple of weeks, at least, the owner of the property on the other side gives the bike a go and makes sure it’s filled with gas. But it belongs to Sanctuary, and I can’t tell you how many refugees have traveled through this area on that
bike.”

“Where should I leave it when I’m done?”

“Park it at the airport. Someone will come along for it soon.” Dom startled at a noise just downriver from them.

Levi spun around, pulling out his weapon.

“A raven.” He lowered his gun as the bird took flight over the river.

“Ravens aren’t active at night.” Dom looked about warily. “Something startled that bird. You two had best get moving.”

Levi rushed to the truck and knocked before opening the door. Isabelle had changed into a sloppy pair of oversize jeans
with a bulky hooded sweatshirt. She looked less princesslike already. “We need to get moving.”

“I can’t find any shoes.”

“Wear the ones you had on.” Levi’s sense of foreboding grew, and the hairs raised at the back of his neck as he listened to the vast darkness. “We need to
hurry.”

Isabelle slipped on the heeled leather pumps and clambered across the bags. She leaned toward him, and Levi caught her around the waist as she jumped down from the back of the truck. Too late he realized he wasn’t prepared for such close contact with the princess. As she landed against him, she looked up and caught his eyes for just a moment.

His heart gave a lurch at the hopeful expression
on her face. Did she really think he could get her to safety?

Could he?

She took a step back and he turned away. Too much still needed his attention. Joining Dom near the bank, Levi realized the older man held a crossbow.

“Perhaps you should shoot this.” Dom held the heavy weapon toward Levi. “My eyesight isn’t so good anymore, and you’ll only get one chance to make a solid shot.”

“What are
you doing with that thing?” Isabelle asked as Levi took the cumbersome crossbow from Dom.

“There’s a zip line attached to the bolt,” Dom explained. “That’s how you’re going to get across the river.”

Before Isabelle could react to Dom’s explanation, Levi spun at the sound of rustling in nearby bushes.

All three of them looked in the direction of the sound. Levi could almost sense the presence
of someone nearby, but in the darkness he could see no sign of anyone. The best he could do was hurry and get the princess across the river quickly. He’d hoped to change from his tuxedo before going any farther, but that issue seemed trivial compared to getting Isabelle safely out of Lydia.

“How does this work?” Levi looked over the bolt—the arrowlike projectile that would carry the zip line
across the river. “Is there a pulley, or do we have to hold on with our bare hands?”

Dom reached across and touched a small steel bar. “It’s a lightweight pulley. I’d recommend going one at a time. I’m not sure if it can hold you both.” He pointed to a large tree across the river. “Try to sink the bolt solidly into that large tree.”

Levi raised the crossbow and took aim. He didn’t have much
experience shooting crossbows, other than a brief orientation during his training with the Lydian military, but the tree was large and less than twenty meters away. And he had no other choice.

Just as he released the bolt a loud noise from behind startled him. He spun around, with no time to squint across the river in the darkness to determine if the bolt had hit his target. Two burly figures
had jumped from the bushes along the riverside. One grabbed the princess from behind and appeared to be trying to carry her off, although her struggles hampered his efforts.

The second was locked in hand-to-hand combat with Dom. Levi hesitated only a second before slinging the zip line around the nearest tree branch and jamming the crossbow tight into the crook of the branch to secure it. Then
he leapt at the man who was pulling the princess toward the bushes. Dom was a former agent. He would want Levi to attend to Isabelle’s safety first.

Grabbing the muscular figure from behind, Levi attempted to wrench his thick arms away from Isabelle. He couldn’t risk using his gun with the princess so entangled; instead he used two arms to pry away one of the hulking attacker’s large fists.

Isabelle gasped and writhed but was no match for the
strong figure who held her. Desperately trying to think of a way to free her, Levi recalled that Isabelle had fought off Tyrone Spiteri by jabbing at his eyes.

It was the only decent idea he could think of. Clambering higher on the man’s back, Levi reached around the attacker’s head and dug at his eyes. With a furious yell, the assailant let
go of the princess and grabbed Levi by the arms instead, throwing him over his back.

Levi spun in the air, for the first time in many years grateful for the gymnastics lessons his mother had enrolled him in as a child. He landed on his feet and darted after the princess, who’d dashed toward the river the moment the burly man had let go of her.

His only hope to outrun their oversize assailant,
Levi barely caught sight of Dom still exchanging blows with the other attacker as he sprinted toward the tree that held the zip line. Scooping Isabelle around the waist with one arm as he ran, Levi grabbed the pulley where it was attached to the crossbow he’d jammed through the joint of the tree branch.

To his relief, the pulley disengaged just as their assailant hurled himself toward them. Levi
pushed off with his feet, and he and the princess zipped along the taut wire across the gurgling waters of the Mursia.

Despite the relatively warm June weather they’d been experiencing, Levi knew the river was fed by the melting snow of the mountain streams and would likely be frigid. “Pull your feet up,” he whispered to the princess, doing the same.

Unsure if the bolt he’d shot across the river
had made solid purchase in the tree on the far side, Levi said a silent prayer that the lightweight pulley would hold them and that the grip of the line wouldn’t fail.

The pulley groaned in his hand as the bank appeared just beyond them. “Lord, please don’t let us fall,” Levi whispered, just as he wondered how they might possibly land without
crashing into the tree. The moment they reached the
bank Levi let go of Isabelle, hoping she’d drop onto the soft earth before he braced himself for impact with the tree.

But to his surprise, Isabelle clung to his shoulders, extending her legs as they flew toward the tree. He kicked out with his feet.

They had no more than slammed into the tree when he let go of the pulley, simultaneously twisting around and trying to fall backward so he wouldn’t
crush the princess.

They came down in a tangle. Apparently Isabelle hadn’t anticipated that he would let go so quickly because she still clung to him as though for dear life, her face pressed against his shoulder as they fell.

“Are you all right?” Levi whispered, wanting to attend to the princess but at the same time aware of the urgent necessity of cutting loose the zip line. Though they’d
taken the only pulley across, the men could still easily use the line to reach them.

Clearly stunned by the fall, she panted audibly before whispering, “I’m fine. We should find cover, though. I can’t imagine those goons will let us get away that easily.”

Relieved that she hadn’t been injured, he looked across the river and saw the first of their burly attackers making his way hand-over-hand
along the zip line. He was nearly halfway across the river—and the second man wasn’t far behind.

“Cover yourself,” Levi instructed Isabelle, stepping in front of her as he pulled out his gun and shot the spot where the bolt was embedded in the tree. Splinters of wood exploded from the tree, exposing most of the bolt. Levi shot the spot again, standing clear as the bolt snapped free of the tree.
With sharp cries, both of their attackers plunged into the frigid river. A moment later, all Levi could see was swirling water.

Unable to spot any sign of Dom on the other side, Levi risked calling out to him, “Are you all right, old friend?”

Dom’s voice sounded weary. “A little worse for wear, but I’ll be fine. The moment those two realized who was getting away, they lost interest in me.”

“Glad to hear it! If you can get a message to the office in New York, let them know we’re on our way. But be careful!”

“You’re the ones who need to be careful.” Dom’s voice boomed back, stronger already. “Godspeed to you!”

“And to you!” Levi had spotted a wall of stacked split logs while he spoke to Dom. Pulling the princess up after him, he whispered, “This way!” and dashed toward where Dom
had said the motorcycle could be found. He didn’t know how many others might be right behind their two attackers. They’d have to move quickly.

Isabelle looked back at the Mursia River as Levi pulled her away from its banks. She tried to catch sight of the men who’d attacked them, but clouds had rolled in, obscuring even the pale light of the moon, and Isabelle could see nothing but the roiling
waters. Had the men been swept downstream? Or were they even now crawling up the Albanian bank?

She turned her attention to Levi, who wrestled with something among the logs. “Can I help you?” She tried to catch her breath from her fight with the huge guy who’d jumped her. Fear chased up her spine, but she shivered it away, reassuring herself that Levi had been there. He’d rescued her from that
awful man and his breath-crushing grip. Perhaps she could trust Levi—as much as she could trust anyone.

“I’ve got it,” Levi whispered, pulling back a tarp before tugging on something that looked like handlebars.

“Is that a motorcycle?” Isabelle asked, blinking at the chrome just visible in the darkness.

“Yes.” Levi threw aside an armful of logs, freeing the rear tire. “This is our ride to the
airport.”

Isabelle had been wondering how they would make the 250-kilometer trip to Albania’s only international airport, which was nearly a four-hour drive from the Lydian border. She felt inside the waistband of her jeans to where she’d tucked her satin clutch, which held her cash and her phone. She didn’t dare use her phone—there was too great a likelihood that the insurgent forces might be
able to trace any calls she made. The longer she could stay off the radar, the better.

And the motorcycle looked like it would do the trick. “Do we have helmets?” she asked.

“Two.” Levi unearthed them once he’d freed the bike, tapping the helmets together to shake out debris from the woodpile. “Now let’s get moving. Those thugs who attacked us probably alerted others to our location before they
jumped us. If they had confederates at the border station, they might cross into Albania and follow the highway looking for us—and that’s the road we’ll
have
to use to get to Tirana. Our only hope is to move faster than they do.”

Nodding, Isabelle accepted the helmet and strapped it on. She didn’t mind the idea of riding a motorcycle, but she sincerely wished she’d managed to secure more practical
footwear. However, Levi was right. Their top priority was getting to the airport as quickly as possible. And maybe she would find a pair of boots or sneakers in one of the shops and boutiques inside the airport. She hadn’t flown through the Albanian airport in a few years, but she recalled that it had enjoyable shopping.

Levi straddled the bike and patted the seat behind him.

With a gulp of
courage, Isabelle hopped on the bike behind Levi. She had no more than tentatively wrapped her hands around his broad shoulders than he revved the engine and the bike moved forward.

They rumbled toward a rutted path in darkness.

“Perhaps you should turn on the headlight,” she suggested.

“I don’t want to give away our position.”

“The engine noise does that.” She found herself leaning close
to his ear to be heard above its rumbling. “And we’ll move faster if we can see where we’re going.”

“All right.” Levi clicked on the light. “Pray this doesn’t make us a target.”