“It’s upstairs,” Giovanni says, finding his voice after I’ve given him the barest of bare-bones explanations. “In duffels. Prepacked. Everything ready to go.”
Once Reginald has headed upstairs with his cronies, I spin and say to Giovanni, “Help me.” I lift my unwieldy skirts and gesture for him to hold them as I dig out the sack of euros from my panniers to make up what’s missing from the closet. I don’t want Reginald to see how much I have left over. Just in case. I also don’t want him to know I have the ten vials of pure Glitter he gave me two days ago. I just can’t bring myself to put them back into his hands.
In less than a minute the guards clomp down the stairs, each carrying a black duffel. “This is the rest,” I say when Reginald descends with a sour look on his face. I proffer a large stack of euros and the expression disappears.
“We don’t have a problem, then. Let’s be on our way.”
I spin to Giovanni, tears springing to my eyes. He looks pained—he wants to say something, to ask questions, to interfere. Loyal to the last, he refrains. “Thank you so much,” I say, squeezing him tight. “You made this possible.”
He smiles and wipes a tear from my cheek. “I hope you’re making the right choice, chouchou,” he says simply, and my heart seems to drop within my chest.
“It’s a little late for that,” I say, choking on a building sob.
“Be happy, then.”
I can hardly bear hearing Saber’s words in Giovanni’s mouth, so I hide my face and hug him instead, and then Reginald is pulling me away.
“Hurry,” he snaps. “We don’t have time for this.” I wave once more as he bodily sweeps me out the door.
I sit facing Reginald in the black SUV and finally breathe a sigh and let all of the muscles in my body relax. How long have they been clenched? Weeks?
“Did you know my father’s in the clinic?” I ask softly, my eyes closed as I lean my head back against the seat.
“Withdrawal?” Reginald asks.
“Saber was carrying the patches when we were searched.”
“My mistake,” Reginald says genially. “I should have handed them to you. You were always safer.”
“Perhaps.” I open my eyes and meet his gaze. “But will you…will you watch out for him?”
Reginald waves his hand. “He’ll be okay. Withdrawal is a bitch, but your father’s in better physical shape than he appears.”
“And…” I lower my lashes. “And Saber?”
“Don’t you worry about him, either. I’m not going to let him languish in prison.”
“I wish you’d recon—”
“Don’t even start, Highness. You’ve paid your fee; don’t push me.” He sits a little straighter. “Speaking of your fee, there are a few specifics we haven’t discussed yet.”
“In my defense, you didn’t believe I could do it.”
“No, no, I didn’t.” He grins. “But as it’s going to make me a hefty profit, I was rooting for you.”
“I’m delighted,” I say dryly.
“However. You promised me five million euros, and I promised to spirit you away where no one can find you.” He glances down at his fingernails. “But I didn’t say when.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Pardonnez?”
He looks up, and I can see a smile of amusement blooming across his face. “I didn’t say when,” he repeats slowly. He leans back now, spreading both arms over the seat backs beside him. “I mean, look at you. Dolled up like a freaking princess. Every little girl dreams of her wedding day—we wouldn’t want you to miss yours.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I demand.
“I’ve spent eight years developing Glitter. Thought I was doing pretty good, too. But in you waltz with this crazy idea of using it as makeup. I have to tell you, I didn’t let on at the time, but that was a revelation. Needed some tests, though, which you were so kind as to carry out for me.” He leans forward, his eyes never leaving my face. “Now, you and me, we’ve got a good thing going here. I want your cosmetics to go global. I want to be able to let loose whispers into the world that the Queen of Sonoman-Versailles herself indulges now and again.”
“But I don’t!” I shoot back in a panic.
“Who said rumors have to be true to be effective? Point is, five million is nothing. All you’ve shown me is that there are billions to be made with your little idea.” He grins now, and the cruelty shines through and turns my stomach. “And I need you right there in the middle of it.”
“No, we had a deal,” I shout. “We had a deal!”
“We still have a deal. The fact that you neglected to double-check the small print isn’t my problem. I’ll get you out,” he says, his voice suddenly very serious. “When I’m done with you.”
Something catches my eye out the window, and in a wave of horror, I realize it’s the golden gates of Versailles Palace—the gates I rejoiced in leaving such a short time ago. At the sight, all my self-control drains away. “No,” I plead. “You can’t do this! The whole point was to escape this marriage. He could kill me, Reginald. Then what good am I to you?”