Page 83 of Uncrowned

“You sound confident.”

“Because I am. Penelope will be my queen. She may have run away, but there’s no running from me. I will eventually get her back. She knows this, and her loyalty is to me and The Order. She is part of us just like we are part of her. She swore vows to my guards. If anyone harms a single hair on her head...” I moved to the edge of my chair, not able to stop the top of my body from leaning in his direction. “I will kill them, and they will never escape The Order. It is done. There is no taking any of it back. Everyone who hurts her will die a most agonizing death. Do you understand me?”

Mr. Prescott smiled, not speaking while he kept trying to read me.

“You love her. A love match, then.”

“Don’t twist this around. I would kill for whoever filled that role. This is a decision I’ve weighed over my lifetime, and I stand by my choice. Penelope is mine. That is final.”

“You say you chose her. Did she choose you?”

My jaw tightened as I repeatedly flexed it.

“I take that as a no.”

“Then you’d be assuming wrong. She chose me. We had a fight. She’ll return.”

“Will she? I don’t think she will. I don’t think she could even if she wanted to.”

“What the hell do you mean? Who has her?”

He let out a small laugh under his breath.

“No one that likes you.”

“King Lawrence?”

My heart was pounding so hard, I could barely hear myself talk.

“Not him. Not yet, not that he hasn’t shown interest in retrieving her from the very beginning. Have you watched the news? Have you gone into any store in all of London since you took her? If you would have, you would have seen her picture posted everywhere.” Prescott’s voice dropped lower. “That was him.”

Possessiveness had me breathing heavier. I wouldn’t think about him or what I’d seen with my own eyes over the last few months. I didn’t want to believe, but it was true. Mr. Prescott had just confirmed it.

“Who. Has. Her.”

He paused. “They’re called the Sovereign Liaison Bureau, and it isn't just any task force. It's a bridge, officially linking the NCA and the FBI. Elites aren't bound by borders, Vaughn. The SLB happens to think that Penelope may be a treasure trove of information thanks to you. They're interested in what she can tell them. You say she won't talk. They’ll keep her until she does.”

He got quiet, but I could tell he wasn’t finished.

“Have you heard of the Jane Doe Foundation? They pose as a charity, but they’re really part of the shadow government, and they’re untouchable. They rescue the right women, bury the right secrets, and sometimes… they serve interests you wouldn’t imagine. Assassins. Spies. The Bureau in America gives them cover in the US. Here, in Britain, these women run the SLB. It’s the shadow network, and Penelope is caught in the middle. Right this very moment, they're trying to decide whether she's a pawn or queen on the board.”

My hands were nearly trembling through my adrenaline.

“You say women. Who decides this?”

Mr. Prescott’s smiled became razor sharp.

“That depends. If you’re right about her staying loyal, Penelope does.”

“I need to know names.”

His head went back and forth.

“I don’t have them. That’s even out of my reach. She’s in deep right now, and they’re doing lord knows what. When they make a decision, she’ll either never resurface or she’ll be placed until they get what they want. Or… she escapes them. I guess in time we’ll see.”

“Not good enough. I want information.” I gripped the arms of my chair. “You’ve been my handler for five years. That has to count for something. I know I’ve been distant, but this is important to me. I may be willing to be a ‘friend’ when you need it… if you help me.”

He smiled.