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The mere utterance of the word mother seemed to have pressed a button inside Victoria. Her anger cooled; her stiff posture loosened.
Her mother—no one had said a word about any Queenof Candara. It was a good guess that she’d passed at some point.
“She would want me to be safe.”
Finn nodded, confirming that was exactly the answer he’d wanted to hear.
“I know she encouraged your independent side, whenever she could. After all, she had one of her own. But she also knew what kind of dangers there are in the world.” Finn spoke in a warm tone that made it clear he loved his daughter deeply. “Listen, it’s just for a short time. As soon as the threat has passed, I’ll have you right back here.”
She glanced down her resistance clearly melting.
“Fine. But I’m telling you, Father, I’m not going to be stuffed away like this for the rest of my life! If there’s danger in the world, I want to learn about it on my own.”
I winced at her words. Finn was right—the world was a dangerous place indeed. And while Victoria seemed strong-willed, I didn’t believe for a second she realized what she was saying about learning on her own. As far as I was concerned, people like the boys and me were the line between the horrors that existed out there and the safety of palaces like the one we were standing in.
“In time, you’ll learn all about the world. But for now, I need you safe. The car is loaded with your suitcases, dear, and if there is anything else you need, I can have it sent to you. It’s time to go.”
Finn turned to us.
“I assume you’re prepared to move out?” he asked.
“You bet,” Pyke replied. “We’ll load up our gear and get moving as soon as you give the word.”
“Very good,” Finn said. “Let’s not waste another moment.”
We left the royal office, the guards outside forming up on us as we made our way out of the palace. This time, we exited through the back, stepping out into a massive garden shrouded in tall trees. A heavy-duty armored SUV, bigger than the one we’d driven to the palace, was there waiting for us. The car was massive, with more than enough room for all of us and our gear.
“Will this do, gentlemen?” Finn asked. “I ordered another of the presidential limos that I personally use. This is a mobile command center, armored and stocked with ammo and food and everything else you’ll need for the drive. It’s equipped with satellite connection, which means I’ll be able to track you the entire way.”
“You kidding?” Ajax asked, stepping up to the huge, gray car and slapping it on the side. “This thing’s a beast! We could drive straight through mountains in this bad boy!”
“That means it’ll be satisfactory,” Pyke clarified, his expression and tone stoic. “Thanks for providing it.”
“The least I can do, Finn said.“There’s no price I wouldn’t pay for the safety of my daughter.” He followed up his words with a glance back over his shoulder toward Victoria, as if hoping for any sign that his efforts were appreciated in the slightest.
No such luck. Victoria stood standing with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed as she looked off at nothing in particular.
She wasnota happy woman.
“Alright,” Pyke said, turning around in front of the car and putting his hands on his hips. “Finn, there’s still the matter of signing contracts. We can have all of those printed out in seconds, and once that’s taken care of, we can get moving.”
“Of course,” Finn said. “And I’ll be giving you access to a private fund that will cover any expenses you’ll need for the mission.”
Ajax slapped his hands together, a big smile on his face.
“Mission’s a go, boys. Let’s get the princess to safety.”
* * *
An hourlater we were on our way, Pyke at the wheel as we drove through the winding roads of the Alps. The scenery was gorgeous, and despite the fact that it was a mission, I was looking forward to spending some time in a huge chalet in the woods.
Shipping Up To Bostonby the Dropkick Murphys was blasting on the insanely good stereo system of the car. Ajax, the one who’d chosen the song, was singing along and headbanging, tapping his hand against the door to the raucous beat of the music.
The SUV contained three rows in back. Pyke and Ajax were up front, Hud and I were in the row behind, and because we were such gentlemen, we’d given the back two to the princess. The rows faced one another, clearly intended for meetings and such, so she had plenty of room to stretch out.
Not that she was happier for it. Victoria wore the same pissed-off expression she’d had on since we’d first met her. A pink MacBook air was open on the table in front of her, a big pair of headphones on over her blonde hair.
As Ajax continued singing along to the song, a loud sigh cut through the air. I turned just in time to watch as Victoria whipped off her headphones and glared up at him.
