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Jonathan stood up abruptly. “What?”
“I believe I made myself clear. The answer is no.”
Jonathan turned and started to pace. When he swung back there was a gun in his hand.
And it was aimed at Pippa!
Chloe screamed, jumping out of her chair.
Where the fuck did he get a gun from? He didn’t own a gun and they would never have gotten it through security after leaving the plane.
What. The. Fuck.
“Jonathan, no!” She tried to move to him, but Beck wrapped an arm around her, pulling her away. “Let me go! I can stop him!”
“Let her go,” Jonathan said, glancing briefly at them. “Let her go or I shoot. And pretty Pippa’s brains will decorate this table.”
Oh Lord. She was going to be ill.
“Let her go, Beck,” Tavi ordered.
All of the Princes were on high alert, glaring at Jonathan. While two of their cousins had drawn Alina in between them, guarding her.
“Nobody else move, except for Chloe,” Jonathan warned. “I won’t hesitate to shoot Pippa. Got nothing left to lose now.” A crazy laugh exploded from him.
“Jonathan? What are you doing?” she asked, moving slowly closer. She ignored Beck who was shaking his head and glaring at her.
“Chloe,” Judd growled. “Stay still.”
She knew she was the safest one in the room. She didn’t think Jonathan was going to hurt her.
Well, she hoped not.
“What do you mean you have nothing to lose?” she asked calmly. “This is a disappointment, but there are other deals. Don’t you want to go back home to London and have a decent cup of tea?”
“Won’t be my home much longer, my dear. I am flat broke. Oh, and I may have made a deal with the devil. He won’t be happy. The devil always gets what he wants. He wanted the trade agreement. Needed a way to weaken this country. He wants the Princes to suffer. All of them.” Jonathan glanced over at the cousins. “I didn’t get the agreement, but I can make you all suffer. So after I shoot Pippa, I am coming for your bride.”
“Motherfucking bastard, don’t you dare!” Aric cried.
“Aric, hush,” Kassim ordered. “Who did you make this deal with, Jonathan?”
Jonathan laughed bitterly. “Oh, I am not telling you. But the devil hates you all. He wants revenge.”
“Pinky,” Kassim said grimly.
Who was Pinky? Shit. It didn’t matter. She had to get Jonathan to stop aiming his gun at Pippa.
“Jonathan, how did this happen? Why are you threatening Pippa?” She couldn’t look at Pippa, scared for the other woman.
“Like you don’t know, my dear.”
She frowned at his weird words.
“You’ve been helping me this entire time. You helped cause the distraction with those idiot purists so I could meet with my contact and private and smuggle this gun into the palace. The devil has been funneling money to the purists, helping them to cause more problems. He wants you all to suffer.”
“I didn’t . . . I never . . . I wouldn’t do that.” She glanced around the room. She could see some doubt on people’s faces. And it floored her.
Did they believe him?
“I am as good as dead. So I might as well take you all out with me. Don’t pretend to be innocent, my dear. You knew the risks when you agreed to this. You didn’t want to lose your expensive lifestyle.”
What the hell?
“Why . . . why are you doing this to me?” she asked, staring at him, stricken.
All these years . . . she’d stuck by him. Worked for him for nothing. And he was trying to implicate her in his awful plans.
“If I am not getting out of this, then you shouldn’t either,” he spat at her. There was such hatred on his face that it took her breath away.
But why? What had she done?
“Chloe,” Beck said, moving up beside her.
Beck didn’t believe him. Surely. She didn’t see any doubt on his face. She looked over at Judd, though, who was frowning and unable to look at her.
Shit.
“Jonathan, you know I didn’t have anything to do with this,” she said.
“Didn’t I ask you to keep those men you’ve gotten close to distracted, my dear?”
She gasped, but she couldn’t say anything.
“Chloe?” Beck asked. “Did you do that?”
She glanced over at him, horror filling her. “It wasn’t . . . it wasn’t like that. You have to believe me.”
“But you agreed to distract us for him?” Beck asked.
“I . . . I . . .” Why hadn’t she told them? She was such a coward. She hadn’t wanted them to be disappointed or angry in her and now they thought the worst of her.
Owen. Where was Owen? He’d believe her, right?
She stumbled back, away from everyone who was staring at her accusingly.
“Why would I lie about this? Why would I throw my dear, darling daughter under the bus?” he drawled.
She tried to suck in one breath. Then another.
