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‘Saving me the time and energy of interrogating you. Who did you give the treaty to?’
She shook her head. ‘I can’t tell you that.’
‘You’re wrong. When the time is right you’ll give me a name. Every person responsible for this chaos will be brought to justice.’
Despite the fire in her eyes, she swallowed and looked away.
His car swung into the last stretch of road leading to his estate and a sense of satisfaction stole over him. In London, he’d felt at a slight loss; that control wasn’t totally within his grasp. Within touching distance of the place he called his second home, his control returned.
San Estrela was his mother’s birthplace and where she had married his father. Reyes had maybe one or two fairly happy holidays here as a child...until everything had turned sour. He wouldn’t be creating any more happy memories by bringing his prisoner here, but he had no choice.
As much as it burned him to admit it, he couldn’t yet return to Santo Sierra. He needed to rally economic support in order to get the talks with Valderra back on track. Plus, at present, he wasn’t entirely sure whom he could trust in his own council.
His insides clenched as he thought of his father. Ruthlessly, he pushed the feeling aside. If he was to achieve what he was aiming for, he needed to clear his mind of his grief; of making things right with the father he’d lost for so long. Ironically, it was his own downfall with Jasmine Nichols that had made Reyes see his father in a different light. To not judge the old man so harshly for his own mistakes.
He would return to his father’s bedside soon enough. Make amends. Hopefully before it was too late.
He alighted from the car and automatically held out his hand. Jasmine took it and straightened beside him a second later. He dropped her hand, not wanting to acknowledge how her skin felt against his.
A frown crossed her face before she masked it.
Reyes didn’t know what to do with that look. On the one hand, she remained stoic in the face of her guilt, yet on the other she looked at him with contrition. The enigma unsettled and irritated him.
Pushing aside the feeling, he mounted the stairs as the door swung open to reveal his major-domo, Armando. The man wore the same anxious look he’d seen on so many Santo Sierran faces.
Reminded that his people were living in a state of constant worry made Reyes’s chest tighten.
Knowing the cause of all this turmoil stood two steps behind him made his blood simmer as he greeted Armando.
‘This is Miss Jasmine Nichols. She’ll be my guest for the duration of my stay. She is, however, not permitted to leave the house or grounds under any circumstances. If she attempts to leave, use all means necessary to prevent her,’ he instructed.
‘You don’t need to do that. I know why I’m here. You have my word that I won’t run away.’
‘You’ll forgive me if I don’t find your word reassuring?’
She inhaled sharply. ‘I suppose I deserve that,’ she murmured.
Reyes frowned at the hurt in her voice.
Armando, his usual capable, unruffled self, barely blinked at the exchange. ‘I will put her in the Valencia Suite, Your Highness.’
‘No, the Leon Suite next to mine will suffice.’
‘Very well, Your Highness.’
Reyes turned down the hall towards his study and had barely taken half a dozen steps when he heard the click of heels racing after him.
He stopped. ‘Did you want something?’
She looked pale, her face creased in concern as her eyes fell. When she began to visibly tremble, Reyes frowned. She hadn’t been well yesterday, but she’d reassured the doctor this morning that she was fine.
‘What do you mean by any means necessary?’ she asked.
‘Stay in the house and within the grounds and you’ll never have to find out. Understood?’
A tinge of relief brought colour to her cheeks. Reyes didn’t realise how disconcerting her paleness was until she regained her composure.
She shook her head. ‘I can’t just do nothing. I’ll go out of my mind.’
‘That’s your punishment for now. Do otherwise and I’ll have to revise my decision.’
She sighed. ‘Rey—I mean, Your Highness.’ Her hand lifted, as if to touch him. ‘Can I have my phone back? Please, I need to let my parents know where I am. My mother will send the cavalry out in full force if I don’t, and, trust me, you don’t want that.’ A small, wistful smile touched her lips.
The idea of her delusional mother, sitting snug in her home, worrying about her perfect daughter, made his teeth clench. No doubt Jasmine had succeeded in pulling the wool over her parents’ eyes the way she’d done with him. And yet the thought of the perfect family picture all that togetherness presented sent a dart of something very close to jealousy through him.
