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“And?”
“He’s missing.”
Chapter 21
Clementine
I think I’ve made a grievous error trying to convince myself that I can work this forced marriage to my advantage. I should’ve known Gabriel was going to make this arrangement difficult, he’s been making my life harder since the moment he walked into it.
“Ronin, danger from who?” I text again, when I’m back in my bedroom.
Seconds tick by. Then minutes. Still no response. Just like the previous five messages I’ve sent. Does he know about Bishop?
I’m a fool to think this would be easy. Being a fiancee to a Prince means social obligations, like the art gallery gala where I met the cowboy who mentioned Bishop Blackstone. My nerves have been shattered ever since. Living in the limelight, letting every photographer take photos of me, is not a good idea. I loved my simple life. Away from Bishop Blackstone. And now I feel like I have a beacon shining on me wherever I go.
When I received the cryptic text from Ronin, stating I was in danger, my perfectly crafted world crashed at my feet.
I toss my phone on the night table and trek across to the window. Gabriel is nowhere to be seen when I peek out at the shadowy backyard illuminated by lights from the house.
Earlier, when that drone crashed into my window, I nearly had a heart attack. That was nothing compared to when he kissed me again. The power Gabriel holds in his lips and tongue makes me more nervous than Ronin’s warning. And that is very careless, but my body doesn’t heed the warning.
I move away from the window and retrieve my phone before slipping into bed. I call Erin to check on Tennyson, and if I’m being honest to get my mind off of Gabriel’s magical kiss.
She answers on the first ring.
“I want all the dirty details,” she says as if she’s psychic.
“Hey,” I respond, “how’s everything going?”
“Tenny and Troy played all night. Thanks for bringing that kite with him. They both loved it.”
I hold a hand to my heart. “Aw, good. I’m glad they had fun. Did he give you trouble going to bed?”
“Nope, he was an angel. Come on girl, I want all the dirty details.”
I laugh. “There aren’t any details to give you, dirty or not.” I can’t tell her how I rode Gabriel in the back of his limo. How I was so close to coming when I did. My body heats at the thought.
“Yes, there is. I can tell. Spill it.”
“We kissed, ok?” I give her a nugget of info.
She squeals into the phone so loud I have to hold it away from my ear. “How was it? I bet he’s a great kisser. Oh my god, tell me more. I want to live vicariously through you.”
My phone beeps with the sound that a new text message is coming through, and I pull the phone away from my ear to see Ronin’s name. “Erin, I’ll call you back.”
We hang up and I read the message, “Meet me at Givens Park. Alone. Monday 2pm.”
The following Monday,I try my hardest to get Tennyson off to daycare, but it’s like he has a special radar that something is going on today and doesn’t want to listen at all to anything I say. During breakfast he wouldn’t eat his pancakes, even though he has pancakeseverymorning.
“Tenny, please come here so I can tie your shoe,” I say, sitting on the floor of his room while he plays with a Captain America action figure. I decide to make my life easier and swing low for a bribe, sometimes a girl’s gotta use what she has, “And if you’re really good at school, I have a surprise for you.”
I’ve said the magic words and he bounds over, placing his sneakered foot in front of me. “I’ll be the best,” he says. I don’t even feel guilty over using this tactic when I grasp his laces.
Once his shoes are all tied, I stand and kiss him on the forehead. “I’m sure you will be.”
Tennyson smiles and in a blur of jeans andBatmant-shirt rushes through the door of his bedroom. Deep breath.
I grab his backpack and follow him downstairs where I’m met by Gabriel standing in the foyer.
