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She sounded like a fairy, but she also sounded like … Derek.
“You’re from Augustine,” she burst out. Finally, a grasp of why the accent intrigued her so much.
“Of course I am.” Again that smile that the rest of her face resisted.
“Interesting.”
White silk lady was from Augustine. That shot out the theory of her being a fairy or a misguided advertiser who thought she could use Ellery’s semi-fame with Ninja Warrior to her advantage. Until she realized that she’d wasted their marketing money because Ellery was pathetic at even still-shot pictures. She’d never learned how to smile naturally on command.
“Can you climb into the car, please?”
“Um, ma’am? I don’t know how things work in Augustine, but in Boston, Massachusetts in 2023, especially in neighborhoods like mine, young ladies who do not want to get trafficked do not climb into the back of a limo with some wealthy lady they don’t know.”
The woman laughed at that. It was a pretty laugh. It was sad that her face couldn’t cooperate. “Hmm. I see your dilemma, dear. But we do need privacy, and I am not sure it’s advisable for me to walk in there.” She pointed at the rundown brownstone with more money in the jewelry on her fingers than the entire building was worth.
Ouch.
Ellery didn’t blame her. Her apartment complex was far sketchier than climbing into a limo with someone you didn’t know.
“How about this?” The woman tapped her manicured fingernail against her lips, diamond rings glittering despite the sun being behind the buildings. “We’ll have the chauffeur take a walk, and you can sit in the driver’s seat with the keys in hand while I sit in the passenger seat. It’ll be quick, I promise.”
Ellery thought it over. It sounded okay. If they wanted to kidnap her, they would simply pull a gun and force her into the car. She shrugged and walked around to the driver’s side. The door opened and a young man climbed out, looking her over. She’d seen that look a thousand times. The ‘you’re beautiful and do you want to make out with me’ kind of look. She felt cold and like a piece of meat. No wonder she was so drawn to Prince Derek and his classy self-control.
“Give her the keys,” the woman instructed. “And go for a walk. We need five minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The young man reached back in, pulled the keys from the console, and handed them to her. He gave her a smile and a wink, hurried around to help the older lady into the passenger seat, and sauntered off down the block.
Ellery clutched the keys and slid into the driver’s seat, leaving the door open.
“Please shut the door,” the woman said.
Ellery obliged, but kept her hand on the door handle. She didn’t really think this wealthy Augustine woman would traffic her, but she’d heard of crazier stories. Her eyes trailed over the leather seats and shiny dash with gadgets she wouldn’t know what to do with. The chauffeur was one lucky dude to get paid to drive this around. She’d love to drive anything. Prince Derek offering to let her drive his Bugatti still made her stomach hop happily.
“I told you I’ll make it quick. I am from Augustine, and I need a favor from you.”
What was it with Augustine people asking favors of her?
“My name is Naomi Rindlesbacher.”
Ellery lifted a hand. The name Rindlesbacher sounded familiar but she couldn’t remember why at the moment.
“You may have heard about Prince Derek’s brother Prince Steffan disappearing after a woman he’d fallen in love with stabbed a young man at a remote cabin and tried to frame my husband William for the murder?”
“The gorgeous billionaire Hattie Ballard killed that man and then she died in a Polaris Razor explosion.” She had seen all of this on the news. You’d have to be in a coma not to see it. Of course Ellery was very interested as it was related to Derek’s family. Prince Steffan and the now-infamous Hattie had apparently fallen in love but she was truly a murderer who thought she was above the law. The story had made the headlines of international news, but Steffan and Hattie were the one topic Derek hadn’t chatted much about.
More of the story came to her and she remembered the name Rindlesbacher now. “And your son Treven was released from prison because Miss Ballard framed him for a murder five years ago,” Ellery continued. It was such a crazy, unfathomable story, and yet it had happened. Looking at the pictures of Hattie Ballard, she seemed spunky, fun-loving, and infectiously happy.
“Yes.” Naomi studied her, her dark eyes serious. “That woman…” Her voice was full of venom, and Ellery couldn’t blame Naomi if Hattie had framed her son and her husband and murdered twice in their presence. “Hattie Ballard is still alive.”
“No.” Ellery’s eyes widened in horror.
“Yes.” She nodded. “She tricked Prince Steffan into falling for her, helping her fake her death, and escaping with her. She is not only not paying for her crimes, but we’re certain she’ll come after one of the royal family next.”
A shiver prickled Ellery’s skin. The royal family. Derek’s family. A protective surge ran through her. If Hattie Ballard was alive, she’d better stay away from Derek and his family. Ellery didn’t know what she could do to protect them, but she would do everything in her power. She might not be able to date Derek, but he meant the world to her.
“Hattie Ballard is a brilliant, billionaire masochist who thinks she’s above any law. I honestly think it’s all a game to her. It’s a sad truth that some deranged individuals in my economic sphere get bored and engage in harmful distractions to feel anything.” Naomi shook her head morosely. “The way she set up Treven to take the fall for Jane Presley’s death and almost succeeded in framing William for Franz Wengreen’s murder was as skilled and disturbing as anything I’ve ever seen. Imagine your son serving five years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Ellery couldn’t imagine, and she felt bad for the lady, her son, and her husband. “I’m terribly sorry that happened.”
