“You don’t trust him?”
“It’s not about trust, princess.”
I’m not a princess. I’m nothing like Cassie or Arabella. I’m not a princess or queen. Casper was right—I’m trouble.
Ryan’s eyes flash behind me, narrowing on Lucian. “It’s about keeping you and that baby safe, like I swore to.”
When his gaze settles on me again, he shakes his head as though he’s trying to clear it.
“Do you trust him?” Ryan asks me in a way that makes it seem like I hold the deciding vote on the matter.
We both know I don’t. At the end of the day he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his promise to Casper, and I won’t stand in his way.
“I-I don’t know. I don’t want to…”
“But?”
“But…I don’t know.” Looking down between us, I try to ignore the gut feeling that tells me Lucian won’t hurt me.
“Yes, you do.” He tips my chin up with the tips of his middle and index fingers. “You know more than you realise. Get out of the box and look at things from the outside in. You might like what you see from that angle.”
“What if I don’t?”
Blue flamed eyes focus on me, boring into mine until I can feel their warmth inside me. “I promise you will.”
“You can’t promise me that.”
His hand falls from my face to the one I’m resting on the top of my bump. Lifting it between us, he twists the sovereign ring on my finger with a pensive nod. “Yeah, I can.”
I’m not sure why, but hope flurries inside me. My heart begins to race like it’s beating itself back to life. Or at least trying to. Even through my clogged lungs and swollen throat, I gasp for breath. Desperately, unlike I’ve done in days.
“Attagirl,” he laughs, walking away from me to get into the driver’s seat.
Gripping the gun in my other hand, I take a deep breath as I go back to Lucian.
“Thank you for the offer. For helping me…”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“The Jeep isn’t so bad, and Ryan made a promise to protect me. I can’t let him break it. Not just yet.”
“You’re your mother’s daughter.” He smiles, but God, it’s so sad that I want to give him some of the warmth inside me.
After a beat he walks me back to the truck, helping me up before buckling me in.
“I’ll follow behind you to make sure you’re clear,” he tells Ryan. “Anything happens, you keep going. I don’t need help. Understand?”
“Loud and clear.”
Lucian takes a measured look over me before he shuts the door, and when he’s in his car, we get on the way.
Chapter 18
FLEUR
We’ve crossed the border into Spain. Navigating the winding road isn’t terrible. It’s actually peaceful. The drive hasn’t been all that eventful apart from the aches and pains of the end of this pregnancy. My back is sore, and even sitting, I can’t adjust to the pressure in my pelvis.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ryan asks again. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s asked me all the variations of that question the last few hours. “You look like you’re about to faint or something.”