“Should I get rid of them, Your Highness?” Gabriel asked me, a smirk on his lips.
“We’ll see,” I replied, sliding inside before him.
It took a few moments before we finally started to move and no one said a word. It was as if we were going to a cemetery, not leaving one. I didn’t mind it though. It allowed me time to take in the scenery as we drove to the airfields. In the distance, I could see his hotel…the one he’d supposedly built for me.
“Why did you build a hotel here? If it’s for me, it seems like a waste of money since I’ll rarely be back.”
“But you will be back,” he said, and while I didn’t turn to look at him, I could see looking at me in the reflection of the glass. “You will be back and when you are, there will be place for you to call just yours, without your family… Though I’m not sure it was good investment. This city is quite violent. People who come here must be mad.”
“Or criminal, or royalty, or all of the above,” I replied, and as we stopped in front of the aircraft. The first thing I noticed about it was that it was a commercial plane and the second was the aircraft livery which boasted the letter D; which I could only guess was for his family name.
I looked over at him, but before I could even ask he said “Yes, it’s commercial. Sebastian and I thought it would be best if we didn’t make a big show and announce my return. It will look like any other international flight when we land in Monaco.”
I didn’t speak and Sebastian open the door for us. Gabriel stepped out, unbuttoning the top of his suit jacket and then reaching back for me. I didn’t take his hand, stepping out on my own. There were a dozen men dressed in casual clothing, waiting in front of the plane. In front of them was none other than Jackal. A black scarf was wrapped around her neck, hiding the only scar she didn’t like people to see; the scars all over her face were as clear as day. She walked up to me, taking my purse and nodding to Gabriel, who blinked slowly, taking her in before looking to me.
“Does your family hold interviews at the gates of hell for these people?”
“Jackal meet Gabriel. Gabriel, Jackal; my second and favorite assistant,” I said to him before looking over to Amelia, who seemed about ready to piss herself.
All our attention shifted when four other cars pulled to stop just a behind our car. Ethan, Ivy, Wyatt, Helen, Nari, Sedric, and Darcy all stepped out. None of them came closer, so I walked the short distance between us alone. When I got closer, I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.
Helen took that opportunity to latch on to me.
“Once you’re settled and ready to start wedding prep, you better call,” she said, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheeks.
When she let go, Nari, who usually prided herself on not being emotional, sniffled and wrapped her white arms around my neck.
“Show them what a real powerful woman looks like,” she whispered and quickly let go, stepping back.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Sedric frowned at me. “You shouldn’t go.”
“Agreed. Who’s going to stop Nari and Helen from—Ahh! Ouch!” Darcy bared his teeth at his sister.
“Children. Children. Behave,” I said to them both. They both grumbled but hugged me anyway.
“Be safe, cuz,” Darcy said.
“If you need back up…” Sedric started.
“I won’t call either of you,” I teased, letting go.
“So hurtful.” Sedric put his hand over his heart but smiled at me.
Leaving Ethan, Wyatt…and Ivy. Both Ethan and Wyatt looked as if they were doing everything possible to numb themselves. Anyone observing might think they were just standing there and staring at me, but they were looking through me, not at me. I could tell.
So, I gave them a moment and focused on Ivy, who smiled. “Last time we were on this airfield, you were welcoming us back, and now here we are, sending you off.”
“That is how airfields work… People come and people go,” I reminded her, hating the feeling of pain in the back of my throat. “Take care of my brothers, Ivy, or I’ll be back faster than you can reach for a bowl ice-cream.”
“You get to be a princess, and I get to be a barrier to stop these two from killing each other?”
“Exactly.” I grinned.
Wyatt huffed, saying to Ethan, “You’d think we were a pair of brutes the way they speak about us.”
“If anything, she’s one of the reasons we fought so much,” Ethan replied, glancing down at me.
Rolling my eyes, I moved first, hugging Ethan, kissing his cheek, and whispering into his ear, “I love you so much, big brother. To the moon and back.