A Player for A Princess

The loud slamming of a palm against the side of the truck snaps me from my trance. I look up to see Blix is there, his blue eyes simmering with anger.

“Get out,” he orders. “I’m leaving.”

Terror grips me at those words. “Where am I?” I say desperately. “You can’t leave me here. What is this place?”

He steps forward and grips my arm, dragging me roughly across the bed of the truck. I let out a little squeal, and he jerks me up and over the side of the truck then releases me.

“OH!” I shout, flailing for anything to grab as I fall all the way to the sandy ground. I hit the sand with a hard Thud! that rattles my teeth and sends screaming pain through my head.

I lie on my side on the sand unable to move. I don’t fight the tears this time as my vision tunnels. Too late, I realize Blix is in the truck and revving the engine.

He hits the accelerator so hard, the tires spin, shooting sand into my face and all over my body. I twist quickly away using my hands to protect my nose and mouth. He’s gone before I even open my eyes. I don’t want to open my eyes. My limbs are heavy, and I’m so tired. I feel like I might vomit again, but instead, I give up the fight and fade into the blackness.

12

Pieces

Cal

Ava sprints across the tarmac as I descend the steps of the small jet. Her green eyes are red-rimmed, and I see unshed tears in them. “What’s happening, Cal? Where is she? Do you know anything?”

I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her to my chest in a hug. My eyes squeeze shut as I fight my own desperation. I feel every bit of the pain tearing her apart. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep my promise to you.”

“NO!” she wails, and my insides crumble.

Her body shudders as she cries, and I look up to see Rowan waiting beneath the covered walkway. The moment he sees her break, he’s across the space to where

we’re standing and pulls her into his arms.

“Welcome home,” he says, giving me a nod.

I can’t answer him. I told Ava I wouldn’t come back without her sister, and here I stand, empty-handed.

Rowan and I have been communicating since I left Tortola, and he’s up to speed on everything we’ve been able to uncover over the last four days—which isn’t much.

“Wait,” Ava turns in my brother’s arms, pushing the tears off her cheeks. “You found Seth, right? What did he say?”

My jaw clenches in frustration. “We didn’t find Seth. He left the island before I even knew Zelda was gone.”

“What do they want?” Her voice is almost a shriek. “I understand trying to hurt me, but not Zee! Zee doesn’t have connections to anyone! She doesn’t possess state secrets…”

It’s a question I’ve been turning over and over in my mind. No one knows about our engagement. We weren’t at Occitan when I proposed, and the villa we rented was completely secure. Even more, this kidnapping was planned. It’s the only explanation for how easily they took her and disappeared so fast and so thoroughly.

I’ve only been able to reach one conclusion.

“It’s my fault,” I say quietly. “By going after her, I basically confirmed their suspicions about her value. If I had sent someone in my place, someone nobody knew to bring her back—”

“Stop!” Ava grabs my arm with surprising strength. Her green eyes are wide, and she infuses her words with so much emotion. “You couldn’t help going after her. You love her, and what she did was… What we did was wrong.”

Rowan’s deep voice cuts her off. “We’ve already gone over this. Reggie tricked you, and Zee felt compelled to keep you safe.”

“Still, Cal needed answers.” She slides her hand down to mine. “It’s not your fault.”

“Thanks,” I say, unable to smile. “I’m sorry I don’t share your opinion. I was angry, and I wanted to make her confess what she’d done. I wanted to…”

My voice trails off. I can’t say the truth out loud, that I’d wanted to hurt her the way she’d hurt me. The truth of that statement cramps my stomach. If anything happens to her…

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back,” I continue. “We’ll never stop searching until we’ve found her.”