A Player for A Princess

I stop in place when I see my uncle already at a window seat with a glass of champagne in front of him.

“Reggie!” I hesitate before going forward. “What are you doing here?”

“Your brother told me where you were going. I’m coming with you.”

My brow lines and I walk quickly down the row and take the chair directly across from him. “Rowan told you where I’m going?”

“He said you’re flying to Tortola. I hope you don’t mind I changed your flight plans. We need to stop in Miami first.”

Gripping the arm of my seat, I lean forward. “What happened? What do you know?”

“It seems the criminal is returning to the scene of the crime.”

He pauses for a sip of wine, and I barely manage a calm, “Please continue.”

“Ronald Delahousse in Miami heard about a man with an exaggerated southern accent working roulette wheels on the cruise circuit. I’m willing to bet it’s Mr. Hines.”

My throat tightens. It’s such an incredible break in the case if we’ve found him. “But… would he be so careless to return to Miami?”

“I don’t expect Mr. Hines is aware we’re working together, and as such, I’m sure he expects your focus has shifted.”

The flight attendant steps into the small cabin. “We’re cleared for takeoff, your grace. May I get you something to drink?”

“Scotch neat, thanks,” I say, sitting back and considering this new development. “If he’s working cruise ships, are we sure we’ll catch him in port?”

Reggie nods, and glances at the magazine on the table in front of him. “The ship he’s currently on returns to Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow. He’s been sticking close to the dock, renting rooms under an alias and leaving again within days. We’ll have to act quickly, but we’ll catch him this time.”

Pulling out our flight plan, I survey our schedule. We stop once to refuel in three hours, then the remaining eight are spent over the Atlantic. We’ll arrive in Florida tomorrow morning. Sliding my palms down my legs, I try to relax, something I haven’t been able to do since this ordeal began.

My uncle looks up from his magazine. “There’s a bed in the back. You should try to sleep. We’ll want to be alert when we get there.”

I glance up at him. “I’m afraid the chances of me sleeping are slim to none.”

The flight attendant returns with my tumbler of scotch, and I nod my thanks. She takes her own seat as the plane picks up speed for takeoff. It’s a smooth ride for a small jet, and it isn’t long before we’ve reached our cruising altitude.

Reggie looks out the window, his voice thoughtful. “The night I met Zelda Wilder, I was impressed by her brains. She sees every angle.”

I still haven’t decided how I feel about my uncle’s involvement in this affair, but I agree with his statement.

“You’re right.” Leaning forward, I rub my hand over my mouth as I think. “She’ll keep her eyes open.”

He nods, looking back at me. “She’ll survive.”

It’s the one thing I’ve been holding onto as we’ve scoured manifest after manifest, as we’ve gone from hotel room to hotel room. I’ve held onto that fact through every day that has gone by with no word.

“She will survive,” I repeat. “And we’ll deal with the men who’ve hurt her.”

Reggie makes a noise of assent then he leans back and stretches his legs. “I wasn’t thinking of you when I hired her to do this job. Despite everything that’s happened, Zelda is controlled. She takes responsibility very seriously.”

That makes me almost laugh. “And I don’t?” My eyes cut to his, and he does a little frown.

“Up until now, you’ve had the well-deserved reputation for irresponsibility. Even when you were on active duty.”

I trace my finger around the lip of my glass. “You’re right again,” I say, and all of my indiscretions filter through my mind. “I was a royal fuck-up. I didn’t have a reason to care. Rowan has always been on track to lead the country. My position has always been redundant, superfluous.”

“The threat of something happening to him, of an assassination attempt or an accident, has always been there. You are far from an extraneous member of the monarchy. If Miss Wilder has helped you to find balance, I’m glad I brought her into this mess.”

Inhaling deeply, I try to remember the day I changed. It didn’t happen all at once. It crept up behind me when I was holding her, kissing her, laughing with her, and making love to her.