Dirty Thief

“Let me clean you up.” He steps back, reaching for my hand.

Glancing down, I laugh at my demolished outfit. “Hang on.” I catch the bottom of my blouse and whip it over my head. My bra is gone just as fast. Unfastening my skirt, I let it fall to the floor, where it lands beside the scrap of lace. “Another one bites the dust.”

“You should probably just dispense with those for the duration.”

Excitement unfurls in my stomach. “Should I prepare for regular attacks?”

He shrugs, a naughty gleam in his eyes. “It’s good to be prepared.”

“This is hands-down my favorite royal task.”

He laughs, and I take his hand, following him to the shower.

Chapter 5

Rowan

My mind is on Ava as I make my way through the palace to the war room. We’ve decided to keep our family planning a secret from everyone—not just my mother. It was partially her idea, but I didn’t hesitate to agree. We already have enough pressure to deal with. The last thing we need is everyone watching us like a bomb getting ready to explode.

Reggie stands at the window this time, and I exhale deeply. I know where his mind is. The focused, kingly side of my brain even agrees with him. Then there’s my heart. I know how much helping these children means to Ava.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” he says, as soon as I enter the room.

“I’m not taking the orphans away from Ava.” My tone is final, and my uncle throws up his hands.

“So you’re going to position us to be at odds with the needs of the citizens?”

“I have a plan in mind for the people, but I need to send someone to talk to the various heads of state, to explain what we’re doing and make our position clear.” The plan unfolds in my mind as I say it, and I have to confess, it’s brilliant and solves my Reggie problem in one neat sweep. “I’d like that person to be you.”

The grand duke turns to face me, placing both hands on the back of his heavy chair. “And what is our position?”

“With regard to the refugee children, the queen regent, with my permission, agreed to take a handful of the orphans arriving in Italy. Ava and the Italian prime minister’s wife have tender hearts when it comes to these little ones, and they made a one-time agreement.” Taking a seat at the head of the table, I train my eyes on my uncle. “It was the right thing to do.”

“That’s it?” His eyes clash with mine, and I restrain the anger I feel toward him. Reggie is constantly testing my power.

“No.” I give Freddie a nod. “Ava is using all the resources we have available to reunite them with their families. She’s searching the different camps, and we’d like the other countries to help us, to be open to her requests.”

He exhales dramatically. “Why do you need me to deliver this request?”

“Because you are also going to explain the referendum I’m presenting to our parliament and enacting over the next few days.”

His eyebrow quirks. “Please continue, your grace.”

I’m giving him a compromise to the actions he’s been seeking. “After a very short implementation period, drivers of all heavy trucks and lorries must obtain personal travel visas before they can be on our streets. We will no longer accept the blanket coverage of their employers.”

Reggie nods. “This is good.”

Logan sits to my right, and his eyes flicker up to mine. “There are plenty of ways to avoid driving through Monagasco. Suppose businesses choose to pull out?”

“If they are not willing to give us this small measure of security, we will have to carry on without them.”

“However…” Freddie carefully chooses his words. “The most recent attacks were by private citizens. How can we stop something like that?”

“Old-fashioned security and barricades. We’ll begin immediately to reinforce road blocks in heavy pedestrian areas.” I turn the shiny black pen in my fingers. “We’ll require background checks on individuals renting large vehicles and driving them through the streets.”

“It will cause delays at the border,” Logan says, leaning away from the table. “We have to make this information widely public before it goes into effect.”

“It is a smart decision that will help our citizens feel safe,” Reggie argues. “Our streets are heavily populated with foot traffic. As you said, there are many routes around Monagasco. Businesses are free to choose those.”