Heat burns around my heart. Protective rage at the possibility of Blix touching her piques every muscle in my body.
“It’s a risk we have to take, but we won’t take it lightly,” Rowan says.
“How will you guarantee she won’t be hurt?” I’ve lost all vestiges of rank or subservience, but Rowan is not offended.
“Freddie has an idea for planting a tracking device under her skin. It would be a tiny chip emitting a GPS signal.”
“Is it safe?” I look to Freddie.
“So far it’s only been tested in animals.” My stomach turns, but in his voice is the enthusiasm of trying out new technology. “Still, the results have been positive across the board.”
I’m out of my chair, pacing the room. “This means you’ll tell her she’s to be used as bait?” It’s ironic, considering the man’s preferred method of torture.
Reggie’s bored tone enters the conversation. “Of course not.” He lifts a small vial containing what looks like a tiny SIM card. “We’ll inject it beneath her skin under the guise of being a vaccination of some sort.”
“So you’ll lie to her.”
“For her own protection.”
I don’t like it. I stand and go to the window, clenching my jaw and thinking of all the arguments against this plan. The second hand on the large clock in the back of the room ticks low and loud as the room falls silent. When I turn to face them again, three pairs of eyes are on me.
Again my body is tight. “What do you want me to do?”
“Give her a reason to leave,” Reggie says flatly. “Ideally, to leave and return to her previous occupation.”
My stomach roils and my voice rises. “Let me get this straight. You don’t want her to go home. You want her to go to Blix. The man who we’re pretty sure was ready to kill her at their last meeting?”
“Not necessarily go to him. But perhaps be open to contact from him,” Reggie speaks slowly, as if I’m too thick to understand. I want to pop him in the mouth. “She cooperated with him before because she thought she’d lost everything. Perhaps if she feels that way again—”
“No.” I cut him off. Anger is burning in my veins. “I won’t do it. We can send her out, but I won’t hurt her. She’s been hurt enough.”
“Just think about it. If she ignores his calls, we won’t have any way of tracking him. We need her to talk to him, help us draw him out.”
The grand duke always has a twisted approach to capturing suspects. I think back to his idea for luring Wade Paxton, the prime minister who wanted to assassinate Rowan. From a certain angle, his methods work, but as long as I’ve been in the picture, there’s always been collateral damage. I think of Ava being shot, Zelda being kidnapped…
“Yo
u’re assuming she will accept his calls.” My tone is sharp. “I’m not convinced anything would make her go back to that life.”
“It’s worth a try,” Freddie says quietly. “We won’t lose track of her. If he somehow does take her, we’re never more than five minutes away.”
I don’t like their level of certainty. I don’t like that they’re willing to dangle her like a fish on a line hoping to jerk her back before the shark devours her.
Rowan steps forward. “Let us have a moment.” Freddie and the duke rise at the king’s command. When the door closes behind them, he turns to me. “Your concern in this case seems more than professional.”
“Your majesty,” I do a slight bow. “I’m sorry. I just… I can’t agree with this, not after what happened last time.”
“Because you’re in love with her.”
I can’t answer. I won’t lie to him, but I’m not ready to own these feelings just yet—not after what she did. Instead I go to that damn window. The view is of a line of cliffs curving around the sea. Whitecaps are visible below, and it’s a majestic view of our small country.
“I know this is asking a lot—more than I’m willing to risk.” Rowan’s voice is quiet, calm. “However, after our success in Tortola, I have the utmost confidence in this team, in you.” His tone turns grave. “We have to stop this madman before he strikes us again.”
He’s thinking of the threat to Ava. I can only think of Kass. Ava at least is protected by his hunger for money. Kass has nothing to keep her safe.
Except one thing. “I have to be the one to guard her. It’s the only way I’ll agree.”
“How long have you known Cassandra?”