In Pursuit of a Princess

“If you’ll please let me up—”

Gabriel sat up and lifted her, his gaze following her every move. “Any pain? Cuts, bruises?”

“I only hit my head, but I think I’m okay.”

Gabriel went into action then. “Driver, are you all right?”

The man nodded, but Gabriel saw a trace of blood slipping down the man’s face. “You need a doctor.”

Before he could check on Deidre, Lara pushed past him to touch the girl on her arm. “Deidre, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” Deidre said, crying again. “Just a little wobbly, ma’am.”

“I’ll call for help.” Gabriel opened the door and stared out onto the busy exit ramp. While he explained their location to the 911 operator, he noticed they’d left the freeway and landed on a side street that would take them back to the Garden District. The SUV had rolled up an embankment, probably due to the driver’s expertise. If the tire had blown when they’d been up on the busy thoroughfare, things could have been a lot worse. They might have plunged off the main artery and hit this road head-on.

The princess might have died.

His heart hammered a skittish warning beat that repeated not again, not again, not again. After checking on everyone once more, he found some water and gave it to Lara.

“Drink this,” he gently urged, his eyes locking with hers.

“It’s been a rather exciting day,” she said, her tone shaky but light. “And I told you nothing exciting ever happened to me.”

“You’re nothing but exciting,” he replied, very much aware that she was close to having a hissy fit. He hoped she didn’t go into shock.

But then, this was Her Royal Highness Lara Kincade. She took a dainty sip of the bottle of water, cleared her expression, touched a hand to her hair and then gave him a challenging glance. “May I please exit the vehicle? I need some air.”

Gabriel stepped back, did a visual of the area and then nodded. “Stay near me, please.”

She did the chin-lift thing. “Deidre, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Deidre stayed in her seat, her head down. Every now and then Gabriel heard a sniffle. He handed her a bottle of water, too. But she just held it tightly in her hand.

“I can’t find my phone.”

“I’ll look for it,” the driver said. That busied him and kept Deidre focused.

And gave Gabriel a chance to whisper in Lara’s ear. “I don’t think this was an accident.”

She didn’t even flinch. “Neither do I.”

Gabriel kept checking the noisy highway above them and the streets surrounding them. “They could be watching right now.”

“I’m aware of that, too.”

“What do you want to do next?”

“Right now I want to go home and have a private fit.”

He smiled in spite of his jangled nerve endings. “What exactly happens when you have a private fit?”

She shook her head, gave him a defiant glare. “I mostly pace and throw pillows. If I actually throw plates or vases, someone will come running. I wish just once I could throw a whole set of china and not have anyone be concerned about it.”

He turned serious again. “Are you going to be all right for now?”

She got serious right back. “Do I have a choice?”

Sirens wailed down the ramp. “The cavalry has arrived,” Gabriel said. “Let the paramedics give you a good examination, Lara.”

“Of course.” But that defiant chin challenged the notion.

“I’m serious.” He did another scan of her face and her clothes. She looked as lovely as ever in her pastel flared dress and pearls. “How do you do it?”

Eyeing the EMTs, she asked, “Do what?”

“Stay so calm.”

“I’m not that calm,” she said on a catchy breath. “I’m so practiced in staying calm, always holding up my head, that my heart has forgotten how to feel anything, I think.”

Her eyes turned a rich blue-green. The glance she gave him was washed in regret and longing, in anticipation and apprehension. She sure was feeling something right now.

And Gabriel felt it right back. An awareness, a stirring, a need to...hold tight.

He let her go. Now was not the time to explore these odd and fascinating tingles and jangles moving throughout his system. Now was not the time to remind himself that this woman was so over his pay grade.

But someone, somehow, had to make the princess see that she was in danger.

Gabriel had seen enough death and destruction to know all the signs. Someone wanted the princess out of New Orleans.

Or worse...dead.

* * *

“Another quiet night at home.”

Lara turned from the Benoit to give Gabriel an elegant frown. “Hello, Gabriel. I’m sorry about the accident yesterday, but I hope you got some rest last night.”

“I did all right. How about you?”

“I didn’t sleep very well, but I’m a light sleeper on a good day. I’m a bit sore, but I’ll be okay.” She did a shoulder roll to hide her nervousness. “You had to come to my rescue yet again. I don’t think that’s what you signed on for, and I’d rather you didn’t put all this nastiness in the photo essay.”

“I don’t mind helping out, and I don’t mind leaving all of this out of my story,” Gabriel replied. “But I do mind that you refuse to cancel your upcoming public appearances and the big event coming up.”

“We’ve been over this,” Lara said, exhaustion tugging at her from every direction. “I’ve been planning this event for close to a year now. I can’t cancel the gala. I have dignitaries coming from the state and the city, and some coming from Washington and Europe, too. I’ve made a pledge to give the ticket money to the Kincade House foundation. I can’t go back on my word now, and I need you to cover the affair to reassure your readers that I’m doing what my husband wanted to do.”

He got up off the couch and came to stand next to her. “Even if someone is trying to kill you?”

Lara ignored the shivers hitting her skin like needles. “We don’t have proof of that.”

“Yet,” he added. “But I’m going to find that proof. I didn’t come here for this, but I won’t stand by and watch you get hurt or worse.”

He sounded confident and dangerous, but Lara refused to let him put himself in any more danger. She’d started this, so she’d be the one to finish it. “That’s not your job.”

“It is now.”

Lara tried to ignore the way his eyes washed over her with a dark concern. She was terrified that he might be right about the odd happenings around here, but she’d learned a long time ago to hide her fears. She’d also learned she couldn’t trust people. She’d been naive once but not anymore. “I have people looking into this, Gabriel. Malcolm and the police are going over the SUV to see what could have happened.”

“And I don’t trust those people or the police, either, right now. In spite of the tight security around you, someone has breached your home twice and managed to damage one of the tires on your vehicle, too.”

Lara came up with excuses to convince herself. “We don’t have proof that someone tampered with the tire. That’s why Malcolm is investigating the accident.”

“But earlier, you agreed that we didn’t think this was an accident.”

She nodded, played with her pearls. “Yes. But I want to wait for Malcolm’s report before I give in to that conclusion.”

His frown darkened. “Why are you so stubborn?”

She continued to play with her necklace. “Why are you so suspicious?”

“Can’t you see what’s happening right in front of your eyes?”

“I can see plenty,” she retorted, her arms pressing against the linen of her dress. “But I can’t let them see that I’m afraid. I’ve been through this before, many times. For some reason, if you have money and a title, some people seem to resent everything you do. So they make threats and try to frighten you away. I’m not that easily frightened. I came here with a purpose and I intend to see that purpose to fruition. As long as my detail team stays alert, I should be safe.”

Gabriel touched his hands to her arms. “But what if your team can’t stay on top of this?”

“They will.”

“I don’t believe that. Something new happens every day, and this is only the first week I’ve been with you.”

She gave him a direct stare. “You’re on Malcolm’s watch list, you know. This did start when you arrived.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. Don’t disregard my team, Gabriel.”

“Don’t disregard my warnings, Princess.”

Lara couldn’t deny he had a point, but she had her reasons for refusing to cancel the gala. “What do you think I should do? Run away? I was taught to never give up, to never quit.”

“You wouldn’t be giving up, Lara. You’d just have to adjust your plans.”

She gave him a long, intrigued stare. “What do you mean?”

“They must have your schedule or eyes on you so they can find out your schedule. I suggest you rearrange everything, starting today, without telling anyone, including Deidre, what your next move is going to be. That way, you can take care of business, but they won’t be one step ahead of you. We need to throw them off.” He shrugged, glanced toward the open pocket doors to the entryway. “Unless, of course, you have a mole on your team.”

“Are we back to that?”

“I never left that. You need to consider every possibility.”

Hoping to distract him, she turned and grabbed her briefcase. She didn’t want him to see the doubt in her eyes. Or the deception. “Right now I have a meeting with the auction curator. Are you coming?”

“You better believe it.” He grabbed his equipment and his many cameras. “I’ll be waiting with Malcolm out by the garage.”

Lara let out a sigh of relief. If she stayed focused on her purpose, this would be over soon. In the meantime, she also needed to keep Gabriel busy so he’d stop being an amateur sleuth.

* * *

Later that day, Lara glanced toward the dining room, where they’d just shared a meal Deidre had made. “I’m worried about Herbert. He always stays here in the house when I’m in town. But no one has heard from him since he finished cooking the other night. Not one word in three days.”

Gabriel nodded, checked his watch. “Even you have to admit that’s suspicious.”

Outside, the golden-pink dusk filtered through the mossy oaks and swaying palm trees. Night was coming. What would happen next? As much as she loved New Orleans, the city now held a sinister darkness that kept her on edge. But she couldn’t reveal her feelings to anyone right now. She wanted this over with and done. Starting to wonder at her own sanity, Lara reminded herself she had a goal and a plan to reach that goal.

Going back to Gabriel’s observation, she said, “Yes, it is. I got so busy and then with everything else that happened yesterday, I neglected to talk to Malcolm about that. Herbert is known for going off on weekends, but he always comes back. The police don’t think he’s a priority.” She whirled, her full-skirted dress twirling around her. “Better yet, I can go and check on him myself.”

“Oh, no.” Gabriel followed her to the hallway. “Not a good idea, Princess.”

She turned and leaned up, so he would hear every word. “But if I’m to trust no one, then I must find out for myself, don’t you think?”

A couple of silent seconds ticked by.

“Oh. No. No way. I refuse to go with you.”

Lara knew she was playing with fire, but she had to make sure Herbert was safe since the police seemed so nonchalant about his comings and goings. They’d questioned the entire household after the second intruder, but the locals hadn’t found anything to confirm that Herbert was missing, and they couldn’t connect him to the intruders at this point. But she could at least check his apartment. She’d often managed to sneak out for some girl time with her friends when she was first married, but those days seemed like a lifetime ago. She didn’t know Gabriel very well, but he was her best hope right now.

This is not a shopping trip, she reminded herself. This could get you in a lot of trouble.

She eyed him now. “You’re right. Silly idea.”

He turned to leave, stomped back. “You’re going without me, aren’t you?”

She lifted on her tiptoes to check the room. “I have to know. I’m worried and Malcolm will throw a fit if I ask him to do this.”

Gabriel rubbed his hand down his face, stared at the floor, then finally lifted his head. “I don’t like this at all, but I won’t let you go alone. And of course, you know that.”

Lara had hoped that, but she let out a sigh of relief, all the same. “Thank you. I’ll take full responsibility. But how can we get away?”

“I have ways of shaking off a detail.”

Lara wondered when and why she’d decided to trust this man. But after spending the day with him shadowing her like an unobtrusive knight, she’d seen the professional side of Gabriel Murdock. And she was impressed. He took pictures, lots of them, in a rapid session that never intruded. He took notes on a small pocket notebook, scribbling so silently, she forgot he was there. She had no doubt he could handle just about any situation. She needed someone like Gabriel Murdock in her corner.

“I can only imagine. After all, you are a reporter of sorts. You’d like to get the scoop on what’s really happening here, right?”

“Absolutely.” He walked her back to the parlor. “I’ve never tried to hide that. But I am professional and I won’t break the promise I made to you. This only goes public if you give me the word, but I’d be crazy to ignore the things happening to you. Until then, the only thing people will see in my pictures and story is the truth—that you’re here to do good work and to help the city of New Orleans.” He went silent, his eyes still following her. “That is the truth, isn’t it?”

Lara’s heart skipped ahead a couple of beats. He couldn’t find out the whole story. His eyes, so intense and so sincere, scared her. And intrigued her. She wanted to know his background, to understand why he chased stories and took pictures of both beauty and horror. She should tell him she’d changed her mind about finding Herbert, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Herbert had helped her with certain aspects of this whole affair. Had she put the jovial chef in danger?

“Yes, that is the truth.” Now she felt really awful because that was only part of the truth. She didn’t want to involve him in the rest.

“Okay.” He seemed pacified with her declaration.

“Will you go with me, then?”

“Do you know where Herbert lives?”

“Yes. He sometimes stays across the river in Algiers.”

“Then let’s go.” He pulled her close. “But you have to do exactly as I say. Malcolm will be furious with us, and I don’t want to get shot.”

“I have a gun.”

“No!” He shook his head, his words a low growl. “We do this my way, Princess, or no way at all.”

That demand made her wary. “What if you’re the mole? What if you’re trying to lure me away from the people I pay to protect me?”

Gabriel’s gruff chuckle sent chills up her bare arms. “Seriously, you want to go back over that again? Do you think I’d leave those packages or set foot in a vehicle I purposely sabotaged?”

“You did accuse poor Deidre and you had the means and opportunity to leave those packages, same as she did. Maybe you knew the blown tire wouldn’t cause a serious accident.”

“You don’t believe that, do you?”

Lara couldn’t picture this man trying to scare her or kill her. No, the only way she could picture Gabriel Murdock in her mind involved him holding her close and whispering to her, the way he’d done several times in their brief time together.

Pushing that image away, Lara shook her head. “I don’t think you’re behind this. But I have to be able to trust you, Gabriel. Don’t sell me out, to the press or to anyone’s greed.”

“I gave you my word,” he replied. “Now, are we doing this or not? I have pictures to download and some captions to edit.”

“We are,” she whispered. “But how?”

He leaned close again. “Remember, do exactly as I say and I’ll have you gone and back before Malcolm can sneeze. If we find something wrong at Herbert’s place, we’ll call Malcolm and the police.”

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