‘‘I don’t have an answer to that. I guess John would just have to live with what happened.’’
Her shoulders slumped a little, the first slip of otherwise perfect posture. ‘‘But I have to talk with him.’’
‘‘You really think he might be your brother?’’ Mitch asked doubtfully. John, the lost royal prince? Mitch turned the idea over in his mind. No, it wasn’t possible, was it?
‘‘I don’t know what to think,’’ Alex admitted. ‘‘I just know that I must speak with him.’’
They both heard footsteps from the hallway. The security men walked into the kitchen. ‘‘Princess Alexandra, how long are you planning to stay this afternoon?’’ the taller of the two asked. ‘‘We have a long drive ahead of us.’’
Alex looked at Mitch. ‘‘Could it really be weeks until he comes back?’’
Mitch nodded.
She drew in a breath. ‘‘Mr. Colton has informed me that his brother is away for an unspecified period of time that could turn into several weeks. I intend to stay in the area until he returns.’’
‘‘That’s not possible,’’ the security agent told her. ‘‘We can’t spare the manpower to keep you safe here and to watch your sisters.’’
‘‘Then hire more people.’’
‘‘And alert your parents?’’
‘‘You’re right,’’ Alex said slowly. ‘‘They would question additional security personnel, and I don’t want them worrying.’’
‘‘Return to Aspen. You can ask Mr. Colton to phone you when his brother returns.’’
Alex rose to her feet. She was tall, five-nine or five-ten. There was something regal about her bearing, and when she turned her full attention on the security agent, Mitch almost felt sorry for the man.
‘‘I’m going to assume that was a suggestion and not an order, Rowan,’’ she said, her voice crackling with ice.
The man inclined his head briefly. ‘‘Yes, Your Highness. However, itismy responsibility to keep you and your sisters safe. That means keeping you together.’’
‘‘We have plans to go to different parts of the country as part of our tour. We’ll be attending various social functions.’’
‘‘Agreed, and we have security set up for all those venues. What we don’t have is enough manpower to set up a separate home base here in a hotel. You would be at risk, and I will not allow that, ma’am.’’
It was a battle of wills, Mitch thought as he leaned back, bracing his chair on two legs. Given the odds, he would put all his money on the princess. She didn’t look like the kind of woman who gave in easily.
‘‘I’m not leaving,’’ she said evenly. ‘‘I want to be close so that I can speak to John Colton as soon as he returns. I also need to spend some time going through records at The Sunshine Home. I can do neither of those things from Aspen.’’ She raised her hand to silence the other man before he could interrupt. ‘‘If you want me to live somewhere secure, I will. I know a place that is relatively isolated and has already passed a security check.’’ She turned to Mitch. ‘‘Would it be too much trouble if I stayed here with you until your brother returned?’’
Chapter Two
Mitch’s mouth dropped open at the same time his chair thumped down onto all four legs. Based on the stunned expression on his face, Alex realized she’d caught him off guard with her question. She didn’t want to turn around and look at either of her security people. Rowan, the one in charge of her personal safety, would get coldly quiet, and his assistant, Ted, would be gaping like a fish. She decided to plunge ahead before any of the men could start with the protests.
‘‘It would only be for a short time,’’ Alex said quickly, focusing all her attention on Mitch. ‘‘I would only need a place to sleep and somewhere to set up a small office. I know this would be a tremendous imposition, but I desperately need to speak with your brother. If he’s not the missing heir, then he might know something important about the others. I’ll be happy to pay whatever you’d like.’’
At her final statement, Mitch’s shocked expression shifted to narrow-eyed irritation. ‘‘This isn’t about money,’’ he said slowly.
Too late Alex realized she’d offended her potential host. ‘‘Yes, of course. I didn’t mean—’’
But she never got to say what she didn’t mean. Rowan was already talking.
‘‘This is completely out of the question, ma’am. I cannot spare the personnel necessary to keep you safe here on a ranch in the middle of Arizona. You must return to Aspen and stay with your sisters.’’
Rowan’s gaze also narrowed. What was it with men and their steely looks? She braced herself, knowing that the by-the-book bodyguard was about to play his trump card. ‘‘If I don’t receive your cooperation in this matter, I will be forced to go to the king.’’
Alex felt herself being maneuvered into a corner. If Rowan called her father, there was no way she could keep their mission in America a secret. She had to keep the security agent’s cooperationandstay on the ranch. Talking to John Colton was important.
‘‘I’m not sure I see the problem,’’ Alex said with a calm she didn’t feel. ‘‘The ranch is isolated, which works to our advantage. Who would look for me here?’’
