The hard facts made her accept that that love, or the beginning seeds of love, had never truly existed. Hadn’t he said so in the contract? She should have known better and protected her heart. She stepped back and shook her head. "I said I'd marry you because I felt something, not because..." Maybe she had said yes so fast because he was a prince. Either way she thought he might grow to love her, but he hadn't told her everything. She lifted her chin. "Of all this. Antonio, you didn'ttellme."
"I have less than two weeks until I must marry. What happened after we met has allbeenreal."
She slipped out of his hands and covered her lips. "Was it? How can it be when I was targeted by a computer program? I was a stupid fool to believe there mightbemore."
She turned toleave.
Antonio called out, "Kristin,wait."
However, whatever else he said faded as the door closed behind her. She needed to get her head on straight and she ran down the hall. Alone. Romantic love wasn’t real. She had always known that so she shouldn’t feel this bile grow inside her that made her bitter and sad. She should have been armed and protected herself from this sense of loss. Her mother had been right allalong.
Chapter12
Kristin'sentire body was stiff with hurt pride and her muscles banded together. The contract should have been enough of a signal to keep her heart safe. She glanced around the hallway, unsure where she was and her heart beat grew faster and faster. This was the cost of taking a risk. Allowing herself to believe insomethingmore.
She increased her speed despite the red satin heels, but she wasn't sure she was going in the right direction. The blue walls in the never-ending hallway, separated with oak doors that led to rooms she’d never been in, was making herdizzy.
Her skin felt dewy again, her hairs raised as if someone was close. She called out, "Whoever is there,goaway."
A shadow stepped forward from behind a corner of the upcoming hall. She caught herbreath.
"Princess."
Ice raced through her veins. She recognized the forty something year old man she had met earlier in the hall. "Korba, I'm not aprincess."
He inched closer to her. Her spine became like a steel rod as he said, "You're an American, and the last thing we need in this country are your people to come and takeusover."
Her heartbeat was so fast she feared a heart attack, but her years of self-defense classes reminded her to keep her knees apart and ready to kick. Her hands clenched into fists. "My people? I don't know the President. There will be no tanks coming in after me—I’m nobody. I want togohome."
He turned as if to walk with her down the hall, without a care in the world. "Then, I will drive you to theairport."
"You will?" Her voice was an octave higher. She coughed but the adrenaline still pumped in her veins. "That's it? You're not going tothreatenme?"
He moved closer to her and invaded her space. "No. The prince must marry in two weeks. If you are gone, then we can proceed as planned and no onegetshurt."
The hair on her body stuck straight up. She put her hand out to create boundaries. "Proceed as planned? Just leave me alone. I can find my own ride. Your country must have a carservice."
He grabbed her arm and tried to force her to go with him. "See, I can't do that. You have to disappear for two weeks, and that's exactly what we're goingtodo."
"You're hurting me." She squirmed hershoulder.
He squeezed her arm tighter. "Then comequietly."
"Not a chance." She stomped on his foot with her heel and then brought her leg up to knee him in his groin. The slit in her red dress allowed her easymovement.
“Ouch!” He let her go and covered hismanhood. "Oww."
She refused to wait and see if he was okay. She ran. Once she was in the hallway she took off her pretty heels and continued to run faster. She heard no footstepsbehindher.
Picking the first door, she ducked inside, then quietly closed it. Once she locked herself in a small dark closet devoid of clothes or anything at all, she ensured there was no other entryway by hitting the back wall. Safe. She dug the phone out of her bra and listened to her heart go fast as she said to herself, "Now let me callAntonio."
Someone banged on the door. Her hands shook. Antonio answered and she didn't wait for hello. "Korba is here. He tried tokidnapme."
"Be right there." Antonio's words were like steel that helped brace her against fear from the ramming of the oak dooroutside.
Then another man outside the door asked, "What's taking so long?" She didn’t recognize thevoice.
Instead of ramming, there was a jiggle at the knob. A second later the door of her closet opened and it was a young brown-haired soldier standing with Korba. She dropped the phone in her bra and made her hands into fists. The soldier tried to get her, but she kicked his leg, right at the knee cap. Heshouted, "Ahh."
