“Rash?”
“I don’t know. I guess he told Rachel he had athlete’s foot from chasing her in his dreams for so many years.”
I winced. PoorDimitri. “Uh, he didn’t mention a rash. I think it must’ve been the language barrier. I’m sure he meant to say something—”
“Less disgusting?”
“Oui.”I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out just as our SUV pulled up to the curb.
“Oh, look,” Hannah exclaimed, pointing at the two black SUVs with the same make and model. “They match. Do you think they’re staying at your hotel, too?”
“Maybe,”I murmured, despite the fact I had just watched Dimitri climb inside one. Pulling open the rear passenger door, I gestured to Hannah to get inside.
“Just a sec.” Hannah ran around the front of the car and with her phone took a picture of the license plate and the hulking outline of Étienne behind the wheel. “Good to go. Now if I disappear or anyone finds my body, a few friends have the licenseplate and a picture of the guy driving the car I was in.”
I climbed in after Hannah and met Étienne’s eyes in the rearview mirror. He didn’t look as amused as I felt.
“Should I feel affronted that I didn’t merit a picture?”
A flash went off in my face before I could blink.
“Happy?” Hannah snorted as her fingers flew across the screen of her phone again.
I was guessing by the sound, sinceall I could see was one big white spot.
“I had no idea you were such a prima donna,” Hannah muttered as she typed some more.
Once my vision was somewhat normal, I noticed Étienne’s hands flexing on the steering wheel. After establishing eye contact in the rearview mirror, I slowly shook my head. I knew he wanted to come to my defense and delete her pictures, but they were harmless. I wasn’tdoing anything reckless, and I doubted that, even if she were the type to sell the photos to a gossip rag, they would make her any money.
“Étienne needs to know where we’re going next.”
“I know. I’m looking.”
I blinked. Hannah had made it sound like she had every part of our night planned down to the millisecond. “You don’t know?”
“Okay—6550 South Buffalo Drive. Wait, you’re not a vegetarian,are you?”
“Quoi? Non.Why?”
Étienne typed the address into the sat nav, then texted the address to the other security car. Seconds later he signaled and pulled into traffic.
“You’ll see,” Hannah replied with a smug little smile.
I wanted to pester her with questions, but for the first time since my life went sideways I was enjoying the unknown. Unlike the past year, this roller-coaster ridewith Hannah was fun. Although, since her last surprise was the Erotic Heritage Museum, I had no idea what she had up her sleeve next.
Hannah fiddled with her seatbelt and avoided looking at me. “So tell me more about yourself. What was it like to grow up in Monaco?”
Étienne’s eyes flashed to mine in the rearview mirror, reminding me of our audience. I felt like such an ass, but what could Isay?I’ve been lying to you. I’m actually a prince so I’d rather not talk about it?
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s always hard to answer when people ask that. It was my childhood. I didn’t know any different, you know?”
Hannah tilted her head. “I know what you mean. People always ask what it was like to grow up in Las Vegas. It’s home. It’s all I’ve known. But in case you were wondering, Ididn’t live in a casino. Just a regular ol’ house. My parents do not work in a casino. I went to a normal school. And no, they didn’t teach us how to gamble in grade school.”
“People ask you that?” I’ve had my share of weird assumptions about my life. Somehow I’d never thought that ordinary people had the same issues. Huh.
“Anyone who’s not from here. It’s obnoxious, really.”
I could relate.Not that I could say as much. I shrugged. “I guess my childhood was normal for an upper-class family.”
