Cameron's security reports were superficial at best. They included basic perimeter checks and routine schedule adjustments, but no real threat assessment. They also did notinvestigate how the letter writer was getting information or analyze potential suspects.
Amateur hour.
I made notes in the margins, and I already see a dozen ways to tighten security. The Luxembourg trip would need a complete overhaul—alternative routes, different timing, additional personnel. If Evangeline thought she would maintain her usual level of independence, she was in for a rude awakening.
My phone rang, interrupting my analysis.
Technically, she was right. I should have apologized to her for judging her, and I didn't know why I hadn't. Maybe it was because something about her defiant spirit called to a part of me I'd buried long ago. How she'd stood her ground, unafraid—it was both infuriating and oddly interesting.
Fuck no, I didn't want to feel any attraction to Evangeline. This was precisely the complication I couldn't afford. I'd handled beautiful clients before—actresses, models, heiresses—without this gut-punch reaction. But something about her defiance, the way she'd stood her ground in that barn, had gotten under my skin in a way that felt dangerous. She wouldn't be my distraction, yet I couldn't stop thinking about her smart mouth and those defiant blue eyes.
I was probably on edge because I hadn't fucked any woman since the one in Vegas. One-night stands and relationships were not something I did. I just went without, thinking that having sex once in a blue moon would be enough—until I was face to face with Princess Evangeline. I couldn't deny that she was beautiful, and I sensed she was strong-minded too. This would complicate everything for me, because when she was standing so close to me, I felt an electric charge running through my body. During my eight years in this business, I had handled attractive clients before, but this immediate physical responsewas unprecedented. I was hard for her instantly, and that level of instant attraction had never happened in a professional setting.
I had many relationships before Iraq and plenty of sex, but I never thought that I was actually in love with any of them. I didn't know love was real, although my brother Spencer would argue.
Just last week, Spencer had made quite the spectacle when he went on national television, handcuffed his nanny to himself, and declared that he was in love with her. Spencer had gone soft and lost his mind, but apparently this worked because after firing her, he got her back, and now they were engaged. I still couldn't get my head around it, but whatever. Spencer deserved to be happy for once, unlike my other brother Rupert, who was now calling me.
"Yes," I answered the phone, looking out at the garden. "I hope you're not calling me because you fucked up."
"You're an arsehole," Rupert groaned, and I smiled grimly to myself. "So how's the princess situation? You sound bloody thrilled about it."
"It's manageable," I lied, watching shadows move across the garden.
"Right. Because you're such a people person." Rupert's voice turned more serious. "Look, I need those CCTV reviews. Things are escalating here, and I need to know who's trying to fuck me over."
"I said I'd handle it."
"James." Rupert paused. "You sure you're alright taking this on? After everything with Iraq, being stuck playing babysitter to some entitled princess?—"
"I'm fine." The words came out clipped, sharper than intended. "Send me the files. I'll review them tonight."
"Alright, but if this goes sideways?—"
"It won't." I cut him off. "And Rupert? Don't mention Iraq again."
"Not yet. I thought you said this wasn't urgent?"
"It is now. I need to know who is trying to fuck me over; things are getting complicated here. You know I'm away to Sicily with Spencer, and I need to get this project straightened before my return," he explained.
Rupert had a property business that someone was actively trying to sabotage. My family influenced London society—Spencer was the Prime Minister, Rupert was a billionaire through his property empire, and Andrew was a widely recognizable actor. My father was half Italian, and we still had family there, so Rupert was traveling with his niece Maja and Spencer to the island when the summer started.
My security company had done well since I started it after leaving the military, but I still considered myself low-key. I hated attention, which is why I chose my profession. It was straightforward, and no one bothered me. None of us were on social media, which made things easier. We were all aware that Spencer and Andrew were always in the spotlight, so over the years, I became the family fixer—handling the press and managing any stories that appeared in the media. I became good at it, but that drove me away from my goal, which slowly and steadily became unreachable.
"I promised you I will look into it over the next few days, Rupert," I said, wanting to get off the phone. It had been a long day since arriving in Bellavista, and I suddenly felt exhausted because I found the Princess attractive. This was going to be a problem in the long run.
"You know about my mystery girl from Greece, right? The one I fucked ten ways till Sunday?" he asked.
"Yes, Rupert, what about her?" I asked, although I was ready to hang up the phone. My youngest brother knew I hatedwasting my breath on pointless conversations, yet he continued pushing me.
"It turned out that she works as an escort and lives with Spencer's new nanny. Can you fucking believe this shit?" he asked me, and I instantly knew that these kinds of coincidences didn't just happen. I had warned Spencer about his nanny. I told him she was a liability, and yet the fucker hired her.
"No, because we both know this is bullshit, and I hope that you're staying away from her?"
"I am, but it will not be easy, because I want her, and I can't stop fucking thinking about her," he confessed, and I was ready to give him a lecture, but I didn't have the mental capacity to do that right then. My brother was a grown man; he knew how to handle life.
"Then don't cry to me in a few weeks when things go to shit and I have to fix your mess again. That girl is not worth the hassle," I warned him, quickly adding, "Goodbye, brother. I'll check the CCTVs over and get back to you soon."
Then I hung up, because I knew this conversation would last another half an hour. I knew I needed to prepare mentally for being with the Princess from tomorrow, as my family pushed my limits. Deep down, I knew she was going to be a challenge. Her effect on me was unlike anything I'd experienced before, making her dangerous.
