‘It’s clear these pictures were taken by a drone outside her bedroom window,’ Valenti’s arctic fury cut through her thoughts.
Dear God! Pictures? Of her?
‘We can only be thankful it’s winter and her French windows were shut or who knows—’
‘You think?’ Valenti snarled, cutting off the policeman’s useless speculation. ‘How did this happen?’
‘Unfortunately, drones aren’t illegal,’ one policeman said.
Before she could stop herself, she was rushing into the room, skirting Valenti’s towering form to see the pictures they were examining.
All of her moving around in her bedroom.
‘Lotte.’ She ignored Valenti’s clipped warning, snatched up the photos and quickly leafed through them. Thanking the heavens for small mercies that none were of her naked.
Still she felt violated enough to rapidly swallow the wave of nausea that rose.
She let him retrieve the pictures from her, a curse barking from him as he handed them over to the officers before marching her back out of the room.
‘It’s becoming clear that you’ve been left for far too long to your own devices,’ he hissed as he led her down the hallway.
‘How dare you?’
‘Oh, you’re about to find out. Trust me on that.’
Shehatedthe dual outrage and the illicit thrill that went through her at that dark promise. The very unnerving thought that she was getting the attention she’d assured herself she didn’t want from her guardian.
She’d already let herself down enough by revealing how alone and unwanted she’d felt when she’d had to attend her graduation on her own, the pitying looks she’d been subjected to sinceeveryoneknew who her guardian and benefactor was. The Great Valenti Domene of the Even Greater Kingdom of Cartana. Second son of the recently abdicated king. Making him a prince in his own right.
Gunnar had sent her a large bouquet of flowers with a note sending his regrets since he was on the other side of the world saving precious lives. And she hadn’t had the heart to be overly upset, because she knew he was doing what he loved.
Valenti had sent nothing but stony silence. She’d known it. Expected it in fact after their awful last confrontation. And yet she’d spent half of that ceremony with an eye on the door, scouring the crowd, kicking herself for hoping he’d miraculously materialise. Apologise for turning up late. And if not crack a smile and congratulate her for sticking to the education she’d hated every second of every day—because she’d stupidly wanted to win his approval—then at least shake her hand. Brush a whisper of a kiss across her cheek.Deign to look at her for a scant second, even invite her to play a game of chess, like he had when she was younger and desperately wanted to forget the fog of grief hovering over her.
Lotte had hated the burning tears that wouldn’t be wished away all through the ceremony and in the long hours after when she’d logged online and allowed her adoring fans to fawn over her. Hating Valenti Domene every bruising second.
She clung harder to that resentment now, her muscles unclenching as it took hold.
‘Whatever rights you may think you have, it doesn’t give you the authority to show up when it suits you and manhandle me however you please. We have laws here that explicitly prevent you from acting like a…’
One dark eyebrow arched when she stumbled to a halt. ‘Like a…?’
‘Like an overbearing jackass!’
His head tilted, his keen gaze not straying from her for a moment. ‘Not the worst thing I’ve been called. But do go ahead. Call whoever you need to call.’
She held out her hand. ‘Give me back my phone and I will.’
‘Not happening. Your phone stays off until we get this situation under control.’
‘What? You can’t do that.’
‘And yet I’m doing exactly that.’ He turned and strolled out of the room, leaving her no choice but to chase after him like some pesky, unwanted pet.
He rasped instructions she was too enraged to hear at Leif as the police departed and he headed for the door, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he added, ‘You should know, I’m not averse to carting you around like luggage if that’s what it takes, but you probably won’t like that. So come, Lotte. Now.’
She didn’t bother pleading with Leif or the handful of guards strewn around the room and in the corridor. Every single one of them answered to Prince Valenti Domene. All he needed to do was lift a finger or that scarred eyebrow that somehow,maddeningly, made him hotter, and they’d jump to do his bidding.
She wasn’t about to lower herself kicking and screaming like a toddler, no matter how frustrated she was. Besides, as much as she hated to admit it, those pictures had…perturbed her. Itwas one thing being trolled or harassed online. A post could be blocked, an app or email deleted.
