Adriane knew that his adviser was simply doing his job, counseling him in matters of state, but he still didn’t appreciate the man’s words.
“As Ms. Palazzo carries my child, none of that matters. Would you have me deny my heir?” Adriane asked with a deadly calm.
“Of course not, Sire. But do we know for certain that the child she carries is yours? You haven’t been with her for months,” Nico reminded him.
“Yes, Nico, I am very aware of that fact, and I won’t allow a statement like that to be made again,” Adriane warned. Nico backed off immediately, and he handed Adriane a folder containing documents for him to go through and sign.
Adriane’s country was in a fragile state at this moment and he really didn’t have time to cater to Rachel, but because she was carrying his child, he also couldn’t afford not to. What he was doing was less than ethical, but in his mind, it didn’t matter. His biggest concern was getting her to see reason, having her accept that as she was carrying the heir to the Corythian throne, the only way for them to move forward was for her to remain with him as his wife.
Her brother would be a problem. Adriane had known Rafe for some years now, and he knew he wasn’t a man to back down. As king, Adriane surely didn’t want a major diplomatic disaster, but he’d do what he had to do. And Rafe would have to admit that he’d behave in the same way if it were his child a woman carried.
It was time to speak to the man he considered a friend and occasional business associate. If Rafe could just see reason, maybe they could avoid an international scandal.
Both he and Nico were lost in thought as the car moved through his country. It was a beautiful land, one that he’d always been proud to belong to. The hills were lush with foliage, and the fields were abundant with crops.
Their country’s main source of income was tourism. The island offered several large, exclusive resorts that catered to the rich and famous, giving them a private place in paradise to escape from the media and from fans and stalkers. These visitors were free to walk the islands with no one bothering them or taking pictures.
They also spent a good deal of their money at Adriane’s casino, his pride and joy. He’d fought a lengthy battle with his father to build it, and he had finally won the argument five years before. It had brought much wealth to Corythia.
The villages all prospered with seasonal fishing, and they offered quaint restaurants and authentic souvenirs. Though Adriane’s country wasn’t large, it was hardly the smallest in the area.
The country and its wonders would be around long after his death, long enough that his line could rule for centuries to come.
Though Adriane hadn’t wanted to be king, his brother had left him no choice. Still, his initial reluctance to ascend the throne didn’t mean he wouldn’t fulfill his duties to the fullest. The people were a good people and he would never show them disrespect by leading them with a heart that wasn’t true.
Adriane smiled as the car passed an orchard. It was good to be home, even if not all was going as planned in his life.
Nico wasn’t happy, but his adviser would get over it. Nico had learned long ago that Adriane would listen when it was truly needed, but he was a man and now a king who didn’t lean on others, didn’t let himself get strong-armed into positions he wasn’t comfortable with.
His council had butted heads with him on more than one occasion — and they’d lost.
Their car reached the dock and Adriane scooped Rachel into his arms before striding to the awaiting boat.
There were only two ways to get where he planned to take Rachel. By boat or chopper. Tonight, he preferred going by boat.
This was where he parted company with Nico for now. The man had a lot to get done over the next few days, and Adriane had a plan. As he smiled down at Rachel’s softly lit face, he knew there would be hell to pay when she awoke.
It would be well worth it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
DESPERATELY TRYING TO calm herself, Rachel walked back and forth the huge room for the thousandth time, or at least what felt like it.
When she woke up a few hours before, she’d forgotten for a few moments where she was and had simply luxuriated in the comfortable bed, and in the fact that her too constant companion, nausea, was taking a leave of absence.
Then it had all come back to her, and anger had quickly taken over.
Trapped.
She was trapped in a gilded cage that was disguised as a large room, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, she could do about it. Pounding on the doors, issuing threats, begging. None of it had worked. The men and women who had brought in food and drink either didn’t speak English or Italian, or just pretended they didn’t; no one would talk to her.
They simply smiled, offered her items, and then quickly scurried away. When she’d made an attempt to get past the guards — yes, actual guards — they had gently but firmly shut the twelve-foot-tall doors after mumbling something in French.
It was decided. She would have to murder Adriane.
Yes, she’d either be executed or spend the rest of her days in prison, but it would be well worth it. The man needed to be murdered. He was begging for it.
Furious with Adriane for bringing her here and then leaving her alone all day, Rachel looked around for possible weapons. But when she stopped and took a moment to think about her murderous intentions, she sagged against the couch.
Of course she wasn’t going to kill him. But throwing a glass at his head — that was a real possibility. He deserved to be hit. King or no king.
Rushing over to the closed and locked doors, Rachel raised her voice, yelling as loudly as possible. “I swear by all that’s holy, if you don’t get your worthless, kidnapping, traitorous king into this room right now, I’ll break every priceless item in here! And I’ll start by smashing one of these vases over the head of the first person who comes in to try to calm me down!”
“The guards tend to frown upon visitors who threaten their king. As a matter of fact, they like to throw said ‘threateners’ into the dungeons for some much-needed attitude adjustments.”
With a gasp of shock and outrage combined, Rachel spun to her left to find Adriane standing in the middle of the room, looking far too smug and pleased with himself.
Chest heaving, she took a menacing step in his direction, her eyes darting to one of the crystal vases nearest to her.
“I would advise against that, Rachel,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes, as if he were enjoying her tantrum.