Royal Secrets (18 page)

“Can we play for a minute, Mama?”

“Just for a minute,” Alora agreed. Both boys raced across the office to an armoire on the far side of the room. They opened the bottom section and pulled a bin of toys out onto the thick carpet.

“We thought Alora could work in here,” Garrett said and then motioned to the door leading to the interior office. “Your office is in there.”

Janessa followed him through the doorway, and her breath caught. “Oh wow.”

“Do you like it?” Alora asked as she and Stefano joined them in the inner office.

“Did you do all this?” Janessa asked with wonder in her voice. The room had been completely transformed. Like the exterior office, the walls had been repainted in warm neutral tones, and the artwork had been replaced with a tasteful combination of classic and contemporary.

Alora motioned to Stefano and Garrett. “They spearheaded the remodeling. I only helped a bit with the decorating.”

“She’s being too modest,” Stefano insisted. “I just gave her a list of contractors and then stayed out of her way.”

Janessa looked around the room once more in admiration, and she didn’t miss the way Alora’s cheeks flushed at Stefano’s compliment or the way Stefano’s eyes lingered on her a bit longer than usual. She reached out and ran a finger over a round cherry table and continued through the room until she reached the exquisite Chippendale desk positioned near the window. “Thank you all so much. This is a wonderful surprise.”

Alora let out a sigh of relief and stepped closer to the window. “Can you believe this view?”

Janessa turned and looked out the window, which was now framed by elegant lace curtains. Her smile came quickly. “It appears I have the best of both worlds. I can see the Mediterranean from my room when I wake up in the morning, and we can see the country landscape from here.”

She noticed Stefano’s quick smile, and her eyebrows drew together. “What?”

“Nothing.” Stefano shook his head, his eyes shifting to Alora before he spoke to Janessa once more. “I’m just pleased that you’re happy with your new space.”

Chapter 22

His eyes narrowed as he studied the piece of equipment on the table and then looked up at Prince Elam. “You told me days ago that you recovered the transmitter. Where is the other half?”

“That’s all there was.”

He shook his head. “There were two pieces.”

“No one told me that.” Elam’s voice tightened. “I had to break a hole in the wall to get that one. By now the renovations must be complete. There’s no way I can retrieve the other piece without raising suspicions.”

“If the other half was discovered, we need to know about it.” His voice darkened as he added, “If your intelligence service is able to trace it back to my supporters, all of us will be exposed.”

“This is already getting out of hand. I didn’t sign up for this.”

“No, but we have an agreement. You don’t want to find out what will happen if you break your end of it.” The unspoken threat hung in the air.

Elam swallowed hard. “I already told you, my brother doesn’t confide in me about security matters. There’s no way I can get that information.”

“Perhaps there’s another way. With the right technology, you would be able to scan the wall in your old office, and no one will ever be the wiser.”

“No one will know?” Elam asked.

“Your secrets will stay safe with us,” he promised, a slow smile spreading across his face. “But there is one more thing we need.”

Elam drew a deep breath. “What do you want me to do?”

* * *

After getting a glimpse of Janessa’s ever-changing schedule, Alora expected her own routine to be turned upside down. To her surprise, her days played out very much like they had before Janessa arrived home. She and her children still started their day in the breakfast room with Stefano. More often than not, Janessa and Prince Garrett joined them, and Alora was pleased to see the strong bond between her friend and the man she intended to marry.

Patrice still supervised the boys as they did their chores each morning, simple tasks that typically included helping take out the trash and clearing the table. More and more, Alora noticed that Patrice was also letting them help when she baked. She also now insisted that Giancarlo and Dante speak to her in French so they could practice.

With their newfound interest in the horses, the boys spent the rest of their mornings helping Paolo in the stables, followed by riding lessons. As soon as they were finished at the stables each morning, Brenna stepped in to oversee the rest of their activities. The swimming lessons had been rescheduled for after lunch, following which they played in the pool or on the beach.

Every night when she knelt to pray, Alora was amazed that this life was really hers. She had hoped this move would help her children gain more exposure to the world and give them the opportunity for a better education. Never had she expected private lessons and regular meals with royalty to be part of the experience.

Since Janessa was typically at the naval base in the middle of the day, Alora often still ate lunch with Stefano. She found it a bit unreal that for the past three years she had eaten nearly every meal sitting at a wobbly table in a tiny apartment, and now she was living in a place where each meal was served in a corresponding dining room.

Despite the summer heat, the boys had taken to eating their lunch on the shaded portion of the terrace. They were just close enough to the beach to feel the breeze stir and cool the air, and the scents from the garden always made Alora feel like she was dining on some secluded tropical island. Although Stefano’s schedule now included a steady stream of meetings during the day, typically he arrived to eat lunch with them, often lingering with Alora long enough for them to watch the boys splash in the pool before walking back upstairs to their respective offices.

Somehow Janessa had managed to get Alora’s CIA security clearances reinstated so she could help manage some of the workload on the naval base as well as at the chateau. Besides setting up their new offices, Alora had also been tasked with coordinating the travel arrangements for the CIA’s personnel who had arrived to monitor a suspected bomb maker in Meridia.

The idea of terrorists in this small, picturesque country seemed surreal, but finally the CIA had their people in place, and Alora was free to concentrate on Janessa’s schedules and obligations. Now that she had been living at the chateau for nearly a month, she felt like she had a handle on what was expected of her. She had even learned her way around this structure that she already considered her home.

When a man opened her office door, Alora looked up from her desk inquisitively. He was older, his beard and mustache neatly trimmed, and arrogance hung heavily over him. Her voice was professional when she asked, “May I help you?”

“No, I’ll only be a minute.” The man started for the door leading to Janessa’s office.

Instinctively, Alora stood and moved to block his path. “I’m sorry, sir, but Signorina Rogers isn’t in right now.”

Irritation and disdain hung thick in his voice. “Don’t you know who I am?”

“No, sir.” Alora shook her head, her feet firmly planted in front of the doorway.

“I am Prince Elam. This is my old office.”

“I see.” Alora couldn’t say why his announcement only strengthened her resolve to hold her ground. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I left some things here I need to pick up. Now if you’ll move aside.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but everything that was in there has been replaced. If there is anything you need, I believe Martino can direct you to where your things are being stored.”

“I will see for myself.”

Alora didn’t budge. “I’m sure Signorina Rogers would be happy to show you her new office. Would you like to make an appointment?”

Fury lit his eyes. “Are you trying to get yourself fired?”

“On the contrary. I’m trying to do my job.”

“Move aside.” Prince Elam reached out to put his hand on her shoulder to shove her out of the way just as another man stepped into the office.

“Is there a problem here?”

Elam turned and looked derisively at the new arrival. “Who are you?”

“Levi Marin. I’m with security here.”

Elam’s jaw clenched, and he appeared to be struggling to keep his temper in check. “She won’t let me into my old office.”

“Sir, she’s just doing her job. If you need something, I would be happy to show you to the storage room where your belongings are currently being housed. Otherwise, you’re welcome to take up your complaint with Prince Stefano. I believe he is in his office across the hall.”

Elam’s jaw clenched, and his face flushed with frustration. “This is an outrage!”

“I’m sorry, sir, but Signorina Rogers’ office is off limits to anyone besides her staff.”

Elam stalked to the door until he was eye to eye with Levi. “It appears everyone wants to lose their jobs today.”

Alora could feel her face pale at the thought, but she kept her head up high as the prince stormed into the hall. She’d been here barely a month, and already she’d managed to alienate herself from a member of the royal family.

Levi stepped farther into her office and closed the door behind him. He waved dismissively toward the door. “Don’t worry about him. He doesn’t have the authority to fire either one of us.”

“Are you sure?” She eyed him doubtfully.

“Positive.” Levi stepped closer and held out an oversized manila envelope heavily sealed with clear tape. “This is a pouch from Langley. The reports Janessa requested are in there.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Langley?”

He glanced behind him at the closed door before turning back and nodding. “I was brought in to help with security a few months ago. My assignment’s been extended for another six months.”

Alora smiled. “I guess you’re right that Prince Elam can’t fire you.”

“Or you.”

Her smile faded. “But I’m not on the Agency’s payroll. Janessa said the royal family is paying my salary to be her assistant.”

“Even if that’s the case, I seriously doubt the royal family would bow to Prince Elam’s wishes. Except for the most public events, he and his family are rarely on the guest lists for social functions.”

Alora lowered into her chair with a sigh. “I can’t tell you what a relief it is to hear you say that.”

Chapter 23

Janessa set the latest CIA intel report on her new desk and looked at Levi, who was sitting opposite her. “Our agents have been in place for more than two weeks, and they still don’t have anything?”

Levi shook his head. “We’ve had a constant tail on our suspect, and so far, no abnormalities have popped up in his purchases, and we haven’t seen any evidence of him receiving shipments.”

“It’s possible he already has everything he would need to make a bomb, if that’s what he’s planning,” Janessa pointed out. “Our records show he arrived in Meridia at least three weeks before our operatives arrived.”

“Yes, but why wait for so long?” Levi asked. “It isn’t like Ambrose to stay in one place for so long, at least not in a Western country.”

“You think he’s waiting for something?”

“Something or someone.” Levi shrugged. “Do you know of any high-profile targets scheduled to visit Meridia any time soon?”

“The secretary of the navy is supposed to come for the official opening of the new naval base, but that won’t be until next year.” Janessa thought for a minute. “I know Garrett has mentioned Meridia is a favorite vacation spot for many members of Europe’s ruling class. I can see if he might have any idea of anyone who will be visiting in the next few months.”

“It’s an angle worth pursuing. No one in the Agency believes Ambrose is just here for a vacation.”

“I know.”

“There’s one more thing.” Levi slid a folder onto her desk. “This arrived in today’s pouch.”

Janessa opened the file, studied the schematics, and then looked up at Levi with an astonished look on her face. “Does this say what I think it does?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“I need to talk to Garrett.” Janessa stood up. “You’ll let me know if you hear anything else from our people in the field?”

“Definitely.” Levi motioned to the file. “I assume you want me to get the equipment we’ll need to do a more thorough search.”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “That would be great. Thanks.”

“Good luck explaining this to the royals.”

* * *

Hector Ambrose steered the rented houseboat away from land and the few other boats on the water. He waited until they were out of sight of the local boat traffic before he motioned for the man beside him to take over. Then he went below deck, where his current employers had been hiding since before he had arrived at the pier to take possession of the boat.

“What is so important that you had to meet in person?” Caspar Gazsi asked in French. “Surely you realize how risky this is.”

“We need a new target,” Ambrose said simply. “The CIA has been tracking me for weeks, and they don’t look like they are going to leave any time soon.”

He shook his head. “There isn’t another target that can serve all our purposes.”

“I understand that, but the CIA knows I’m here for some reason. We need to detonate a bomb somewhere so they think I have completed my job here. Otherwise I won’t be able to gain access to the building you want me to destroy.”

“You’re saying we need to plant a bomb now so you’ll be able to plant the other bombs later?”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “And I have an idea of where.”

* * *

Stefano stared down at the spreadsheet in front of him, feeling like he was looking for a needle in a haystack. All the expenses for the annual gala celebration last month were in line with the previous year, and the receipts matched the ledgers. Even the two hundred thousand euros listed for security matched the corresponding receipts from the security company.

As much as he agreed with his father that it would be best not to bring in outside auditors for fear of alerting a potential embezzler of their suspicions, he doubted he was going to be able to find any evidence by himself. He heard a door open across the hall, followed by footsteps.