Page 51 of Palace of Betrayal

“Cover yourself up, Chelsea, or I’m out of here.”

Chelsea huffed and straightened her clothes. “When did you become such a boy scout?”

“When I met the woman I love and grew some self-respect.”

He sipped the water, wanting instead to leave.

“You love her?”

Tears threatened and he hated that he cared enough to soften his words. “I’m sorry, Chelsea. You don’t choose who you love, and I love Bebe. We were never about that. It was fun between us but never serious.”

Her liquid eyes came to him. “It was for me.”

God, was it hot in there or was it him? He drank some more of the soda water to try and get rid of the overheated feeling and the discomfort this conversation gave him. “I’m sorry for that. I was always clear with you that we were never more.”

“But you were kind to me.”

“Of course, I was kind to you. I’m not an asshole.”

Leo rubbed his finger over his collar to try and loosen it, the feeling of constriction almost overwhelming. Chelsea stood and walked closer to him, as she swayed in front of his eyes. The vision blurred as he tried to stand and found his legs were useless.

“What did you do?” The glass fell from his hands as he fought against whatever she’d drugged him with.

“I’m sorry, Leo, but I had no choice. You wouldn’t listen to me, and Atticus needs her gone. If you’d only chosen me, there would’ve been no need for this nastiness.”

Fear and rage overcame him as he fell to the ground, his body working against him as his slurred words fought their way to the surface. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

The last thing he heard was Chelsea laughing before the world went dark.

Eighteen

Bebe raised her chin, looking around at the lavish driveway that led to manicured gardens beyond. Chelsea Vos looked to have it all, but she had very little of any real worth. Her life was focused on the material things and what those around her could give her, and what she wanted was Leo.

Bebe knew that even if she hadn’t met Leo, he never would’ve settled for Chelsea. Leo had a depth about him that the shallow woman would never understand. She’d certainly never meet his intellectual needs or become the strong gracious Queen Leo would need beside him one day

Opening the passenger door to let some air into the car, Bebe listened to the sounds around her. She could hear cars in the distance and the honking of a large boat as it came into the marina, but then there was utter silence. This island offered a slice of peace, and tranquillity despite the rich and famous islanders, even if it was all a smokescreen to the drama playing out behind closed doors.

Her gaze moved to the house, and she wondered how Leo was faring with Chelsea. She had no doubt the woman would pull out all the stops to seduce him, but Bebe wasn’t worried. She didn’t get to this age and go through the things she had to not understand her self-worth regarding men or anyone else for that matter.

If Leo wanted Chelsea, then that was his choice. If he wanted her, that was great, but she wouldn’t spend her life worrying about a man cheating. If he betrayed her, he was gone and she’d move on, dragging her broken heart with her.

Leaning her head back on the cream leather headrest, she sighed. The truth was they hadn’t made any promises and they’d certainly not discussed the future. Did she even want a future with Leo? How could she, an assassin, be what he needed in a partner as a future King? The Monarch of this beautiful land needed a woman who didn’t have the baggage she did.

A movement off to the side just behind the house caught her attention and had her sitting up higher in her seat. Her eyes darted to the corner of the house as she slid the small but deadly handgun from her bag. Listening intently now, Bebe drowned out the sounds of cars and listened for the small clues that someone was coming that shouldn’t be there.

Tilting her head, she toed off her heels knowing it would be easier to fight in bare feet than the four-inch heels she’d chosen to wear.

There!

The sound of a weapon being cocked. She should warn Leo but as four men advanced from the front side of the house, she realised she had no time. This was an ambush created to split her and Leo up. She had two choices, fight and she could probably take these four men, or surrender. It wasn’t her nature to back down from a fight but there was more than just her at risk.

“Get out of the car and keep your hands raised.”

The lead man, short and muscular spoke in an accent she didn’t recognise at first. Then it came to her it was Proenian. The place where Mercy was infiltrating the palace as she spoke. What did this mean? Was Mercy in trouble? It couldn’t be a coincidence that the man before her had that accent.

Her stomach turned to lead at the thought that the beautiful woman she knew could be in danger. Yes, she was as trained and dangerous as they, perhaps more so, but she had a vulnerability after everything she’d been through. Bebe couldn’t fathom the thought of her enduring more.

Making a split-second decision, she raised her hands and dropped her gun to the floor, as she exited the car. “Who are you?”