Prince Albert(85)

"You too," she says. "Just go."

Christine is on me immediately, nonstop talking as she takes my arm before we even leave Belle's room. But I don't hear a word she says.

The only thing I care about right now is Belle.

When I glance behind me at her as I walk away, she pauses for a moment in the doorway, and her eyes meet mine.

I try to shake off the sinking feeling that I get as she closes the door.

She’s closing the door on us.





CHAPTER FORTY

Belle



"I've done a lot of crazy shit," Raine says, "But this is way up there in terms of nuts, Belle. We didn't see any reporters, though, so that's good."

"Let's just get out of here." I exhale heavily, looking behind me at the summer house on the hill. The guard posted at the exit from the secret passageway saw at me when I left, a weekend bag slung over my shoulder containing everything I'd need, at least for now. I half-expected him to stop me, to drag me back up to the house like a prisoner. But he didn't.

It was just like any other time I'd left the palace grounds.

Except that this isn’t any other time. This time, I’m sneaking out, unaccompanied by a bodyguard or a driver.

This time, Raine and Phoenix were waiting just across the street in a banged-up little car they'd bought to drive around Europe, duffel bags strapped to the top with bungee cords.

This time isn’t like the other times I’ve left to volunteer at the hospital. This time, I’m not going back.

“I can’t believe you got out of there without anyone knowing,” Phoenix says. “You’d think they would have better security.”

“I learned from the best,” I say, thinking of Albie. For a moment, I want to go back. I want to tell him that I don’t care what anyone thinks. “Besides, I’m not a prisoner there.”

"Are you sure you want to leave?" Raine asks. She sits in the back seat with me, Phoenix in the driver’s seat.

Am I sure?

I’m as far from sure as I can be.

“Yes.”

Raine reaches for my hand. "I'm sure they have a plan to deal with the media, you know. It doesn't have to be a huge deal. You could hide out in the palace or whatever."

"No," I say, my voice flat. "I just…it's too much attention. I can't think right now."

Raine squeezes my hand. "What about Prince Albert?" she asks.

"I don't want to talk about him."

I think I might be in love with him.

The thought terrifies me.

“Are you sure, Belle?” Raine asks. “Are you certain you want to run away from this? From him?”

No.

I could go back. Right now, I could turn around and walk back inside the house and tell Albie I don't care about any of it.

I could do the brave thing. I could tell everyone to fuck off.

I could tell Albie I want to be with him.

But I’m just not that brave.

"Just drive," I say.





CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Albie



"What do you mean, she's gone?" I ask. I pull out my phone and text Belle, but I hear the buzz of the phone in the room, and Noah holds it up. "Is that hers?"

"It's hers, sir," he says. "She left it in her room. I took the liberty of retrieving it before the head of security got to her bedroom, since I thought there might be things on her phone you might not want made public."

"She's gone," I say again, stupidly. I can't get it through my head.

"Yes."

"She took everything with her?"

"She took a bag," Noah says. "She evaded Martin and walked out of the gate."

She's gone.

"She left a note, sir," he says, handing me the folded sheet of paper. I open it.



I'm sorry, Albie. I just...can't stay.

Love,

Belle.



I crumple it up into a ball in my hand and look at him. "Where?"

"With Raine," he says. "One of her friends from Africa."

"I know who Raine is," I snap.

"Royal Intelligence will get a lock on Raine's phone, I'm sure. Do you want to know where Belle and Raine are when they do?"

Do I want to know where she is?

She's the one who left, who ran from all of this.

She left her phone behind. She doesn't want to be found.

"Yes," I say, blurting out my response before I even think about it.

She doesn't want me to find her.

I should just let her walk away.

"No," I say. "Never mind. No, I don't want to know."

Noah looks at me for a long minute before speaking. "Sir," he starts, then shakes his head. "Oh, fuck it. I'm going to say my piece. Prince Albert. I've known you for a long time, and I've seen you with a lot of women. I mean, seriously. A lot of women."

"Noah," I warn.