Tangled Games (Dating Games #5) - T.K. Leigh Page 0,42
believe the brief roadblocks we set up earlier may have caused people to grow suspicious.”
“Ya think, Sherlock?” Esme snorts, then hiccups.
I shoot daggers at her, silently berating her to play nice. I know my sister. She’s an emotional drunk. Tomorrow, she’ll regret the way she behaved and will call Creed to apologize, who will tell her it doesn’t matter, tone emotionless. Then she’ll get upset all over again. And the cycle will continue, much like it has over the past ten years.
“Regardless of what caused it,” he bites out through a clenched jaw, his words directed at Esme before his gaze refocuses on me, “there’s a crowd. Paparazzi. Fans. That kind of thing. We’ve got it managed for now, but the sooner we get you out of here, the sooner the crowd will disperse.”
I blow out a breath, my shoulders slumping. I hate to pull Nora away from this slice of normalcy, especially since I know precisely how difficult tomorrow will be. But the longer we stay, the larger the crowd will grow.
“I’m sorry, love,” I say to Nora with a small smile. “So much for giving you a bit of fun tonight.”
“I learned a long time ago to always expect the unexpected with you. Plus, I need to get used to this life. Nothing like jumping right into the fray, correct?”
“You’ll do fine,” Harriet encourages. “Don’t pay attention to the rubbish anyone says. They’re just jealous hags.”
“Thank you.” Nora smiles as she pushes back from the table.
I shoot to standing in order to help her, but after sitting most of the night, my muscles are tight, causing me to waver. Quickly, I place a hand on the table to steady myself.
Esme gives me a concerned look, as does Creed, but I subtly shake my head, wordlessly telling them I’m fine and not to press the issue. That’s the thing no one warns you about when you have MS. Everyday occurrences you never thought twice about now make you question its cause. Like muscle weakness, dizziness, loss of balance and coordination… All things I’ve experienced more and more of lately.
Once I’m more confident in my balance, I lead Nora around the room to say our goodbyes.
“You good?” Esme asks when I reach her.
“I’m good.”
“Okay.” She gives me a quick once-over, then wraps Nora in her embrace. “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. And like I always tell Anderson, don’t let the man get you down.” She winks.
“Thanks, Esme. Tonight was exactly what I needed.”
“Then we’ll all have to do it again sometime soon.”
“I’d like that.”
Once we finish saying our goodbyes, we follow Creed into the foyer where another guard waits. He has a similar build to Creed, although slightly shorter, his skin paler, his bright red hair shaved into a crew cut.
“Your Highness.” He bows his head.
“Kylian,” I respond.
“Lieutenant O’Kelly has been assigned to guard Ms. Tremblay,” Creed explains.
“A guard?” Nora presses, glancing between Creed and me. “Is that necessary?”
“It is.” I turn toward her, taking her hands in mine. “It goes without saying there’s quite a bit about this lifestyle I disagree with. But when it comes to your safety and protection, no amount of guards is too many. So far, you’ve only had a taste of what’s to come. The airport was controlled. As was the press conference earlier. This isn’t. There are entire websites devoted to reporting on the royal family’s movements in the hopes of snapping candid photos. Among other things.”
“Other things?” she asks.
“There have been kidnapping attempts on Her Highness,” Creed says stoically, nodding toward the dining room where the lively conversation continues. “Every single member of the royal family is a high-priced target. And I have no doubt there may be threats to you now, as well. That you also have a price tag on your head. It’s why you’ll always have a guard at your side whenever in public, regardless of any lack of perceived threat. Why you’ll soon go through a training class to learn how to conduct yourself if you’re ever kidnapped and held hostage.”
“Held hostage?” Nora squeaks out.
“It’s standard procedure,” I assure her, squeezing her hand. “We’ve all been through it and have never needed to use what we learned because the Royal Guard is the best at what they do.”
I steal a glance out the front windows, crowds of people swarming the sidewalks and streets. The only barricade between them and us right now is the Royal Guard blocking the stairwell.