“I’m sorry, madam, it’s not up to you.” He motioned with his head, and two of his soldiers released their weapons with one hand each to grab her arms.
“Quentin!Quentin,no!You have to take them, too. Piotr will kill them if you don’t.”
“I’m sorry, madam,” he said, his expression grim like he was grinding his teeth. “Our mission was only to secure you. We are not authorizedto go beyond the scope of the mission.”
Panic jumped in her veins. “But you have to get Alina! She’s just a baby. Please, Quentin,please!You have to gether!”
“I’m sorry, madam.” His jaw didn’t open as he ground out the words and his eyes surveyed the situation, watching every twitch of the bratva’s men who were all heavily armed and ready to massacre him, his men, and his operational target.“Our mission was only to secure you. We are not authorized to go beyond the scope of the mission. I can’t. I’m so sorry. I wish I could,but I can’t.”
Alina’s shrieks rose, tearing at her.“Flicka-mama! Flicka-mama!”
“She’smydaughter,” Flicka told Quentin, shaking off the soldiers and hanging on his arm. She grabbed Quentin to make him look at her. “Look at me, and look at Alina. Look at hergreen eyes and the shape of her face.She’s my daughter,not Dieter’s. I got pregnant when I was in London, and we needed to hide it. My bodyguard wasn’t able to have children with his first wife, so we arranged a private, secret adoption.”
Quentin’s dark eyes flicked to her face and then back to the room, maintaining situational awareness, but he didn’t say anything. He stared at Alina and themen holding her, assessing.
“You have to get her. I’ll do anything,” she told Quentin.“Anything.If you get her, I’ll sign anything Pierre wants me to. I’ll do all the public events he wants me to. I’ll do all thedutiesthat he needs me to. I won’t make a peep. I’ll tell the world that Pierre rescued me, and I’ll be devoted to Monaco forever. Just get her,and I’ll do it all.”
He bit his lipin anger. “You promise.”
“I do. I swear to God and all that is holy. I’ll remarry him and bear heirs for Monaco. I swear I’ll doanything.”
“I accept your offer.” Quentin Sault motioned to the troops, “Five men, with me.”
Five men strode from behind Flicka to surround Quentin Sault.
The six of them moved in formation, stalking the Russian bratva man who held Alina.
Flicka clasped her handstogether in front of her chest and prayed as hard as she could. All the prayers she had learned as a child merged into a wordless scream of begging in her head.
Quentin Sault and his men reached the Russian carrying Alina.
After a staring contest, raised weapons, and bared teeth, they snatched the child away from him. Quentin said something to the child, and Alina clung to his neck as the fivesoldiers formed a phalanx around Quentin and Alina, guns pointing out and bristling as he walked back to her.
Alina’s green eyes were huge and watery as she stared at Flicka while the soldiers escorted her back.
Quentin shoved the toddler into Flicka’s arms.
Flicka grabbed Alina and held her shaking little body against her chest, murmuring, “It’s okay now. I’ve got you. I’ve got you now.”
Alina clutched her neck, sobbing,“I want Daddy. I want Daddy.”
“Time to go,” Quentin said, pulling Flicka’s arm.
Flicka looked over Alina’s shoulder.
Raphael kneeled in the center of a circle of men. The dim lights overhead glinted off their weapons dangling from straps. His blond hair and beard glowed gold in the dim light, and even so far away, Flicka could make out the storm-cloud gray ofhis kind eyes.
He mouthed,Thank you,Durchlauchtig,but didn’t make a sound.
Flicka held Alina tightly against her chest, turned, and followed Quentin Sault out of the warehouse.
Forcing her feet to walk away from Dieter Schwarz was the hardest thing she’d ever done.
Raphael,her mind reminded her,his name was Raphael Mirabaud.
No.
She would remember him as Dieter Schwarz, herLieblingwächter,her first and only love. “Come, Alina.”
“Flicka-mama,” Alina sobbed into her neck. “Daddy is over there. Flicka-mama,Daddy is over there.”
“I know, Alina-baby. We have to leave now. We’ll see Daddy later.” She walked away. “You should call me Mama now.”
“Mama,” Alina said, her tiny arms so tight around Flicka’s throat.
Flicka swallowed hard, trying not to let her voice choke. “Yes, Alina.I’m your Mama now, and I’ll protect you no matter what I have to do.”
