Wulfram’s hands relaxed, opening to rest at his sides. With his even tone, he might have been discussing the weather. “You believe thatpicture on her social media this morning is genuine? That it’s not an old picture they repurposed?”
“It’s real. She’s in Monaco.”
“She looked happy. Maybe we can get word to her, somehow, to give us a sign or make contact, if she does want to leave.”
“I’m sure she wants to leave,” Raphael said.
“How would you know?”
He sighed, not wanting to tell Wulfram. Hell, he wished he didn’t know. “Thatnight in Montreux, Pierre beat the shit out of her, and he raped her.”
Wulf went absolutely still. His strong jaw bulged. The only thing that moved was his pupils expanding in his dark blue eyes as he looked somewhere behind Raphael.
“You’re sure?”
“I believe her completely, and she had bruises on her neck where he’d tried to strangle her.”
Wulf still further, becoming immobile, not breathing.Raphael could see his mind spinning.
“Wulfram—”he warned.
Wulf snatched his phone out of his pocket, punched a phone number, and said, “Ready my plane to leave immediately.”
Raphael said, “No, Wulfram, we have to do this the right way.”
“I swear to every god in every universe that I willkillhim.”
Yeah, Raphael understood. “I know you want to and I understand that it sounds like a fantasticidea right now, but the most important thing is to get Flicka out of Monaco. Then we’ll decide what we can do to a guy who is pretty much an actual monarch of a country.”
His voice was intense but not raised. Wulfram growled,“I will kill him with my bare hands.”
Raphael had never seen Wulfram this angry. “I want to end that guy, too. I swear, I understand.”
“How could you understand what it’slike to know a monster is holding your child?”
Raphael admitted, “Because Pierre has Alina, too.”
Wulfram punched the wall. The plaster cracked.
Holy shit.
“How?”Wulfram snarled.
“Long story,” Raphael said, watching Wulfram. He’d never had to deal with an emotional, demonstrative Wulfram von Hannover before. It must have been the stress of seeing his newborn child ripped out of the womanhe loved. Raphael hoped this was temporary and not some weird hormonal thing related to becoming a father. He hadn’t become a basket case when Alina was born.
Wulfram turned away from the dent in the wall, his expression composed once again. “Tell me.”
“It was just another operation.”
“Tell me right now.”
There was no way all those confessions would end well. “We don’t have time right now.Here’s what I want to do: trade my Rogue Security operators for theWelfenlegionprotecting you here. That way, if there is an undercover spy in theWelfenlegion,he’ll be in Monaco with me, not here with you. We can go in hot without worrying about any repercussions here to you and Rae.”
“I will be in Monaco with you, liberating my sister and then beating Pierre to death with my fists.”
Thiswas exactly why Raphael had come in person to discuss the matter with Wulfram. Wulf wouldn’t have listened to him over a damned phone.
First, because if they did make the swap, they needed to do it immediately or else Grimaldi’s spy might have time to react and somehow stay in the Southwest to threaten Wulf or Rae. With Grimaldi’s spy on the plane with Raphael, he would watch the hell out oftheWelfenlegionfor any suspicious behavior. He might even figure out who their problem child was before they crossed into international waters.
