“Monaco and France have been allies for a thousand years,” Maxence said to him.“Tell me.”
“My honor,” the terrorist said with a crack in his voice. “I have traded my honor for her money.”
With one finger, Max slowly moved the barrel of the gun aside.
Chapter Two
The Coup Will Be Livestreamed
Dree
As Maxence rolled off of Dree, she saw him slip his hand into his pocket and pull out his phone, and it toppled from his fingers toward hers.
Because she was a nurse, she could catch a falling scalpel by the handle end before it stabbed a patient’s foot, so she snagged the phone out of the air and shoved it in the pocket of her sundress.
It vibrated furiously beside her thigh.
As Maxence climbed to his feet, Dree sat up and scooted backward with her heels and butt toward the rear of the dais.
The mercenaries were circling the room, moving into position.
Dree tutted at the intruders as her back touched the velvet curtains behind the throne. If their forward line curled around any more, they were going to form a circular firing squad, and Dree’s opinion of them would lower even more. Anyone who had been bird hunting with buddies knew how to maintain their position in the line better thanthat.
Max’s phone thrashed in her skirt pocket like a furious mouse.
Dree clamped it against her leg and then withdrew the top of it from her pocket, glancing at the screen from the sides of her eyes.
The text across the screen read,We require your current status. We are attempting entry within minutes.
The contact’s name wasMagnus Rogue Sec.
Dree tapped in Max’s passcode, which was her birthday, and slid her thumb across the phone’s screen while she cringed beside the throne, trying to look terrified instead of like she was communicating with someone outside.Max & I on dais at front. 12 mercs armed with HK416s on perimeter.
She wasn’t terrified, of course. Dree was pissed as hell at these tactical amateurs who couldn’t stage a damn coup correctly. If she’d been in charge of the insurrection, it would already be over. She sneered her disdain for those feckless terrorists.
Magnus Jensen’s text came back,Dree Clark?
Y,she texted back.
Are people standing near the doors?
Civilians and mercs.
Are you in immediate danger?
I’m near the wall at the front. Gunmen at ready arms. No shooting yet. But it’s coming. A guy is aiming at Max.
Maxence was standing with his back toward Dree. He was saying something quietly to the terrorist who was pointing the rifle at his face, and then he moved the guy’s gun to the side with one finger until it pointed past his shoulder.
After another few lines of conversation, the merc lowered his weapon. The muzzle pointed at the ground.
But now he’s not anymore,Dree typed.Guy lowered his gun.
Marie-Therese strode into the crowd until she reached the center of the room, where she announced, “The election is ended. The prior result stands. Our constitution doesn’t allow for a second round of voting.”
Maxence replied to her, his voice booming over the crowd, “Our constitution doesn’t allow foroneround of voting. In the past, we’ve had a confirmation vote of confidence for the next person in the hereditary line. Because Princes Rainier III and Rainier IV were both the heirs apparent, we haven’t needed to address the fact that the election doesn’t really exist. You were never legally elected, either.”
Marie-Therese glanced in confusion at her father, who still stood near the double doors to the antechamber. “But that doesn’t matter. This is how we elect a sovereign. We haveoneround of voting.”
