“He tried to tell me that.” Rainier nodded in greeting to an older lady in a green sparkling dress with bright red hair. She returned his greeting with the brilliant smile, and Nightshade swore the woman bent forward slightly to show off her more than abundant chest.
“Well, in case he didn't make it clear enough for you, let me. I will not marry you. Ever.”
Rainier managed to get her in the far corner, a crush of people trapped them there. He angled her so that her back was to the wall, his to the crowd, his dark gray brows dipped in a deep V of concern.
Nightshade dug her fingernails into her hands to hold them at her sides. He’d effectively maneuvered her so that she couldn’t escape and blocked his expression from the crowd.
How could her sister have agreed to a wedding with him for even a moment? Sure he wasn’t as old as she first thought, maybe ten years younger than Senator Cotter with salt and pepper hair and a cleft chin tilted up at an arrogant angle. “Caroline, what’s going on? Why did you call it off? Did something happen overseas that your father didn’t tell me?”
“It’s none of your business what happened to me. You and father might have managed to force me into a wedding one time, but not again.” Nightshade looked over the General’s shoulder, frantically scanning for Merc. If he caught back up with her, she wasn’t sure if she could keep up the pretense of hate.
Rainier tightened his grip on her wrists painfully. “What did he do to you? Did he threaten you again?”
The question drew her attention back to Rainier, who for all the world was looking at her with absolute concern. Something wasn’t right here. If Mankel’s conclusion that Rainier and Cotter had forced Caroline into a fake marriage for their convenience to solidify their political connections, the General should be trying to force her back into that union. “Why would he do that?”
General Rainier crowded in closer, leaving less than a foot of personal space between them. Her skin crawled instantly. “Is he watching us right now? I shouldn’t have come to you directly; I should have waited until your father was distracted. I’m sorry.” He dropped her wrist and shoved a hand through his hair, ruffling the perfectly smooth strands. “I’ve been so worried about you and he wouldn’t allow me to come see you any sooner.”
What the hell was going on here? Rainier was acting like a concerned big brother, not a pissed off fiancée. Nightshade anxiously tried to figure him out. Mankel had sworn Rainier and Cotter were in it together, that both men were evil.
So far, Cotter had been nothing but loving and genuinely concerned for her happiness and Rainier was following suit. This whole mission was going straight to hell. She didn’t know up from down anymore. Cotter’s every action had been of affection, just like she’d expect a real father to have and now Rainier talked like he and Caroline had a true relationship.
She needed more intel before she blew everything. Nightshade hedged, “I – I didn’t know you’d tried to come by.”
“Cotter had his guards block me at the gate. But he couldn’t keep me from the celebration, not without screwing up his picture perfect image.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, but my guess is he figured out that I was helping you, not him. One of his spies must have overheard us talking before the wedding and reported back to him.” Cotter glanced anxiously over his shoulder.
Spies? “What do you think they heard?”
“I can’t be sure, but he knows I planned to keep you safe from him.” Rainier paused and then lowered his voice, “He’s moved the women to a different location. I don’t know where yet, but I’ve got my team working on it day and night. But we’ve got to get you out of here.”
The loud sounds of the crowd and music faded into a dull roar as the General’s words sank in. “The women?”
“The Black Ops team he captured for his experiment. Don’t you remember? You’re the one who found out what he was doing in the first place and told me.”
Her body went cold with shock and it must have shown on her face because Rainier grabbed her arms and shook her slightly. “Get it together. We’ve been seen together by him for sure now.”
Rainier glanced over his shoulder again. “Shit. I think one of his men is headed toward us. Quick, slap me.”
“What?”
“Slap me,” Rainier said through clenched teeth. “If he thinks you hate me, Cotter might not suspect anything. I’ll have my bodyguard create a distraction later. Be ready to run, okay?”
Nightshade took a deep breath, still not completely sure what was happening but she had to go along with the act to figure it out. She saw Merc plowing through the crowd toward them, a murderous rage on his face. It was now or never.
“Let go of my arms,” she hissed.
Rainier’s gaze dawned with comprehension. He shook her, hard, and Nightshade wrenched her arm free. She pulled back and slapped the General hard, her palm cracking against his right cheek.
Rainier’s faced darkened to a deep shade of red, but he kept himself in control. He yanked her back to him, as if to shake her again and then she heard Merc’s deep voice behind her, overpowering their little corner. “There you are, you left without giving me my goodbye kiss.”
“Excuse me, I don't believe I caught your name,” Rainier bit out.
“That's because I didn't give it.” Merc held out his hand, pushing the General to the side and Nightshade placed hers in his willingly, keeping up the act.
“Remember what I said,” Rainier said.
