I cross the street but stay away from Anders until the mouth of themétrohas swallowed up the MINDFUCH group.
“What is it?” I ask my bodyguard.
It must be important enough for him to risk blowing our cover.
“There’s a guy tailing you,” Anders says.
“Other than yourself?”
His flat look tells me he isn’t finding the situation funny. “Yes, Your Highness, other than myself.”
“Are you sure?”
“I might not have noticed him if I were by your side. He’s good. But you insisted I give you a wide berth.” He shakes his head. “Reckless!”
“We’ve already had this conversation, Anders. You even filed a formal protest with the prime minister.”
“Which he didn’t take seriously enough.”
I rub my brow. “Let it go, Anders. Whoever is tailing me is most likely Kurt Ozzi’s man. Kurt isn’t out to kill us, just to take away our country.”
“True,” he admits.
I look around but don’t see anyone suspicious. “Can you point the man out?”
“Not right away. He ducked into a shop the moment you made a U-turn and headed toward me,” Anders says. “But I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough.”
“If you’re right about this?—”
“With due respect, there is noif, Your Highness.”
I nod, wondering if Kurt found out about the first part of Mother’s revelation and about Lucie. That would mean he knows exactly what I’m up to and will do anything to thwart my plan. It also means there’s a traitor in our midst.
The thought is so disturbing, my mind goes into overdrive to find an alternative explanation.
Bam!Here’s one. At this stage in the game, and with the stakes as high as they are, Kurt is simply having every Valois-Montevor royal shadowed as a precaution. He knows nothing about Mother’s revelation, or about Lucie’s part in it.
Still, it’s bad news.
“Your Highness, please ask the PM to send back up,” Anders says. “Two agents. Or three. Or four. The more, the merrier.”
“What for?”
“So, we can keep Kurt’s man distracted while making sure you and the ‘Key to the Key’ are safe.”
I stroke my chin, thinking. “I’m afraid I can’t grant your request.”
He glances at the shop to check on Kurt’s man and then back at me, his expression confused. “Why not?”
“With more agents guarding me, Kurt will know I’m in Paris on an important mission, and not just to lobby and liaise with the French authorities. He’d reallocate resources, send more men to tail me, and start looking into Lucie Laborde.”
“You think boosting your security detail will jeopardize the mission?”
“That is exactly what I think.”
Anders adjusts his shirt collar. “Then what do we do?”
“Nothing.”
