He could still fall in love with her.
Her heart felt lighter as they walked into town. They had to stop in more than one store to find the right kind of sandals. Angelina had borrowed the pair that had been ruined and she wanted to make sure she replaced them with another pair of equal or better quality.
When they stepped out of the store with bag in hand, Angelina thought she felt eyes on her. The hair had prickled on the back of her neck earlier but she’d put it off as just some of the townspeople watching them. But right now she didn’t see anyone else on the sidewalk. Or did she? She thought she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Had someone just ducked out of sight?
She put her arm through Rico’s and stopped him, then turned to face the store window, as if she was showing him something there. She rose on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I think we’re being followed,” she whispered. Her heart raced. Had Phillip sent someone to Tuscora? Or was it someone else? Was Phillip not to blame at all?
“He’s been following us for a while,” Rico said calmly. He kissed her back. “Let’s stop in here,
amore
,” he said, his voice louder.
They entered the shop, a jewelry store with bright lighting and sparkles coming from every display case. The sales clerk called out a cheery hello. Angelina walked over to the older woman who was cleaning the surface of one of the glass display cases.
“I think someone is following us,” she told the woman. When she was out in public as Princess Angelina, she’d come to expect being followed, stared at. But she’d never really gotten used to it. And now she didn’t like it at all. It seemed even more wrong here in Tuscora, the small town she’d grown to love.
“I’m afraid you are a celebrity around here,” the clerk said with a shrug as if it explained everything.
“I have had a stalker,” Angelina admitted. She wanted the woman to understand this could be a serious situation. “I’m scared it might have something to do with him.”
“I’ve heard your husband is a member of the royal guard. I’m certain he’ll protect you.”
“Stay away from the windows and doors,” Rico said softly. He turned so he was mostly hidden by the wall, but he could still see out the front window. He slid his gun out of its holster. The clerk gasped. Angelina’s heart took off at a full gallop.
The sales clerk’s eyes widened. “Should I push the alarm button?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Rico said. “Both of you stay in the back of the room.”
Angelina watched him lunge out the door and she bit her lower lip so hard she tasted blood. She tried to see what was happening, but Rico was out of her field of vision. Less than a minute passed when the front door was flung open and Rico strode in with his hand around the arm of a man in dark jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt. When Rico pulled the hood back, Angelina gasped when she saw it was Maria’s boyfriend, Seb.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I wasn’t really following you,” Seb said. His hands were raised, his eyes wide and frightened.
Rico glared at him. He kept his weapon pointed at the young man. “You’ve been following us since the first store we entered.”
Seb looked scared to death and Angelina almost felt sorry for him. “Okay, I was, but I wasn’t spying on you or anything. I was just waiting for you to be done shopping,” he said. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
I just wanted to talk to you.
Angelina shuddered. Seb couldn’t have been involved in the incident on the highway. Could he?
“You could have acted like a man and walked up to us instead of trying to hide,” Rico told him. “All that does is make you seem more suspicious.”
Seb’s eyes shifted guiltily and his face turned red. “I know. I know. I can explain.”
Rico grimaced. “Put your hands down.” He holstered his weapon. “We’ll be back to the villa in a few minutes. My wife has a little more shopping to do. Go now and wait for us there. If you’re not waiting for us there, I will report you to the
polizia
.”
“Okay. That’s cool. I’m sorry I scared you, Lucia. I didn’t mean to. Man, you have a big gun. That is so epic.”
“Leave, Seb.”
“Yes, sir.”
Angelina grabbed Rico’s arm after Seb left. “Do you trust him?”
“I think so.” He turned to the sales clerk. The older woman had remained cool-headed while all of that was going on. “Do you know that kid? Sebastian?”
“Yes, sir. He’s a bit, shall we say, enthusiastic. But he means well. I can’t imagine he meant you any harm.”
“I’ll reserve judgment until we hear what he has to say,” he told Angelina.
She nodded. Her knees trembled from the after effects of the last few minutes. Most of the time, this had felt more like a holiday. She knew Rico was her bodyguard, but the reality didn’t hit her until this incident, when he’d put himself in possible danger for her without a second thought.
“Can I help you with something today?” the clerk asked after Angelina and Rico just stood there staring at each other.
Rico looked at Angelina. “
Amore
?” He smiled and her mood lightened. They were fine. No one had gotten hurt. They had shopping to finish before they went back to the villa to talk to Seb.
That romantic side of her desperately wanted to look at jewelry, but they were supposed to be looking for a thank you gift for Rosa and Giuseppe. She almost said no when a display in the back corner caught her eye. “You have silver serving trays?”
The clerk beamed. “Yes. All sizes. Excellent quality.”
Angelina turned to Rico. “How does that sound for a gift for your aunt and uncle?”
“Perfect.”
She quickly chose a size and design. “Can we have it engraved?”
“Of course. Unfortunately, I will not be able to have it for you today. It will be two days before it will be ready.”
“That can’t be helped. We may have to return home before it’s ready, so would it be possible to have it delivered to Rose and Giuseppe?”
“Of course. I would be happy to take care of the delivery for you.”
“Thank you,” Angelina replied. It would probably be better to have it delivered after they were gone anyway. Once Rico’s family discovered the truth, they might not be so willing to accept a gift from them face to face.
Rico took care of the bill and they left the shop hand in hand. Rico carried the picnic basket and she carried the shoe bag. She felt comfortable here in Tuscora. She felt safe again, the sudden rush of fear a fading memory.
“What do you suppose Seb wants to talk to us about?” she asked.
“I don’t know. He was definitely trying to shadow us without being spotted, so there must be more to his story. He’s going to have to explain himself.”
“You don’t suppose he’s working for whoever was behind the kidnapping?”
“I can’t see how. Besides, Seb saw us yesterday. He knows where we’re staying. He could have tried to snatch you long before now if that was what he wanted.”
“Yes, you’re right. He scared me though.”
“And he’s going to have to answer to that as well,” Rico replied darkly.
They reached the villa and although Rico knew Angelina wanted to climb the stairs to the apartment just as much as he did, they entered the front door and saw Seb and Maria sitting on one of the sofas in the lobby. Rosa hurried in from the dining room to join them when she saw them come in.
Seb jumped to his feet. “I’m sorry I frightened you,” he said to Angelina. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t think about what it would look like. I had no idea you’d think someone was really following you, like for an evil reason. That’s just crazy.”
Of course, the foolish young man would have no way to know about the attempted kidnapping and the resulting shoot-out. Rico didn’t think for one moment that he was involved with the kidnapping attempt. Seb wouldn’t have known they were in Tuscora to hide out from the unknown perpetrator. So why was he shadowing them?
“The thing is, you
were
following us,” Rico said, keeping his voice low, his anger evident. The princess had been frightened and that was unacceptable. “You need to explain yourself.”
“Bah. That boy,” Rosa exclaimed. “He doesn’t think. Always looking for shortcuts instead of doing the work he should be doing.”
“Mama,” Maria protested. “Don’t say that about Seb.” She pulled him back down onto the sofa with her.
“I
was
thinking,” Seb insisted. “At least, I thought I had a plan.” He blushed and looked at Rico. “I guess it was a bad idea. I thought I would impress you.”
Rico frowned. “Impress me?”
Seb flashed him a cocky grin. “I’ve been practicing. No one else in town has ever caught me when I followed them around. It must be because you’re a professional. You have sharper eyes.”
Rico groaned. He sank on the other sofa and the princess sat beside him. Rosa continued to stand, wringing her hands.
“I don’t understand,” Angelina said. “What are you talking about?”
“He wants to be on the palace guard,” Maria said in a rush. “He thought Rico could help him.” Rico loved his cousin, but he thought she needed to find a new boyfriend.
“You need to let him speak for himself.” Rico’s gaze nailed Seb. “Do you have any military training?”
Seb shrugged, his cocky expression still in place. “No. I don’t want to go into the military.”
“Then have you attended a security training academy?”
Seb’s smile dropped. “No.”
“Police academy?”
Seb shifted on the sofa cushion. “No.”
“You realize there is more to being a palace guard than following suspects. In fact, that is a very small portion of our duties.”
“Yeah, but I can do anything I’d need to do. I’ve been reading up on the Internet. I’d be a great palace guard. I know it.”
The young man had a lot of growing up to do before that would ever be possible. If it would ever be possible. “That may be,” Rico said sternly. “But you can’t be a member of an elite security team without the proper training. The lives of those you protect will be in your hands.”
“Yeah. I understand that.”
“Do you? You have to be willing to step in front of a bullet for your charge. You have to be willing to make that sacrifice without a second thought.”
“Okay.” He didn’t sound quite as confident as he had earlier.
“And all that training? That’s to guarantee that you have the necessary skills to hopefully make it out alive. Both you and the person you’re protecting. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Seb nodded.
“It’s not a game, Seb. But after you get the training,
if
you get the training, you can contact me. If you have the skills required, I’ll do what I can to help you get a position somewhere.”
Angelina took his hand, threaded their fingers together. “I keep forgetting how dangerous your job is,” she murmured.
Rico shrugged. Normally working for the Mezzano royal family was not a dangerous proposition. At least not physically. He glanced at Angelina, saw the affection shining in her pretty eyes. Why had she told him she was in love with him? Didn’t she know that no matter what they felt for each other, it would never work out? How were they going to go back and pretend nothing had happened?
“You’re a good boy,” Rosa said to Rico. “You can pull some strings, right? After he does the training? And if Maria and Seb get married you could get her a job at the palace too, right?”
Rico lunged to his feet and began to pace the lobby. Everything seemed to be closing in on him all of a sudden. “
Tia
…”
“It’s what family does.”
He took a deep breath. Might as well get it all out in the open. “
Tia
, I won’t be able to pull any strings. I won’t be working for the royal family anymore.”
“What?” Rosa asked, throwing her arms wide.
“What?” Angelina asked, jumping to her feet.
He glanced at his aunt, then turned to look at Angelina. It would be cowardly to do anything else but meet her eye. “This is my last job for the palace.”
“Job?” Rosa asked, confusion clear in her tone.
“Job?” Angelina asked, anger simmering in her voice, flashing in her eyes. She rounded the sofa and approached him until she was standing in front of him, toe to toe. “You knew this before we left?”
He nodded.
“So I was just a job you had to get out of the way before you could leave the palace walls?”
Basically.
“No. It wasn’t like that.”
“Then what was it like? Tell me.”
Angelina didn’t often show her hot-blooded Mezzanoan temper, but Rico thought she looked amazing, eyes blazing, color high. He wished he didn’t have to hurt her. He tried to think of the right thing to say but nothing came to mind.
“What are you going to be doing when you leave the palace?” she asked, her hands propped on her hips.
“I’m starting my own security business in the city.”
“I see. So all that talking we did, sharing our hopes and dreams, you never considered sharing that with me? Was there a reason you didn’t trust me with the news? Did you think I wouldn’t want to know you were leaving the palace? Explain this to me, Rico.”