Alexander & Rebecca (Royals of Valleria #1) (24 page)

“Soon,” Lafayette said as he whispered in her ear. “I’m going to take you in front of Alexander, the fake prince of Valleria. You won’t mind if I use your body, will you whore?” He squeezed her breast painfully and continued in a dark, dripping voice. “Didn’t know that, did you? Didn’t know that the asshole you’re sleeping with isn’t supposed to be the next king, did you? Well, you’ll learn tonight,” he said with a last vicious squeeze. “You’ll all learn tonight.”

He strode away, and two sets of footsteps walked out of the room and slammed the door behind them.

Please, God, help me
, she thought as she willed back the tears and tried to loosen the ties that bound her. She begged for God, for Alex, for Alex’s safety. If Alex came, she was sure he would be in even worse danger than her. The need to have him near, and the need to have him away but safe, warred within her.

Please, God, show me what to do.

Alex wanted to hurl his phone against the waiting room wall. The agents had not found anything at the house, not one damn piece of evidence to help him find Rebecca.

“Your Highness,” a nurse asked tentatively at the door after she curtsied and hoped that she had done it right. She had seen the Prince pacing for over an hour now and she had never seen her cool, collected prince in such a barely controlled rage.

Alex took a deep breath. “Are they awake?”

“Yes, sir. I can take you to them. The doctor’s just finishing with them now.”

Security agents trailed in front and behind as he made his way down the brightly lit corridors. He’d had both of her parents moved here, to the higher security part of the hospital, as soon as they had arrived. He would be damned before he let something else happen to them.

The doctor was just leaving as he strode up. The nurse went inside the room to let Francine and Ettore know he was here.

“How are they?” Alex asked the doctor.

“They’re doing well,” she said. “They’re both generally very healthy, which worked in their favor.”

“So Rebecca may be doing fine as well? No lingering side effects?”

“She’s younger and even healthier, so I have faith that she regained consciousness before her parents did. We won’t know for sure until we examine her, of course, after she’s found.”

Alex nodded and thanked the doctor before she walked away. He appreciated the doctor’s hope for the situation. It had not taken long before the press and public had become aware of what had happened; nothing could be kept secret these days, it seemed.

Cat had been beside herself when she had called earlier. Alex had done what he could to calm his twin, but right now he had to save all his energy and comfort for Rebecca; she would need it most when he found her.

Of course, Alex would also need to conserve his energy to rip her kidnappers apart, limb by limb.

Alex knocked softly on the door and a male voice asked him to come in. Alex cautiously opened the door to see Francine and Ettore in separate beds that had been pushed together. Their hands were clasped across the expanse of hospital white, and it tugged at his heart.

“You’ll forgive us, Your Highness, if we don’t get up to greet you,” Francine said.

Alex waved the notion away with his hand. “I can safely say that, from this day forward, you need never bow or curtsy in my presence ever again, if you choose not to.”

“Bold words, sir,” Ettore said with a level gaze. “May I ask the reason for your unofficial royal proclamation?”

“You may already know, but I’ll tell you just the same.” Alex walked closer and was surprised to find his palms sweating. He could face the wrath of the entire Royal Council without batting an eyelash, but this was truly terrifying. He had planned to speak to her father, but not like this, not in a hospital while Rebecca was missing.

“I’m in love with your daughter,” Alex said as he looked Ettore straight in the eye. He was pleased that his voice seemed to be crisp, clear, and unwavering. “I would like to ask you for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

Ettore did not blink, nor did he waver as he stared at Alex. “Interesting time to bring this up. Have you asked her yet?”

“We’ve, well, talked around it a little. I know she needed time to become comfortable with our relationship and what that would entail for her.”

“So, it would be about her making all the concessions for you,” Ettore said in a level voice that hid his true mirth; he was about to have some fun with the Prince of Valleria. “She’d always be giving and you’d always be taking. Tel me: just how comfortable have you become with my one and only daughter?”

For the first time in his life, Alex squirmed and shifted on his feet. He missed Francine biting back a laugh and Ettore squeezing her hand to help her keep it together a little longer.

“Our relationship wouldn’t be like that. I understand she’s making a greater sacrifice for me; there’s no question about that. However, I love her and I have for a long time now.” He started pacing as his love for Rebecca burst forth. “I would do anything to protect her. I’d give my life for her now, if I could.”

Alex stopped and turned swiftly towards them again, his eyes beseeching them. “I give you my word of honor, I will love her and care for her for as long as she’ll have me, and I’ll do the same for you as well.”

Francine squeezed Ettore’s hand and they glanced at each other. Ettore nodded.

“It’s clear you love our Rebecca. If she’ll have you, I won’t say anything against it. But hear this: if you ever cause my little girl pain, I don’t give a rat’s ass who you are, I’m coming after you.”

Alex nodded, pathetically grateful. “That’s a completely reasonable request.”

“It’s not a request, it’s a promise,” Ettore said and was pleased to see Alex grow a little pale. It would be fun to have a son-in-law who was just a little afraid of him, he thought. “And one more thing.”

“Yes, sir?”

“You find the sons-of-bitches who took my baby girl and you take care of them.”

“That’s a promise I’ve already made to myself, and I’ll make it again to you. I keep my promises, sir. I’ve only ever broke one promise, sir, and I will never break another.”

“What promise did you break?”

“I promised Rebecca I would keep her safe. That’s one promise I will never break again.”

After a long look, Ettore said, “I believe you. Any news?”

A knock on the door halted Alex’s answer. With a nod from Ettore, he went to answer it, unsurprised to find Gabriel there.

“I’ve come to see how my dear friends are doing,” Gabriel said as he strode in, giving Alex a pat on the cheek before he headed for the couple. He kissed Francine’s free hand, then did the same to Ettore’s before sitting beside him on the bed.

“We’re doing well, Your Royal Highness,” Francine said, blushing just a little.

“Your son’s just asked for my daughter’s hand in marriage,” Ettore said and saw Alex’s eyes widen. “How do you feel about that?”

Gabriel smiled and squeezed Ettore’s hand, which he still held between his own. “I’m quite pleased, and will be very honored to have Rebecca as a daughter.”

“And your wife,” Francine asked tentatively. “Will she also be as welcoming?”

“I can assure you both, you have nothing to fear. I spoke to my wife about Alex’s intentions not long after he mentioned them to me. She’s quite fond of Rebecca, as you know.”

“Yes, sir,” Francine said. “However, being fond of someone isn’t the same as wanting them as part of your family. Particularly, a royal family.”

Alex began to speak, but Gabriel stayed him with one look and spoke instead. “Rebecca will face detractors, this is true. One cannot be a royal, or a ruler, without them. However, I have full faith in Rebecca, and in Alex as well. She is an excellent woman, due to the two of you, and if I have every confidence in her, so will the nation.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Francine said, blushing at the compliment.

“None of that anymore,” Gabriel said. “There are no formalities in our family. As you will soon join ours, please, feel free to call me Gabriel.”

“Rebecca has not been, for technicalities sake, asked a certain question. When she’s back, then we’ll see,” Ettore said as his mind trailed off.

Gabriel squeezed his hand. “We’ll find her. Have no doubt on that score.”

Ettore nodded just as Alex’s phone buzzed. “Pardon me, I’d better take this in case there’s news,” Alex said and exited the room.

A message from the phone he’d given Rebecca popped up on the screen.

Help me. Trapped in a warehouse on Ave de Burgundy. Can’t get out. Please come, Alexander. I love you. Please help me.

A knot twitched in his chest before it settled like lead in his stomach. Things were off with this message. She did not call him Alexander, not anymore, and she had never said she loved him before. He forwarded the message to Marcello just as another popped up on the screen.

They’ve got the place surrounded. You’ll do better if you come alone. I love you. Please help me.

Now he knew something was off. She would never ask him to risk his life, even to save her. Rebecca was too unselfish for that. If there were an army there, she would have asked him to bring the same but to stay away while they rescued her.

Alex forwarded the second message to Marcello as he walked into the hospital room.

“Any news?” Ettore asked immediately.

“I’m going to meet with Marcello now; we may have a lead on where she’s being held.” Alex shared a look with his father, knowing he would understand what he was really saying.

“Give us a call, my son, when you know more.”

“Yes, Papa.”

“And don’t forgot what I told you,” Ettore said.

“No, sir,” Alex said quickly before saying goodbye and heading quickly out the door.

He had no time to lose.

***

Without making too much noise, Rebecca had managed to loosen the ties enough to slip her hands through, allowing her to also loosen the ones at her feet. Jacopo had kept coming back in to check on her every so often, but had never looked too closely at her bindings. He had spent significant amounts of time leering at her, though, and she knew he would be groping her, or worse, before long.

The trouble was, even though she was now freed from her bindings, there was nothing in the room to help her. No large objects to bash over heads or even small ones to help in any way.

She only had herself.

She had gone through a hundred scenarios in her head: waiting for them by the door then attacking, or waiting until they tried to attack her then attacking back. One idea after another flitted through her mind, and was discarded or revised.

She thought she could have handled the attack if it had been just one of them, but there were at least two with potentially more beyond. However, she could not sit back and take what they wanted to do to her. She had to fight back, for Alex, for her parents, and for herself most of all.

She decided the next time Jacopo came to check on her, she would try to take him out first.

He came just a few minutes later.

She had slipped her hands and feet loosely into the bindings again when she had heard him at the door, then feigned sleep again.

“Still asleep, bitch?” he said as he got closer. “Leffie’s gone to run an errand, and that means it’s just the two of us here, and no one to hear you scream.” Leffie! Now she recognized the other kidnapper; it was Tavin’s head security agent. Why was he doing this?

When Jacopo climbed over her and began to grope her chilled flesh, she refocused on the task at hand; she would have time to dwell on why Leffie was involved in this later.

“I bet if I fucked you,” Jacopo sneered. “You wouldn’t even know it when I woke up. Whores are like that,” he said as he leaned down. When she felt his lips on her body, revulsion swum through her like a bite of fresh, scaly fish, and she fought back.

She slipped her feet and hands out of the binds easily and pushed him away from her, sending him with a cry onto the hard cement floor. Though he had hit his head, he was still conscious.

She pulled one of the bindings free from the bedframe and wrapped it around his neck. She pulled tightly with everything she had, while he struggled, arms flailing, to fight against her.