Royal Target (12 page)

Chapter 20

Garrett knocked on Janessa’s door twice that evening before she finally answered it. Her hair was still damp from a recent shower, and her feet were bare. Her blue jeans were comfortably faded, and the sleeves of her button-up shirt were rolled past the elbows. Despite her casual attire, her voice was formally aloof when she asked, “May I help you?”

“I came to escort you to dinner.”

Confusion flickered over her face. “I wasn’t aware we had dinner plans.”

“You were working, and I didn’t want to disturb you.” Garrett held out his hand. “You need to eat something.”

Janessa glanced down at her clothes. “I need to change.”

“There’s no need,” Garrett insisted.

She gave a little sigh and slipped on her sandals by the door. Reluctantly, she followed him down the hall. He pushed his door open to reveal a table set for two. A bud vase held a single red rose, and two slim candles were waiting to be lit.

When Garrett and Janessa entered the room, a member of the kitchen staff lit the candles and set appetizers on the table.

Garrett pulled out a chair for Janessa, pleased that she sat without argument, even if she did look disgruntled. Once he was seated across from her, he nodded to the servant. “That will be all for now, Brenna.”

As soon as they were alone, Janessa spoke. “Okay, Garrett. What’s your agenda here?”

“I’m not intending to seduce you, if that’s what you mean,” he said teasingly before taking a more serious tone. “I just wanted to spend some time with you. Do you mind?”

Her shoulders lifted as she considered his question. “Perhaps I do.”

“You’re still angry.”

“I’m trying hard not to be.” Janessa reached for her glass of water, her fingers fiddling with the stem of the goblet rather than picking it up. She let out a little sigh and lifted her eyes to meet his. “I realize you’re used to people obeying your commands, but, as I’ve told you before, I’m not one of your subjects, and I don’t appreciate being treated like one.”

“I’m worried,” Garrett said. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

“How do you think I feel?” Janessa blinked against tears that suddenly threatened. “Every day I know that if I don’t do my job, I could lose you or someone close to you. And even if I do everything I can think of, that possibility still exists.”

Garrett considered her wording. Was it possible that her feelings mirrored his own? He glanced toward his room and thought of the Book of Mormon hidden in the drawer of his nightstand. Looking back at her, he chose his words carefully. “Things are going to be difficult for the next few weeks. I guess we both need to have faith that the Lord will help us through it.”

“Believe me, I pray for His help night and day.”

“So do I.” His voice was barely more than a whisper. He cleared his throat against the emotions welling up inside him, both his growing love for Janessa and the fear that went with it. As much as he understood her desire to keep a professional distance between them, he knew he had already lost the battle. A little hesitantly, he reached for her hand. “We pray to the same God, you and I.”

“What do you mean?” Her eyes had dropped to their joined hands, and she gently pulled her hand away.

“I’ve read the Book of Mormon. I know it’s true.” Garrett took a deep breath and continued. “I investigated the Church when I was in the States. I had hoped to talk to my family about my desire to get baptized when I returned home, but then your embassy was bombed . . .” His voice trailed off.

It appeared that Janessa was barely managing to keep her jaw from dropping open at his disclosure, and now she struggled to form a sentence. “You . . . want to get baptized?”

He nodded, studying her as she absorbed this new information. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head, the rapid readjustment between who she thought he was and the man he intended to become. Confusion, pleasure, and concern crossed her face before she managed to ask, “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“We’ve both had a lot on our minds lately.” Garrett tilted his head as he studied her. “With my position, I’ve been reluctant to tell anyone before I discuss this with my family. You are one of only three people who know of my plans.”

“Who are the other two?”

“My best friend from law school and his wife.”

Janessa shook her head and let out a little laugh. “I can’t believe you’re planning on getting baptized. Royalty isn’t exactly common in the Church.”

“You can understand why I’ve been hesitant to talk about it.”

“How did this happen?” Janessa asked now. “I mean, how did you learn about the gospel, especially without the press getting wind of it?”

“You have to understand that I’ve only been to church a handful of times because of the press,” Garrett began. “As for my conversion, it happened pretty gradually. I had started reading the Book of Mormon, mostly out of curiosity, and then my friend Tim got married at the end of our first year of law school. I was told I couldn’t go to the ceremony because it was in the temple.”

“You definitely wouldn’t be used to that.” Janessa bit back a smile.

Garrett’s eyebrows lifted, and then he shook his head and smiled. “I stewed about it all summer, that someone would deny me access to my best friend’s wedding. For whatever reason, I kept reading the Book of Mormon, though. It probably took me another year before I prayed about whether the book was true or not.”

“Did you get an answer?”

“In a strange sort of way.” Garrett smiled. “It was more like the impression of
Why are you asking this question? You already know the answer.
”

“Everyone gets answers in different ways.” She nodded in understanding. “Tell me, what led you to investigate the Church?”

“I guess you could say I had been feeling unsettled.”

“What do you mean?”

Garrett shrugged. “As far as material things, I had everything I wanted, but friends weren’t easy to come by. Stefano and I were very sheltered growing up, and our social calendars were carefully planned. I tended to be rebellious, always testing the limits.”

“Oh really?” Amusement filled her voice.

“I was a royal pain—pun intended,” he said wryly. “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of . . .”

“That’s the beauty of baptism. All of our past sins are forgiven in that moment,” Janessa said sincerely.

“I want to believe that.” He took a deep breath. “So anyway, when I went to the US, I got a taste of the real world. It was the first time I was able to make friends outside of the royals and high society in Europe. I really needed that. In fact, sometimes I think the main reason I started reading the Book of Mormon was because I knew it would drive my father crazy if he thought I was going to leave the Meridian Church. I never realized that I would gain a testimony while I was trying to find my independence.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Are you sure you aren’t still trying to rebel against your father?”

“I’m through rebelling. After being away from Meridia for so long, I finally realized how much I want to play an active part in my family again. Now I pray that they will support my decision to get baptized.”

“Perhaps you should try to schedule your baptism sooner rather than later,” she suggested. “With everything that’s happening, you could really benefit from having the gift of the Holy Ghost. Besides, the press might not exploit the event the way they would if they didn’t have anything else to report.”

Garrett’s voice became serious. “I prefer to keep the event private, if at all possible.”

Janessa nodded with understanding. “I think it’s possible.”

“I hope so. By the way, a member of the First Presidency will be dedicating the site for the new temple on Tuesday. I’ll be representing the royal family at the dedication and the groundbreaking ceremony. I’d like for you to come with me.”

“I’d love to come,” Janessa agreed. “Do you have any idea how long it will take for the temple to be built?”

“My father has been pretty cooperative with the Church so far, and there aren’t any shortages of materials or workers right now, which is in our favor. I heard they expect to dedicate it in about a year.”

“That’s quick.”

Garrett nodded and watched her for a moment in the flickering candlelight before taking her hand and brushing his lips across her knuckles. This time she didn’t pull her hand away. “I know you think you can’t do your job and be involved with me at the same time, but—”

A heavy-handed knock at the door sounded just as shouts erupted outside. Garrett was halfway to the door when two gunshots sounded outside the chateau.

“Get down!” Janessa shouted as the door burst open and Levi surged through. He knocked Garrett to the ground before Janessa could react.

“What’s going on?” Janessa demanded, now crawling across the floor to the two men sprawled near the door.

“The guards on the beach saw someone near the stables,” Levi told her. “I’m clearing the chateau until we can sweep for explosives.”

Another shot sounded. Janessa pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and started dialing. “Don’t send anyone outside yet. First have the dog check the garage.”

“You think someone is trying to get us to rush out without checking the cars?” Levi asked.

Janessa’s shoulder lifted. “I don’t know. The entrances to the chateau are well protected. It’s a lot easier to bypass the security for the garage.” When Martino came on the line, she told him to keep the servants in the kitchen until he heard from her while Levi made the call to have the garage checked out.

“Why the kitchen?” Garrett asked now, his head swimming as he watched Janessa transform into an intelligence officer before his eyes. He was finally beginning to reconcile who she was with what she was.

“It would be the hardest place to plant a bomb. Patrice rarely leaves the kitchen, and that area of the house has servants coming and going constantly,” Janessa told him. “Do you want me to have your bodyguards stay with you here, or would you rather go downstairs with the servants?”

“I’m not going to hide in the kitchen while you go searching for bombs,” Garrett said edgily.

“That’s fine. You can stay here,” Janessa said as though she had taken his words literally.

“Janessa, I’m coming with you,” Garrett insisted, for the first time noticing one of his bodyguards standing in his doorway.

She laid a hand on his arm, her voice softening. “Please let me do my job. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

Though everything in him demanded he protect her, Garrett said nothing as she stood and walked out the door.

Chapter 21

Janessa rushed down the main stairwell with Levi on her heels. “We need to check out the chateau, starting with the rooms near the kitchen.” Janessa turned to face him when she reached the landing. “As soon as the garage is cleared, we’ll bring the dog in to help.”

“I’ll have security start a sweep,” Levi agreed, pulling his phone out to issue the orders.

“I’m going out to the garage,” Janessa told him, heading for the private entrance. Cautiously, she checked the heavy wooden door for booby traps before opening it. Once she was satisfied it was safe, she pushed it open and headed straight for the garage.

A guard standing near the garage entrance moved to intercept her. “Excuse me, signorina. You can’t go in there.”

“It’s okay,” Janessa started, searching for an explanation as she tried to step past him.

“No, you must wait until it is safe.” The guard abruptly moved into her path, effectively cutting her off as another gunshot rang out.

Instantly the guard cried out, his body jerking as he stumbled to the ground.

Janessa leaned down to help as a second shot thudded into the side of the garage just above her.

“Get inside!” the guard urged, trying to scramble through the garage door despite his injury.

The moment they both cleared the door, Janessa shut it behind them as yet another gunshot sounded. “Where are you hit?”

“My leg.” His face was already damp with perspiration, but he motioned to the row of cars. “Don’t worry about me. We need to get you out of here.”

Janessa turned then, and her heart nearly stopped beating. The dog was sitting at attention right beside the sports car Garrett favored. “Oh, no.” The words breathed out of her as she let herself look beyond the dog to his handler. She had been friends with Alan long enough to know that the dog had discovered a problem.

Lying on the garage floor, Alan aimed a flashlight at the underside of the car. He looked over to Janessa and called out to her. “Come here. I need your help.”

“Go ahead. I’ll be okay,” the injured guard told her, already pulling off his shirt and pressing it against the wound.

Cautiously, Janessa crossed to Alan, squatting down to see for herself what they were dealing with. “What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to hold these wires apart.” He pointed at a series of loose wires hanging from the bomb casing. “I can’t tell which one feeds to the detonator.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and lay down on the garage floor. She slid under the car far enough so that she could reach the explosive device. Following Alan’s instructions precisely, she carefully separated the wires. She had learned about explosives in her training, but never before had she been faced with a live exercise.

“Can you disarm it?”

“I have good news, and I have bad news.” Alan didn’t bother to ask her which one she wanted to hear first. “We can disarm it, but we have to activate it first.”

“What?” Janessa turned her head to look at him.

“There are too many wires. It’s booby trapped so that if I try to disarm it, it will immediately explode.” Alan pointed at the edge of the metal box that housed the bomb. “Once the bomb is armed, the booby trap will be bypassed and we can cut the wires. I’m going to need you to cut this red one when I tell you.”

“Okay.” Janessa nodded as Alan handed her a second pair of wire cutters.

He motioned to an LCD display taped to the base of the bomb. “As soon as the bomb activates, you’ll see the countdown right here. Call it out to me.” Alan settled himself beside her with his wire cutters in hand. He prepared to clip the first wire and turned to her. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Janessa fixed her eyes on the LCD screen. She didn’t see how he activated the bomb, but her heart raced when she saw the display. “We only have five seconds!”

Alan clipped the first wire and then the second.

Janessa carefully held her wire cutters in place and waited, glancing back at the monitor as Alan clipped the blue wire and then the yellow one in succession. She looked back to the monitor as it illuminated one second.

“Now!”

She squeezed the wire cutters and then shut her eyes as she anticipated time running out. A second passed, and then two. Slowly, she let out the breath she was holding and looked over at Alan.

He lowered his head to the concrete floor and took two deep breaths. “That was close.”

“You’re telling me.”

“No, Janessa, you don’t understand.” Alan slid out from under the car and rolled to a sitting position. “There was just enough time on this bomb to
almost
disarm it. If you hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have made it. Whoever planted it wanted to make sure that if they didn’t get the prince, someone died protecting him.”

Janessa crawled out from under the car, her mind reeling. She glimpsed the injured man by the door and tried to push aside the terror surging through her. “The guard was shot. I need to get an ambulance up here.”

She only managed three steps before Alan called out to her. “Janessa, make sure the prince understands how close this was.”

Solemnly, she nodded.

* * *

Garrett paced across the room, his phone to his ear as Martino gave him another update. The ambulance was preparing to leave with the wounded guard, and the security sweep of the chateau was finally complete. The bomb that had been found in the garage had been removed and was even now being transported to the naval base for further analysis.

Unfortunately, whoever had infiltrated the chateau grounds was long gone. The motion sensors had helped track his movements through the woods behind the chateau as far as the road. It was presumed that a car had been waiting for him near where the trail went cold.

Garrett hung up the phone upon hearing that Janessa was on her way to see him. He crossed the room and opened the door, glancing into the hallway to see his bodyguards posted outside his door and Janessa and Levi heading toward his quarters. He met Janessa halfway, concerned at how pale she looked. Without a word, he gathered her into his arms, resting his head on top of hers.

They just stood there for a moment, and he could feel Janessa trembling. He pulled back to look down at her and saw her vivid green eyes blinking rapidly to fight the tears trying to form. “Come inside.” Garrett released her, keeping one hand on her back to guide her into his quarters.

Levi followed them inside and closed the door himself. “Did Martino bring you up to date?”

“I just hung up with him.” Garrett nodded. “How is the guard?”

“His prognosis is good,” Levi told him and then glanced over at Janessa.

A silent message passed between them, causing Garrett to turn his attention back to Janessa. “Is there something I don’t know about?”

Janessa took a deep breath. “If we had evacuated the chateau, which car would you have taken?”

“Mine,” Garrett answered without hesitation and then elaborated. “The Porsche my father gave me when I joined the Navy.”

“Why?” Janessa asked.

“I don’t understand. What does it matter which car I would have taken?”

“It’s important, Garrett,” Janessa insisted. “Why are you so sure you would have taken the Porsche?”

“For one thing, I wouldn’t want to use a driver, since Enrico would need to see to his own family.” Garrett shrugged a shoulder. “And the Porsche is the only car I keep keys for.”

“Who would know that?”

“I don’t know. Some of the household staff would know, along with my family and a few close friends.” He stepped closer and put both hands on her arms. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Only one bomb was found. It was attached to the underside of your car.” Janessa stared up at him, unable to control a shudder. “Whoever planted it knew that you would take your car.”

Garrett stared at her as he absorbed the news.

“Whoever is threatening your family isn’t just some lunatic off the street. It’s someone who knows you—and knows you well.”

Levi stepped forward. “Janessa, you’d better go call Director Palmer and let him know what’s going on. I’ll make sure the guard is doubled tonight. I’m sure the prince can help me get some extra personnel from the naval base to shore up our defenses for the next few days.”

Janessa nodded and quietly crossed the room. With one last look at Garrett, she stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her.

With some effort, Garrett turned his attention to Levi. “What kind of help do you need from the naval base?”

“Actually, I don’t think we need any. I just wanted to speak to you privately.”

Garrett sat down in a chair and motioned for Levi to sit as well. “Is there a problem?”

“I just finished debriefing the guard who was injured,” Levi told him. “After speaking to him and Janessa, I believe that whoever shot your guard was aiming for Janessa.”

Garrett’s lips pressed together as he fought against his emotions. “Have you talked to her about this?”

Levi shook his head. “She already knows, but she doesn’t want to admit it.”

“I’ll speak with your director and have him call her back to the United States.”

“Your Highness, you probably already know that she’s too stubborn to leave. Regardless, we need her here,” Levi admitted. His eyes were somber as he added, “Whoever planted that bomb predicted how we would react. Janessa saved your life tonight.”

Garrett stared at him a moment, the quiet words piercing through him. Wearily, he ran a hand over his face. “If I can’t send her home, how do you suggest I keep her safe?”

“I know she’s not going to like it, but I want to assign her a bodyguard.”

“I’m one step ahead of you there. In fact, I already have someone in mind, but he doesn’t arrive until next week. Can you make sure she is protected until then?”

“I’ll talk to Alan. Between the two of us, we’ll make sure she doesn’t go anywhere on her own.” Levi stood up and looked back at the prince. “Do you want to tell her she’s getting a bodyguard, or shall I?”

“She doesn’t need to know.”

With a nod, Levi left the room.