Royal Wedding Threat (13 page)

“Tiffany was gone?”

Dan nodded solemnly.

“When was this?”

“Sunday of last week—nine days ago now. I puzzled over everything for another day and couldn’t shake a few things Tiffany had said about Ava, bitter things, threatening things. And I realized that
if Tiffany killed Ava’s mom—which I fear she may have—then the threatening things she said about Ava weren’t just old bitterness. They were real.”

Jason didn’t like what he was hearing. He especially didn’t like thinking about Ava hearing it all from behind the glass, but he had to find answers. Dan’s story seemed convincing, but it could still well just be a story. “I trust you called the
police again.”

“Yes, of course. They sent someone to talk to Tiffany, but she still wasn’t home. What else could they do? From their perspective, I’d given them two dead-end tips. The car wasn’t there. Tiffany wasn’t there. I realized if Tiffany was out to hurt Ava, she might have traveled to Lydia. I talked to her secretary, Myra, who was trying to hold the company together. At first she
told me she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone where Tiffany had gone. When I guessed Lydia, she confirmed it.”

“Tiffany is in Lydia?” Jason clarified, starting to believe the man’s story might be true and fearing the implications if it was.

“Myra booked the tickets herself.”

“
Tickets?
More than one?”

“Myra wouldn’t tell me the name of the man who was traveling with Tiffany. I
only know it’s a man because Myra referred to him as ‘he.’ I called Ava’s father. He refused to give me her contact information or even listen to what I had to say. I can’t really blame him, not after I cheated on his daughter.”

Dan’s introspective pause and honest words convinced Jason the man might actually be telling the truth. He couldn’t prove anything just yet, but he was willing to
pursue any tips the man might give him.

At the same time, Jason wasn’t about to turn the man loose based on a story. The gunman on the island had been wearing a Seattle Mariners baseball cap identical to the one Dan wore at that very moment. Ava had suggested the gunman might have chosen the cap to throw them off the trail, but Jason wasn’t about to deny that Dan matched everything they knew
about the gunman, save for his story—which could be an elaborately concocted alibi.

“I’ve sent him several emails explaining what I think is going on. I’ve left messages on his phone. He won’t answer my calls. Look...” Dan met his eyes, and Jason thought he saw real regret there. “I wish I could take back what I did. Ava was the sweetest, most wonderful woman I ever could have hoped for,
but I blew it. I can’t go back in time and change what I did, but I wish I could. When I realized Tiffany had come here after Ava, and I couldn’t convince anyone to stop her, I knew that I had to come, or I’d spend the rest of my life regretting that I didn’t save her when I had the chance.”

Jason asked, “Did you inquire after her at the palace gate last Thursday evening?”

“Yes. I didn’t
have her phone number. She changed her email address. I had no way of getting in touch with her. I’ve tried everything. When I couldn’t find Ava, I tried to track down Tiffany. I knew I couldn’t give up. I saw Ava this evening and just started running toward her, calling her name. And now here I am.”

A quick glance at the clock told Jason that Ava only had a few minutes left before she needed
to leave. After what they’d both just heard, he couldn’t let her go before speaking with her, nor did he want to make her late. Quickly instructing his men to detain Dan for further questioning, he excused himself to slip into the small adjoining room, praying he could offer Ava some comfort.

Had Tiffany really killed Ava’s mother? It certainly seemed possible—unless Dan Johnson was lying.
But Dan would surely only have lied to cover his own guilt, which meant Dan might have been the murderer besides trying to kill Ava. Either way, someone Ava had once trusted and cared about had done the unthinkable...and seemed intent on killing Ava, as well.

THIRTEEN

A
va gripped her chair and stared through the glass, too stunned to move a muscle. A thousand thoughts warred inside her head. Was Dan telling the truth? Had Tiffany killed her mother? And what had she ever seen in Dan anyway? He was good-looking enough and usually well dressed, but those were all his good points.

He couldn’t compare to Jason. Where Dan had been hesitant,
unsure and even whiny, Jason was commanding yet caring, a man of action who stood by his principles. And Jason had a much nicer smile than Dan. The thought of Jason made Ava wish she was still tucked under his protective arm, clinging tightly to him as she had done on the pier.

She watched through the glass as Jason left the interrogation room. As he joined her, she rose from her chair, but
instantly she felt light-headed from standing so quickly after sitting frozen through such shocking revelations.

Jason pulled her into his arms and she held tight to him, leaning on him for support. The comfort of his touch loosened her frozen lungs. She could breathe again and pulled in a lungful of his manly scent, grateful for his presence. Ever since he’d held her on the pier, she’d longed
to feel his arms around her again. No one was shooting at her at the moment, so she wasn’t sure why Jason had pulled her into his arms.

Was it because he knew she needed his strength to stand? Did she look that unstable? Or did he really care about her that much? It didn’t make sense that he would—not after all the nasty arguments between them. And yet Jason held her close and even lightly
rubbed her back, his touch soothing and reassuring.

“What do you think?” he asked after rubbing her back a moment.

Ava’s thoughts swam, but she picked one memory that stuck out like a red flag now that Dan’s story shone a light on it. “Tiffany missed several important appointments. I always covered for her. My mother found out about it and advised me to make Tiffany face the consequences
of her own decisions. Tiffany walked in on our conversation.” Ava swallowed, her throat thick. “That wasn’t long before my mother died. I don’t remember how long exactly, but...it makes sense.”

“Dan’s story makes sense?”

“I don’t like it. I wish I could say Dan was the gunman, lock him up and I’ll be safe, everyone at the wedding will be safe.” Her voice rose to an emotional whimper.
She wondered if she was rambling.

“His story makes sense to me, too,” Jason admitted, still rubbing her back. “At the same time, he’s wearing the same hat as the gunman who followed us to Dorsi. They have the same build. It could just be an elaborate story he’s telling us. He could be the gunman.”

“I can’t believe I was ever in love with him.”

“He seems like a nice guy. If his story
is true, he did the right thing by coming here to warn you.”

“I do appreciate that—if his story is true.” Ava peeled back a bit from Jason, knowing she needed to leave. “Still, he’s nothing like you.”

“Nothing like me?” Jason asked quietly.

Realizing that she’d revealed more of her feelings than she’d intended, Ava blushed and tried to explain. “He’s not decisive and principled
and strong like you are.” She met Jason’s eyes and saw him watching her with a hint of a smile.

And she realized her explanation had revealed even more of her feelings, instead of disguising them. Embarrassed though she was, Ava wouldn’t deny that she’d come to trust and care for Jason so much it frightened her.

She had to retreat. “I need to get going.”

“I have feelings for you,”
Jason said quietly as Ava stepped past him.

She turned and looked him full in the face. “Hmm?”

“All those times we argued, it wasn’t because I was mad at you. It was because I found you maddening.”

“Those aren’t the same thing?” Ava’s heart swelled. What kind of feelings did Jason have for her? Was he simply being kind to her because he felt sorry she’d had to endure so much? Or
did he care for her as more than a friend?

“This is probably horrible timing,” Jason confessed, taking her hand, “but you said what you said and I wanted you to know your feelings are precious to me. I wake up thinking of you. My day doesn’t really start until I see your face. And when you laughed earlier? I was king of the world. I’d love to make you laugh again.”

Ava drew closer to
Jason as he spoke. She couldn’t believe she was hearing such kind words from a man who’d spoken to her so sharply just the week before. As he mentioned her laugh, he brushed her cheek gently with one hand. Ava rose on tiptoes, pulling closer to him, yearning for his touch after sitting alone through the awful interview.

Jason leaned down toward her. She realized a moment before his lips touched
hers that he might very well be going to kiss her. Then he hesitated and she feared he might change his mind, so she closed the distance between them just as he did the same, and their lips met with urgency.

She’d enjoyed arguing with Jason. She’d enjoyed laughing with him even more. But neither of those things nor both together could compare with kissing him. If there had been any doubt
in her mind that Jason was a better fit for her than Dan ever could have been, the kiss confirmed it.

She didn’t want to ever stop kissing him. So what if she was late for the dress fitting? The dressmakers could assess the bridesmaids without her. It wasn’t as though she had to be there.

Eyes closed tight, her whole self focused on the feel and the smell and the taste of this wonderful
man, Ava vaguely realized Jason had cleared his throat.

It wasn’t until she heard the sound again that she realized Jason couldn’t possibly have made the noise, as he was still ardently kissing her.

“Um, Captain?”

That was most definitely not Jason’s voice.

Ava opened her eyes and discovered two men standing in the doorway.

And they’d pulled the curtain back and turned
the light on. The one-way glass had become two-way glass, and a room full of royal guards had witnessed their kiss.

Mortified, Ava took a second to recover. “I need to be going.” She slipped from Jason’s arms, retreating quickly down the hall and toward the palace.

What had she done? She’d kissed the captain of the guard. That had been lovely. But all his men had witnessed it. Grateful
as she was that she’d gotten away quickly, she couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty for leaving Jason alone to face his men. No matter what he chose to talk about, it was certain to be an awkward conversation.

* * *

Jason watched Ava walk away. Then he looked at his men and cleared his throat. “Inform Mr. Johnson we’ll be looking into his story, but in the meantime, we’re going to keep
him here under guard. Or I can tell him myself.” Jason started to step past the men, who seemed frozen in place, unsure how to react to what they’d seen.

Titus cleared his throat. “Captain, you’ve got a bit of pink—” he gestured around his own mouth “—lipstick?”

A couple of guards stifled giggles.

But Linus and Galen, two guards who’d witnessed the kiss from the other side of the
glass, didn’t look at all amused. Jason had warned each of them not to become involved with the women they were guarding. And though Linus was now engaged to Duchess Julia, and Galen was likewise engaged to Ruby Tate, Princess Anastasia’s assistant, Jason had discouraged those romances. He’d even gone so far as to threaten Galen that he’d lose his job if he became involved with Ruby.

Jason
owed his men an explanation. It wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have, but he figured he wouldn’t gain anything by putting it off.

“Titus, pass the message along to the suspect and detain him in cell B. Then join me in the conference room. I need to address everyone together.”

Stepping into the nearby men’s room, Jason checked his reflection in the mirror and wiped the lipstick away.
What had he done? What would he tell the men? He needed to talk to Ava about what was going on between them, but there wasn’t time for that. His men deserved answers. Now—before any of them had an opportunity to grumble.

The men were still waiting for him in the conference room. He gathered his thoughts as he faced them.

“We talk a lot about honor in the royal guard,” he began. “It’s
been my goal to restore the reputation of the guard, to restore our honor.” Jason swallowed, trying to think how his behavior fit his words. “The Royal Guard Code of Honor specifically prohibits improper behavior between guards and those they protect.”

Months before, Jason had looked up the exact clause to guide him as he responded to the relationships blossoming between his guards and those
they guarded. He still hadn’t made up his mind precisely what those centuries-old words meant.

Clearly his guards struggled with the same confusion. Galen asked quietly, “What is improper behavior?”

Jason looked at him and tried to think of an answer.

Linus spoke first. “Was that kiss proper behavior?”

“I don’t know,” Jason admitted. “What do you men think?”

By that time,
Titus had returned along with several more guards. The large conference room was getting crowded.

“Do you know what I think?” Royal guard Levi Grenaldo, recently married to Princess Isabelle, spoke up. Jason hadn’t even realized Levi was there—he mostly came and went at Isabelle’s side, visiting the guardhouse only when necessary. But the topic this evening applied to him, as well. He’d been
assigned to guard Princess Isabelle, then they’d fallen in love. “It depends on the relationship between the two of you. Are your intentions toward the wedding planner honorable?”

“Yes.” Jason could confirm that much. He couldn’t say what the future held, but he knew for certain he didn’t want to hurt Ava, only to comfort her and maybe even make her smile.

“Then I don’t see any problem,”
Levi concluded.

Grateful as he was for Levi’s absolution, Jason couldn’t let the issue go that easily. “I want to be certain I’m interpreting the policy fairly for everyone, while upholding the honor of the royal guard.”

“If you’ll recall,” Galen spoke up again, “you told me not to get involved with Ruby.”

“Yeah,” Linus noted quietly beside his friend, “but you still kissed her
when you weren’t supposed to.”

The tips of Galen’s ears turned red, and he elbowed Linus.

“That’s precisely what I’m talking about. The policy isn’t clear,” Jason affirmed.

“So clarify the policy,” Titus said, as though the answer could possibly be that simple.

“We’ll have to work on that. In the meantime, all of you have work to do. We have a royal wedding in three days.”
Jason nodded and headed for the door. The situation was close enough to settled for now, and he had more pressing matters to attend to. But the question would undoubtedly come up again, especially if he wanted to be involved with Ava. He didn’t know what she might have to say, but he’d become increasingly certain he did want to be with Ava.

She might argue with him about it, but her kiss
had told him how she really felt. It was enough to convince him. He was ready to fight for her.

* * *

Ava’s heartbeat kicked up a notch when she spotted the shadowy figure lingering near the doorway of the palace-wall apartments. Though they were inside the safety of the palace campus, and Ava had so far been safe inside those walls, her life had been threatened too many times recently
for her not to feel frightened.

She reached for her phone, realizing as she did so that she’d turned it off before her last meeting to avoid any rude interruptions in front of the royal family. At the same moment, she drew near enough to recognize the uniform the man wore.

Royal guard.

Ava walked toward him, faster now, studying the man’s face. Her heart grew hopeful and then happy
as she recognized Jason in his captain’s uniform. In spite of her embarrassment at the thought of facing him again after their kiss, she couldn’t help smiling as she approached him.

Jason grinned back at her.

“What are you doing here?” she called out as she approached.

“You said you were booked until ten. I tried to call your phone to arrange to meet—”

“I had it turned off.”

“So I gathered.” He shrugged. “So I thought I’d meet you here, but you’re half an hour late.”

“The meeting went long.” Ava reached his side, hesitated for a moment over whether she should hug him or shake hands or give in to the urge to kiss him on the spot. Instead she pressed her thumb to the print reader until it glowed green, deactivating the lock and allowing her into the building.

“I’m sure you had a lot to discuss.” Jason held the door for her as she stepped through. He followed, giving the door an extra tug to be certain it had latched shut securely.

Ava headed toward her apartment door. “They wanted to know the latest about the situation. Of course, since Alexander has so many friends in the guard, and since he’s the head of the Lydian Army, he’s already learned
about every development.”

“Alex has top-level security clearance,” Jason confirmed. “The only person allowed to keep secrets from him is the king.”

“The remaining question is whether they’ll be allowed to ride in the open carriage from the cathedral back to the palace.” Ava paused in front of her door and looked up at Jason, still stinging from her apology to the royal couple. “I told
them that for safety’s sake, they ought to reconsider it.”

“How did they take it?”

“With grace.” Ava unlocked her door. “I could see Lillian felt disappointed, but she insisted we must do everything we can for safety’s sake. I just felt awful making the request because it’s my fault. I promised her the wedding of her dreams, but it’s because of
me
she can’t have it.”

Jason stepped
after her into the apartment and touched her shoulder with his hand, imparting comfort she hadn’t realized she was craving. “It’s not because of you. It’s because of the killer who’s after you. That’s not your fault.”

Ava blinked up at him. In her heart, she wanted to believe his words were true, but she still felt guilty. She felt the same way about abandoning him to face his men alone after
they’d witnessed the kiss. “How did things go after I left?”