Page 29 of Born Free

He and I ended, and he left the country, to go to the place we were supposed to visit together.

“What did Orlando say?” I ask, moving on. “When you realized I was gone, and so was Santiago?”

“He doesn’t know,” Roman says, letting out a hard breath. The whole Royal situation is… complicated. “I didn’t say anything to Orlando because I wasn’t going to give an explanation about why Santiago would take you. I’m going to have to come up with some justification for why I disappeared for a few days.”

My fingers lace into my hair, my stress levels rising.

Too much. I can feel it creeping up inside me like it did before I broke down and called Sebastian begging for help. I have my limits. I’ve learned that now. And I’m getting dangerously close to them.

“I swear, Juliet, I won’t let Orlando do anything to Chicago,” Roman says, as if sensing where my head is.

“It’syouI’m worried about!” I explode, not caring that my former fiancé is hearing every word I say. “I know everyone doesn’t trust Orlando when he says he just wants to be reunited with you, but I can hear it in his voice. He really does miss Andres. He’s a powerful man, Roman. I don’t think he’s just going to leave you alone and let you go back to your life in Chicago.”

Roman steps forward, taking my hands. His blue eyes bore into my own, conviction burning them bright. “Do I seem like the kind of man to let someone make me do something I don’t want to do?”

I let out a breath. It’s not in relief. It feels a little defeated. “No,” I answer, but I still don’t know if Roman will have any choice when it comes down to it.

“I will work this all out,” Roman says, hooking a finger under my chin and lifting it so I have to look into his eyes and see the promise there.

I trust him. I believe him.

But I’m still scared.

“This is all very heart-killingly sweet,” Sebastian says, his tone tight. “But we need to make a plan. Every second we stay in Roter Himmel is a risk.”

My eyes lift to his, and Roman pivots, looking out the broken windows. “Our best bet is during the day. The town should be quiet then. I think we take off along the mountains, not the road. We’re less likely to be spotted that way.”

“Good thing I wore my hiking gear,” I snort. Both sets of eyes slide down the length of me. I’m still wearing my red dress, though it’s stained with an impressive amount of blood and ripped in more than one place. My feet are bare, and I wonder where exactly I lost my shoes between Chicago and Austria.

“I could raid one of the houses, get you something to wear,” Roman says, dead serious.

I roll my eyes. “I’ll be fine. I’m a damn vampire. I think I’ll survive a little barefoot hiking.”

Sebastian’s eyes linger on my feet, and I hate that it’s genuine concern on his face. He doesn’t like the idea of me walking barefoot.

“What time is it anyway?” I ask, walking to the window and looking out for the first time.

And my breath is taken away.

The mountains around us are… spectacular. They’re massive and completely encircle us. There’s a huge lake pushed up against one side, one single road stretching along the side of it and then disappearing into a canyon. This cottage is only a hundred yards from the road.

But down the road, about a mile or so, I see dozens of houses. I’d honestly expect more luxury from the King’s Royal Court members, but they’re just… normal looking. But there, in the middle of the actual town, the road turns. It runs up the hill. And it disappears into the gates that surround the castle.

A castle.

I’ve never seen one in my life. You see them in movies, on TV. But seeing this in real life? I feel something tug inside me, and I almost feel… emotional. There’s history here. There’s a darkness in that castle, weight that covers the entire valley. This is where my kind come from, where we all originate. Me. Both the men in this building with me. My father, my best friends back in Chicago. We’re all here, all what we are, because of the person who resides in those walls.

The flash of dim headlights sends all of us ducking for a moment. Silently, we watch as a car rolls down the road. It’s nice, and one of those brands you’ve never even heard of because they’re so rare.

There’s this feeling as it gets closer, as if a cloud of dangerous mist is billowing out in front of the vehicle. The world feels older as it approaches, more sinister, far more precarious.

All three of us watch in silence, tucked out of view as much as possible.

The car rolls closer and closer.

We see a woman driving the vehicle. She looks deadly and stoic.

And then in the backseat, we see a man.

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