Page 8 of A Fierce Princess

I nod. Auggie and I both know that Mia is likely more than Chris’s secretary. Then it dawns on me like a lightning bolt strike.

“Can I come with you?” I ask him.

Auggie’s mouth opens and closes a few times because I have never once asked to go anywhere with him on any sort of official business.

“W-why?” he finally manages to stammer out.

“Because…I…need the practice,” I say, trying to sound resolute.

He gives me “the look,” the one that says I can’t fool him.

“Fine, I really want to get away for a few days before I have to start thinking about the real world,” I say, which isn’t exactly a lie. I do, in fact, want to get away for a few days; it’s just these few days are more about potentially rescuing a maybe prince from certain death. I need to get back online pronto and figure out the specs on the bounty job that M has accepted.

“So, you seriously want to come with me?” Auggie asks again, as though finally processing that I do indeed want to go with him.

I punch him in the arm. “Ow!” he says, shaking out his arm.

“Don’t be a pansy. Yes, I’m coming, end of,” I say to him as I walk out of the dining room.

I make it halfway up the stairs when I hear my name.

“Shit,” I mutter turning to face Shannon.

“Where in the bloody hell do you think you are going?” she asks.

“I…uh…upstairs?” I ask. Shannon is ten years older than me and acts like both my secretary, older sister, and nanny. She can be downright intimidating at times.

“Oh no, you’re not. You have that meeting, or did you already forget?” she asks, eyeing my wardrobe. “I can see you forgot. Go change, meet me in the library in thirty minutes.” Normally, I would be pissed if my staff talked to me this way, but Shannon gets a pass, mostly because she has to put up with me all the time.

I salute her, and she rolls her eyes. I sprint up the stairs, but instead of going to my room, I continue running up to the tower until I reach my secret room. I pull up my scan and read through as fast as I can. M is officially commissioned as the assassin of Logan Hansen. The contract, which takes thirteen of my thirty minutes to find, gives him two weeks to complete the job. It appears M will need to get to the Bahamas first, so that gives me hope that I can stop this from happening. How, I don’t know. I seriously start to question my sanity as I run down to my room and throw on a dress and heels before beelining it downstairs.

By the time I finish my meetings and excuse myself to my room to study, it’s nearly three in the afternoon. I get a text from my dad as I plop down on my bed.

King Daddy: My office-now

Me: coming

I walk begrudgingly down the hall to my father’s office. I knock on the door and am led into the inner chamber.

“Yes, Daddy?” I ask in my sweetest voice.

He looks up at me, just looking for a long minute or two. “Why do you want to accompany your brother?” he finally asks.

I swallow. “Please, Dad! I just need a few days away. Plus, it’s a good time to start shadowing Auggie and Chris to see how it’s done,” I say.

He raises his eyebrows. “Seriously?” he asks.

I grin. “Seriously,” I state.

He sighs. “I know you are up to something, but against my better judgment, I will allow it,” he says. He presses a button on his desk, and Marcus walks in from a side room.

“Marcus, work with Paolo and Shannon. The princess is apparently accompanying her brother to the Bahamas,” he says.

Marcus grimaces. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he mutters and walks out of the room.

“Dad—”

My father holds up a hand. “I don’t want to know. Just please, for the love of god, don’t get in trouble over there. Auggie needs to work on his image. Keep that in mind,” he says in a warning tone.

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