Page 50 of It Takes a Thief
I toss my bag in the back seat. “No, but let’s go.”
We get in and he eyes me in the rearview mirror. “The princess is going to miss you something fierce,” he says.
My heart does a weird sort of freefall in my chest, and I wonder if he knows about us. That we’ve been sneaking around.
“From what I can see, you make her very happy. In fact, I’ve never seen her so content.”
Sly old bastard. I’d be willing to bet my last buck he knows what’s been going on between us.
“I’ve known the princess since the day she was born,” he continues, “and I’ve never seen her light up the way she does when she’s around you.”
“What exactly are you saying, Leo?”
“I’m saying Mr. Dumas isn’t the right man for her.”
As much as I like hearing that, it doesn’t change anything. “The king and queen seem to think he’s perfect for her.”
“Hmm.”
Leo doesn’t say another word. Probably because of his loyalty to the Fontaines. And because if word got back, he’d most likely lose his job. But something in his tone—true concern—snags my attention. I pull out my phone and call Ryder.
“Yo, Linc,” he answers. “How’s the royal life treating you?”
“Ryder, I need a favor,” I interrupt, getting straight to business. “I need a full background check on Jeffrey Dumas from Arcadia. Can you do it now?”
“Don’t insult me. I can do it yesterday.”
“Thanks.” I disconnect the call, unease roiling through my gut. Suddenly, I’m not so sure I should be leaving. But I need more than a gut feeling—I need proof. A solid reason to stay.
Of course, I already looked into Jeffrey. On the surface, he appears successful and put-together, though an annoying kiss-ass, in my opinion. But my search didn’t unearth any red flags. Now, I’m wishing I would’ve dug deeper.
When we reach the airport, Leo shuts off the engine. “Shall I wait, sir?”
“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, Leo.”
“Thankyou, Mr. Decker.”
Even though he’s being slightly cryptic, Leo’s message is clear. He doesn’t want Merritt with Jeffrey, and I want to know why.
What is Jeffrey Dumas hiding?
Twenty minutes later, Addie and Ryder ring me back on a joint call.
“You haven’t left yet, have you?” Addie asks, sounding worried.
I instantly tense because The Boss isn’t a woman who worries very often. “No, I’m still here.”
“Good because I contacted The Man, and he and Ryder managed to pull up some disturbing intel on Jeffrey Dumas.”
“What?” I growl.
“The guy’s in debt up to his eyeballs,” Ryder informs me. “He’s a prolific gambler and owes a shitload of money to a lot of people. He also likes the fight scene—professional and underground.”
Merritt’s words flash through my head like a Times Square billboard:“Most of the time, I think he’s more interested in courting my parents than me.”
Because if he got his hands on the royal coffers, he could pay off his debt.
“Yeah, he recognized me,” I murmur. “Surprised the hell outta me.”
