Page 30 of Raul
Was he thinking about the people who kidnapped Gabriel? That seemed to weigh on his soul. She needed to drag him away from that abyss.
“I’ve been considering this since yesterday,” Erica said. “The abandoned campsite might have been the poachers’ base. When no dragons came to nest there, they went searching for other nests. But it had to be someone who knows both the mountain and the dragons’ habits, because that meadow where you fell is not in a location that recreational campers often use.”
“What are you saying?” Raul gave her a sharp look.
“Either the poacher has to be someone with specialized knowledge, or they paid someone for that knowledge, which might narrow the field of suspects.” Erica hesitated a moment but decided she needed to be frank. “A park ranger or someone who works for the Dragon Center.”
Raul stiffened, his chin angled up. “Those people are charged withprotectingour dragons.”
“I know.” She met his eyes with a level gaze.
“Ay,you’re probably right.” He ran his hand over his face in a gesture of fatigue, and she felt like shit. “Some rich sleazebag wants to show off his rare pet dragons to his rich sleazebagfriends. Or his latest mistress wants a dragon on a jeweled leash. So he offers an obscene amount of money to corrupt one of our guardians.”
He had gone from noble idealism to deep cynicism in a split second.
“The question is how they knew which, er, guardian to approach,” Erica said. “You can’t just wave a wad of cash around and see who takes it. Most of the people who work with the dragons do it because they care deeply about preserving the species. They would immediately report such an offer.”
“Quinn can look into who was having financial troubles and see if they’ve gotten a sudden influx of cash. That’s one of her specialties,” Raul said. “Mierda,no! She has the wedding to prepare for, so I can’t ask her. But Mikel must have other people who can do the same.”
This was why Pascal had recommended that she tell the prince her suspicions. He could command significant resources. Of course, if she was wrong… But Raul wouldn’t hold that against her. He wanted to protect the dragons as much as she did.
“Thank you for trusting my theory,” she said.
“We’ve already established that I trust you. After all, you held my life in your hands on the cliff.” The cynicism was gone, and his lips curved into a smile that made her insides go liquid.
“I had Dario backing me up.” She took a swig of the stout to quench the heat fanned to flames by his words. She had to keep him from making her believe she was special to him.
Time to go.Raul was on the case of the poachers, and she was thinking thoughts about his royal body that she had no business thinking. She stood, even though she wanted to hear his velvet baritone pour more delicious words of praise over her.
Raul’s smile shifted to disappointment. “Surely you’re not going to leave me to my solitary boredom.”
“I, uh, I came to tell you about the dragon’s nest,” she said.
“Since my relatives have deserted me, perhaps you would take on the task of keeping me company a little longer.” She got the full wattage now. Azure eyes glinting with charm, the famous flashing smile, his smooth voice pitched to persuade.
Her knees refused to hold her up, and she sank back into the chair. “Por supuesto, Su Alteza.”She said his title to remind herself of who she was dealing with.
“I’ve asked you to call me Raul, and I meant it,” he said. “You must know a lot of Americans from the military base. Be like them—or like Quinn. They have no interest in royal titles.”
“Actually, some of the Americans are fascinated by you royals,” she said, feeling the enchantment herself. “I get a lot of free drinks because they’re hoping I’ll get plastered enough to dish on Gabriel and Quinn.” She grinned. “Luckily, I can hold my liquor.”
But he didn’t laugh, and she worried that he was afraid she would spill the secret he had shared with her. “Not that any amount of alcohol would make me talk about your family.”
And he must know about the ferocious nondisclosure agreements people were required to sign before they could work for the royal family.
“I’m not worried about your discretion.” Raul leaned back against the pillows. “But tell me how you came to be Gabriel’s head pilot.”
Safe territory at last…except that his long legs stretched out on a pile of cushions put wicked images into her head. Something about his bare feet and their high arches made him seem almost naked. For a moment, she imagined herself being pressed into the sofa cushions by the weight of him on top of her. “I, uh, applied for the job,” she stammered as her blood sizzled in her veins. “El duquegoes to such interesting places that I thought it would be fun.”
Raul’s phone dinged, and he glanced over at it. “We have company,” he said a second before the outer door opened.
Thank God!That would stop her crazy thoughts and cool her off.
Erica pivoted on her chair and then leaped to her feet as though she had been hit by a jolt of electricity.
El ReyLuis andla ReinaEve swept into the room, dressed to perfection in tailored suits. Erica sank into a deep curtsy as a waft of royal power eddied around her.
“Eve! Pater!” Delight sounded in Raul’s voice.
