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He gave a curt nod, moving with me through the palace and upstairs. I slammed and locked the door behind us, my emotions boiling over.
“I’m done with this. I’m just…done. A man likely spiked my drink tonight. Why would he do that?”
Raphael parked himself against a wall, his jaw tight. “For a picture.”
God. Of course.
I released a breath that was somewhere between a gasp and a sob. Plenty of times, I’d given them that kind of photo opportunity for free. I’d fallen out of taxis, sang while arm in arm with friends as we left a club. Hadn’t I given enough?
Raphael’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it. “It’s Riss. I turned off my comms.”
My shoulders sagged. I gestured for him to answer.
He did, listening to his boss. “I’ll tell her.” He hung up and eyed me. “The palace doctor has been summoned and will be here in fifteen minutes. The police are also on their way.”
I managed a small nod.
Raphael dropped his head back against the wall. “What do ye want to do? Because all that’s in my head right now is tracking down that bastard so he can never do anything like that again. I also don’t want to leave ye. Ye should also know that if I walk out of here, I willnae be able to come back.”
“Why?”
“I was fired again this evening. That makes three times. I’m out.”
No, no! The one thing I was certain about was how I wanted to be close to him. Even if just for a little while longer. Raphael equalled safety.
“Just tell me what ye need,” he asked.
I swallowed my panic. “To get out of here. But I won’t be able to. Not if the police are coming. Then palace security will need their piece of me, Sir Reginald, the list is endless.”
Raphael’s eyes gleamed. “You’re telling me that a determined and sneaky princess can’t find her way out of a palace with two dozen exits then make a run for it through the city?”
My pulse stuttered.
His next words were the death blow to staying. “I’ll get ye wherever ye need to go.”
I was already in motion.
In my bedroom, I snatched up my overnight bag and grabbed handfuls of clothes and essentials, Raphael taking over packing duty so I could move quicker. Without thinking, I picked up my sleep shirt, his t-shirt, gifted to me all those years ago, but bundled it quickly into a hoodie and shoved them in the bag, my heart racing.
When I had all I needed, I stood in the middle of the rug. “I need to get out of this gown.”
“Not the way I pictured undressing ye, princess.”
My cheeks heated, but he was already behind me, and with warm fingers, he unzipped me. A shiver ran down my spine. Raphael grumbled and went to the door. I shot him a grin, excitement hurrying me on.
Out of the dress, I hung it next to the cream one I was supposed to be wearing on the weekend. That banquet had given me nightmares. Now I was leaving, I’d never wear the damn thing. I stuck up my middle finger to the gown, tugged on shorts and a t-shirt, and fitted my favourite short, blonde wig.
In the living room, Raphael shouldered my bag, his eyes darkening as he took me in. “I’ve left my radio and ID here. Riss has tried calling me twice. We need to go now before she comes knocking. We probably don’t have long.”
Riss couldn’t keep me here. Nobody could. I was a woman grown. But the night would get chewed up with meetings and conversations, and if Sir Reginald put in an appearance, I’d never get away.
Glee chased the last of my upset away. “Let’s do this thing.”
At the door, Raphael paused to check the coast was clear. In this corner of the palace, I was at the end of the corridor, which meant only one way to go.
“We’re good,” he whispered.
Without looking, he reached for my hand. My stomach did a funny flip when I laced my fingers with his.