Page 64

Together, we padded down the hall’s thick carpet. The first staircase, the one I’d given Raphael access to, led down to the exit by the bodyguard office. That wouldn’t work.
I squeezed his hand. “If we keep going, there’s another around the corner, or at least three more further on.”
Raphael gave a single nod then stilled, listening. Abruptly, he tugged me against his body and spun to the next doorway, twisting the handle in a fast move that left me breathless. I blinked, and we were inside a darkened bedroom, the door open just a crack.
Still clutching Raphael, I didn’t have to ask what happened as sounds from the stairwell clued me in. Riss appeared, talking to someone I couldn’t see. Their voices grew louder as they entered the hall.
“Go right, it’s the door at the end,” she instructed.
Had to be the police as the doctor who came to the palace regularly knew my rooms. If we hadn’t hustled, they would’ve spotted us.
Their noises moved away.
Raphael peered out then glanced at me to mouth, “Okay?”
“This isn’t the way I pictured being in a dark bedroom with you.”
His expression of surprise at me throwing his words back had me grinning bigger.
We snuck out and crept in the opposite direction. The curve of the corridor hid the others from sight, and I was glad becauseanother look at Riss and I probably would’ve wanted to talk. She’d been kind to me, but after the last two times of asking her to cut visits short and getting disapproval, something had changed.
At the main flight down, the wide staircase was empty, but a tilt of Raphael’s head said to keep going. I agreed. It would be too risky to pop up in the central entrance.
We trotted down a more narrow set of steps at the far end of the palace, pausing to be sure we weren’t about to get busted. It had taken long minutes to get this far. Enough for Riss to realise I wasn’t inside my flat.
The bottom of the stairs opened onto a ground-floor exit, visible through a porthole in the door. A guarded car park was on the other side, and beyond that, the road and freedom.
I peeked up at Raphael. He’d never let go of my hand. “We can leave this way, but if the guards on the gate recognise me, they might stop me.”
“They can’t keep ye here.”
“They could delay opening the gate if they’ve been told to look out for me. If Riss is summoned and brings the police with her, I’ll have to stop. I don’t want to.”
Something in his gaze shifted from calculating to a decision. “I’ll go out alone. The second the gate is open, I’ll stand in it and ye run.”
I pushed up on my toes and did what I’d wanted to do all evening. I kissed him, claiming the lips of the man who’d protected and cared about me more than I deserved. I half expected to be pushed away, but Raphael took over. He groaned in need and drove his fingers into my hair to hold my head. Passion exploded through me, hot and needy. Enough to make me want to slide to my knees in the very place I had to run from.
It was short-lived. He broke away, that talented mouth curved in a delicious grin. With one more glance through the round window, Raphael was gone.
I watched him, breathless and ready. He strode out into the night and approached the booth with my bag over one shoulder, raising a hand to hail the guards. They must have said something back as he replied, his smile still in place but fixed now. They weren’t opening the gate. Why?
Panic swirled in my belly. If Riss sent out an alert to find me, this was all over.
Raphael patted his chest, like he was searching for something. His pass? He’d left it upstairs.
My heart sank. I’d have to walk out there and demand they let me leave. It might work, it might not. If I failed, it meant the banquet and the speech. It meant not seeing Raphael because the one person I trusted wouldn’t be here.
Then miracles happened. The gate shivered then cranked open slowly. Raphael stepped into the gap.
I sucked in a breath and didn’t hesitate. Diving out of the door, I sprinted to him, spotting an expression of surprise on the face of the nearest guard. That was all the attention I’d give him. I caught Raphael’s hand in mine and ran.
Away from the palace. Away from duty I hadn’t asked for.
“Stop,” a voice chased us.
We didn’t. Not for a second.
When we were streets away, Raphael finally slowed and snatched out his phone. “I’m ordering us a cab. Ye can hide in it while I get my things from my room.”