Page 58 of Happily Ever After

He tucked his gun in its holster and led her farther down the bright hallway. “The best covert operations are exceedingly quiet. They’re planned that way.”

“I was hoping for at least a little running or jumping or something,” she laughed.

Down at the other end the corridor, five men wearing suits turned the corner.“There she is!”

Raphael grabbed his gun.“Shit.Go back.Go back.”

Magnus and the other guys ran past Flicka and Raphael as they reversed course, running back in the direction they had come from.

Gunshots banged behind her, popping like firecrackers right in her ears.

This time, she knew better than to look backand ran as hard as she could with Raphael.Welfenlegionmen ran behind them.

Raphael looped one arm around her waist, supporting her as they sprinted so she could run faster in those damned heels, and they darted down another passage. Flicka hadn’t known a maze of corridors tunneled behind the palace walls.

Men jumped into the corner of the hallway ahead of them.

Flicka’s feet slid out fromunder her as she tried to stop, but Raphael caught her against his side before she crashed to the tile floor. Flicka hung onto his slim waist and hard shoulder, panting.

Behind them,Welfenlegionoperators caught up to Raphael and Flicka.

Luca and Julien spread themselves over Flicka, brandishing their guns at the Secret Service agents clustered at both ends of the hallway.

Romain Belmont stoodin front of them, his hands locked around his pistol in a fist as he aimed at the Monegasques closest to them.

“Put down your weapons!”

“Get down!Get on the floor!”

“Drop your guns or we’ll shoot!”

“Halt! Stop! Drop your weapons!”

“Throw your guns away from you!Hands behind your heads!”

“Get down! Get down! Get down!”

Everyone was breathing hard from running. Adrenaline scalded throughFlicka, and it felt like everyone was pointing guns and waving them and shouting at each other.

Raphael whispered just loud enough for the guys surrounding them to hear, “We need to get to the third door on the right. That’s the exit.”

Flicka grabbed Raphael’s leg because she didn’t want to impede his hands. What had happened to Magnus? Was he dead? Was he lying somewhere, bleeding? And theotherWelfenlegionguys who had run out after them, were they okay or dead?

They might be dying somewhere because of her.

A man down the hallway to their left yelled, “Drop your weapons and put your hands up! Right now! On your heads or we’ll shoot you all!”

From the other end of the corridor: “You are all under arrest! Drop your guns and raise your hands! Get them where I can see themnow!”

“Get down! Get down on the ground!”

“Hands up!”

“Drop your weapons!”

Yelling and screaming bounced off the walls of the hallway.

“Hands on your heads!”