Page 63 of Happily Ever After

Flicka fretted that Magnus and some of the other Rogue Securityguys might have been hurt, maybe killed, in the gun battle to free her.

The best way to make sure no one else had to endanger themselves for her was to get the hell out of Monaco if she could, so she ran through the hallway, her tall shoes slipping on the dirt and gravel, until Raphael pulled open one of the doors they were passing and snagged her arm, twirling her through.

Pebbles skitteredunder Flicka’s shoes on the dirty floor, and they emerged into a utility tunnel with pipes on the walls and tube lights overhead. She grabbed the railing so she wouldn’t fall flat on her face.

Raphael was right there and wrapped his hand around her waist and whipped her up in his arms, carrying her a few steps.

She said, “Put me down! I can run!”

He dropped her legs, and they ran together.

Luca and Jordan ran behind them, throwing looks over their shoulders as they ran.

She asked, “Where’s Romain?”

Luca snarled, “They hit him.”

“No!”

“He’ll be treated better than most situations we’ve been in together,” Luca said as they ran.

“Here!”Raphael yanked open another door.

They ran through it.

On the other side, a narrow sidewalk and flimsy railing separated them from speeding trafficthat barreled past, headlights waving into the darkness of the tunnel and horns screaming over the roar of engines.

“Jesus!”Flicka wheeled around on the railing and stopped herself from plunging headlong into the road and becoming splatter on someone’s speeding car. Freezing air rushed over her bare arms and shoulders as each car whizzed by.

Reflections from the cars’ bright white and blueheadlights and scarlet taillights glowed on the polished ceiling and walls like a cave full of bioluminescence, streaking the tops of the cars with colorful lines.

They must have emerged in theTunnel Rocher Fontvieille,an underground highway running right below the palace. Flicka’d had no idea that the palace corridors connected into the tunnel, but it would be a good escape hatch if anythingreally bad were to happen in the Prince’s Palace.

Raphael had his phone in his hand and yelled into it,“Blaise! Do it now!”

The overhead lights died.

All of them.

Blackness filled the air.

The cars still had their headlamps glaring into the darkness, touching each other and the curves of the tunnel.

Traffic slowed.

Horns blared, filling the darkened tunnel with klaxon screams.

Flickagrabbed a handful of Raphael’s black shirt.

Luca was right beside her. “They’ll come after us. You guys get the hell out. I’ll hold them off.”

Jordan said, “I’ll hold them off, too.”

Raphael tugged Jordan toward him.“No.You run. They’ll throw Luca in jail, but our lawyers will have him out tomorrow. They’ll try you for treason, or they won’t bother with anything official.Run, now.”

Jordanlooked startled, but he sprinted off in the other direction, into the dark.

Doors clanged behind them.