Page 73 of In Shining Armor

“It’s considerably better than the years that would be required in France.”

She stared at the useless, stupid prenup in her hands. “I was hoping that I could be done with this somehow.”

“I’m afraid not, Your Royal Highness.”

“Please, call me Flicka, or Ms. von Hannover, or anything but that.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. von Hannover.”

“No apologies, just find a way for me to divorce himright now.Or annul the marriage. There’s really no way to invoke an annulment?”

“I’m sorry, Ms. von Hannover. The time period for that has passed, and neither of you can state that you were mentally incapacitated for the entire engagement. You planned the wedding for over a year. It would be exceedingly difficult to make a case for an annulment in that situation. It would be faster to file and obtain a divorce.”

Flicka’s eyes burned, and the sides of the paper were sharp in her hands.

He said, “I would suggest that you proceed to Nevada and establish residency. To that end, as you or Ms. Stone-von Hannover or whoever called my office requested, I have a clean printout of the prenuptial agreement and an electronic copy.” He produced a thick stack of paper and a plastic bag with a tiny USB drive from his briefcase. “Take both copies for reference. You may need them.”

“Thank you, Joachim. One of the other men will drive you back to your office.” Flicka knew the plan was for one of Dieter’s Rogue Security men to drive him around the block and then to order a taxi for him.

The lawyer climbed stiffly out of the van, flexing his knees and arms for a few moments, and he walked with one of the guys toward the far corner.

Flicka sat for a moment. “Okay, so now I need to figure out how to get into the US without my damn passport.”

“I’ll help you,” Dieter said.

“How? Smuggle me over the Canadian border in a flour sack?” She’d seen that sort of thing done in movies.

“We’ll figure something out.”

“I just have to think. Maybe Wulfram has an old copy of my passport or there might be one in the deposit boxes or in a safe atSchloss Marienburg,or maybe he could call one of his friends in the government because he negotiates EU trade things so he could help get a copy from a German consulate or embassy, but I can’t contact Wulfie becausedamn Pierre and his threats.”

“Durchlauchtig—”

“I don’t have themoneyfor a plane ticket.Me,Her Serene Highness Friederike Marie Louise Victoria Caroline Amalie Alexandra Augusta,Prinzessin vonHannoverundCumberland, Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg, etc., and I couldn’t use a credit cardeven if I had onebecause Pierre’s Secret Service would trace it. I didn’t even have any credit cards in that stupid little purse, you know. I don’t have enough money for bus fare, let alone a plane ticket to the United States.”

He said, “I think I have a way. Let’s just go to the airport, and we’ll get there.”

“Right now?” She shook her hands. “Of course, we should go now. Of course, we should. I mean, we just sort-of kidnapped my lawyer a little, so sure, let’s flee the continent without the required identification, the visas or paperwork or passports, or money for a plane ticket.”

Dieter grinned at her, and that spark of excitement snapped in his gray eyes like lightning in a thunderstorm. “Sometimes, you are so very German, myDurchlauchtig.Leave it to the neutral Swiss man to think of a third way.”

Flicka glanced up as a man walked in front of the van and pressed his palms to the hood.

She knew him.

Panic shot through her nerves.

“Dieter—”