Page 11 of Risky Match (Royal Spies #1)

We each take a sip. My nerves are on edge with his mention of safety and protecting our countries.

Just how much danger will there be? This is what I’ve wanted, but I thought the missions would ramp up slowly with each mission slightly more serious than the prior one.

It sounds like I’m being thrown into the Arctic Ocean when I’ve only stepped into a shallow hot tub before.

“I’m ready to hear the details. I’m the one surveilling the suspect but seem to know less about the mission than everyone else here,” I say.

While I wait for Matt to begin, I take a bite of my salad.

Yum. Without thinking, I reach for the wine and take a sip, letting its acidity cut through the creaminess of the cheese.

Then I remember that I’d only planned to have a sip for the toast, so I set the glass back on the table. I need to stay sharp.

Matt says, “Many European countries prohibit the export of certain ancient coins even if privately owned. They are considered national treasures and must remain in their homelands.”

“Catalinius has such a law. Too many of our coins were lost before we enacted laws to protect them. In some instances, our national museum doesn’t even have an example to exhibit, or if they do, it’s an inferior one,” I say.

“A number of ancient coins started appearing for sale at various auctions around the world without proof of a legal origin. In other words, the sellers cannot show that the coins were legally exported from their home countries. In some instances, we’re certain the exportation was illegal because of the timing.

We know they left their home countries within the last year. ” Matt says.

“How did that happen?” I ask.

“Smugglers,” he replies flatly.

“What does that have to do with Blake?” I ask, wanting to hear Matt’s version of the story Walter told me in my video briefing.

“We have evidence that the coins are leaving the affected countries at the end of tennis tournaments and being passed to intermediaries for the buyers at other tennis tournaments. We don’t know how they’re hiding the coins to smuggle them between countries.”

“That’s terrible, but again, why am I watching Blake. What does he have to do with it?”

“There were only two pro players who were at all the tournaments. Blake was one of them.”

“It can’t be Blake. He doesn’t need the money. He’s one of the top players. It must be the other player or someone who travels with one of them. It would more likely be one of them, wouldn’t it?”

“We have someone watching the other player and his team. As for Blake, we believe he lost a significant amount of money in a bad investment. He may be in need of money, so we’re taking a deeper look into his finances now.”

“I’ve spent time with Blake in the past. It’s hard to believe he might be a criminal. Do you have any other evidence that points to his involvement?”

“He’s been seen having dinner and meeting with people we suspect are receiving the coins.”

How can my judgment have been so bad? He comes across as a dedicated tennis player and good guy.

Sure, he can be somewhat of an arsehole if you interrupt his concentration, like we did today.

But I’d never suspect he’d be involved in illegal smuggling.

Wouldn’t that be the ultimate distraction if he were always worried about being caught?

There must be another explanation, and I’ll be in the perfect position to find it.

Rather than share those thoughts, I say, “I’m shocked, but that explains why Blake is a suspect. What do I need to do?”

“I assume you know the top players on tour, but how well do you and Blake know each other?” Adrian asks.

I cough, almost choking on a bite of tomato. That’s a loaded question. He doesn’t need to know that Blake has an adorable birthmark on his left butt cheek or that he has “Love means nothing” tattooed across his lower abdomen in reference to “love” being a score of zero in tennis.

Clearing my throat, I simply say, “I’ve always been one of his fans. We met at Wimbledon a couple of years ago and danced at the gala. He was smart and enjoyable to be around but extremely focused on tennis.”

“It’s good that you’re not strangers. As his tennis partner, you need to gain his trust and convince him to talk to you. Find out if he’s stressed about money. Figure out if he’s hiding something. See what he knows about coin collecting. Any information you can gather will be helpful,” Matt says.

“Blake and I met briefly this afternoon. It was difficult to convince him to practice with me. It will be even harder to find opportunities to talk. He keeps a strict schedule from what I can tell. Will I be staying anywhere close to the house he rented?”

“We haven’t found anything as close as we would like yet.”

“I should have taken him up on his offer for me and my bodyguards to stay at his house.” I laugh.

“Did he actually invite you to stay at his place?” Matt asks.

“He asked where we were staying. When I told him the details weren’t confirmed yet, he said he had three extra bedrooms we could use. I’m not sure if the invitation was real, but I knew no one would want me to be that close to a suspect. I was joking about taking him up on the offer.”

“Staying with him would be perfect,” Stephen says.

“It would. Call him and accept the offer. You can move in tomorrow afternoon,” Matt orders.

“Should I be staying with someone who may be involved in criminal activities?”

“He’s not suspected of any violent crime. Don’t tell me you have cold feet. You’ve been begging for a more substantial assignment. Have you changed your mind?” Matt asks.

“That’s not it. I was concerned about what people would think. Blake and I aren’t a couple, but you know the tabloids love to crucify me when they suspect I’m spending nights with someone. It will be even worse if he turns out to be involved in smuggling.”

I leave out the fact that I don’t trust myself living in the same house as Blake. The fiery desire he ignites in me is off the charts. My body doesn’t seem to care that he may be a criminal.

“Don’t worry about the tabloids. We’ll take care of them. It’s more important for you to be close to him. We also want you to plant surveillance devices. This will give you the best opportunity. It’s a brilliant solution!” Matt smiles.

“I told him other arrangements were being made. Won’t he be suspicious if I change my mind now?”

“Tell him that those arrangements fell through and now you’re desperate for a place to stay closer to the venue. Remind him that you can’t commute from the castle. It would take too long,” Adrian says.

Out of excuses, I say, “I’ll take care of it.”

We may have to share a house, but that’s all we’ll share. I can’t let my walls down.

“Excellent,” Matt says.

“How do I report what I learn?” I ask.

“You’ll use the encrypted app on your phone. We’ve also devised a backup plan in case that doesn’t work. That way you’ll still be able to exchange messages with these two even if you can’t text,” he says, pointing to Adrian and Stephen.

Adrian says, “That’s right. We’ve arranged for all your doubles matches to be on Centre Court as part of the backup plan.”

“How did you manage that?” I ask.

Stephen says, “It was simple. We reminded the organizers that people love seeing a princess on the court, and Blake is a top seed. You two will be a popular draw.”

When I’m focused on tennis, I forget that royal watchers don’t care that I’m not a high-ranking player. Sometimes it’s like I’m a sightseeing attraction rather than a competitor in their eyes, which is discouraging. I want people to respect my hard work and my tennis wins.

Shaking it off, I ask, “I assume you’ve worked out a signaling mechanism for when we can’t use the app. Is that right?”

Adrian says, “We have. Either Stephen or I will be in the Royal Box on Centre Court each day. If one of us is wearing a purple tie, then we need to talk to you. You’ll be invited to a private room after the match.”

“That works. No one will be surprised that royals are greeting each other away from the cameras. How do I signal you when I need to pass information to you?”

Stephen says, “During the first set of the match, lay two tennis racquets on the ground in front of your bench before you serve the first time. We’ll then arrange an invitation to meet at the end of the match.”

“Okay. What if the app fails and we need to reach each other on days Blake and I aren’t playing?”

Matt says, “We have a plan for that as well. Attend an afternoon match on Centre Court if you need to talk. We’ve reserved a seat for you at all the matches.

Adrian or Stephen will notice and invite you to meet.

If we need to reach you, then we’ll have purple roses delivered to your house that morning.

You’ll show up at the afternoon match on Centre Court, and at the appropriate time, you’ll be taken to meet one of the princes. ”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“We hope so. And you know the drill. Don’t remove your tracker for any reason,” Stephen says.

“I won’t.”

“Which tracker are you wearing,” Adrian asks.

“It’s the newest model. While we were at training camp a few weeks ago, the techs inserted the tracker into the pendant I’m wearing. I’ll keep it around my neck throughout the mission. You can follow me on your smartphone.”

“We’ll sync our apps to your tracker tonight.”

“Sounds good. Who is the other player you suspect?”

“For now, we think it’s safer if you don’t know. If it becomes important, we’ll tell you,” Matt says.

“Understood. What else should I know?”

“We need to go over the devices you’ll be installing and make sure you remember how to clone a phone,” Matt says.

“We went over it in training earlier this summer.”

“You did. But we’ll be going over it again tonight. There’s no room for error.”

Adrian says, “Bri won’t make any mistakes. Now, let’s head to the study. The devices are set up there.”

His confidence in me as a Covert Royal is reassuring.

Adrian and Stephen are like brothers to me after the tough training we’ve endured together. We’ve had each other’s backs at the camp for years. Now, we’ll take care of each other in the real world. I won’t let them or our countries down.