Page 18 of Royal Bargain

Lucky glances at the car again, then back at me with an eyeroll. “I think that person is a delivery driver.”

“Why do you think that?” I demand, preparing to get up and check on the driver myself.

“Because they just got out of their car and they’re carrying a bag that says'Pete’s Subs’on the side,” Lucky informs me.

Feeling like an idiot, I sit back down, but at that exact moment, Lily chooses to start crying, her little whines growing louder and louder as she wakes herself up.

I rush over to her and pick her up, rubbing her back in a slow, soothing motion, but it doesn’t seem to help. “How about a fresh diaper? I bet you woke up because you were all cold and wet, huh?”

Changing her diaper doesn’t seem to diminish the tears, and even when I offer her a bottle, she turns her head away and sobs louder.

“Lucky, do you think…”

Before I can finish getting the words out, I notice that he’s edging toward the door.

“Sorry, Bro. I don’t think I can help with this one. I’m out of my depth. But you’ve got this! Good luck!”

Lucky leaves before I can throw a doughnut at him, though I wish I had. Bastard.

I rock Lily back and forth, whispering soothing noises to her, but her tears are starting to grate on the edge of my nerves.

Getting close to the breaking point, I sit down with her on the couch, leaning back as I try to get myself together.

Immediately, Lily stops crying and settles down, her tears coming to a halt, her eyes shutting as she starts to fall back asleep.

Shit. Was it truly that easy? Was that all it took?

I close my eyes, my earlier confidence in taking care of her thoroughly shaken.

The sound of an engine starting up rouses me, and I realize that the delivery driver has left, but my nerves are still on edge. Just because this car was nothing doesn’t mean things will stay that way.

I wish Annika would come home already.

Once I’m assured that Lily is fast asleep with no signs of waking up again, I lay her back down in her bassinet and run a hand through my hair, pulling my phone out of my pocket to text her, asking her for an update.

But I get no response.

8

ANNIKA

Ihate this outfit.

Scratch that—Iloathethis outfit.

The dark wig itches. The sunglasses keep sliding down the bridge of my nose. And this obnoxiously oversized trench coat makes me look like a low-budget detective in a third-rate drama. If Liam had his way, I’d be strutting around in one of those inflatable T-Rex costumes just to keep my identity hidden. He doesn’t seem to understand that attention-grabbing disguises sort of defeat the point.

But I’d rather eat glass than give him the satisfaction of knowing how uncomfortable I am. So I tug the coat tighter and remind myself why I’m doing this.

This meeting—it’s not about Liam, or my father, or anyone else. It’s about me. About taking back control of my life and chasing the dreams I shelved the second Anatoly decided he knew best. I’ve waited years to be more than a pretty pawn on someone else’s board. This is my move now.

The Gilded Cage looms in front of us, dark windows glinting under the gray afternoon sky. Shane, the bodyguard Liamsaddled me with, shifts uncomfortably beside me like he expects a sniper to drop from the roof.

“You sure about this, Miss Vol—uh, Ana?”

I glance at him over the rim of my sunglasses. “Yes. And it’sAnnika, remember? No last names while we’re here.”

He nods, muttering something under his breath that I pretend not to hear. I don’t blame him for being on edge. We’re deep in Russian territory, and I’m the daughter of the man who runs it. But with the disguise and Aleksey’s protection, this is the safest place I could be right now.