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The doors didn’t open, though.

Beyond that door, Max’s Rogue Security operators were waiting, so he had no worry that Prince Jules would somehow abscond with anything important.

Max had everything that was important in his arms.

On the far end of the room that opened to the covered walkway outside, the doors flipped open and smashed against the walls.

Maxence looked up. Dree twisted in his arms to look behind her.

Sunlight and soldiers poured into the throne room.

Alexandre vaulted into the crowd, running to get to his wife.

Maxence jumped in front of Dree and crowded her back against the wall.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

COUP

Dree

Dree grew up in the Old West, where pickup trucks have gun racks and gun racks hold guns. Her daddy had a gun safe bolted into the studs in the living room, and a fun afternoon’s recreation involved plinking soda cans off a ridge. Her people talked about guns like techie teens talked about graphics cards and video games.

The mercenaries entering the throne room—for they wore no national insignia—were carrying Heckler & Koch HK416s, the official rifles of the French military.

Monaco’s military,La Force Publique,carried American M16s.

They weren’t in the official government chain of command.

The armed people skulked into the room, watching their targets through their sights with their weapons in firing positions.

Most of them had laid their fingers along the stock of their rifles, at the ready but not about to fire.

A few had curled their fingers around the triggers.

This was a massacre in the making.

Dree hit the deck, lying flat on the dais.

She reached out to grab Maxence’s shirt as she fell, but he was already following her down.

He landed on top of her and struggled to cover more of her body. Dree wiggled, reaching into the pocket of her sundress.

Her fingers found the small, smooth disc of the key fob from Rogue Security.

She pressed the button again and again.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

COUP D’ÉTAT

Maxence

Marie-Therese’s armed militia fanned out around the room, rifles held in the firing position.

The nobles fell to the ground, cowering. Only Lady Valentina stared a gunman directly in the eyes as he aimed his rifle barrel at her face.

Maxence berated himself.