Royal Line by Carrie Ryan (online e book reading txt) 📕

If you think you can walk away, please share what you’re smoking.

She was a major pain in the ass, and I was pretty certain I didn’t like her at all. But she had a point. I didn’t work for her. I’d do the right thing, make sure she was safe, then get her home as quickly as was safe…and out of my hair.

Sure, you will. That’s why you’re still thinking about the way she tastes. 

I rolled my eyes skyward. How could one small woman be such a royal pain in the ass? “Okay fine. Write down the address here.” I shoved one of the hotel’s stationery pads in her direction, along with a pen that said La Mer. Worse came to worst, I’d call in the big guns and make her brother talk some sense into her if I had to.

Quickly, she jotted down the address.

“While we’re at it, memorize my phone number.” I wrote it down for her.

Her brows lifted as she chewed around the chocolate croissant. “Why do I need to memorize your number?”

I sighed. “In case we get separated. You will need to find a phone and call me.”

“But if we get separated, wouldn’t that be because I left you in the dust?” I set my face to glower. Eventually she rolled her eyes but backed down. “Fine, yes, I’ll remember it.”

I watched as she used her fingers, tapping out the number sequence, and then I lifted both brows. “What are you doing?”

She lifted the notepad. “I’m memorizing the number.”

“Yes, I know. But what’s with the tapping?”

“My brother Wilder taught me how when I was little. Some kind of number sequencing or something. It helps me make sure that I never forget something.”

Thirty minutes later, once we had all our stuff in the car, we headed out toward Rian’s house. It was far outside of Paris, definitely more scenic, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We had driven about forty-five minutes when London started to shift in her seat. “Can we stop at a gas station?” A pause. “I need to use the facilities.”

I checked the GPS. We had at least another forty-five minutes before we arrived in Lité. I didn’t like it, but if we were smart, I could keep her in the car and keep her safe. “What are the chances that you can wait?”

She sent me a glare.

“Fine. There’s a gas station coming up if the GPS is accurate.”

When we pulled in, she bolted out of the car in a flash and I started to fill up, keeping my eye on both the road and the small convenience store. There were no other cars around and no easy access behind the place for someone to ambush her. When she came out, the sun hit her hair in such a way that I could see some dark reddish highlights. And then she gave me a beaming smile that struck me dumb and mute for a moment. Fucking hell. Her smile was a lethal weapon. “Thank you.”

I glanced at the store. “Want something to eat?”

She nodded. “Maybe some water and chocolate bars?”

She turned to walk in herself and I stopped her. “No, I’ll go,” I muttered even as I rolled my eyes, thinking this was a response Sparrow might give. “Women and their damn chocolate.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.” She reached for her bag, but I waved her off.

“No. I’ll take care of it.”

She slid into the car, moaning slightly at the soft seats, and I slammed the door shut. Once inside, I made it a point to be quick. No dillydallying. The sooner I could get her to Rian’s house, the better I would feel.

While inside, I kept an eye on the mirrors pointed at the parking area, and when I saw something suspicious, I put my plan into action. With quiet steps, I eased open the door without the bell attached. I made sure my footsteps were light across the pavement. Years of training ensured that, but it never hurt to be careful. The element of surprise was key here.

The rush of adrenaline amped up my heart rate and quickened the pace of my breathing, all of which told me I was on the hunt. And I was about to have some fun.

My hand was in and out of my jacket holster in seconds. Then I pressed the barrel against the spine of the man presently trying to yank open London’s door and muttered, “It’s not nice to sneak up on a lady.”

He tried to whip around, but I was faster, waiting for him with a fist. I popped him twice—straight jabs to the nose. He gurgled, exposing his throat. Then I punched him there, leaving him to wheeze and cough as he crumpled. London unlocked the door for me, and I wasted zero time climbing into the driver’s seat. “You okay?”

“Oh my God, as soon as you went inside, he came to the door and tried to get me to roll down the window. I wasn’t about to, but there wasn’t much I could do if he’d decided to shoot it. Damn it.”

“You’re safe?”

“God, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come. He was threatening to shoot at the window. And he kept tapping his gun on the glass. I know it’s bulletproof, but I wasn’t sure if that counted at such close range.”

I calmly but quickly maneuvered the car out of the parking lot and hit the gas. “You’re okay. You’re fine. Take a deep breath.” Her eyes were wide and her breathing far shallower than I would have liked.

“How are you so calm? Did you kill him?”

I frowned. “No. I wish I had, but I didn’t.”

“What is going on? Why do you sound like you know something I don’t?”

“You’re the only one who can answer that question.”

“I don’t know why anyone would want to kill me. I’m hardly important enough for anyone