better spent elsewhere.
“I’m sure I’ve paid for that too,” Stella said and harrumphed. “In fact, I know I have because I see every check that’s written.”
Brandenberg, suddenly not quite as interested in his watch, cleared his throat. He was definitely surprised by that piece of information, although he did his best not to show it.
“We thought it prudent to remind you and make the prince aware as well that we’ll be watching both of you as well as looking into the prince’s background,” Rousseau added, trying to cover for Brandenberg who was still tongue-tied. “We do this as a necessary precaution. For your protection, of course.”
“I would expect no less. But you can also be sure that I’m watching you, as is the Prince, and we know every move you’re making. Every move,” Stella said, pausing a moment to let that sink in deeper. “For our protection, of course.”
Stella let the warning hang between them in a heavy silence before continuing, “I suppose you should go ahead and prepare for the possibility that I might be the future Princess of Kristianico. You never know.”
“We’ll do what we need to do then,” Rousseau said, picking up his briefcase, which hopefully meant they were almost done with the rendezvous.
“And so will we,” Stella said as the three men turned and headed away from them.
“It was nice to officially meet you gentlemen,” Dario called after them before taking a deep breath, shaking his head and looking at Stella. “We’ve got problems, princess.”
“Yes, we do,” Stella said and sighed. “But we can handle them.”
“Are you sure about that?” Dario asked while helping her pack up their picnic.
“No. But maybe if I say it enough times, I’ll start to believe it, too.”
“That’s my girl,” Dario said. “And this time, you won’t have to handle them alone. I’m here for you.”
He wrapped his arm around her in a protective gesture that Stella really needed to take refuge in. Her knees were shaking so bad she could hardly remain standing.
It was always like that when the Rat Pack paid her a visit. She managed to get through the moment when they were in front of her, but she fell to pieces as soon as they slithered back underneath the rocks they’d come out of.
She hated to drag Dario into all of this. But, if they were ever going to make it as a couple and build the life together that they’d always dreamed of, they were going to have to find a way to get rid of Brandenberg, Rousseau and Gersbach once and for all.
CHAPTER TEN
Exhausted following a day in the botanical gardens, their first press conference and dealing with the Rat Pack, Stella and Dario returned to their Casey Key hideaway. They took barely lukewarm showers (the colder the better after the heat they’d stirred in each other all day long), enjoyed way too much wine and a wonderful pasta, tomato, and basil dish—complements of Auntie Elo—then retired to their suites.
Stella tossed and turned, stewed for a long while, until almost midnight, then tossed and turned some more. Trying to sleep was ridiculous. No matter what she did she couldn’t shut off her mind. At this rate, she’d be up all night, her mind fixating on one problem followed by another.
She couldn’t figure out how to handle her father’s trustees. It was one thing that they might be a danger to her, but it was another thing entirely that they had Dario once again in their radar.
Dario had convinced her in the gardens that they could make their relationship work this time, and Stella wanted that more than anything. But Brandenberg, Rousseau and Gersbach wanted her money and power more than anything. If Dario was in their way, like he was twenty-five years ago, would they go to the same lengths now that they’d gone to then to get rid of him? And if they were willing to go that far again, how could Stella stop them? There was only one way.
Leaving Dario was the only way she knew
“I’m sure I’ve paid for that too,” Stella said and harrumphed. “In fact, I know I have because I see every check that’s written.”
Brandenberg, suddenly not quite as interested in his watch, cleared his throat. He was definitely surprised by that piece of information, although he did his best not to show it.
“We thought it prudent to remind you and make the prince aware as well that we’ll be watching both of you as well as looking into the prince’s background,” Rousseau added, trying to cover for Brandenberg who was still tongue-tied. “We do this as a necessary precaution. For your protection, of course.”
“I would expect no less. But you can also be sure that I’m watching you, as is the Prince, and we know every move you’re making. Every move,” Stella said, pausing a moment to let that sink in deeper. “For our protection, of course.”
Stella let the warning hang between them in a heavy silence before continuing, “I suppose you should go ahead and prepare for the possibility that I might be the future Princess of Kristianico. You never know.”
“We’ll do what we need to do then,” Rousseau said, picking up his briefcase, which hopefully meant they were almost done with the rendezvous.
“And so will we,” Stella said as the three men turned and headed away from them.
“It was nice to officially meet you gentlemen,” Dario called after them before taking a deep breath, shaking his head and looking at Stella. “We’ve got problems, princess.”
“Yes, we do,” Stella said and sighed. “But we can handle them.”
“Are you sure about that?” Dario asked while helping her pack up their picnic.
“No. But maybe if I say it enough times, I’ll start to believe it, too.”
“That’s my girl,” Dario said. “And this time, you won’t have to handle them alone. I’m here for you.”
He wrapped his arm around her in a protective gesture that Stella really needed to take refuge in. Her knees were shaking so bad she could hardly remain standing.
It was always like that when the Rat Pack paid her a visit. She managed to get through the moment when they were in front of her, but she fell to pieces as soon as they slithered back underneath the rocks they’d come out of.
She hated to drag Dario into all of this. But, if they were ever going to make it as a couple and build the life together that they’d always dreamed of, they were going to have to find a way to get rid of Brandenberg, Rousseau and Gersbach once and for all.
CHAPTER TEN
Exhausted following a day in the botanical gardens, their first press conference and dealing with the Rat Pack, Stella and Dario returned to their Casey Key hideaway. They took barely lukewarm showers (the colder the better after the heat they’d stirred in each other all day long), enjoyed way too much wine and a wonderful pasta, tomato, and basil dish—complements of Auntie Elo—then retired to their suites.
Stella tossed and turned, stewed for a long while, until almost midnight, then tossed and turned some more. Trying to sleep was ridiculous. No matter what she did she couldn’t shut off her mind. At this rate, she’d be up all night, her mind fixating on one problem followed by another.
She couldn’t figure out how to handle her father’s trustees. It was one thing that they might be a danger to her, but it was another thing entirely that they had Dario once again in their radar.
Dario had convinced her in the gardens that they could make their relationship work this time, and Stella wanted that more than anything. But Brandenberg, Rousseau and Gersbach wanted her money and power more than anything. If Dario was in their way, like he was twenty-five years ago, would they go to the same lengths now that they’d gone to then to get rid of him? And if they were willing to go that far again, how could Stella stop them? There was only one way.
Leaving Dario was the only way she knew
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