the paper from the pad and laying it on the table next to his plate. “Now, in the summer, that’s a different story. We have some of the best catfish fishing spots around just a few miles down the road.”
Ronin pulled out a few bills, with a large tip figured in, and laid them on the table.
“I’ll be right back with your change.”
“You can keep it,” Ronin replied.
“Thank you. That’s mighty kind of you.” She flashed him a big smile. “You two be careful out there. We don’t usually get storms like this one this late in the year. Even so, it’s turning into the worst storm in years. Many of the highways will be shut down soon if it keeps up.”
“I’d like to use the restroom before we get back on the road,” Thea stated after the waitress had gone.
Ronin wasn’t sure if she was asking for permission or voicing a fact. The tone in her voice was one he hadn’t heard from her yet. It left no room for argument. As she brushed past him, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d just been put in his place.
With large strides he caught up with her just before she entered the bathroom. Blocking the door, he flicked the light on and checked out the small room before letting her pass.
“I think we need to get something straight.”
“We do?” Her eyebrows raised in question.
“Yes, we do.” Ronin took a deep breath. “This is the way it’s going to be. While I am protecting you, I am in charge.” He paused, waiting for the argument he was sure would come before adding, “You will do as I say.”
She crossed her arms in front of her and stared but said nothing. Was she mulling his words over in her mind or had she already totally dismissed them?
“You’re not thinking of coming in here with me, are you?” she finally said.
“Not at all,” he replied. He enjoyed the flash of fire in her eyes as he teased. “Just checking for windows.”
Ronin leaned a shoulder against the wall by the door and waited. He might appear relaxed, but he kept his eyes and ears tuned to any movement and noise around them. That conversation had gone better than expected. There was a storm brewing in her mind, though. It was just a matter of time before she let it all loose on him.
He smiled. He rather enjoyed the idea of that. He admired a woman who wouldn’t just sit back and do as she was told. But the pluck had to be tempered with just the right amount of wisdom. There was a time and a place. He could only hope she fully understood now was the time to listen and do as she was asked.
Whether she liked it or not, he had to take the lead. His first priority was keeping her safe. He couldn’t do that properly if she were questioning him at every turn or trying to run. The earlier attack proved how real the threat was. They had just been fortunate that the men hadn’t used their guns earlier. He had seen one of the men pull his weapon. Then they’d argued. Probably about the police and the scene it would cause. But another attack was inevitable.
Now that rumors were circulating about the long-thought-dead prince and princess being alive and hidden away in the United States, there would be more attacks. They wouldn’t stop.
If that information had stayed safely hidden away like it had for the past fourteen years, this would be a walk in the park. He would have stayed with Leo, and his brother Jarrod would have come for Thea. That had been their plan. But things hadn’t gone according to plan. Leo had been shot, and more men had been sent to him. Then word had leaked about the prince and princess being alive. Ronin was the closest and had learned of her plan to meet her brother, so he’d come for Thea.
The person responsible for the information coming out early was just as guilty as the men who had attacked the safe house and killed innocent people. When the leak was found, he or she would be tried right along with the assassins.
He heard her shuffling around inside. He imagined her indignation at being watched over and told what to do. Like it or not, he would watch her a lot more closely now. When he was positive she was safe and sound at the royal estate just outside Denver, she could order him to take a very long hike if she wanted. But for now, she would do what he asked.
The door creaked open and she emerged. Without a word he helped her into her coat and they made their way outside. Only a few trucks and trailers were parked along the edges of the parking lot, and his car stood alone near the front. The wind blew with such force it was a struggle to walk a straight line. He wrapped his arm around Thea and together they trudged, heads down, to the car.
Out in the open and exposed as they were, his senses were on alert. If anyone were going to make a move, this would be the perfect time. Arriving at the car, he opened Thea’s door and helped her inside before moving around to the driver’s side. Quickly, he scraped off the snow and ice that had accumulated on the windshield before joining her inside. They might be safe now, but at any point another attempt could be made on Thea’s life.
Despite the circumstances, he was actually looking forward to the long drive. She surprised him. In the short time he’d spent with her, he’d already begun to admire many things about her. One couldn’t help but be drawn to her passion for life and caring spirit.
He glanced in her direction before pulling out onto the highway. Thea’s eyes remained focused out her window. It was probably for the best. He needed to keep the distance he’d put between them by telling her the way things had to be. Getting too close and forgetting this was a job would jeopardize not only getting to the truth he craved, but also her life.
“How did you know about the nuts?” She’d been staring out the window, watching the snow fly by for the past hour or so. She was bored. Despite the fact she was annoyed with him, she couldn’t sit and do nothing for another moment. Her mind had been so focused on his overbearing, macho orders, she’d nearly forgotten her curiosity over his remark about her allergy earlier.
Silence was her only immediate reply, and for a moment she wondered if she’d need to repeat herself or if he was going to answer at all.
“I know everything about you,” he said quietly.
“Everything?” she asked. Surely he couldn’t know everything. Her mind raced with some of the more private moments of her life that she wouldn’t feel comfortable with a complete stranger knowing.
“You are a princess. Your life is well documented.”
“Well documented?” Thea resisted the urge to shriek, but she felt it building inside her nonetheless. “Documented how?”
“Everything about you has been written down from the day you were born. Your first steps, your first smile. Your first tooth is on exhibit in a museum back home.”
“Really?” she gasped, studying his profile.
“No.” He glanced her way and shot her a quick smile. “I was only teasing about the tooth. But you have always been observed.”
“You shouldn’t tease me that way.” Embarrassment coursed through her. She’d known she had always been watched and her family would
