Es was pissed. More at herself than anyone. She’d let duty and protocol and the fact she and Silvester used to be friends blind her to the fact that even when they’d been younger, he’d always snuck around and tried to manipulate people and events to make himself look good. As he’d gotten older, and it became clear her father would not be having any more children, it seemed her cousin had gotten even bolder as his place in the line of succession had solidified. Es had known he’d be angry at being supplanted, but she’d had no idea he was capable of kidnapping.

Granted, the place where she was being held wasn’t exactly some dank, dark dungeon. More like a bright, sunny, luxuriously decorated summer cottage on the water, but still. She’d been here once before, as a child. The place had belonged to Silvester’s grandmother and sat on an isolated stretch of land on a peninsula. Silvester had been quite attached to it as a child, and from the loving care she could see had been taken with the decorations, his fondness for the cottage had persisted. That thought gave her some comfort. Whatever his plans regarding her were, surely he wouldn’t kill her in a home he loved, nor would he stupid enough to hold her for an extended period of time in a place so closely associated with him. Would he?

Then again, she supposed her cousin wasn’t thinking rationally at the moment, so maybe he would.

Silvester walked back into the room, whispering to the two men accompanying him. He glanced over at her and smirked, holding up the roll of duct tape in his hand. Es swallowed hard. Her cousin might not murder her in his favorite summer cottage, but the two men with him didn’t look like they had any such qualms, regardless of whether she was pregnant or not.

Her nerves ramped up as Silvester came over to where she was sitting in a red velvet chair near the center of a large, airy living room. The men began binding her ankles to the chair legs and her arms behind her back with the tape while Silvester sat on the arm of the sofa across from her and watched. The bastard.

“You won’t get away with this,” she said, struggling to no avail against the men holding her in place. “My husband will already be looking for you and when he finds you, you’re a dead man.”

“Yes, your husband has a history of losing his temper, doesn’t he? That’s what got him kicked out of the SEALs. Going off on his own, disobeying orders and being insubordinate with his betters.” At her outraged gasp, he smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t worry about him too much. Especially since he obviously doesn’t care that much for you. A couple on paper only, isn’t that right, cousin? And the way he went off and left you today, drinking and carousing with his friend, leaving you vulnerable. Tsk, tsk.”

“I wasn’t vulnerable. I had my security team with me the whole time.”

“Yes, and just look how well they protected you.”

She fisted her hands so hard her nails dug into her palms. If she could just get loose, she’d punch him a good one right in his stupid, arrogant face.

“It’s a moot point anyway, since no one will ever figure out you’re here, cousin. And if by some remote chance they do, it won’t matter.”

“Of course it will matter. I’m Princess Esme of Prylea, mother of the next king. People will wonder where I am.”

“I doubt it.” Silvester gave a dismissive wave. “Though, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You were always flaunting your lineage in my face every chance you got when we were growing up.”

“Flaunting? I did no such thing. You were the one who was always scheming behind my back.” The men restraining her let her go, as she was now fully taped up and unable to do anything more than rock in her seat. “What about evidence? DNA? If anything happens to me or the baby, I can assure you there will be a full investigation.”

“Hmm.” He blinked at her several times, his expression quizzical. “Evidence won’t be a problem, cousin. You’ve spent as much time here in the past as I have. Anything they find can be easily explained away. Perhaps you just needed a bit of a break from all the stress of the upcoming coronation. Perhaps you decided not to go through with it after all. Perhaps you want to put it all behind you and, awash in grief over the loss of your father, you decided to abdicate the throne.” Silvester shrugged a shoulder. “The world may never know. In the end, it won’t really matter anyway.”

“What do you mean, in the end?” Real fear was taking up residence inside Es now. Her cousin had been shifty before, yes, but today there was a wild look in his dark eyes, a desperation she’d never seen before. He was on edge and pushed to the brink and that was a very dangerous place to be. Her mind whirred through all the crime shows she’d used to watch back in college. When trapped, rule number one—keep the madman talking, stall for time. “Tell me, cousin,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone even and calm, despite the trembling terror inside her. “Was it you this whole time? All the bomb scares and death threats?”

Silvester’s Cheshire cat smile widened into a full-blown grin, bursting with pride. “Pretty sly, eh? No one would ever believe I’d be behind such heinous acts, not after I’ve spent years visibly working with the national security teams and with all my devoted hours of public service. I mean, I had to do something with my time, since you and your father all but excluded me from any of the family business.” He stood and clasped his hands behind his back as his two henchmen walked back over to join him. “Soon, I’ll take the throne and no one will be wiser. The people will love me even more when all the attacks stop after I put my new policies into place. And don’t worry, cousin. Whatever means by which you meet your end, I’ll be sure to make it quick. Wouldn’t want you or your child to suffer.”

With that, he walked out of the room with the two guards. The sound of the door locking behind them echoed loudly, followed soon by the roar of a car engine outside that slowly faded into the distance. Alone. She was all alone out here in the middle of nowhere with no food, no water, no way to free herself and call for help.

Es tried with all her might to break free of her bonds, but there was no use. The tape was too strong. As if on cue, the baby began kicking in earnest and tears gathered in her eyes. It just figured that the first time she felt the baby kick would be at a time when all hope seemed lost.

If only she’d decided not to go to the florist today. If only she’d stayed at the palace and waited until Z could’ve gone with her. If only…

She blinked away tears and hung her head, hungry and achy and needing to use the bathroom. No. She refused to just sit here and wait to die. Somehow, some way, she’d find a way to survive until either Silvester came back or Z found her. Surely, the guards from his team would tell him what they saw. With his SEAL training and skills, he should be able to track her down, right?

Now it was just up to her to hang on until then. “We can do this, baby. We can do this.”