Without fuss, Janet turned and aimed the gun at the guard who stepped from the shadows, his own weapon raised. She fired first, and though there was only a puff of sound, he fell. Even as she started toward the guard, Brie felt the barrel press into her stomach.

“If I shoot you here, you’ll die very slowly, very painfully.”

“There are other guards,” Brie told her as calmly as she could. “They’re all through the palace.”

“Then unless you want other deaths on your hands, you’ll cooperate.” Janet knew only one thing—she had to get the princess out of the corridor and away before anyone else happened along. She couldn’t risk taking her in the direction of the ballroom. Instead she gave Brie a quick push.

“You’ll never get me off the palace grounds unseen,” Brie warned her.

“It doesn’t matter if they see us. None of the guards would dare shoot when I have a gun to your head.” Her plans were in pieces and it wasn’t possible to tell her partner. They wouldn’t be able to slip a drugged, unconscious Brie out of the dark side entrance watched by the men on their own payroll. They wouldn’t be able to close her quietly into the trunk of a waiting car.

The plan had been daring, but it had been organized. Now Janet had nothing.

“What were you planning to do?”

“I was to give you a message privately that the American needed to speak to you, in your room. He would have already been disposed of. Once there, there would have been a hypodermic for you. The rest would have been simple.”

“It’s not simple now.” Brie didn’t shudder at the easy way Janet had spoken of killing Reeve. She wouldn’t allow herself to shudder. Instead she made herself think as Janet led her closer to the terrace doors. And the dark.

* * *

“It’s so beautiful!” Eve had decided to give up being sophisticated and enjoy herself. “It must be fantastic to live in a palace every day.”

“It’s home.” Bennett had his arm around her shoulders as they looked down over the high wall. “You know, I’ve never been to Houston.”

“It’s nothing like this.” Eve took a deep breath before she turned to look at him. He was so handsome, she thought. So sweet. A perfect companion on a late spring night, and yet …

“I’m glad to be here,” she said slowly. “But I don’t think Prince Alexander likes me.”

“Alex?” Bennett gave a shrug. He wasn’t going to waste time on Alex when he had a beautiful girl in the moonlight. “He’s just a little stuffy, that’s all.”

She smiled. “You’re not. I’ve read a lot of … interesting things about you.”

“All true.” He grinned and kissed her hand. “But it’s you who interests me now. Eve—” He broke off with a quiet curse as he heard footsteps. “Damn, it’s so hard to find a private place around here.” Unwilling to be disturbed, he drew Eve into the shadows just as Janet shoved Brie through the doorway.