Chapter 20: Fugitives (1)
2019, March 5th
On the road (Zoey)
My eyes opened to an ominous conversation. James was talking to someone on the phone in hushed tones.
"I said I'm handling it. Tell Lady Cassandra that I will be back when I'm back," he said, abruptly ending the call.
I yawned. "What was that about?"
"Give me your phone," James said, holding out his hand.
"What? Why?"
"Give me your phone or get out of my car."
"Charming as ever," I said, handing him my phone.
He pulled out a burner phone and, after fidgeting with the two for some time, promptly tossed my phone out of the window.
"Hey. What the hell?"
"It's got GPS, can be tracked."
"So you just tossed it out of the car?"
"There's a bar up ahead. We'll take a little break there."
"That was my phone."
"Yeah, it was also a way for them to find us."
I pouted. "That phone was my only way of staying in touch with my mom and Bart. Plus, I hadn’t saved the wedding photos to the cloud yet."
"Good. You shouldn’t be trying to preserve records of the shit show that, no doubt, was that wedding."
I flinched. "There’s no need to be so rude about it. You might want to look at them sometime, you know."
James let out another breath. "Here. This is a burner. There were literally five numbers saved on your phone—"
"It's a new phone. Bart took my old one when I got to Caines," I cut him off defensively.
"Of course he did. Anyway, I saved all your contacts for you on here. This is for emergencies only. Do you understand? The people who are looking for us will find us within minutes of you using this phone. "
"Who are you talking about? You mean the reporters from before?"
"Worse. The King's Guard."
"The King's Guard?"
"An elite special unit of highly skilled men and women with unlimited resources. By now they are watching your mom, Bart, anyone with even the slightest link to either of us."
My eyes went wide. "And they're looking for us?"
"Yup. Welcome to life on the run."
"We're fugitives?" I freaked out.
"Don't be so dramatic. I'd hardly go that far. No laws have been broken."
"No laws have been—" I was really losing it now. "You knew this would happen?"
"Yup."
"And you don't think maybe you should have given me some kind of heads up?"
"Pretty sure I tried."
"Oh, this is so bad. It must look like we're running away together."
"Maybe because we are."
"No, no. You are taking me home. To Rosa."
"Can't. Not safe."
"What, what do you mean not safe? What do you mean you can't?"
"You are, for better or worse, Duchess Beaumont. Until that is no longer the case, you go where I go."
I felt like my head was exploding. I could tell that he meant every word, too.
"And where, might I ask, is that?" I ventured, puffing my cheeks out cheekily.
"Paris. Have to leave the country. I have a plane waiting. We just have to get to the airport."
"Paris as in Paris, France?"
"Did you miss the leaving the country bit in the hotel?"
James was beginning to get frustrated so I stopped talking. The car slowed and came to a halt in front of a bar. I kicked the door open and slammed it shut behind me.
"Guess she's hungry. See the lit-up place that says Max's Bar? Food's that way," he said, getting out too and following my angry footsteps down the road.
"Well, I'm not hungry."
"I really don't have time for this," he said, suddenly in front of me.
"How did you—"
"Super speed. Want to see my super strength next?" James picked me up off of the ground and threw me over his shoulder.
"Put me down right now," I yelled, kicking, screaming, and banging my fists against his back.
"I really have to stop picking the loud ones. Next time, I'm making not being the shy, quiet type a deal breaker." This went on until James got to the bar. "Shut up," he snapped. "I'm going to put you down now, so stop drawing attention to yourself."
My kicking and cursing stilled and James put me down.
He held open the door for me and said, "After you."
I scrunched up my face before entering. It was a real hole in the wall type of place. The bar was nearly empty except for the staff wiping down tables and taking the chairs down.
"We don't open until six," said an old man behind the bar as he was drying a glass.
"I'm sure you can make an exception for a wanted man."
"James."
"Good old Max," James exclaimed, holding out his hand and beaming from ear to ear.
Max put the glass down and took James' hand with a smile of his own and shook it heartily.
"I haven't seen you since—" the old man's face fell.
"Since my dad ran me and my mom out of Caines," James finished for him.
"Are you alright kid? What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?" Max looked at me as he said the words.
"How about some food and a drink for an old friend, huh? I'll tell you all about it over one of your amazing burgers."
Max gave James a reproachful look, but went back around and started cooking.
"This is Zoey."
"Hello," I said timidly.
"Oh, I've heard all about the two of you," Max said, bringing out two plated burgers and sodas on a tray. "Regular modern-day Romeo and Juliet, you two are. The reporters are saying one thing and Charlie's saying another. What is the story, kid?" Again, Max's eyes turned to me. "He hasn't taken you against your will, has he?"
James' eyes went to me expectantly.
I sat with the question for a moment before smiling and replying, "No, of course not."
#Forced proximity anyone? ?Nothing like a grumpy prince whisking you off to God knows where. Who else thinks going on the run with your new prince husband is?? James clearly doesn't. What dark secrets lurk behind his don't care demeanor? Tell me what you think our brooding prince is hiding in the comments.#