A Silverhill Christmas

Holding up his hand to Tori, Rio crept toward the door. He squinted through the peephole and assessed the waiter with the cart. He swung open the door, keeping possession of the handle in case he had to smash it against the waiter’s face.

The waiter wheeled the cart into the room and hoisted a silver tray. “On the coffee table or credenza?”

“Right here.” Tori patted the gleaming surface of the coffee table in front of her.

The waiter unloaded several items from the cart. “Enjoy.”

Rio dug some bills from his pocket and handed them to the waiter on his way out. When he turned back to the room, Tori had already lifted the covers from two plates.

She closed her eyes and sniffed. “This smells great. Last thing I had to eat, if you can call it that, was the shaved ice. Don’t get me wrong. It was exceptional, but hardly a meal.”

“About getting to your son…”

She picked up a french fry and waved it in the air. “We don’t need to discuss the details now. I know you can get him out.”

Tori had a helluva lot more confidence in him than he did. He let out a breath and joined her on the sofa. She had one thing right. The food smelled good and his body demanded sustenance.

They ate in silence for several minutes until Tori dropped her half-eaten burger onto the plate. “Whoa. Ate too fast.”

Rio touched his nose. “You have some ketchup on the tip of your nose.”

She snorted and dabbed her nose with her napkin. “That’s another reason why they kicked me out of Glazkova.”

“How’d you wind up marrying him?”

Holding the napkin over her mouth, she slumped against the cushions of the sofa. “I was young and stupid. While I was in college, both of my parents died in a plane crash. I wanted to quit school and go home, but my brother forced me to stick with it. Once I graduated, I didn’t want to go home anymore. Instead, I decided to travel.”

“Glazkova?”

“Not at first. I spent time in different countries and kept hearing about Glazkova—the parties, the beaches, the lifestyle. I decided to check it out for myself.”

“And was it all you dreamed it would be?” Rio cocked his head to study her face. He had a hard time imagining this single-minded woman relaxing.

“Oh, yeah.” She twisted the napkin in her lap. “For the tourists anyway, there seemed to be no rules, no laws. It was one big party, presided over by the partier-in-chief, Prince Alexi.”

“Were his parents already dead?” He’d heard once the old prince had died, the younger generation had let loose. Alexi’s father had also been involved in criminal enterprises, but not drugs and not arms dealing.

She nodded. “They died a few years before I arrived, so party central was in full-swing.”

“And you met Alexi at one of his parties?”

“Not just any party, his big birthday bash.”

“What was it? Love at first sight? He swept you off your feet beneath a full Glazkova moon?” Rio’s jaw tightened. For some reason that scenario left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Tori gave a short laugh and dragged a fry through a puddle of ketchup on her plate. “Not exactly.”

“A slow courtship? He wined and dined you. Introduced you to the beauty of his country, the magnitude of his wealth and power?”

She compressed her lips and smashed the fry on her plate. “Not. Exactly.”

The blood pumped in Rio’s veins, fast and hot. Had the SOB coerced her in some way? He knew it. No chance a classy woman like Tori would fall for scum like Alexi.

Rio reached for her hand, entwining his sticky fingers with hers. “What happened, Tori? How’d you become Princess Victoria of Glazkova?”

For the second time that night, someone knocked on the hotel door. Gasping, Tori disentangled herself from Rio and jumped from the sofa. She shushed him and tripped toward the door.

Standing on tiptoes, she peeked out the peephole. Then she spun around, and with her face as white as a sandy beach, she drew her index finger across her throat.

Chapter Five

Tori’s already rapidly beating heart went into full gallop when Rio charged toward the door. What exactly did he think he was going to do to Alexi in her hotel room?

She rushed at him and grabbed his forearms, the muscles corded and tight. Drawing him close, she whispered, “You can’t do this now. You have to hide.”

Rio huffed out a warm breath, stirring her damp hair. “I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

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