Personal Protection. Julie Miller

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СКАЧАТЬ to the calluses on his manicured fingers, and surprising strength of his hand that she’d associate more with a working man like her father and brothers than a fairy-tale prince. But the charm was certainly there as he bowed his head to her again. “Thank you for the correction.”

      “You’re welcome. You were saying?” Man, was she blowing it in the public relations department. “Your Highness?”

      “Ivan will do fine when we are in private like this.”

      She was supposed to call a prince by his first name? In what universe? Had she taken a harder hit to the head from Dougie than she realized?

      “Just as with our embassies in Washington and now Kansas City, we are coordinating with the Department of State and local law enforcement to ensure that our visit here is a safe one—both for ourselves and for your people. Your captain is indulging a personal request while my chief of royal security and his team are meeting with others in your department.”

      “That makes sense.” Carly turned to Captain Hendricks again. “Are you looking for volunteers to work extra duty shifts?”

      “Not exactly.”

      “Then what? Why the private meeting?”

      Prince Ivan touched the arm of her chair to recapture her attention. “I need a personal bodyguard. An American who can assist with my understanding of local idioms, someone who knows the city and can provide security specifically for me while I am here.”

      “You mean a liaison officer between your men and KCPD?”

      The men exchanged a look. This time she bit down on the urge to keep talking and waited for one of them to explain why she was here.

      Captain Hendricks steepled his fingers together on top of his desk. “The prince believes there is someone inside his delegation who is feeding intel to the dissidents who tried to kill him in Lukinburg. He doesn’t know who it is. He’s not sure who he can trust.”

      Carly nodded as understanding dawned. “You’re looking for an outsider. Someone who isn’t a part of your inner circle.” The captain and the prince were looking for a cop who could convincingly portray a member of his security team. Maybe a reporter covering his visit. Or even waitstaff or a maid at their hotel. “You want me to sniff around, see if I can find out anything. I can probably get in and out of your functions without drawing any attention to myself. I’m pretty good at blending in.”

      “You misunderstand. I want you to be my escort at those functions.”

      Carly realized her jaw was hanging open, and quickly snapped it shut. “What?”

      “His girlfriend,” the captain clarified. “He’s looking for a female police officer who can be his date at public events. The cover story is that he has an old friend who works at KCPD, someone he met during a military training exercise, and a romance blossomed. His trip to the States has reunited you. She’ll provide a level of security no one will question. Someone who can be seen with him, or even stay the night in his hotel room without anyone questioning why you’re there.”

      “Undercover girlfriend? Stay the night?” She snorted a laugh when she heard what the captain was proposing. Then she saw the look in his dark eyes and stopped abruptly. “You’re serious? No. No, sir. Do you see what I’m wearing? Do you see how I look?” She pointed to the bull pen. “I’m in the middle of another case. Emily or Detective Wardyn or any other number of female officers would be a better candidate for that kind of assignment than I would.”

      “Valentine—there were two attempts on the prince’s life in Lukinburg.”

      “The last one was three months ago,” the prince added. “I have fresh scars from that explosion. Seven people, including a member of the Royal Guard and the bomber himself were killed that day. I felt that coming to Kansas City would ensure the safety of my delegation, and of your people. By distancing myself from the threat.”

      Scars? Seven dead? Her panic ebbed at the sobering news. “They tried to kill you?”

      “Twice. The bullet missed. The bomb did not.”

      “And the threat followed you here to the US.”

      “I believe so.” He pulled a note from his pocket and handed it to her.

      “You dusted this for prints?”

      “There are none,” Ivan answered. “At least, not according to my chief of security, Filip Milevski.”

      “One of the guys you’re not sure you can trust?”

      “It appeared in my attaché case on the plane during the flight. I do not recall seeing it there when I left St. Feodor.”

      With a nod from both the prince and Captain Hendricks, Carly unfolded the typewritten note.

       Prince Ivan. The false prince.

       We won’t let you sell our country to the Americans.

       We will stop you. Dead.

       Lukin Loyalists will rule.

      Carly let out a low whistle. “Does Homeland Security know about this? The terrorists may be yours, but they’re on our soil.” She folded the note and handed it back to the prince. “No offense, pal, but you need to go home.”

      “Valentine—” the captain chided.

      The prince waved off his defense and leaned toward her again. “It is all right, Joe. I appreciate her frankness. Miss Valentine—I cannot tell you for certain that the threats are politically motivated. Perhaps they come from criminals seeking revenge for what the new government has taken from them. It could even be something personal I do not yet understand.”

      “Personal?”

      “Perhaps. This is why I need your help. Whoever is behind this will try again. I want to stop him before any of your people get hurt.”

      “Prevent collateral damage.”

      “These trade negotiations must happen to ensure the economic success of my country. I need a strong Kansas City police officer, one who knows undercover work. I need a woman to fulfill this role, one who can handle herself as I saw you handle that criminal out there. I need someone I can trust, who is not influenced by the crown, someone who is there to watch me and help me. Lukinburg’s security contingent are trained Special Forces soldiers. If one of them is against me...” He sat back, lifting his shoulders in a weary sigh. “I would like to have an ally in my corner. I would like it to be you.”

      She paused a moment to consider what these men were asking of her. “I won’t fit in with royalty. I’m working class right down to my dad’s plumber’s truck. I don’t even own a dress.”

      “We’ll get you the right clothes, the right hairstyle, to play the role we need you to. You’d be working straight through the week he’s here in Missouri. We’ll comp you the time, give you a vacation once the assignment is done.”

      Prince Ivan nodded. “I will pay for all of these expenses. You will keep anything I purchase for you as a thank-you gift.”

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