JENNIE
Ryujin was waiting for me at the palace. When I got there, she grabbed my garment bag out of my hands and made a beeline for the guest room that I'd used last time. I'd shooed Jimin away, promising I would be fine.
I wanted to surprise Lisa, so hadn't told her I was coming. She should still be in a meeting, but I was hoping that I'd be able to drag her with us later. Even if there wasn't going to be any PDA, I'd at least like to spend the time with her. The door to her room was open as I walked down the hallway and I hurried my steps. Her meeting must've finished early.
She was sitting at her desk with her laptop open and a stack of papers. I watched her for a minute, enjoying her look of concentration before I knocked on the doorframe.
"Jennie?" She stood up and crossed the room in quick strides.
"Hey." I stepped into her room and pushed the door shut.
She wrapped her arms around me immediately and I sighed into her kiss. It had been a long week without her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I promised Ryujin I'd go out with her and figured that I'd get to surprise you and make her happy at the same time." I ran a hand over her cheek.
"You came to the palace to see me?" she tilted my chin up. "I know you don't want to go to the club."
"I missed you." It was the truth. The club had been an excuse to come be with her.
"I missed you, too." She leaned down and kissed me once more. "But it's a lot harder to keep secrets here."
"We'll just have to be careful." I stepped away from her. "Besides, I'm not going to be sitting around waiting on you. I have to go to the club tonight." I tried to look excited. "In fact, your sister is probably in my room right now going through the stuff I packed."
"You're going tonight?" she glanced down at her watch. "I have to finish up some paperwork, but maybe I can catch up."
"I think it's supposed to be a girls' night out." I laughed.
"Well, I'll come over and tell you bye before you leave." She grimaced. "I really do have a lot of paperwork to catch up on."
"Sounds good. Now I need to go before she decides my clothes aren't good enough."
"Go." She swatted my ass as I turned around and I looked at her, shocked. she chuckled and winked at me. "Don't be surprised if I sneak in your room later tonight."
"I'm counting on it."
I'd been right. Ryujin was going through my clothes, but she hadn't tried to find something else for me to wear. In fact, she was so in love with the dress I'd brought, she was looking up the designer on my laptop.
"Well, help yourself." I teased. The dress was risqué, but the high heels I brought to wear with it made me the most nervous.
"Who picked that out?"
"Why do you assume someone else picked it out?" She just stared at me. "Somi."
"That's your friend who just got engaged?" She tapped her chin. "She has a good eye. Is she going to do her dress shopping when she visits?"
"Yep. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you come with us." In fact, Somi would think it was a hoot to have a princess helping her decide.
"That sounds like fun!" Ryujin was already dressed for the night. Her long hair was pulled up and she was wearing a sexy, but appropriate, short blue dress. "Get ready! We don't want the VIP section to fill up before we get there."
"I thought it was better to make an entrance." I grabbed the dress from the hanger and slid it on. Once I had wiggled it into place, I touched up my makeup and went out to get my shoes.
"Oh, we'll be making an entrance." She whistled.
I pulled on the heels and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. You could see the necklace Lisa had given me though the slit in the front. I ran my fingers through my hair so it had that tousled look and turned toward her for inspection.
"Do I pass?"
"I'd say so." She nodded in approval. "But we need to test it out first."
Grabbing my hand, she pulled me down the hall to Lisa's room. She was back at her desk working when she barged in with me in tow.
Lisa looked up and froze. Her eyes ran over me hungrily. "When are you leaving?"
"Now," Ryujin responded. "I just wanted you to know what you would be missing out on."
"Oh, I'm not going to be missing out on anything." She leaned back in her chair, her eyes locked on me. "I'll meet you there."
"I thought you had paperwork." I smirked.
"There's no way you're going without me in that dress."
"Then you better hurry up." Ryujin grabbed my hand again and pulled me toward the door. "We'll see you there."
I rolled my eyes at her. She was a handful and I'd agreed to go out with her. There was a limo out front instead of one of the normal cars. Becca was present as usual and I knew better than to complain. There was no way we would be able to go to such a public place without a guard.
"You'll love this place. The lounge is above the main floor, but there is plenty of dancing room. And the owner is more than happy to help us if we need to sneak out."
"Why would we need help sneaking out?"
"If the press gets too rowdy. Not that I think we'll have any issues." Ryujin smiled. "This is going to be fun! I never liked Tabitha and now that she and Kai are together, it's miserable."
"What happened? Kai seemed to have his sights set on you."
"I told him no." She sighed. "The serious no. Not the flirty one."
I wasn't sure if I was following her, but I let her keep talking.
"So he moved on?"
"In about two point one seconds. He told me to make a decision, I did, and he left with Tabitha." She looked down at her nails. "I wish it didn't bother me so much."
"He was your friend." I shrugged. "It may have been based on the wrong stuff, but he was the person you spent time with and now he's gone. That makes sense."
"You're right. I've been trying to figure out why I've been upset. I mean, I never wanted more than friendship. I'm not sure I even wanted that much with him."
"You just wanted a friend." I sighed. "I get that."
We pulled up in front of the club and my heart raced at the sight of all the people. A bouncer opened the door and helped us out. There was no waiting in line, no showing ID or paying a cover charge. We were allowed right in and a hostess took us up to the VIP lounge.
The club was nice, but underneath all the shiny surfaces was the same thing you find in every club. Loud music, alcohol, and people needing to let off steam. It wasn't that I was against any of those things, but when you put them together, it often had ugly results. Like waking up next to Jabba the Hutt kind of results. Or being groped by a man wearing a bow tie and lavender slacks. Not that either had happened to me. Okay, bow-tie-loving groper had happened, but I'd never drank enough to mistake Jabba the Hutt for Brad Pitt.
The VIP box was full. Kai was busy making out with a redhead I assumed was Tabitha and several other people were dancing in the middle of the room. Becca had followed us up the stairs but stopped just inside the door.
"What do you want to drink?" Ryujin pulled me to the bar.
"Cosmo." I didn't plan on doing anything but sipping the drink.
Ryujin ordered our drinks and then pulled two chairs together. She introduced me to the people closest to us, always careful to use my full title. I was called the Korean duchess more times than I could count. At first the music had been annoying, but I was getting used to it.
Ryujin had been pulled out on the floor by one of the guys she'd introduced and his friend asked me if I wanted to dance.
"I think I'm going to sit this one out." I smiled and then looked away, hoping he would go. Instead he pulled up the seat next to me.
"How are you enjoying Lilaria?" He leaned close and I realized he was trying to look down my dress.
"It's great. I love all the purple trees and pink leaves."
"Yeah." He was so focused on my cleavage he hadn't heard a word I said.
"What's your name again?" I leaned away from him a little more.
"Gregory." He licked his lips and edged forward. "I'm the Baron of Dushner."
"That's nice." I looked away from him and wondered if this guy was for real.
"You should come out some time."
"I'll keep that in mind." I kept my response short, hoping he would catch a clue.
"Would you like another drink?"
"No, I'd rather not."
"If you're worried about getting home, you could stay at my apartment here in the city." He looked down my dress again and I felt my temper snap. I'd been polite Jennie the entire time I'd been in Lilaria, but this asshat was pushing the wrong buttons.
"Eyes up here, buddy."
"You don't wear a dress like that unless you want to be looked at." He reached out and ran a finger over my knee.
"The dress isn't for you." I slapped his hand away. "And unless you want broken fingers, you better keep your hands to yourself."
"I'm just trying to get to know the new duchess." He raised an eyebrow. "Or are you only interested in royals?"
"I'm interested." I stood up. "But not in slugs."
I looked around for Ryujin but didn't see her anywhere. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward the bar. If nothing else I could order a soda or bottled water until she showed back up. My phone vibrated in the tiny purse I was carrying and I pulled it out, thinking it might be her.
"Where are you?"
"Jen?" Patricia's voice made me freeze in place.
"Hey. It's me. I'm sorry I thought you were someone else." I put a finger in my other ear. "Are you okay?"
"Can you talk?" She sounded tired.
"Hold on." I looked around for somewhere quiet but didn't see anything. Becca wasn't standing at the stairs, so couldn't ask her either. I took the steps down and found a bathroom where the music was much more muted. "I can hear you now. What's wrong?"
"It's your dad, sweetheart." I knew it was bad for her to be calling me, but my heart still stopped.
"What's happened?" My throat tightened. "Is he—"
"No! No, but it's not good." I could hear the strain in her voice. "It's worse than we knew."
"I don't understand. Where is he?" Panic filled my chest and I saw one of the girls look at me in the mirror.
"Jen, I didn't know it was this bad. He never let us go in with him to the appointments, remember?" Her voice choked up and she took a minute before continuing. "He's at the hospital. I couldn't wake him up."
"He's dying?" My voice came out on a sob and I covered my mouth with my free hand. I was standing in the bathroom at a club while my father was dying in a hospital.
"Yes, baby. I think he knew but didn't want us to worry."
"He knew and didn't tell us?" I whispered the words. "Why would he do that?"
"I can only guess he didn't want us to spend all our time focused on him."
"I'm coming. I'll have to get a flight, but I'll leave as soon as I can." I dragged the back of my hand across my nose and the girl that had looked at me handed me some tissue. I mumbled a thank-you as she left but wasn't really paying attention. I needed to go.
"Okay." She sniffed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I just didn't know."
"It's okay, Patricia. I'll call you soon." I hung up the phone and took a couple of deep breaths. It didn't help. The tears running down my cheeks wouldn't stop. How had I not known it was this bad? Why did I leave him?
I turned on the sink and splashed water over my face. I needed to get out of here—needed to get to the airport. Rubbing my shaking, wet hands on my dress, I left the bathroom and shoved my way through the crowd. Someone elbowed me and I tripped but got right back up and kept going. The bouncer at the door said something, but I didn't hear him. There was too much noise in the club. Too much noise in my head.
I practically fell out the door and into the line of people waiting outside. Our car was gone of course, so I looked for a cab. Reporters had gathered outside, the bright flashes of their cameras blinding me as I tried to decide which way to go.
"Jennie! Duchess Kim!"
"Kim! Look here!"
"Are you upset? Did someone do something?"
"Jennie!"
"Where's Lisa?"
"Where's Ryujin?"
"What happened?"
"Look here!"
"Jen!"
I shoved through the people and tried to put some distance between myself and the reporters, but they kept pace. One of them reached out and grabbed my shoulder. I shrugged him off and kept walking. I had no idea where I was or where I was going. The farther I got from the club, the more my fear fed my anger.
"Tell us what happened!"
"Leave me alone!" I glared at the reporters, but they continued to snap pictures, not caring how upset I was.
"Why are you crying?"
"Jennie! Jen!"
The guy who had grabbed my shoulder reached out and tugged on my purse while pointing a camera in my face. Something inside of me snapped and fury raced down my spine. Turning around, I shoved the camera out of his hand and kicked him in the nuts as hard as I could. He went down with a groan and I turned back around and started walking away. My entire body was shaking and I couldn't stop.
"Jennie! Why did you do that?"
"What's wrong?"
"Do you miss home?"
I turned a corner and the heel of my left shoe wedged down into a grate. I couldn't regain my footing and fell. My body slammed against a metal trash can in a loud explosion of noise. The metal was rusted and a jagged edge gashed my leg. I gasped when I hit the ground, my head slamming against the brick wall and more tears pooled in my eyes. I tried to stand up but my feet wouldn't work; a sharp pain shot up the leg that wasn't cut while the bleeding gash on the other throbbed. A few of the photographers put down their cameras and moved to help me, but I shoved their hands away. I didn't want them touching me. These were the people who had been chasing me.
I heard scuffling in the crowd and I looked up just in time to see Lisa slam her fist into a photographer's face when he wouldn't move. The man went down with a thud and his camera exploded into a hundred pieces on the concrete. A few of the photographers protested over the treatment of their colleague, but most of them just took more pictures.
"Jennie?" The panic in her voice made my tears come faster.
Lisa leaned down, her eyes checking my leg quickly before she scooped me up in her arms. The photographers went wild but gave her room. I buried my face in her shirt and tried to get control of the sobs that were trying to break free. Everything was wrong. My father was dying and I was here, being chased by the paparazzi. Even with my eyes squeezed shut I could see the bright flashes of the cameras.
"I've got you," she whispered in my ear as she walked through the crowd. When someone moved to block her path, she practically growled. "Get the hell out of my way." No one argued with her. I don't know if that was because she was the princess or because she had laid a guy out.
Becca and Duvall were there, shoving reporters and spectators away from us so we could get to the car idling at the curb. Becca had disabled a large man and he was on his knees in front of her. One of the members from the detail opened the car door.
"Call the palace." Lisa slid into the seat, cradling me in her lap. "Jennie's going to need a doctor."
"There's a first-aid kit." Duvall was in the front passenger seat and began rummaging in the glove box.
The car pulled away from the curb and sped through the streets. I kept my face pressed against Lisa's shirt, unable to stop the tears. When she pressed gauze against the cut on my leg, I hissed between my teeth and tried to jerk away. She mumbled reassurances but didn't let go.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I hiccupped and tried to calm down.
"What happened?"
"Patricia called." A sob broke free and I had to take a second before I could finish. "Dad's dying. I just panicked and ran out. I was going to go to the airport."
"Jennie." Lisa's voice was laced with pain.
"He's dying, Lisa. I left him and he's dying." I pressed my face against her shirt again. How could I live with myself? "I left him."