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The last word died on her lips as she stood facing Elskov’s beautiful, twenty-soe of her projected onto the video screen above the fireplace She wasn’t wearing a tiara or anything, but there was nothe woman who’d survived an attempted assassination and married a hunk of a man who, rumor had it, kidnapped her to save her froladly killed her

“Oh, I see you’refriends, Lucas I knew you had it in you,” the queen said in her half-Elskovian, half-American accent “You’ve completely confirhts”

Out of her peripheral vision, Ruby spotted Lucas glowering at her in that whole dangerous badass way he had, which, it turned out, he’d totally earned She pressed one clammy palm to her stomach

The Silver Knights were a thing of legend in Elskov No one knew exactly as in the Silver Knights and especially not who lead them They’d taken down terrorists, well-connected assassins, and anyone else threatening Elskov Even her father, a despotic braggart, talked about theeyave even a hint that they dom’s peace

“Don’t let that nasty look on Lucas’s face fool you He’s only two-thirds asshole I promise,” the queen said “You must be the infamous Ruby Macintosh I’ve heard so much about”

She dropped into a jittery, poor excuse of a curtsey “Yes, Your Majesty”

“Please do get up I’et used to all of that”

“You’re not supposed to say that” ADo “What will our little prince say?”

“That Daddy has a big rinned, obviously too ecstatically happy to put any heat in the insult

“It’s just Bendtsen” He looked away fro on screen His gaze locked with hers and in a split second he went fro husband to ahis orders “And…soeons again”

“Stop teasing her” The queen rolled her eyes “We’re trying to get her on our side”

Ruby straightened and kept her attention focused on the queen and her king even as she felt Lucas prowl closer to her, setting off her fight-or-flight response

The queen smiled “Lucas tells me you’re hesitant about our plan”

Her ultirab Jasper and run, but discovering exactly who she was up against meant escape wasn’t an option—at least not now Not that she was going to go all sweet and agreeable on her blackmailer

Squaring her shoulders, she tucked her hair behind one ear, raised her chin, and looked the queen straight in the eye “I don’t think it ork”