Chapter 38

• The next hour was a blur. Guards came and went, bringing new pieces of information about Casper's escape, while diners were quickly evacuated from the restaurant under the guise of a fire. Standing on the private veranda, I had witnessed irritated customers being led out of the restaurant by very apologetic staff who did their best to appease the diners whose evening had been cut short.
• People looked over their shoulders as they walked to their cars, hoping to catch a glimpse of the strange lone girl standing alone on the veranda—even though I wasn't really alone. Five guards stood in the shadows, keeping an eye on me while my husband talked about 'important matters' inside. I wasn't sure what kind of'matters' they were because Luc wouldn't tell me. He had informed me that Casper had escaped and that the prison guards would accompany us until the palace guards arrived to transport us to a safe location. I was then led outside onto the veranda with several guards so that Luc and Nico could discuss the details of their escape with the prison guards. I wasn't sure why I wasn't included in the conversation, but I got the impression that Luc didn't want to expose any unpleasant details that might be too violent for my sensitive ears.
• Luc had shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it around my shoulders before I walked outside, then he had held me close and whispered to me, "I'll explain in more detail later, but for now, just know that I'll be there to support you. I promise to protect you. I swear to you..."