BLOODHOUND #2: The Taker

Tatiana Clifford

"Smile a little, darling." My mother whispered.

As much as I love tennis, I hate watching the whole tournament. My family wanted to attend because my father is a big tennis fan.

Not me, though.

I was trying my best not to yawn. That's why I've been clenching my jaw, holding it.

"You need to pretend that you enjoy it," Gloria leaned to me, pretending to take my water bottle.

"It's boring. I don't understand why people love seeing balls going around." After hearing the word 'balls' coming out of my mouth, my parents turned to me like I just humiliated them in front of the whole world.

Which... I would humiliate them tomorrow, by the way.

"Behave, Tatiana." My father warned me.

"Will it be rude if I excuse myself to go to the toilet?" I asked Gloria, who was sitting beside me. "Not a good idea, hold it." With that, I turned my attention to the green bouncing ball.

After the tournament, we all got up and walked out of the stadium. My parents congratulated the winner as we stood behind them, smiling at everyone.

I hate living like this. The thought of me living like this forever scares me. Since I was born, my family knew I would be 'The Rebel' kid. My grandmother was ecstatic because it reminded her of herself when she was young.

Which was a nightmare for my whole family.

My grandfather knew I would cause trouble one day, and he was not wrong because I hated living in a box, especially when I had to be someone they expected me to be. The royal family has so many rules that I have had to follow ever since I learned how to breathe.

I had to learn how to be proper like a robot, how to talk like I have a secret, how to walk like I have constipation, how to eat like a snail, how to sit like I'm holding my fart, and how to smile like you have something stuck between your teeth.

The list goes on, and it's so dull that I will yawn every two seconds.

The only activity that I enjoy as a princess is charity.

I love doing charity with all my heart. The reason why I love it is that I get to help people and see their smiles. That's why I wanted to be a doctor, but my whole family disagreed with my dream of being a doctor.

Not because they don't want me to be but because I already have life planned. They don't want me to spend years in medical school, which is a weird reason. Usually, parents want their children to be a doctor, a lawyer, or a judge, but not mine.

They want me to be a pianist or a ballerina. I'm not a fan of twirling like a donut on stage or reading ugly notes.

"You need to stop behaving like a child, Tati." My brother, Gabriel, said to me once we got into the car, returning to the palace.

I have two older siblings, and they're twins. They are both the perfect children for my parents. They love being a part of the royal family, and they nail every rule and lesson on how to be the best prince and princess.

"Tennis is boring. I've tried my best not to yawn every second, and that's me behaving like an adult, Gabi." I hissed, and he shook his head before turning to Gloria.

After the car stopped, I got off first without waiting for the door to be opened. I made my way to my room and took out my phone to check a message from Clyde.

He will be the one who helps me to escape the palace.

Clyde: I have everything ready for you. Have you received the package?

Clyde: There's an earpiece, a tracker, and a phone.

After seeing his message, I opened the package that I got yesterday. From the outside, it looked like a makeup and hair kit, but after opening everything, it was everything I needed to escape.

Clyde Nielsen was my friend. I met him in Copenhagen when I was six, and he's thirteen. I helped him get away with stealing a knife from the kitchen. He almost got caught by the staff when I told them that I asked him to cut me watermelons.

Clyde got away with it, and I told him that he owed me or else he would be punished by his father. He told me he would grant me one wish for it, and I decided to use it 15 years later.

Tatiana: Got it, I'm ready.

Clyde: The person who will pick you up is Kayden Grant.

Clyde: You can trust him. He's my friend.

Tatiana: Why don't you pick me up? I would rather be with someone whom I know.

Clyde: I'm busy.

Tatiana: Fine.

Tatiana: Thank you, Clyde.

He left me on read, which was so annoying of him. At least I know him enough to trust that he will help me fully. I've prepared a lot of things in advance, hoping that I can guarantee my stay in Seattle.

I hope this gives my family a clear message that I want to abdicate my title as soon as possible.

"Tatiana, you can do this," I said to myself as I packed all the documents that I needed.

I saved enough money for myself to go to Harvard Medical School. I also have many shares in some companies that will keep me going for at least a decade. I also grabbed one last thing from my drawer, which was a beautiful rare pink diamond.

It's a 24-carat pink diamond that is worth around 50 million euros.

Don't even ask me where I got it because it's a complicated one. This would be my last straw if I didn't have any money with me. I could sell it for 60 million dollars and go to Medical School peacefully.

Let's hope everything goes according to plan tomorrow because this will be my only chance to escape.

Tatiana Clifford

It's midnight.

"Okay, I'm ready." The guards just turned off the garden lights, and it's my cue to throw my bags down.

"Did you throw your bags?" Clyde asked as I threw my bags, and thankfully, there were no guards around the area at night. I closed the window slowly and felt a cold sweat on my forehead.

This is just the beginning, Tatiana.

"Yes, I did." Then, an alarm went off downstairs, taking the guards' attention. Now, I'm waiting for Clyde's cue to leave my room.

"Good, now go out. The guards just left to check the alarm." I opened the door slowly, and the hallway was empty.

"Run to the west wing now!" I strolled past Gloria's room, ran towards the west wing, and stopped when a guard passed. I crawled to hide behind the sofa.

"Where the fuck are you?" Remind me to smack this man when I get to Seattle. He was a prince once, and he should not have talked to me like that.

When the guards left, I ran through the bridge that led to the west wing. I saw a shadow following me with my bags, and I kept running until Clyde told me to stop.

"Take the right." I followed his instructions, and I gasped when I saw a guard standing at the end of the hallway. His back was facing me.

Another alarm went off, and the guard ran toward it. I continued running, "Take the stairs down, and Oslo will meet you there."

I went down the stairs straight to the kitchen, where all the chefs were still busy. I put my head down and ran past them. I walked out to the garden and found a man waiting for me with my bags. He's wearing the same uniform as my guards.

He's tall and so muscular that I bet my guards will immediately suspect him. He looked like a mafia member to me.

"That's Oslo." Clyde introduced him to me, and I nodded.

"Ms.Clifford." Oslo greeted.

"Tatiana, we only have 8 minutes to spare starting from now. I want you to listen to me and do everything as I say if you want to succeed." I assumed Oslo listened to Clyde as well because he was nodding.

"Oslo, take her to the west garden." Without any warning, he grabbed my upper arm and led me there. He then shoved me to a bush. I was about to protest when four guards and three maids walked past him.

"You're new?" One of them asked Oslo. Oslo didn't even bother to answer. He stared at them.

"Very well, we'll leave you alone." Oslo stood still like he was guarding the place. After they left, Oslo grabbed me and dragged me again towards the west garden.

We stopped right in front of a sewer hole.

"Get in, T," Clyde said, and Oslo opened it. I didn't even hesitate to jump, and Oslo joined me. He closed the hole and led me.

The sewer was disgusting, but I'm not complaining when I want freedom. I kept following Oslo, and he grabbed a lighter on his way.

"1 minute to get out of there. The guards will come." Oslo turned right and opened another hole. "After you, Ms.Clifford." I walked in first, and Oslo told me to run.

"Rodi, almost there!" Oslo said, and I stopped when another man was already waiting for me. He gestured for me to come closer, and he picked me up by the waist to go up.

I looked around, and three guards were walking toward me.

"Guards, closing the hole for a minute," I said and closed the hole while I was hiding behind a bush. The guards stopped to guard the back entrance, which we would use to escape.

"Find something to distract them." Clyde said and I looked around to find something.

Think of something, Tatiana. Think!

I grabbed a rock and looked to the back, where a bench existed. I threw the rock there, causing the guards to turn around at the same time. One of them walked towards the bench, and I saw Rodi take a peek from the sewer hole.

"Rodi, I don't think it's a good idea," I whispered, and one of the guards turned to me. He was squinting his eyes.

"We don't have time! Just book it!" Clyde shouted. Oslo and Rodi exited the sewer, causing the guards to take out their guns. Oslo and Rodi then injected them with something before they could shoot both of them. The guards fell unconscious.

Rodi then sat by the wall, putting his hands together for me to jump over the fence.

"Jump!" Clyde said, and I ran towards Rodi, and he threw me out the wall. I almost screamed, but someone caught me, and I almost cried when I saw that I was already out.

"Ms.Clifford, I'm Sage." He introduced himself and said that he looked so scary. Oslo threw the bags over the wall, and they landed beside us.

"Go!" Oslo and Rodi joined, and Sage led me to the black SUV. I got inside, and Sage drove us away from the palace.

"Thank you," I said to the three of them. They gave me a nod.

"She's out, boss," Oslo reported as he gave me my bags.

"Good, erasing footage, and have a safe flight, Clifford." With that, Clyde ended the communication. They took me to the airport, where a jet awaited me. Rodi opened the door for me, and I got out.

"Oslo will be with you, Ms.Clifford. Mr.Grant will be waiting on the other side." I gave Rodi and Sage a big hug.

"Thank you! I'll make sure to repay everything!" I smiled at them, and they nodded.

"Let's go, Ms. Clifford," Oslo said as he retook my bag. We got in, and two air stewardesses greeted me. I sat by the window and clapped my hands, utterly proud of myself.

"We're taking off in 2 minutes." The pilot announced, and I looked out the window, waving at Rodi and Sage.

"Hello, Mr.Grant." My attention snapped to Oslo, who was on the phone.

"She's with me, boss. Everything went well." Oslo then put the call on speaker.

"Hello, Princess." Shivers ran through my body because of his low and cold voice. I gulped nervously as I looked up at Oslo. "I expect you have something to offer me." I grabbed the phone from him.

"If you help me, yes." It almost came out as a whisper.

"Good because I'm not helping anyone without anything in return."

Kayden Grant

My plan tonight was to sleep early because closing the deal in Toronto drained all my energy. I went to the headquarters to grab some files for tomorrow, so I don't need to get up early.

My eyes caught the lights in my office. Who the hell is in there? I walked in and found Clyde sitting on my chair with a big smile plastered on his face.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"You are going to babysit the princess," Clyde said as he exited my seat. He put his hands in his pants pocket as I walked towards my shelf, grabbing some files.

"I've told you tenth times this month, Nielsen. I'm not interested in babysitting that spoilt princess." I checked the files one last time before putting them into a bag.

"Are you sure? She got twelve percent shares in Cullinan Mine." His statement made me stop going through the papers. I turned to him, and he smirked, knowing he had caught my attention.

"She going to offer it to you in exchange for helping her while she's here." What an exciting offer.

"And how exactly did she get that share?" The Princess is not a spoilt brag, after all. Interesting.

"Well, you should ask her yourself. If you want it, I'll be helping her escape the palace tonight, and I want you to take over when she lands here." I leaned my body to the shelf and looked at him, questioning his kindness.

"Why is she here?"

"She wants to abdicate, and this is her only way to clarify her intention. After that, she's going to study in medical school. Hopefully, Harvard." Clyde sat down on the sofa.

"So you both are the abdicate duo?"

"You only need to help her until she gets into medical school. Approximately a year in exchange for twelve percent of the Cullinan Mine." Twelve percent of the share will be worth at least 200 million dollars.

"If you don't want it, I'll give it to Ares." He added, and I let out a sigh before nodding.

"Fine. A year, that's it."

"That's it, Grant." I went straight home after taking some files. Clyde texted me some things I needed to know before picking up the princess. I studied the situation because I didn't want to be clueless in handling one.

After calling Oslo and hearing her voice, it was enough for me to ensure that she was already on the plane going straight to Seattle.

I took a short nap and woke up an hour before the pick-up.

I grabbed my phone, and Clyde sent me a message.

It was 10 minutes ago.

Clyde: Thing got out of hand. Better solve it quickly, Grant.

Hugo: Sir, we have a problem.

I opened the link that Hugo sent me, and it was chaos. The royal family knew about the princess's disappearance, and the whole world made a headline about it. Adding that they had already sent someone to fetch her at the airport, "Hugo, clear all the news. Take everything down!" I called Hugo and got up to control everything from the headquarters.

"How did it happen?" Clyde was on the line.

"Still investigating, they just announced her disappearance. The US government will be the one who fetches her at the airport." Fuck.

"You should call Victor for this so he can back off."

"I tried, but he can't back off now when the British want to get their princess back." I sped up to the headquarters.

"I already reminded Oslo about the situation, so he will be ready once the plane lands." Fuck you, Nielsen. I'll regret taking this babysitting job.

Hugo called me, and I ended the call with Clyde immediately.

"We wiped every news in the US, sir. The paparazzi were already at the airport waiting for the princess to come. Victor and Jax are already there, too." I slammed my hand on the steering wheel.

I tried to think of a way to settle this wildfire. She can't return to London because we will be in big trouble.

"What should we do, sir?" Hugo asked in a cautious tone.

"Go there and tell me the situation. Update me on everything." When I arrived at the headquarters, I saw Hugo leaving with some guards to the airport. I got into my computer room to detect where the plane was currently.

I opened the CCTV of that airplane and found the princess sitting anxiously. She's looking outside the window and refuses to eat her food. I bet Oslo told her about the situation.

Oslo, on the other hand, is busy calling someone.

I read all the news in London to see the situation. The royal family thinks that someone kidnapped her rather than assuming that she's running away. Her father swore he would kill whoever did this and show no mercy.

I checked the time, and there were 30 minutes left before landing. Instead of waiting here, I decided to go straight to the airport.

"Team X, come with me," I announced through the speaker so all the members could join me. I got into my car and drove towards the airport.

There were hundreds of paparazzi and thirty people from the government, and it screamed chaos.

"Sir, I think it's getting out of hand. Do you want me to ask the pilot to go to LA instead?" Hugo asked.

"No, let her land." Hugo nodded and walked away. Victor and Jax saw me. They waved at me.

"5 minutes to land, sir."

The US government team knew the plane would land, the paparazzi went crazy, and Team X had already secured the place so the aircraft could land safely.

"Whatever headlines the media make, let them," I told Hugo and his jaw dropped. He knew that I was going to do something about this.

"Yes, sir."

The plane landed on time. I walked towards it as the crowd went wild. Victor and Jax were right behind me, ready to secure the princess, but because the plane was The Bloodhound's property, they had to wait.

Oslo opened the door, and I gestured for him to bring the princess out.

As soon as she walked out, the whole crowd was ballistic. She looked straight at me, and I put my hand out for her to hold. Despite all the attention, her green eyes set on mine.

When she stood right in front of me, I hugged her.

"I want you to act like you're in love with me. I'm the one who helped you escape the palace, and you're here for love." I whispered.

"Got it." I grabbed her hand and started walking towards the car.

"Kayden!" Victor stopped me by grabbing my shoulder. "You're in big trouble." I opened my mouth to say something, but Tatiana stood before me, facing the US government team and the paparazzi. She dug her nails into my skin. I could feel her shaking.

"Kayden is my boyfriend. I'm here because I want to. I escaped the palace on my own, and I was the one who convinced him to get me. I'm just a girl who falls in love with the man I met at the race. So please, respect our privacy and let us spend time together." She said it without any hesitation. She took an intense breath before continuing, "I'm going to abdicate my title to be with Kayden. I love him, and we'll get married this year." Fuck my life.