Chapter 31

The plane touched down with barely a bump. Through the window, Keira could see a line of black cars waiting on the tarmac, along with what looked like a small army of officials and security personnel.

"Showtime," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

"Remember," Alexei said as the plane taxied to a stop, "no matter what happens, no matter what my father says or does, you belong here. With me."

She wanted to believe him. God, how she wanted to believe him. But as the engines wound down and she saw the land crew approaching the plane through the window, all she could think was that she was about to step into a world where one wrong move could destroy everything.

The first thing that struck Keira as she stepped off the plane was the sheer formality of it all. A red carpet had been rolled out across the tarmac, flanked by men in military dress uniforms standing at rigid attention. The late afternoon sun caught the gold braiding on their jackets, making them gleam l