by Kat Mizera
“I don’t know anything about what she’s actually been doing,” Sandor said. He glanced at Joe. “She’s clean?”
“I’m still digging, but not a single red flag so far. She’s been helping Jonas get the registrar’s database set up at the school. She’s proven to be a quick study and knows a hell of a lot about computers, considering she taught herself.”
“We have to get you caught up on Kostya,” I told Sandor. “You missed a lot. No more honeymoons coming up, right?”
“I think we’re good,” Sandor replied.
“Well, Kostya got himself in deep with the Brat.” I told him what we knew so far.
“I did a hardcore debriefing with him today,” Joe said. “Got a little more information out of him, but he doesn’t know much. From what he told me, they’re trying to take control of all the cities and towns north of Ferdinbrag.”
“To what end?” Sandor asked.
“Perhaps to expand their organized crime enterprise but he didn’t have any details.”
“Based on what I know,” Ace said, joining the conversation, “they need the northern part of the country to be lawless. Whether it’s to run drugs or some other aspect of their organization, I can’t be sure, but with the winters up there? It’s the perfect way to set up a new home base. The Turks don’t want the Brat and they probably think we’re spread too thin to stop them. Between our lack of resources and the harsh winters, it’s really kind of brilliant.”
“Yeah, but this isn’t Turkey and they don’t get to terrorize the people of my country,” Sandor growled. “We’re going to need to stop this.”
“We’re running out of time,” Daniil said. “We have one more month of good weather up there. The temperatures will start to drop in the next six weeks and the first snow will come four weeks after that.”
“Then we’re going to need to turn the compound in Braksa into a northern base. A place we can store equipment, supplies and weapons. Let’s order half a dozen new snowmobiles and get them up there. Also, I’m going to dispatch Daniil to visit a few of the towns between Braksa and Ferdinbrag, warn the police in those places that there’s trouble in the north. We don’t know for sure they’ll stop at Ferdinbrag and we need to get ahead of this.”
“Maybe it’s time for some public relations with the shopkeepers here in Hiskale too,” Daniil said. “Make them aware there’s been trouble up north, give a heads-up to a few trusted people so they can come to us if they see or hear anything.”
“What about the south?” Axel said. “That’s another brilliant place to set up shop. Full of tourists more than half the year, all the shipping trade…”
“Someone needs to go down there,” Sandor said.
“Could I do that?” I spoke up, an idea coming to me. “Solange has never seen the sea here in Limaj and…I don’t know, it might be fun for her and it would make my presence casual. I’d be able to see more people.” Sandor had glanced at Lennox, and I paused. “Unless…did you guys want to go?”
“What?” Lennox looked up like she hadn’t been paying attention.
“If you and Sandor want to extend the honeymoon by a few more days—” I began.
“Oh, please, you’re more than welcome to go,” Lennox said with a laugh, glancing at her husband with a twinkle in her eye. “Believe me, the last thing I want to do is spend more time on a beach with Prince Neanderthal here, who’s determined to personally repopulate the royal family.”
“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Sandor said with an innocent shrug, though he leaned back with a shit-eating grin.
“If you want to go down south for a couple of days,” Joe said, “I’ll give you a list of shops to visit, people we have some sort of relationship with. Take a day to get the lay of the land and then a second day to talk to people. I think it’s a good idea. If the Brat, or anyone else, is in the area, all they’ll see is a guy on holiday with his girlfriend.”
“Not too long, though,” Jonas said. “Solange has been a huge help by taking on some admin stuff at the school, and if I have to go back to it, I’ll fall behind keeping up with everything here.”
“I can help,” Logan said. “I’m not the computer guru you are, but I can take on some of the stuff at the school.”
“Let me look at the duty roster,” Joe told him. “I’ll see where I have everyone and let you know when you can get away. All right, everyone, see you tomorrow.”
I left the office and went in search of Solange. As I’d warned her, we didn’t have a hell of a lot of time together, so whenever I had a few minutes free, I tried to spend them with her. She kept busy during the day but her nights were open and most of the time I found her in her room, studying whatever computer books Jonas had given her.
She opened on the first knock, smiling as she pulled me inside.
“Hi.” She rose up on her toes to kiss me. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“How come?” I smiled down at her, palming her ass and pulling her against me.
“Because every time you touch me, I explode inside and I like it. A lot.”
“You think?” I murmured, lowering my mouth to hers. I kissed her with interest because it never got old. She tasted sweeter every time I touched her, and I touched her a lot. Not as much as I wanted to, but enough to keep both of us fairly sated. Well, me anyway, but she was a bit of a nympho lately. And I fucking loved it. She was discovering more about her sexuality every day and I reaped the benefits of that. However, I had an overnight duty shift that started in thirty minutes and I needed to talk to her. Another few seconds of kissing like this and she’d be riding me like a bronco.
“Honey…” I pulled away, smiling down at her. “I have something I want to ask you about.”
“Okay.” She met my gaze curiously.
“How would you feel about a couple of nights by the sea? Just the two of us.”
Her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “A weekend together by the sea? Alone?”
“Well, yeah…unless you want to invite your parents to come along?”
“I don’t think so,” she murmured, running her hand over the erection tenting my slacks. “Especially since I just thought of something.”
“What’s that?” I asked curiously.
“We’ve never had sex in a bed.”
21
Solange
Since Axel worked so many hours, I had a lot of free time on my hands and I went in search of my brother. Our parents were living at the inn now, though it wasn’t quite open for business, but Kostya had stayed here at the palace because it was easier to take care of him. His recovery was going well but was taking time and he was finally getting ready to start light rehab to build up his stamina. We hadn’t seen much of each other and I figured he was mad at me, but he’d get over it.
I was just about to get on the elevator when I saw a dark-haired toddler making her way toward the stairs. I didn’t recognize the child, and I looked around in confusion, wondering who should have been watching her. She was dangerously close to the massive staircase and I hurried in that direction, reaching out a hand to grab the back of her shirt before she took the first step.
“Hello, there,” I said in English, since that’s what I spoke most of the time now. The palace was completely bilingual, occasionally leaning heavier on the English side because Queen Casey and her children only spoke English and most of the Royal Protectors were English-speakers as well.
The child looked up at me suspiciously. “Who’re you?”
“My name is Solange. What’s your name?”
“Elena.”
“Where’s your mother, Elena?”
She wrinkled her nose at me.
“Can you show me where your mom is?”
She shook her head.
“Okay, then let’s go for a walk and see if we find her.”
Elena hesitated but obligingly took my hand. We walked to the elevator and got on, going down to the first floor. That’s
where the security offices were and I figured whoever was there would know who Elena belonged to.
“Auntie Elen?” Elena asked, looking up at me.
“I don’t know where Elen is,” I told her, “but we’ll find her, okay?”
We rounded the corner leading to the security offices and I called to Logan, who was on surveillance duty.
“Do you know who this little one belongs to?” I asked him. “I found her on the stairs.”
He frowned. “That’s Elena. Xander and Elen’s housekeeper’s daughter. Let me—”
“Uncle Xanny!” Elena let out a shriek of delight and tore off down the hall to Xander, who scooped her up with a laugh.
“What mischief are you into, little one?” he asked her, walking back towards the security office.
“I found her on the stairs,” I told him. “I wasn’t sure where to take her.”
“Elena has become our palace Houdini, disappearing on her mother the minute she can. I better call—”
“Elena, I gonna spank your bottom!” A large, curvy woman with a long black braid and bright dark eyes came down the hall, hands on her ample hips.
Elena buried her face in Xander’s shoulder.
“Solange, have you met Samaria?” Xander asked me. “She and her husband are going to be the housekeeper and groundskeeper at our new house but renovations aren’t done yet so we’re still staying here at the palace on and off. Elena seems to think it’s her personal playground.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said to Samaria, who now smiled at me.
“Hello. Was it you who found my mischief-maker?”
“Yes. I brought her here because I didn’t know where else to take her.”
“Thank you. She need a leash.” She grabbed the child from Xander, but despite her harsh words, her grip was gentle, nuzzling the little girl’s hair. “You scare Mama.”
“I sorry, Mama.” Elena’s lower lip protruded.
“Okay, you go to bed early tonight.” Samaria turned to me. “Thanks again. Xander, you need to find Fetu. He have designs for the garage.”
“Will do.” Xander nodded, kissing the top of Elena’s head before she and Samaria got back on the elevator.
“Never a dull moment around here.” Logan grinned, going back to his post, watching the rows of video screens that showed every exit to the palace.
“What are you up to today?” Xander asked me.
“I was going to find my brother,” I said, “but I ran into Elena and got sidetracked.”
“He’s actually down in the gym doing some physical therapy. Do you know where it is?”
I shook my head.
“Well, let me show you. It’ll give us a chance to catch up since I haven’t seen much of you since you moved here.”
“It’s been a whirlwind,” I said, falling into step beside him. “So Samaria is your housekeeper?”
“Samaria and her husband came with us from Tahiti,” Xander told me as we walked down the hall. “Elen lived there for a while when she was in exile and she became very close to them. When we found out we were pregnant and decided to get married, she asked them to move here and help take care of our growing family, and they said yes. They have six kids.”
“Six!” I laughed. “I can’t imagine juggling so many.”
“Well, they range in age from fifteen to two, so Lulu and Lagi are a big help.”
“Will they be attending the school?”
“Yes. Lulu is going to be in tenth grade, Lagi just turned thirteen and he and Luke are both going to be in eighth grade, and honestly, I can’t keep up with the rest.”
“Sounds like a handful.”
“It is.”
We got to a huge state-of-the-art gym and I blinked in surprise. “I didn’t even know this was here.”
“It’s for everyone, including the royal family, guests and the Royal Protectors.”
“And there’s Kostya.” I smiled at Xander. “Thanks for escorting me and catching me up on some of the players around here.”
“No problem. See you later.” He touched my arm and turned to go back the way we came. I walked into the gym and waved to Kostya, who was lifting light weights on a chair.
“Hey, Solange!” Natalia called out to me, smiling. She was running on a treadmill.
“Hello!”
“Hi.” Kostya gave me a tired smile. “What are you doing here?”
“I haven’t seen you in a while, thought we’d talk.”
“I’m not sure I have enough breath to talk,” he admitted, glancing at the physical therapist, who just smiled.
“Come on,” he said to him. “Ten more reps. You can do it.”
“Well, you do your therapy and I’ll talk,” I told him. “You haven’t been to the inn yet, but it’s quite nice. They’re almost finished updating the kitchen and bathrooms, and all the supplies have started to arrive. Bedding, towels, pots and pans, furniture. Mama’s in heaven getting to decorate all those rooms.”
He glanced at me, pausing to take a breath. “And you? Are you helping?”
“I’ve been busy helping at the new school that’s opening,” I replied. I told him the basics about what I was doing. Kostya didn’t like computers, so I kept it simple, but he looked impressed, if not a tiny bit jealous.
“So I’ll be working at the inn while you have a job elsewhere? Will you keep living at the palace?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “We’re taking things one day at a time.”
“You’ll just move in with that bodyguard,” he said, finishing his reps and letting the therapist take the weights from him.
I was startled because I hadn’t thought about that. Axel and I hadn’t even spent the night together, much less had a conversation about moving in together. But since I didn’t have a car and didn’t drive, it would be complicated for me to work at the school if I didn’t live at the palace. I was going to have to talk to Shannon or Jonas about this the next time I saw one of them.
“One day at a time,” I said out loud. “There’s a lot going on for everyone.”
Kostya nodded. “Did I tell you I’m going to see Magda?”
Magda was his ex-girlfriend and I raised my eyebrows. “Really? Have you been in touch?”
“I called her once we got settled here. I thought I’d be out and about by now. I didn’t expect the lung to be taking so long to heal, so she’s coming here tonight to have dinner with me.”
I cocked my head. “You still love her?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, but I don’t know what the future holds, and if we’re going back to Vinake in the spring or summer, it’s not worth it to get back together.”
“Don’t do that,” I told him. “We have opportunities now that we’re here. Follow one of your dreams. Find a career. You don’t have to go back just because Mama and Papa do.”
“You know they can’t run the café or the inn on their own.”
“They can hire help. There are so many young people without work. Don’t use them as an excuse because you’re afraid to step out of your comfort zone.”
He sighed. “You’re the brave one, Solange. Not me.”
“Join the military,” I told him. “It’ll be good for you. You’ll learn a skill, get in shape, earn a good living. Those deferments Mama kept putting in for you are going to run out, so why not do it now while there’s essentially nothing else to do?”
He shrugged. “I’m in no shape for that right now, but I’ve been thinking about it.”
He seemed a little dejected and I reached out to squeeze his arm. “It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, Solange, you should start working out with us,” Natalia said, coming over to me. “A group of us do yoga on Sundays and I’m usually here five mornings a week.”
“You’re here at six in the morning,” I told her with a chuckle. “That’s early for me.”
“Yoga on Sunday is from ten to eleven. Then we have brunch. It�
�s a girls-only thing. Maybe we can talk you into other workouts too. Lennox will totally kick your ass into shape. She’s badass.”
“So I hear,” I said with a grin. “Maybe I’ll get up early one day a week and then work out on my own the rest of the time.”
“That’s a plan. I’d also be down for swimming, if you feel like it.”
We talked another few minutes, but I took my leave as Kostya headed back up to his room so I could walk with him.
“Have fun with Magda tonight,” I told him.
“Are you seeing Axel?”
“I think so.” I nodded. “He works crazy hours so we only spend time together every few days. I see him every day, but we don’t always have time to hang out.”
“And that’s okay with you?”
I frowned. “Well, yes. I’ve been busy helping at the school and then at night I study the books and online courses Jonas has given me.”
“You really love that computer stuff, huh?”
“I do.”
“You’re different,” he said quietly, eyeing me as we got to his door.
“What do you mean?”
“You smile more, your eyes always sparkle with mischief, as if you have a secret.”
I wasn’t sure what to say about that. “Well, I love being here at the palace and in Hiskale. I don’t have any secrets, though.”
“You’re in love.”
His eyes met mine and I smiled. “I don’t know about that, but I’m having a lot of fun figuring it out.”
“Guys like him, they’ll hurt you,” he said softly.
“I know you’re saying that because you care about me, but I’m fine. Let me worry about my heart.” We said our goodbyes and I was lost in thought as I walked towards my room. It was way too late to protect my heart. While I wasn’t head over heels in love, I was getting there, so it would be pointless to pretend otherwise. I refused to believe Axel was going to hurt me, no matter how disparate our lives were.
22
Axel
