“What did she take from you?” Dani asked.
“I loved being in in the service, especially my time with Special Forces. I loved the camaraderie and the feeling of having a real family for the first time. I’d never had that before. I loved fighting for people who needed protecting. I liked helping people hands-on. There were many humanitarian missions mixed in with the military missions. But one night we were sent on a mission and were ambushed. I was injured. My parents were notified since they were my next of kin. I was healing and after some rehab, I had planned on rejoining my group. Instead, my mother exerted political pressure up the chain of command and the next thing I know I’m being honorably discharged against my wishes and sent back to my mother. Literally. The plane landed at the base and I was transported to my mother where she lectured me on playing soldier, said it was time to grow up and fall in line.”
Jameson saw conflict on the men’s faces and sympathy on the women’s. Mo’s phone went off and he looked down at it. “Did you fall in line?” he asked when he looked back up.
“No. I became a DSS agent. We haven’t talked since.”
“How does my sister play into this?” Gabe asked.
“That’s the part I’m confused about. See, I’ve fallen in love with Ariana even as I tried not to, but tonight I learned it was safe to love her, and I hope to love her with all my heart for the rest of our lives.”
“Is that a proposal because I have twenty dollars—” Sloane asked before Ariana cut her off.
“Tried not to love me?” Ariana was hurt. He saw it in her eyes and damn it, he was messing this up.
“Let me explain,” Jameson begged. “Growing up I had my mother and her friends as the example of women in politics. Then as part of the DSS I saw so many princesses, duchesses, and foreign dignitaries that my opinion wasn’t changed. Not all of them, but many were just like my mother. They loved the power. They were mean to their staff and expected everything handed to them because of their status. When I saw you in Crusina, I thought you were like them, but in New York everything changed.
“However, my boss told me that ‘the powers that be’ assigned me to you. I thought that meant it was my mother. I thought she’d put me in your path for some political ploy. So I tried to resist falling for you. I couldn’t give her the satisfaction of doing her bidding, and I refused to let her use us as pawns. I would never let her do anything that might hurt you or your family. So, I tried not to fall in love with you. Then your mother had this fake relationship idea and we both know it was never fake. I let myself fall in love with you, all the while swearing to protect you from my mother.
“Then, when my mother cut in on our dance, I learned she wasn’t the one pulling the strings. I thought she wanted us together for some political gain and I didn’t want to fall in with her plan. Now, it’s clear that is not the case. If it’s not my mother using us as political pawns, then I’m free to love you. I’m free to tell everyone here I want to be with you for real. The only thing is, I don’t know who requested me to guard you. So I’m still a little worried about that.”
Jameson saw the tear in Ariana’s eye trickle out, but it was the smile on her face that allowed to him to finally breathe. He opened his arms and Ariana was in them. His whole being felt complete with her in his arms. “I love you, Ariana,” Jameson whispered into her hair as he held her tight.
“I love you, too, Jameson. Don’t ever hold back from me again.”
Jameson smiled against her neck. “I promise. I’ll always tell you everything.”
“Mo,” Dani said, and when Jameson looked up he saw her elbow Mo in the side.
“The text I just got was from our security team. You never went near my office or anyone else’s office for that matter. Your phone records and emails are clear, too. You haven’t been in contact with anyone but your boss.”
“For the record, I never doubted you,” Dani said with a smile.
“Tonight would be a great time for a proposal,” Sloane said with a wink.
“I’m withholding judgment until we get home and can have a little sitdown with you,” Zain said, still glaring.
Gabe nodded next to Zain. “Yes, I think we need to have a little man-to-man chat,” he agreed.
“Mo,” Dani said between the clenched teeth of a fake smile.
“You have probationary permission to date my daughter,” Mo said, not sounding particularly happy about it.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll find a way to prove to you I’m loyal to Ariana and would never hurt her or her family.”
Mo gave a royal nod but then looked beyond Jameson. “Nabi, what is it?”
“The man had no identification and no fingerprints. Before we could interrogate him, he killed himself. He broke his own neck on the metal bed in his cell.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” Jameson said, holding Ariana tight to his side. He never wanted to let her go again. Seeing that man with a gun to her head about killed him on the spot. “That’s the same MO as the men in New York. No ID. No fingerprints. I wonder what their status is?” Jameson pulled out his phone and sent a text. “The men in the building and the man here must work for the same people. The bombing doesn’t fit, though, does it?”
“Or was the bombing a distraction?” Nabi asked.
“A distraction from what? The attempted kidnapping of Ariana?” Zain wondered.
“What if it’s two completely different acts? The bombers could be using the kidnapping as a way to hide their identity. Let the kidnappers take the fall for the bombing, too,” Jameson told them. “I think we need to think of them as two separate questions. Who has a reason to kidnap Ariana? Who has a reason to kill her or who has reason to stop the UN committee meetings?”
Jameson looked at the text he’d just received. “The men taken prisoner in New York are dead. They both killed themselves in jail.”
23
Ariana opened her bedroom door and peeked out. They’d arrived back home in Keeneston close to midnight. Everyone had gone to bed, but Ariana headed down the hall to Jameson’s room. She tapped quietly on the door and waited. Jameson didn’t know she was coming. They’d spent the night of the reception in relationship bliss. Her parents were giving him a chance. Her brothers were being only moderately jerky to him, and all her friends loved him. In fact, during the wedding and the long flight home, Ariana fell in love with the way Jameson seemed to want to become part of Keeneston. He got to know everyone from town. By the time they landed, it felt as if Jameson was meant to be there with her.
The door opened and Jameson stood shirtless in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. “I was hoping it was you, or am I dreaming?”
“Not dreaming. How it is that after just a couple of days I’ve gotten used to sleeping with you beside me?”
“I have, too. I’m glad you came. We need to talk.”
“What is it? Did something happen?” Ari never liked the words we need to talk. Most of the time it was never good.
“I got an email from my boss. I have to report back to New York in three days.”
Ari’s heart dropped. Of course he did. She knew in the back of her mind that he would have to leave eventually. He looked so worried that she told herself that no matter how much it hurt, she would support him, even from afar. “I figured you’d have to leave at some point. I guess we need to talk about us.”
Ariana took a seat on his bed and waited for him to join her. He reached out and pulled her to him. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“You’re not leaving me. Physically, maybe, but not in the ways that matter. I want to make this work and I know we can. Let’s be realistic. Long distance is hard. The key is making time for each other. I can come to New York for the weekend in two weeks. Then I’ll be back for the UN committee meetings in three weeks.”
“I saw what some of my brothers in Special Forces did to keep their relationships going when they were having to spend a year or more apart from their wives. We’ll tackle this togethe
r, and then we can do anything.”
“Another thing we can do,” Ari said, slipping the robe from her body, “is to take advantage of every second we have together.”
“I can absolutely get behind that plan,” Jameson whispered before his lips covered hers.
Ariana let go of the worry. They were open with each other, they were working together, and if it was meant to be, it would be. Right now she was going to enjoy every moment, every touch, every caress, every oh my god!
Jameson left Ariana ensconced in a meeting with Veronica, Mo, and Zain. He drove the growingly familiar route into Keeneston to meet Walker and Aiden for lunch at the café. He was leaving tomorrow morning at five and would report for work by eight-thirty in the morning. The sense of duty hung heavy around his neck, but he had a job to do.
“Good afternoon, Jameson.”
“Hello, ladies.” Jameson smiled at the Rose sisters and nodded at their husbands as he made his way to his table.
“How ya’ll doin’?”
“Fine, thanks. How are you, Andy?” Jameson asked.
“Is it possible to still be hungover?” Cody asked from where he sat next to Andy as Jameson laughed.
“Afternoon, Jameson.”
“Good afternoon, Pam.”
“Hey, Jameson.”
“Hi, Taylor. I saw your son Knox is looking to be traded to the Lexington Thoroughbreds. How do you think he’ll be with his dad as his coach?” Jameson asked as he made it a little farther into the café.
“I think he’ll do well. He has a place in Lexington he stays at during the off-season so he already feels part of the team. My son Holt is in Nashville and I think the two of them are looking forward to being closer together,” Taylor said.
“Yeah, playing professional football up north during the winter is harsh. I’m sure the Kentucky football fans are excited to have one of their own as quarterback,” Jameson told Taylor Everett, a world famous actress who was just another Keenestonite in the café, who had two very talented sons. One was a professional football player and the other a country singer on the verge of becoming one of the top male singers in the business. “And I’m sure you and Trey will love having them both closer.”
“You know it,” Taylor said with a little laugh.
Jameson said hello to a few more people before sitting down at the table with Walker and Aiden.
“You see this? He’s part of the town already,” Aiden said dryly. “It took me twice as long.”
“It’s your accent,” Walker told him. “You had to southernize it enough for us to understand you. Then we liked you.”
Jameson wasn’t just going to miss Ariana. He was going to miss this whole town and everyone in it. “Thanks for meeting me. I have a favor to ask you two.”
“Of course, what’s up?” Walker asked.
“I’m leaving tomorrow morning. Can you keep an eye on Ariana while I’m gone?”
“Of course. She’ll have the whole town watching her. Is there any news on who is behind this?” Aiden asked.
“Not really, but I have a gut feeling it’s Deming and possibly my parents. They were pushing real hard for Deming to dance with Ariana at the wedding. And Deming has been following Ariana around like a puppy. Veronica told me he’s calling her every day.”
“Ari’s not talking to him, is she?” Walker asked.
Jameson shook his head. “No, but until any of this makes sense, I want her protected.”
“I understand. It’s hard being away doing your job when you have someone at home who needs you. We’ll watch out for her.” Walker did understand as a fellow military man.
“Are Deming Nikan and your parents the only suspects for the kidnapping? I wouldn’t think they did the bombing since Deming was right there, too,” Aiden said after Poppy took their order.
“Deming was a little singed but escaped the bombing with hardly a scratch. Even so, I agree it would be strange to set off a bomb with the heir apparent in the blast zone,” Jameson told him. “And that makes the motive evasive.”
“Let’s start with the easy one. The bombing,” Walker said, changing the subject.
“Easy?” Aiden scoffed.
“Yeah, I see an obvious answer there. It’s someone on the committee who didn’t want Ariana to speak. Look who’s on the council. Half of the countries are known for major human rights violations. Not little ones, but trafficking of women, children, arms, drugs, and genocide.” Walker sat back and took a sip of his drink.
“If it wasn’t Crusina—and it’s a big if—that leaves no fewer than ten countries that are top offenders and wouldn’t want her to call them out as they try to pretend they’re anything but what they really are. They’d do and say anything to get their foreign aid and appear respectable. I’ll ask Nash to look into it and I’ll pass it along to my boss,” Jameson told them. “It does fit with my idea that the bombing was separate from the attack the night before.”
“Why would Deming want to kidnap Ariana? Or does he mean to kill her?” Walker asked. “That part doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Kidnap. The man in Bermalia made that clear. Could have to do with the trade treaty my mom is pushing, but Ariana has nothing to do with it. I don’t know her family well, but I don’t see the king giving into Crusina’s bullying,” Jameson admitted.
“Nah, they’d send in a small elite team and assassinate the Nikan family and suddenly Ariana will pop up on a yacht somewhere and claim to have been out of touch while sailing on vacation. That’s more Rahmi’s style,” Aiden said, and Jameson had to agree.
“Either way, we’ll keep in touch with you and let you know everything that’s going on here,” Walker promised.
Jameson thanked Walker and Aiden. Lunch was quick, and before he knew it, he was back at the farm waiting for Ariana to finish her meeting. His bags were mostly packed and he felt that every second was a weight banging against his heart, counting down the time he had left with Ari.
“Jameson, I was hoping I could talk to you for a moment.”
Jameson turned from the window in his room to find Dani at his open door. “Of course, Dani.”
Dani gestured with her arm for him to come to her. “Come to the family room with me.”
Jameson liked this room, which was filled with pictures of the family since Mo and Dani’s wedding. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes. I understand having a job to do. I hate to see you leave, though. I’ve never seen my daughter so happy. I wanted to make sure you know I’m in your corner. Long-distance relationships are hard, but I don’t want you to worry about us not approving of you. I know the boys tease you about not bothering with an interrogation because your relationship will be over in a week, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Jameson was touched. Zain and Gabe had been relentless about letting him know that most long-distance relationships were doomed and it was eating at him. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Look, I know the Duke family’s reputation. They’re older and more powerful than the Kennedys. However, they’re not royalty. I know they think there’s no difference, but there is a very real difference. If you are to join the royal family, you need to realize the truth of the matter and not make assumptions based on your family.”
“Join the royal family?”
Dani rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t be a dunce. I’m not saying it will happen tonight or even next week, but if this relationship progresses and you propose, you will become part of the royal family. Just like I did. So, here are some pointers. The Ali Rahman family has had its own power struggles, but we’re family first and foremost. Trust me, the former king and I had our issues. His son and grandson are much more modern. Every family member has a say and a place in the royal family, if they want it. If you don’t want it and want to continue to work, that’s acceptable, too. I was a paralegal for years after I married Mo. But if it comes to an us-versus-them situation, we always come first. Can you do t
hat? Can you stand against your parents if you have to?”
“Yes,” Jameson answered quickly. He saw the sad look on Dani’s face and felt as if he’d failed a test. “I’m sorry. I know that’s harsh, but you’ve been more of a mother figure to me in a week than my own mother has her entire life. Even with Zain and Gabe’s glares, I still feel more part of this family than my backstabbing, social climbing, power-hungry family. I have cousins who would toss me under the nearest bus in a heartbeat to get what they want. The Dukes may look like a united front, but my family is ruled by the same kind of harsh dictatorship that Crusina is. That’s probably why they’re allies. Like recognizes like.”
Dani reached out and squeezed his hand. “You’re always welcome here, Jameson. Here, in case you’re wondering about taking it to the next level. Mila, Sloane, and I made this for you.”
Jameson took the binder Dani handed to him. “What’s this?”
“Think of it as a cheat sheet for becoming part of the royal family. Now, go pack that away and don’t you dare tell Ariana we gave it to you.”
Dani stood up and looked as if she were going to leave. She paused and then bent and placed a kiss on his cheek. “You can call us anytime and we’ll be there. We all will. Even Zain and Gabe.”
“Thank you, Dani.” Jameson pressed his lips together to stop the sudden swell of emotion from breaking free. He’d never had that kind of support before. If only they really were family and only time could tell with that.
* * *
They didn’t sleep that night. Ariana and Jameson made love often and held each other. They talked, they laughed, they loved, and they mourned. Tomorrow he would be gone so the night was all they had.
At four in the morning, Jameson walked downstairs with Ariana beside him. The light in Mo’s office was on, and they both paused at the open door.
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