by S. E. Rose
“I take it your father’s well?” he asks.
I nod. “Yes, he is,” I answer.
“Good, good. Well, I’ll leave you two to get some rest. I want to check in on my sons,” he says.
We say our goodbyes. Lucas walks to the door behind the king and pauses.
“I’ll be sitting just outside if you need me. I believe Dr. Vanker will be moving you to a more comfortable room soon,” he says. I ponder if that means we’ll be in separate rooms because that is not happening.
I turn to Anna. Even in a hospital gown with wild hair, and soot smudges, she is still the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen.
“What?” she asks me, tilting her head with curiosity. I sit down on the edge of her bed, but she scoots over and pats the space next to it. I move up next to her and lean back on her pillow, she curls against me the best she can in the confined space. I wrap my arms around her and gently kiss her forehead.
“Logan?” she says.
“What is it, Anna?” I ask her.
“I…I’m scared,” she whispers.
“Oh, baby, I know. I’m scared too. But I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise,” I say to her, and I mean it. I will move heaven and earth if I have to in order to keep her safe. She relaxes a little in my arms, and I know it was hard for my fierce princess to admit her fear to me. Hell, it’s hard to admit my fear to her, but I don’t want anything between us, no lies, no hidden truths.
Slowly, I feel Anna’s body go limp in my arms. Her breathing slows, and I feel the soft puffs of her breath against my neck. I squeeze her more tightly to me. I’ve never felt this protective of another being in my entire life. I’m petrified of losing her.
I take a deep breath and her scent fills my nostrils and my soul. This woman completes me.
Chapter Four
“Logan,” Pete’s voice wakes me. Anna is wrapped around me like a vine, my arms still securing her to my body.
“Yes,” I say.
“There’s a room ready upstairs. We should move you out of the ER,” he says. I look down at the sleeping Anna.
“Grab her IV. I’ll carry her,” I say.
“Are you s—” Pete starts.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I hiss, cutting him off.
He holds up a hand. “Fine,” he mutters as he pushes the IV line on its metal wheeling rack behind me as I walk toward the door and open it with one hand. Anna feels like air in my arms. I realize just how small she is, like a child almost. She burrows more against my chest, and I wrap the blanket I grabbed with her more snuggly against her to keep her warm.
Nurse Ratched is walking toward us and starts to protest, claiming a hospital policy, but one look from Pete and me has her shutting up and stepping out of our way.
“Where to?” I ask Pete.
“Go left. There’s a service elevator we can take. It’s on floor four,” he says.
I press the elevator button and look around.
“It’s safe,” he says to me. “Lucas just did a perimeter check for me.”
I nod, and we enter the elevator.
“I take it you will not be staying in a separate room,” he says to me.
“No,” I answer.
“Fine,” he says on a sigh as the doors open. “To the right. Room four-seven-two.”
I walk down the empty hall and find the room. Pete pushes the door open, and I gently lay Anna down on the bed. It’s only when I pull away from her that she stirs in her sleep.
“Logan?” she murmurs.
“I’m right here, baby. I just need to use the restroom,” I say and kiss her forehead. She nods and falls back asleep. I look over at the built-in shelf in the room and see her computer lying there.
“I brought it up for her,” Pete says.
“Victor didn’t see?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “No one saw me. Do you think he’s involved?” Pete asks.
I shrug. “Aside from the three of us, Auggie, Chris, Mia, Lucas, and our fathers, I don’t know who is involved,” I admit as I walk to the en suite bathroom. I see new scrubs laid out, so I shower quickly and put them on. I walk out to find some snack food on the bedside table.
“Thought you might be hungry,” Pete says.
I scarf down a bag of chips and chug a can of soda. After brushing my teeth, I realize I finally feel a little human again. I walk back out and look at Pete.
“No one but you and Lucas, and her immediate family are to be left alone with her,” I say.
“I work for the royal family, not you, Logan,” he says. His tone tells me he’s not being rude but pointing out the obvious.
“I know that, Pete. And if you do, then you know how important it is that you follow my instruction on this,” I tell him.
He runs a hand over his face. “I know,” he says. He glances over at Anna. “That young woman is like my little sister. I’ve watched her turn from a little girl into a gangly teenager into the young woman in that bed. I wouldn’t let a hair on her head be harmed, and neither would Lucas.”
“Good,” I say.
“Logan, get some sleep,” he says.
“What about you?” I ask.
“Lucas will come to relieve me in a bit, we’re taking shifts. He’s sleeping next door in the room meant for you,” he says, giving me a pointed look. I roll my eyes and climb in next to Anna, who immediately curls herself around me. I pull her closer. She rests her head on my chest, and I breathe in her scent again. I can still smell the fire in her hair. I close my eyes and remember the carefree princess who sat on the same cushion on my boat every night, watching the stars come out in the sky. I only hope that she can be like that again when this is all over.
My sleep is filled with dreams, and I wake with a start the next morning. The sun is shining through the window, and Lucas now sits in the chair. He’s looking down at his phone, but his head pops up when I move.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Morning, Lucas,” I say to him.
“We’ll need to get her up soon. I imagine Dr. Vanker and the attending physician will be around soon to discharge everyone. We have the cars ready to head to Harrington House,” he says.
“Harrington House?” I ask.
“Hans and Lara’s estate,” he explains.
“Oh,” I say as Anna stirs in my arms. Her eyes open, and she squints under the harsh lights. I place a hand up, to keep the glare off her.
“Hey,” I say softly, kissing her forehead. “How about we spring you from this joint?” I say. She blinks a few times, her eyes obviously adjusting to the light.
“OK,” she says. Her voice is gravelly, and I can only assume that’s because of the smoke inhalation.
“How do you feel?” I ask her. I can’t help but feel her forehead, her cheek, fearing that something else might be wrong with her. She places a hand over mine.
“I’m fine. My throat is just a little sore, probably from the smoke,” she says. I have to admit her husky voice is pretty damn sexy. I will my cock into submission, knowing my princess is far from ready for that kind of fun.
“Good,” I say. I motion to the corner of the room where Pete has placed bags with our things. Clearly, he had our clothes cleaned, because they don’t smell of smoke, which I appreciate. “Let’s get dressed.”
By the time we are dressed, and Anna has showered, Dr. Vanker comes in and checks us over.
“I’ll send the nurse in with your discharge papers. You’ll need to follow up with your physicians, but I think you’ll both be fine,” he says.
“Lara?” Anna asks.
Dr. Vanker looks serious. “She survived the surgery, but I won’t sugarcoat it. She sustained very serious internal injuries and a head wound, Your Highness. Her chances of pulling through are…well, I’ve warned the rest of your family to prepare themselves for the worse. She’s in the ICU if you wish to stop by before you leave,” he says, squeezing her arm.
“Thank you, Dr. Vanker. Our family is most
appreciative of everything you and your staff have done,” she says.
“Well, I’m just glad that I happened to be the one there when this happened,” he says. “I wish you all the best.” Anna and I nod as he leaves.
A nurse brings in some paperwork for us and two wheelchairs. Anna looks at me, and I look at her.
“I don’t need one,” I say to the nurse.
“Dr. Vanker—” she starts.
“Dr. Vanker said I was fine. Princess Susanna will require one though, so thank you so very much,” I say, cutting her off as I push Anna from the room with Lucas in tow.
I find the ICU and push Anna inside past the nurses’ station to the two guards standing on either side of a door. I nod to them, and one of them pushes the door open. Hans is asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. Lara is in the bed. There are tubes everywhere, monitors beep, and a machine buzzes. There’s a strong smell of disinfectant that makes me nauseous. The shades are drawn, and the room is dim. I wheel Anna up to the bed and put the brake on her chair. I help her up, so she can lean over to see her aunt.
She reaches a trembling hand over to her aunt’s arm.
“I-I’m s-sorry,” she says as she bursts into sobs. “I’m so sorry, Auntie Lara! I tried to get to you!” she cries out as she falls limply onto the bed, her head on her aunt’s shoulder.
“Anna,” I say softly, as I grip her tightly. She sags in my arms as her uncontrollable crying stabs me like a knife. I hold her, not saying anything, not knowing what to say.
I see Hans stir out of the corner of my eye. He stands and immediately comes around the bed. He touches Anna’s shoulder. She turns and launches herself into his arms.
“Oh, Uncle Hans,” she sobs.
I release her and let her seek comfort in the embrace of her uncle. He rubs her back and kisses her head.
“It’s alright, Anna. It’s alright, my dear girl. Now, now…shhhh,” he tries to soothe her. He holds her tightly while she continues to cry until she’s only sniffling and hiccupping in his arms.
“Lara needs her rest,” he says. “Why don’t you two head to the house? You can come back and see her tomorrow, OK?”
She nods against his chest and pulls away. Her eyes are puffy and red, her cheeks tear-stained. She turns once more and walks on her own over to Lara. She leans down and kisses her aunt’s cheek while gripping her hand.
“I love you, Auntie Lara. I love you so much, please fight, please come back to us. I need you,” she whispers loud enough for me to hear her.
I help her to sit back in the wheelchair. Hans pats her shoulder, and she reaches her hand up to his and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“Get some rest, Uncle Hans,” she says to him. He nods at her as I push her out of the room. I see a box of tissue at the nurses’ station as we walk past. I pull one out and hand it to her.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, taking it without another word. I haven’t seen her like this before, broken, and it scares me.
Lucas follows us down to the elevator. “The car is out back,” he says, leading the way as the elevator opens.
I push Anna down a back hallway, and then follow him down another. He opens what appears to be a random exit door. There’s a large unmarked black SUV with tinted windows. Lucas opens the back door, and I lift Anna up and set her inside, before going around to the other side.
Pete is already in the front driver’s seat, and Lucas gets in next to him. Pete takes one look at Anna in the rearview mirror before driving onward. He doesn’t say a word. I look over at her as she wipes her nose with the tissue.
“Come here, baby,” I say to her, she looks at me, her eyes glazed with unshed tears. I think she’s going to say no but, instead, she leans her head down on my lap and curls into a ball. I wrap my arm tightly around her and stroke her hair with my other hand. I murmur comforting words to her, and after a few minutes, I lean forward, confirming that she has fallen fast asleep.
Pete looks back at us again. “She saw Lara,” he states, frowning.
“Yes,” I say. He doesn’t speak again as we drive toward the estate.
I stare out the window as Norddale passes by us. We drive out of the city, into the hilly surroundings. Thirty minutes later, we wind around a hill and come out on top of it. The sea comes into view, and it’s breathtaking. The coastline is dotted with rocky cliffs, and there are sailboats in the distance. Chris’s suggestion of sailboat excursions here isn’t off base. I see a large manor house in the distance, perched upon the next hill. I can only make out the roofline as tall pine trees block it from view. There’s nothing around it, no gatehouse, no wall, no hedges. It’s a lonely barren land on a rocky hillside. I imagine the views of the sea must be amazing.
There’s one dirt road that leads to the isolated estate. We drive it slowly and as we come back out of the next valley, I see a small gate in the woods. Pete pulls up, scans his hand on a monitor and the gate opens. We pull through into a tunnel surrounded by leaves, branches, and tree trunks. I see a clearing up ahead. We pull in, the sound of crunching pebbles beneath the car, as we come to a stop in front of a fountain in the middle of a driveway that loops around.
I caress Anna’s cheek with my thumb and lean down.
“Wake up, Princess,” I whisper in her ear. She moves slightly. “We’re here.”
She stretches and slowly sits up, blinking up at the large estate house in front of us. She turns to me, her cheek pink from where she lay on my leg for the last thirty minutes.
“Sorry…I was tired, I guess,” she says. I reach out and run my hand over her cheek and jaw.
“Let’s go get settled,” I say to her. Pete opens Anna’s door and holds out a hand to her. She takes it, and he helps her out of the car. I quickly walk around and pick her up.
“Show us the way,” I say to him.
Anna looks up at me. “I am capable of walking, you know,” she says with a sigh.
I lean my head down to hers. “I’m very aware of that, but maybe I like you in my arms,” I whisper in her ear. I see goose bumps form on her bare skin, and something primal in me wants to take her straight to bed and make love to her until she passes out in my arms.
“This way,” Pete says as we enter the house. An older woman greets us in the foyer and tells us to let her know if we need anything.
“I’m Maria. Please, let me know if you or…your guest need anything, Your Highness,” she says. At the woman’s obvious uncertainty on who I am, Anna emits a giggle and it’s like a balm on my injured soul.
“This is Logan Winters, my—” she starts.
“Her boyfriend,” I finish. She looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Oh, uh, so nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Winters,” Maria says.
“Likewise,” I reply. She hurries in front of us.
“Follow me, I have your room all set up as per your uncle’s instructions,” she says. She pauses for a moment. “Should I prepare a separate room for you, Mr. Winters?”
Anna stifles another giggle. “The guest room next to mine is fine. Thank you, Maria,” she says.
Maria gives us a pointed look but smiles and nods. She opens the door to a spacious, airy room with windows that open to a small balcony with sea views beyond it. I set Anna down on a giant lounge chair in the corner of the room. Maria opens the French doors to the balcony.
“There, that’ll help air it out. Mr. Winters, your room is just next door. Is there anything I can get for you?” she asks us.
“No, thank you, Maria. We are both rather exhausted. I imagine my father will want to meet with the family once we have all arrived, so please alert me when he is here,” she says.
Maria nods. “Will do, Your Highness. Your brothers arrived just before you. I settled them in the guest rooms down the hall,” she says as she walks to the door before stopping to point out a wall of cabinets. “There’s water in the fridge. Call if you need anything.” And with that, she shuts the large carved wooden door.
I look
over to a built-in cabinet. On an educated guess, I press a door and it pops open, revealing a small fridge. I take out two waters and hand one to Anna as I sit down on an ottoman in front of her. She opens the water and takes a long sip. I follow suit. The water feels good against my scratchy throat.
“It’s very…isolated here,” I comment, breaking the silence.
“Yes,” she agrees and moves, wincing when she turns her injured arm by accident. I set down my water and pick her up again, moving her to the bed. I place a pillow under her wounded arm.
“There,” I say, admiring my handiwork.
“My computer and my phone,” she requests, motioning toward it.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” I ask her. She glares at me, and I throw my hands up in surrender.
I pick them up and place them on her lap. I sit back and watch her come to life. Her fingers move seamlessly over the keyboard, although I can tell she’s being careful with her injured arm. She’s in her zone, so focused she doesn’t acknowledge the loose hair that falls out of her bun and curls around her cheek. I reach out and tuck it behind her ear. She doesn’t look up but only murmurs a “thank you” as she continues to stare at the screen. The glare of the computer casts shadows on her face as I study her facial features. She just might have the most perfect face of any woman ever.
After a few minutes, I walk over to the French doors and pull back the curtains farther to let in more light. I turn and look at my princess. She seems so small in the giant bed. I smile a bit. Her personality is so big, I forget at times how physically small she is.
“Why are you grinning like a fool?” she asks, not bothering to look up from her task.
“Because, I’m reminded that you may be physically small, but your spirit knows no bounds,” I say to her as I crawl on the bed and settle her against me. She laughs.
“What’s so funny?” I ask her as I look down at the screen. It’s a black screen full of codes that I don’t understand.
“You,” she says. I brush another loose hair away from her neck and bend down to kiss her there. She sighs but continues her rapid typing.
“What are we looking for?” I ask her as I trail light kisses up her neck.
