Chasing Charli (Alaska Blizzard Book 6)

by Kat Mizera

  He smiled, pulling her closer. “Look around the room, muruseni. Do you see our families together? Your mother and my mother, your father talking with Leon… Tara and Kendra… Gage and Laurel… Our families are one now. Just like you and me.”

  “Where does this romantic soul of yours come from?” she whispered, gazing up at him adoringly.

  “It comes out only for you,” he said. “So I guess it comes from you.”

  “Today is the best day of my life.”

  “And mine.”

  Epilogue

  Charli and Miikka got home to Anchorage more than two months after leaving for their first trip to Finland. Though they’d had a fantastic time at their wedding and subsequent honeymoon, they were glad to be home. Miikka had yet another surprise for her, so he hung back when they got to the house, letting her go in first.

  “I’ll get the rest of our stuff,” he told her, going back outside.

  “I just want to shower and go to bed,” she told him.

  “Will you grab me a bottle of water?” he asked, going back outside.

  He grabbed their two big suitcases and took his time walking back inside, hoping to give her time to find the surprise.

  He knew she’d seen it because he heard her squealing when he got into the house.

  “Miikka Laasonen, get your ass in here right now!” she yelled from the kitchen.

  He laughed as he followed the sound of her voice. “Yes, Mrs. Laasonen?”

  “How did you do this?” she demanded.

  He’d had their kitchen completely renovated while they’d been gone. They’d started the process before they left, but they should have been back weeks ago for the finishing touches. Instead, he’d found a way to make it happen from afar. It had taken help from Ryder and Logan, but it had gotten done and it was beautiful. He’d known what flooring and color scheme she wanted and they’d chosen the types of appliances they wanted two months ago. So he’d hired people to finalize everything while they were gone and she was now standing in the middle of the room shaking her head.

  “Don’t you like it?” he asked, walking over to her and pulling her close.

  “Like it?” She stared up at him with her heart in her eyes. “I love it. Almost as much as I love you.”

  “You must like it a lot,” he teased, “because I know you love me a lot.”

  “You just keep surprising me, every single day, with how wonderful you are.”

  “Are the colors right?”

  “The colors, the walls, the countertops, it’s all perfect.”

  It really was, he thought to himself. Black granite countertops, cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, including the double ovens she’d wanted, and a bright, cheerful peach color on the walls. He’d had roses that matched the walls delivered, and they were on the edge of the counter.

  “Did you read the card?” he asked, nudging her in that direction.

  “Not yet.” She walked over and smelled the roses, inhaling deeply. “These are beautiful.” She slowly took out the card and read it aloud. “Muruseni, my love, my wife. Thank you for loving me and letting me love you. I plan to spend the rest of my life making you smile. Always, Miikka.”

  She turned and smiled, tossing the card on the counter and running to his arms. She didn’t say anything, merely buried her head in his chest and hugged him. He stroked her back and held her, loving how she felt in his arms, how comfortable it was knowing she was his.

  “Wanna go practice making babies?” he whispered against her hair.

  “Practice or the real thing, I’m good with both.”

  “Yes?” He looked down into her big blue eyes in surprise. “Really?”

  “I want to make you as happy as you make me, and I know you want babies.”

  “Yes. Very much. But not yet. I want at least one year of just us. Working on the house, traveling, spending time with our friends and family. Then babies.”

  “Okay.”

  “That you want to get pregnant now, after the things that have happened… This means everything to me.”

  “You mean everything to me.” She smiled and reached for his hand. “Bed?”

  “Yes.” He followed her up the stairs toward the rest of their lives. And nothing had ever felt better.

  Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Miikka and Charli’s book. For an excerpt from an upcoming book and more information on all my books, turn the page.

  EXCERPT FROM AXEL (Royal Protectors Book 3) - Unedited, subject to change

  Chapter One

  Solange

  Huddled on the floor of the broom closet above my family’s café, I listened to the sound of shattering glass and splintering wood, my hands shaking as I clutched my phone. There was no one to call. No one that could help us. My brother might already be dead and who knew what they were doing to my father. My mother had snuck out to try to get help, but I doubted anyone was coming. That’s just how it was here in this small rural town. We’d survived a dictator-style monarchy for more than a decade, but our new and benevolent king had no idea what was happening in the small towns, the places far from the capital city where he resided. He was doing the best he could, but change wasn’t happening fast enough for some of us.

  If only there was someone to help get the word out. Even if it was too late for my family, maybe there was a way to get news to the capital city so this wouldn’t happen to anyone else.

  Call him.

  The tiny voice in my head was as desperate as I was, and though it was probably a terrible idea, I wasn’t sure I could live with myself if I did nothing while my father and brother were murdered. Even if he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—help, at least I’d be able to say I’d done everything I possibly could.

  Making an impulsive decision, I scrolled through the saved numbers on my phone and found it.

  Xander.

  I’d only known him for a couple of hours, and though I hadn’t known it then, I’d since seen him on TV so I now knew he was important. Connected. Maybe the only person in the world who could save my family tonight.

  My hands were shaking so badly it took two tries before I hit the number on the screen, and then it rang four times before someone picked up. The voice was gruff, annoyed. I’d obviously woken them.

  “Who is this?” the voice on the other end demanded.

  “I… my name is Solange.” I spoke English though I suspected whoever this was spoke my language, Limaji, too. “I-I need to speak with—” I let out an involuntary shriek as something a crash from downstairs was so strong it shook the floor beneath me.

  “Who is this?!” the man demanded again.

  “Please. I need Xander. My name is Solange and I helped him when he was hurt—oh, please help us!” I burst into tears as another crash shook the whole building.

  “Hold the line.”

  I sobbed silently as I waited, terrified for my family, terrified for myself. There were rumors about what they did to the young, attractive members of the families who couldn’t pay. I didn’t know how attractive I was in general, but I almost definitely fit the bill for these monsters who terrorized our town.

  “Hello?” I recognized his American accent immediately and nearly wilted with unexpected relief.

  “Xander, it’s S-solange. F-from the café in V-vinake.” I was shaking even harder now, trying to talk in whispers through my tears. “Please…”

  “Okay, calm down. What’s happening?”

  “The men, who collect taxes… they’re here. We’re short this month and I think they’ve already beaten my brother to death. They’re tearing up the café, looking for money… they’ve tied up my father… please help us, we have no one else!”

  “Taxes…” He sounded confused. “Solange, I don’t understand.”

  “They’re like… the mafia, like you see in American movies—oh my god!” This crash was loud enough for him to hear on the other end and I heard his intake of breath.

  “Okay, where are you exactl
y?”

  “In the closet on the second floor of the building.”

  “We have a man not far from there. I’ll try to reach him. Stay where you are. I’ll call you back.” He disconnected and I covered my face with my hands, trying to mask the sound of my sobs.

  There couldn’t be anything left of the café after an attack that had lasted this long, and if my father and brother were still alive, it would be a miracle.

  I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the violence continued and I was on the verge of vomiting. I wanted to help, but what could I do and how would it help anyone if they raped or killed me too?

  My phone buzzed in my lap and I snatched it up. “Yes? Hello?”

  “His name is Axel and he’ll be there in a minute or two. Stay on the line with me.”

  “O-okay.” I could barely speak now, my heart slamming against my ribs, my breath short and choppy.

  “How did you know how to reach me?” he asked softly, most likely trying to distract me.

  “You used my phone to call someone. I thought you were handsome and I was supposed to go to the U.S. this summer on holiday… so I saved the number you called, thinking maybe I could reach you, see you while I was in the U.S. If you were interested.” I sniffled. “Then I saw you on television, with Princess Elen, and realized who you were, that you weren’t really an American tourist who’d been mugged. So of course I didn’t call, but, but I saved the number because… I was afraid I might need a favor someday. Not for myself, but for my family.”

  “Okay, Axel is there, outside. You just sit tight and wait until I tell you it’s okay to move.”

  “M-my mother went to get help, but the police are as afraid of them as we are.”

  “I know. It’s okay.”

  There was another crash and this time some yelling. Then there were gunshots that made me jump just as everything went quiet. I heard footsteps on the stairs and started to shake again.

  “Solange?” A deep male voice—distinctly American—was calling my name.

  “It’s okay,” Xander said in my ear. “That’s Axel. You can trust him.”

  I got to my feet and slowly opened the door, stepping out into the hallway just as the biggest man I’d ever seen came around the corner with a gun in his hand. I shrieked and threw myself back inside the closet.

  “Solange, it’s okay.” His voice was deep but somehow soothing. “Xander sent me.” He stood in the doorway of the closet peering at me with a look so gentle I burst into tears all over again.

  “You’re in safe hands with Axel,” Xander said quietly, “and I’m on the way. We’ve called for the helicopter and I’ll be there in less than an hour. Axel is handling everything, I promise.”

  “Th-thank you.”

  “I owed you one.” Xander disconnected.

  “You’re going to need to call for an ambulance,” Axel said as I joined him in the hallway. “Your brother’s in rough shape and your father has some bruises.”

  “Oh no.” I ran down the stairs before he could stop me and the scene before me made my knees give out. What had been a functioning, busy café just two hours ago was now… akin to the wreckage of a plane crash. There was nothing left except the furniture built into the foundation. Every table, chair, dish, and glass had been destroyed. Countertops smashed. Cash register in pieces on the floor. Even the glass windows shattered. And in the middle of it all was my brother. Covered in blood.

  “Kostya.” I whispered his name but couldn’t move. Axel had caught me when I nearly dropped to my knees and now he gently guided me to my unconscious brother. “Oh, god, is he alive?”

  “He’s breathing, but it’s bad. He needs a hospital.”

  “There’s but one ambulance here,” I said. “I don’t know if…”

  “I’ll drive him.”

  “Solange…” My father’s voice got my attention and I turned.

  “Papa!” He was tied to a chair, his face bloody but not as bad as Kostya, and I rushed over to him as Axel picked up my brother. Kostya wasn’t small, but Axel was… huge. Had he not just saved our lives, I would have been terrified of him.

  “My SUV is outside,” he called over his shoulder. “Are you coming to the hospital with us?”

  “Yes, go.” Papa said as I untied him. “I will be okay.”

  I found my purse beneath the rubble of the front counter and threw it over my shoulder as I followed Axel outside. I could only deal with one issue at a time in my current state, and Kostya was my priority. I jumped into the back seat of Axel’s SUV and he put Kostya across the seat, his head in my lap. He handed me some paper towels and I dabbed at the blood as we headed toward the hospital.

  Kostya was deathly still, his breathing so shallow I wouldn’t have been able to hear it if I didn’t lean over. His face was almost unrecognizable and I gently stroked his hair. He’d valiantly tried to protect our family, but there had been four of them and they’d been heavily armed. From what I’d seen, though I’d averted my eyes, they were all either dead or badly injured now. I shuddered a little to think about what fresh hell I might have brought upon my family by calling Xander because even though he was married to a princess in the royal family, that someone had shown up and taken care of all four men without a second thought was frightening in and of itself.

  Kostya moaned and I leaned down. “We’re almost to the hospital. Just rest. We’re going to get you help.”

  I thought he nodded slightly but I wasn’t sure and breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled up to the emergency entrance of the hospital. It was small, but the only one within an hour’s distance, so we had no other choice. I watched worriedly as someone came out with a gurney and Axel helped them put Kostya on it.

  “Let them help him,” Axel said, putting a gentle hand on my arm. “They know what they’re doing.”

  “I thought sure he was dead,” I whispered, leaning against the wall.

  “I’m glad I was able to get to you in time.”

  “Did you… kill them?” I looked up at him warily, unsure whether or not I wanted to know the answer.

  “One of them. The others were unconscious. I tied them up and left them for the authorities to deal with.”

  “They won’t,” I said sadly. “While I’m glad you saved Kostya’s life, things are probably only going to get worse for us.”

  “Focus on one thing at a time,” he said, his deep voice soothing. “Xander will be here soon and maybe he can help.”

  I flushed. “I don’t even know him. I don’t regret calling because that’s probably the only reason Kostya is alive, but now I feel… foolish.”

  “You don’t know him?” Axel frowned. “I’m confused.”

  “Well, we’ve met of course, but—” I cut off as a doctor approached me, talking about Kostya needing surgery and a punctured lung. I was in tears by the time he walked away, sinking into the nearest chair.

  “What did he say?” Axel asked me. “My Limaji is rudimentary at best and he was speaking way too fast for me to catch much of it.”

  “They broke several of his ribs and one of them punctured his lung, so he’ll need surgery and...” I burst into tears all over again.

  “It’s all right, hon.” He put a big hand on my shoulder as I sobbed, again, the day’s violence catching up to me. “They’re going to take good care of him.”

  I was crying too hard to respond and I didn’t resist when he pulled me close, hugging me tightly as he murmured soothing words I didn’t even understand. Was he speaking French?

  I’d never hugged a stranger in my life, but somehow this felt right. I was tiny compared to him, my much smaller frame dwarfed by his massive one, and for the first time all day I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t know this man, but my gut told me I could trust him, and in this moment, that was all that mattered.

  Eventually, my senses returned and I got myself together enough to stop crying and blow my nose. Then we just sat there in silence, waiting for the doctor to come back out or someone to
bring word about what was happening at the café.

  “Solange?” Xander’s voice, what felt like an eternity later, startled me and I looked up.

  He was as handsome as he’d been the night he’d come into the café, badly beaten, telling me a story about how he’d been mugged. I now knew that hadn’t been true, that he was actually one of the Royal Protectors, the bodyguards to the royal family. He’d also recently married Princess Elen and—holy shit, was that Prince Sandor with him? I didn’t know how to behave in front of a member of the royal family and while my gut instinct was to curtsey, I was too shocked to move.

  “It’s okay, they don’t bite,” Axel murmured in my ear.

  “Th-thank you for coming,” I said to Xander, unable to even look at Prince Sandor. Poor women like me didn’t meet members of the royal family; they definitely didn’t call them because their families were being attacked.

  “You look like you’re about to pass out,” Xander said gently. “Let’s get you something to drink. Axel, can you find her some coffee or something?”

  “Sure thing.” Axel got to his feet and lumbered down the hall, leaving me with Xander and Prince Sandor.

  “Sit,” Xander said gently. “And tell me everything.”

  I sank down beside him, unsure where to start.

  “So you kept my phone number,” he prompted me. “What made you call tonight?”

  “It’s been happening all over the city,” I whispered. “We’re so far from Hiskale, from civilization, with just farmers and a few factories and a dozen or so shops in the town center. The bojovnik brat comes once a month and takes money, equipment, whatever they think they’re entitled to.” Bojovnik brat literally meant warrior brothers in Limaji, and they considered themselves the mafia of northern Limaj.

  “Bojovnik brat?” Prince Sandor demanded. “Who the fuck is that and why the fuck are they taking anything from anyone?”

  I winced at his gruff tone and Xander put a gentle hand on my arm. “He’s not upset with you. I don’t think you two have been introduced. Solange, Prince Sandor. Sandor, this is the young woman who saved my ass a few months back.”