by Kat Mizera
“How do you do it?” I asked her.
“Do what?” She glanced at me.
“Stay so calm, cool and collected, even when people are threatening to blow up the family you’re about to become a part of.”
“I guess my military training?” She spoke slowly. “But also the trust I have in Sandor and the others. I can take care of myself, of course, but I trust my team, knowing that we all take care of each other.”
Somehow, that didn’t make me feel better and I sighed sadly. I needed to apologize to Xander but I didn’t know what I was sorry for. For being mean to him? He shouldn’t have sided against me. I still felt that way, in spite of the circumstances.
“You and Xander still fighting?” Lennox asked under her breath.
I nodded miserably. “Kind of. I mean, he apologized for not taking my side, and I know I’m being petty, everything is just complicated right now. I hate all the indecision and fear and instead of helping me deal with it, it felt like everyone ganged up on me.”
“I’m sorry. No one meant to do that, but don’t worry. Ace is going to find Omar and eliminate him.”
“I hope so.”
Xander walked me back to my suite and told me he had a meeting to go to. He left a guard named Natalia in my sitting room, keeping an eye on me while I showered and got ready for my day. She was part of the Royal Guard and training to be a Royal Protector, but according to Sandor it would take a year or more for her to be ready. Sitting with me was practice for her, and though I didn’t like being a guinea pig, I figured everyone had to learn. Besides, having a little distance from Xander might be good for us. Just for a day or so. I’d get past this, but I needed a little breathing room.
I showered, dried my hair, got dressed and put on makeup. When I walked out to my sitting area, Xander was back, doing something on his computer. He looked up when I came into the room. “Hey. I need to talk to you about something.”
I swallowed, fear gripping me as if I somehow knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
“What’s up?” I asked, sitting across from him.
“I’m going after Omar.”
“What?” I stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“Ace is already looking for him and I’m going to join him. The uncertainty isn’t good for any of us, and frankly, you’re my priority, Princess. Seeing how much this is upsetting you upsets me.”
“But why you? Why not one of the others?” I hadn’t been expecting this at all.
“Because I’m one of the most experienced, and because I volunteered.” He reached for my hand. His fingers closed around mine and he squeezed them for a second.
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I know, but it’s part of my job, and Omar isn’t going to stop until we stop him. It’s better to get this over with.” He gave me a meaningful look before he got up, closed his computer, and started throwing things into the duffel bag he used when he went on reconnaissance missions.
I handed him his toiletry bag since I knew what to put in it and he gave me a soft smile as he stuffed it in last. “Thanks.”
He finished what he was doing in silence. I watched him zip up the bag and put his phone in his pocket. He turned to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t take your side last night. Really.”
“It’s okay. It’s not important.”
“No, it is. Even if I didn’t think it was a big deal, it was to you, and that’s not how relationships are supposed to work.” He leaned over and lightly pressed his lips to mine. “Once this is over, and Omar is gone, we’re going to talk about those kinds of things.”
“Okay.” I chewed my lip. Should I tell him I was late? I desperately wanted to, especially now, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.
“What?” he asked, cocking his head.
“There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Just be careful, okay? He’s dangerous.”
“So am I, baby. So am I.” He touched my cheek gently, his fingers skimming my skin. Then he was gone.
“Please don’t die,” I whispered as the door softly closed behind him.
Today I was heading to Parliament, and Lennox was coming with me, which was both good and bad. I liked her the most out of all of them right now, but having a second woman with us would only irritate the most bigoted senators further. Fortunately, my brothers and Erik would be there too, but all I could think about was Xander. My newest bill wasn’t on the agenda today, so at least I didn’t have to go head-to-head with anyone, but it wouldn’t be fun.
“Don’t worry,” Lennox whispered as we walked inside. “Any of those old fucks mess with you, I’ll drop-kick them.”
I chuckled, giving her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Sandor said I’m supposed to stay in the back of the room, but if you need anything at all, either text me or, in a true emergency, just stand up and get my attention. I can be there in seconds.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. See you later.” I moved off to my seat, sinking down next to Daniil. He wasn’t supposed to still be a member of Parliament, but Parliament only voted on new members every two years, so he had to wait until his term was up to leave. Erik had tried to bypass some of that red tape, but most of Parliament had pushed back hard, so he’d left it alone. Once his term was over, Daniil would go full-time with the Royal Protectors and would join Sandor in running MODIN, but for now he was pulled in a lot of directions.
“Good morning.” Senator Novak was at the microphone, my least favorite thing in the world, and I leaned back in my seat, hoping to hold back a yawn. Listening to him was like listening to someone recite the alphabet, in a monotone, in another language, for hours on end.
“We have some new items to discuss…” He droned on about getting ready for the upcoming tourist season and coverage for Sandor’s wedding. I’d opened the solitaire app on my phone and was in the middle of a game when I heard my name.
“…Minister Gustaffson should attend to this.”
“Lack of teachers up north,” Daniil murmured out of the side of his mouth, since he’d seen what I’d been doing.
“A trip to the north country to meet with administrators and parents would go a long way to soothing the people of our smaller, less affluent communities.” Senator Novak was looking at me pointedly and all I could do was nod.
“I’ll look into this immediately,” I responded. What the hell was he talking about? I was suddenly behind the curve and as he moved on to another item on the agenda, I dug around in my email, looking for anything related to this. I couldn’t find anything and sent Daniil a text.
ELEN: What is he talking about? I don’t see anything about unrest up north. Do you know?
DANIIL: No idea. I thought this was something you were already on top of?
ELEN: I’ve been focused on the new school, buying buses for all our schools, and getting staff to drive them. I haven’t heard a word about anything going on up north.
DANIIL: When we break for lunch, I’ll talk with some of his cronies, see if I can get a handle on it for you.
ELEN: Thanks.
A feeling of unease spread through me and I wasn’t sure why. Short of treason or murder, there was very little that could get me removed from Parliament, and my term would be up in eight more months anyway. Terms were two years, starting in February and ending in January two years later. We didn’t have term limits here, so many Senators stayed on for a decade or more. Minsters were appointed by the President of Parliament, which was Erik right now, and we would vote on that as well. I didn’t have enough of a handle on Senator Novak to guess his motivations, which left me even more out of sorts than ever.
I’d just sat down with my lunch from the buffet when Senator Novak blustered over to me. I’d had Lennox come sit with me since I didn’t want to talk shop and the other ministers and senators wouldn’t do it with a bodyguard at the table,
but Senator Novak apparently had no such qualms.
“Minister Gustaffson.” He nodded at Lennox before turning to me. “I’ve spoken to some of my constituents who are concerned about how much faster things are moving in the bigger cities than they are in the rural areas. I took the liberty of hinting that you would come and make a few speeches, speak to the people directly, in just a few of the cities. Perhaps starting in Vinake and ending in Ferdinbrag.”
I gazed up at him, my brow furrowed. “It’s strange that you’ve heard things but I haven’t,” I told him. “I get a lot of mail from constituents all over the country and haven’t heard a single complaint.”
“Well, as I’ve said repeatedly,” he said, shrugging, “women have no place in Parliament. The people don’t take you seriously. However, I’m trying to change that. Hence why I’ve suggested a short tour for you. You can get down in the trenches, so to speak, and not only discuss their concerns, but make your dedication to this job and the people the focus of their attention.”
“I’ll see about fitting it into my schedule,” I told him.
“I think it needs to be a priority, but of course, you know best. Enjoy your lunch.” He turned and walked away, leaving me scowling after him.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Daniil said, once he was gone. “It certainly can’t hurt.”
“We’re gearing up for tourist season and there’s only a month left of the school year,” I protested.
“Yes, but you could win a lot of popularity points if you get out there and talk to people. I mean, you could do four schools, two in the Vinake area and two in Ferdinbrag, over the course of two days.”
“It takes a full day to drive up to Vinake, and then half a day to drive home from Ferdinbrag.”
“It would only be three days,” he pointed out. “And maybe it’ll do you good to get out of town, a change in scenery.”
I wanted to protest, but maybe he was right. It definitely wouldn’t hurt and getting away from the palace would make Xander’s absence much less poignant. Well, nothing would make me stop worrying, but a change of scenery might be a good distraction. At least that’s what I told myself.
29
Xander
I met up with Ace in the country of Georgia. Though the plan was for us to separate, we needed to start out together, compare notes, and create a plan of action. He’d gotten intel that Omar spent a lot of time in Georgia, so we were holed up at a safe house going through all the information we had.
I was on a mission that went way beyond getting rid of a bad guy. This asshole not only presented a threat to people I cared about, he’d nearly cost me my relationship with Elen. She was freaked out on so many levels and I loved her enough to want that to end, even at the risk of my own safety. Omar was a persistent and imminent threat, though, and that was why I’d offered to join Ace in taking him out.
“My sources tell me he’s always on the move,” Ace said. “I tracked him from Tahiti to Moscow and then he dropped off the radar. I believe he’s here. He has a mistress in Tbilisi, but so far I haven’t been able to get eyes on him.”
“Where else would he go?” I asked.
“If he’s with her, he might stay a while, but my gut tells me he goes in and out of Limaj. According to Skye, he used to have a home in the north. Sandor dug up some records that show he’s still the owner, but we sent a team a few months ago and the place was sealed up tight, no sign of life, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time.”
“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t use it. Most of the older estates and castles, especially those used by the wealthy and members of royal families, have tunnels leading to secure bunkers. Since he was married to Skye, who is also a princess, her father undoubtedly made sure there were contingencies in place.”
“Absolutely. But we don’t want to shoot our wads too early and let him know we’re on to him. We want to wait until we have at least an inkling that he’s there before we go barging in.”
“I just want this fucker gone.” I was focused and on task, but my heart was heavy, worrying about Elen and the rest of the family since we had no idea what Omar’s next move would be.
“You and me both.” Ace leaned back in his chair. “Shannon is pissed and I’ve left her with the task of packing up our apartment and getting ready to move while also finishing up the school year with her students.”
“I appreciate that you’re doing this,” I told him.
He met my gaze. “This is what I signed up for, just like you. I wasn’t supposed to start until the end of June, but I’m ready to do whatever it takes to eliminate this asshole. The sooner we do it, the sooner our lives settle into something akin to normalcy.”
“That would be novel,” I said. “It’s really hard to be in a relationship with the woman Omar says he wants to marry. She’s freaked, which freaks me out, and I don’t know how to help her feel better because his threats are serious. We had a big fight last night, and she was less than thrilled that I was coming with you to do this.”
“She’s afraid,” Ace said quietly. “I don’t blame her. It’s hard to love men like us, who have devoted our lives to protecting others. It doesn’t always end well. I’m lucky to have gotten this far, but I’ve had a lot of close calls over the years.”
“I did two tours in Iraq,” I said. “I’ve looked death in the eye and told it to go fuck itself. But she has no way of understanding that, the part of this that makes us do what we do.”
“It takes special women to love us, and sometimes even the best women aren’t cut out to be with us. I’d have to think twice if Shannon was in danger every single day. I think it would get tiresome quickly.”
“But you expect it of her?” I asked curiously.
“I don’t expect it. She has a choice. She knows what I do for a living and has decided her love for me is worth the risk. Maybe Elen isn’t there yet.”
“She is,” I said, almost to myself. “She has to be because I love her more than anything in this world.”
He smiled. “Then we should get this party started.”
“Operation Eliminate Omar starts now.” We fist-bumped and turned back to our computers.
The first week was lesson after lesson in futility. Every time we thought we knew where Omar was, the slimy bastard slipped away. We’d managed to keep ourselves under the radar, but coming up empty-handed three times in six days had frustrated both of us. Intel was hard to come by and most of it turned out to be bogus, so we were spinning our wheels at this point. Then we got a break. Sandor called with some interesting information.
“Senator Novak made a big deal about Elen traveling up north to meet with teachers, parents and administrators,” he said. “My gut tells me he’s up to something. I can’t find any connection between him and Omar, but this isn’t sitting well with me. It can’t be a coincidence that Omar has a home north of Vinake and that’s where Novak wants her to go. So I think you should head in that direction too. You won’t let anyone know you’re there, but I need you to be nearby because I think Omar is going to make a move.”
“So you’re leaving her vulnerable?” I demanded. “Are you kidding me?”
“Why do you think I’m sending you down there? Ace is going to sit on the mistress a while longer, but I want you close to Elen.” He gave me the details of Elen’s itinerary and after putting some plans in place with Ace, I headed out. Like Sandor, my gut was screaming with worry, terrified that Omar would get to Elen before I got there. Yes, she’d have Axel and a driver with her, but Axel wasn’t me. And he didn’t love her.
I’d had a lot of time to think the last week or so, and I kept going back to the night we’d almost made love without a condom. Well, we’d started out without one, and if I was honest, I wouldn’t be at all upset if she wound up pregnant. She wanted babies and I wanted whatever she wanted. The truth of the matter was that her period was late, and though she hadn’t said anything, I’d noticed. She’d only had one since we’d been together and though I
didn’t pay that close of attention to it, I was positive she was late based on what I remembered. Had that been what she wanted to talk about when I was leaving? Now I wished I’d pushed her to tell me what was on her mind. Things had been a little strained between us, though, and I’d been anxious to get going.
I’d never realized that this was what love would be like, being with someone who fulfilled every part of you even when you fought. Because that’s what had happened between us. She’d become an integral part of my life, even when we weren’t getting along. She made me crazy, like no one else ever had, but I loved her like I’d never loved anyone else too. It didn’t make a lot of sense, but affairs of the heart rarely did.
I was still thinking about Elen and the prospect of the babies we might have together someday—if I could talk some sense into her—when I got a flat tire. I pulled onto the side of the road in frustration, digging out the spare and the tools. This was going to delay my arrival and for some reason I was more worried than I had reason to be. It was nothing but a gut feeling, but it was yelling loudly right now.
Elen had spoken at a primary school at eight and was speaking at a secondary school a little south of here now. Because of the limited teachers and access for students, schools in the smaller towns were split into primary and secondary schools, the equivalent of kindergarten through sixth grade and seventh through twelfth in the U.S. Though I didn’t think she had anything to worry about from the kids themselves, my gut was screaming that Omar was going to go after her. I wished she’d said no, but there were so many layers to what was going on in the government and with the people, so I understood why she hadn’t.
Axel was a smart, qualified guy and he’d be with Elen, of course, but every second I wasted changing this damn flat tire made my gut clench with worry. Nearly fifteen years combined as a Marine and working as a bodyguard taught me to trust my gut, and I somehow knew Elen needed me. If Omar was planning something, it wouldn’t be at the first school she visited. If I were him, I’d have people in place both inside and outside, with multiple vehicles prepared to take out the SUV she traveled in. I’d have a lot of man power, at least a dozen men, and we’d have multiple contingencies in place. That’s how you handled a kidnapping and so far, Omar had proven to be smart and organized.
