Chris had paddled closer and panted for a breath as he turned his gaze toward the remains of the yacht. A tall plume of smoke billowed into the air even as the shards of the ravaged hull took on water and sank into the Atlantic. “Hopefully, if the authorities didn’t see your flare, they’ll come investigate the explosion and smoke.”
Brianna’s teeth chattered. “How long do we have...b-before hypothermia sets in?”
“Good question,” Chris said. “And will the rescue teams get here before sharks smell the blood I’m trailing?”
Brianna’s pulse skipped. She’d almost forgotten Chris’s gaping wound. In the water, it wouldn’t clot. He could bleed out if help didn’t arrive soon.
Had they escaped Viktor’s henchmen and the C-4 explosion only to drown in the icy Atlantic? She could tread water and cling to the floating debris for as long as it took, but Hunter and Chris were losing blood, their strength fading. They’d fought valiantly to save her life, and now she had to find a way to keep the men she loved alive until help came.
Chapter 19
Feeling a warm hand on his cheek, Hunter cracked his eyes open and blinked away the blur of sleep to focus on the lovely face beside him. “Bri?”
He frowned as the strange room came into focus, and he needed a moment for the events of the past hour—or had it been longer?—to come back to him. Pain. Cold. An explosion. Then a Coast Guard patrol, ambulance ride, warming blankets and CT scans. The muted sounds of the hospital emergency room drifted in from the hallway, confirming the foggy memories.
“Sorry to wake you,” Brianna said, “but I have someone on the phone who is quite worried about you and just wants to hear your voice.”
She held a cell phone to his ear, and he angled his head toward it. “H’lo.”
“Hunter! Sweetheart, are you okay?” his mother said. “Don’t lie to me! What did the doctors say?”
“I’m all right. Sore as hell. Tired.” His head swam, even though he hadn’t moved, and he closed his eyes for a moment. “Haven’t talked to the doctor.”
“Oh, honey...your dad and I are coming up there tonight.”
“No, Mom, you don’t—”
“We’re coming. Don’t argue. And put Brianna back on the line. I want to know what the doctor said.”
He opened one eye to look at Bri. She wore a hospital gown, as he did, and had a blanket draped around her shoulders. “She wants you now.”
Brianna nodded and, clutching the blanket closed at her neck with one hand, put the phone to her ear. “Yes, ma’am? I did.”
Hunter fought the pull of whatever painkiller was being fed into his body through the IV line, trying to stay awake long enough to hear what Brianna told his mother.
“He has a couple of cracked ribs, but the CT scan didn’t show any serious internal injuries. The doctor said the blood I saw him throw up was likely some he’d swallowed because of his broken nose. We all had mild hypothermia, but the Coast Guard saw the explosion and got to us pretty quickly.” She paused to listen for a moment. “Chris is in surgery to repair the damage to his foot. He lost a lot of blood from the gunshot wound, and they’ll have to keep him for a few days to monitor him.” Brianna nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I gave a statement to the police, and Hunter will have to do the same later, when he’s up to it. I think someone at the Cape Cod P.D. called the U.S. State Department, because I was told officials, including a security detail, are en route from Meridan, even now.”
A nurse stuck her head in the room and hesitated when she saw Brianna on the phone.
“Yes, they’re keeping Hunter for a day or so for observation. Just to be sure they didn’t miss something.” Brianna sent the nurse a quizzical glance, and the woman in pink scrubs pointed to the hall, indicating someone was outside. “Yes, ma’am. I need to go. The nurse needs to talk to me.”
When Brianna lowered the phone, the nurse said, “You asked to be told when Chris Hamill got out of surgery? He’s done, and they’ll be taking him upstairs to a room soon if you want to see him.”
Brianna cast a guilty-looking side glance to Hunter. “I—”
“Go,” he croaked. “I’m ’kay. Gonna sleep.”
Furrowing her brow, Brianna bent to kiss his cheek. “I’ll check on you again in a bit.”
She turned and followed the nurse out, leaving Hunter alone in the stark exam room. He sighed. His ribs ached, his muscles were stiff, his nose throbbed and he felt cold to the bone. But his worst pain had nothing to do with his physical ailments and everything to do with the choice he knew Brianna would make in the next couple of days.
* * *
Back in her own clothes after one of the E.R. nurses had them dried in the hospital laundry, Brianna hustled upstairs to see Chris. She got to spend only a couple of minutes with Chris before he, too, was drifting off to sleep, the remnant anesthesia tugging at him. She and Chris had a lot to talk about, but the conversation was one that should wait until he had all his faculties back.
As she left Chris’s hospital room, a man in a dark suit approached her. “Miss Coleman?”
The man’s foreign accent sent a hair-trigger shot of anxiety through her. She took a step back, prepared to run, to scream for help. The man held up a badge, then stowed it in the breast pocket of his jacket. “My name is Jorge Locke. I’m head of security for the Meridanian embassy in Washington.”
She remained leery but shook his hand when he offered it.
“I have permission from the local authorities to interview you regarding what happened today with Senator Viktor.”
She sighed. “I’m rather tired. Can’t you just get a copy of the transcript of my statement to the local police?”
“I will. But I have questions of my own.” He smiled and put his hands in his pockets. “They will keep until you are better rested.”
She nodded. “Good. Thank you.”
He took a few steps toward Chris’s room, and a prickle of alarm and protectiveness spun through her. The local police, in cooperation with the FBI, had posted guards at Chris’s door to protect him until his personal entourage from Meridan arrived. Jorge Locke flashed his credentials to the guards and received permission to enter Chris’s room.
Brianna hesitated. How did she know she could trust this man? What if he—
“By the way,” Locke said, turning back to her, “based on the description you gave the police of the men with the senator, we were able to identify them and flag their passports with Interpol.”
She straightened, her pulse picking up.
“I just talked to our ambassador,” he continued, “who said the FBI detained the three men who escaped the explosion earlier today when they tried to board a plane at Logan International Airport. They are in FBI custody and will face multiple felony charges both here in the United States and in Meridan.”
She released the breath she held, feeling a coil of tension in her loosen. “That’s a relief.”
He stepped close to her again and touched her arm. “This has been an upsetting and difficult time for you, I’m sure.”
She grunted. “You could say that.”
“But it’s over. With Senator Viktor dead and the last of his accomplices in custody, King Cristoff recovered safely and returning to the throne, the danger to you and your son has passed.”
Hope fluttered in her chest. She wanted to believe that. “You’re sure? The coup against the royal family—”
“Was never as widespread as the media portrayed it to be. Senator Viktor was behind the reports given to the media to incite fear and doubt among the people of Meridan. So that he could appear all the more the hero for quelling the threat when he took power.”
“But with Chris...King Cristoff,” she corrected herself, “taking the throne, peace is restored and all is well?”
Locke f
lattened a hand against his chest. “Meridan is not without naysayers, but on the whole, yes. When Cristoff is able to travel, he will be safe to return home.”
Which meant Ben was safe, as well.
She released the knot of breath in her lungs. Finally some good news after weeks of worry and looking over her shoulder. She could finally move forward. But to what?
With both Hunter and Chris sleeping off their painkillers and hypothermia, she had time to think. She had decisions to make.
She spent some time outside, where the sun was setting and the moon crept higher in a clear sky. Her stomach rumbled, and she realized it had been hours since she’d eaten her blueberry muffin.
As she walked down the hall toward the cafeteria, a directional sign caught her attention. Chapel.
If ever she needed guidance and direction, it was now. She followed the arrow until she found the room with stained glass and religious decor, and she took a seat on one of the pews near the front. Bowing her head, she said a few thank-yous that she, Hunter and Chris were safe. She asked for healing for Hunter and Chris and protection for Ben. Taking a deep breath, she added, “Help me know what to do. I loved Chris once. I still do in many ways. He’s Ben’s father. But I love Hunter, too.”
She heard the door at the back of the chapel open and glanced over her shoulder. Then blinked her surprise. “Mrs. Mansfield?”
Julia Mansfield glanced in her direction, and a smile brightened her face. “Brianna. Hi!”
Brianna rose to greet Hunter’s mother with a hug. “How long have you been here?”
“About five minutes. We were on our way to the elevator when I saw the chapel. Seeing as God saw fit to spare my baby boy’s life today, I thought I’d stop long enough to say thank-you.”
Brianna nodded. “Same here. That and...well, I have important decisions to make, and I thought maybe I’d see things more clearly if I prayed about it.”
Julia smiled and touched the cross charm on her necklace. “It’s always worked for me.” She tipped her head. “Would these decisions you’re making have anything to do with my son?”
Brianna glanced down at her hands briefly. “Yes. And my son. And my son’s father.”
Julia raised her brow and nodded. “I see.” She squeezed Brianna’s arm and added, “Speaking of your son, he’s right outside with Stan.”
Brianna gasped her delight. “He is?”
“We knew you’d be eager to see him, so...”
Brianna gave Julia another quick hug, then hurried toward the door.
“And, Brianna?”
She stopped and glanced back at Hunter’s mother. “Once you cut through all the clutter of guilt and worry and other people’s expectations, God will speak to your heart, and you’ll know exactly what you need to do.”
Warmth filled her chest, an appreciation for the motherly concern and advice. Having lost her own mother so early in her life, she hadn’t had anyone there to comfort her and advise her in matters of the heart.
* * *
The delegation from Meridan had arrived. That was more than obvious as Brianna stepped off the elevator and was greeted immediately by armed guards. Jorge Locke spotted her and waved her past the guards. The man gave Ben a curious look, then a smile as she passed, and she wondered what, if anything, Chris had told him about Ben.
She knocked on Chris’s door and waited to be invited in. She held Ben close to her chest, her heart beating a nervous rhythm against her ribs as she approached Chris’s bedside.
His gaze went immediately to the bundle in her arms, and he sat straighter in his bed, his expression eager.
Brianna placed Ben in his father’s arms, her throat catching as she said, “Ben, this is your daddy. Chris, this is our son. I named him Benjamin.”
Chris’s eyes were wet as he stared at his son, traced the baby’s nose with a finger and unwrapped him to look at Ben’s feet and tiny hands. When he glanced up at her, he smiled in awe. “He’s beautiful. Perfect.”
She laughed and nodded. “I know. Right?”
“Why Benjamin? Not that I don’t like it...” he added quickly. “I do. I just wondered. Is it a family name?”
She bit her bottom lip. “It’s Hunter’s middle name.”
Chris’s face sobered. “Hunter’s?”
She nodded.
He studied her face, his brow beetling. “So, what is his story? Who is he to you?”
A sweetness filled her chest when she thought of all Hunter had done for her, all he’d come to mean to her. She explained to Chris how Hunter had helped her at the car accident, how he’d stood by her through Ben’s birth and the days since. The sacrifices he’d made, the risks he’d taken, the love he’d shown Ben.
When she was finished, Chris was silent. He stared at Ben, stroking his son’s cheek and ruminating over all she’d said. Finally he sighed, and without looking at her he asked, “Are you in love with him?”
Her pulse quickened. How did she express her feelings toward Hunter? She owed Chris the truth, but she hated the idea that either he or Hunter would be hurt going forward. She was caught between two men she cared for. What was more, she had a son to consider. What was best for Ben?
Chris was staring at her, waiting for an answer. She swallowed hard. “Chris, try to understand. I didn’t have any memory of us. Not until a couple of days ago. He’s been so good to me, so helpful with Ben, and he’s a good man with a good heart who—”
“Is that a yes?”
Her chest ached. “It is.” He frowned, and she hastened to add, “But I know I loved you once, too. I still do in many ways. And I want to do what’s right for our son.”
“And what is that?”
She sighed and shook her head. “You tell me. What do the laws of Meridan say about Ben’s future? What will be required of him as your heir?”
Chris’s face hardened, his eyes troubled. “Forget the law for a moment. I want you, both of you, in my life. But what do you want?”
At that moment, Ben yawned and stretched his tiny arms over his head. The lines in Chris’s face eased as he beamed at their son, chuckled at the sweetness of his heir’s sleepy wiggling, smacking lips and birdlike peeps. The awe and love in Chris’s face both warmed Brianna’s heart and broke it. How could she deny a father the place in his son’s life he deserved? How could she steal Ben’s chance to live a privileged life, to rule the country of his forefathers?
She cared for Chris, had loved him once. In time, she could love him again....
* * *
Hunter pushed his IV stand down the hall, moving slowly, gritting his teeth against the ache of his ribs. He’d urged his parents to go get dinner, told them he wanted to nap, when in truth he wanted a chance to talk to Cristoff alone. Man to man. He had to know Brianna would be in good hands with the prince before he could walk away.
He was stopped at the end of the corridor of the wing where Cristoff was recovering from his surgery. He told the guards who he was, was frisked and then waved through by a man who checked his name against a list on a clipboard. The door to Cristoff’s room was flanked by two more guards, who eyed him darkly as he pushed open the door that stood slightly ajar.
The tinkle of Brianna’s laugh stopped him. The happy sound twined with a lower chuckle, a soft murmur. Silently, Hunter peered around the door to the bed where Cristoff and Brianna sat. The prince had Ben in his arms, and the man’s face glowed with affection the way his brothers’ had when they held their daughters. Parental love.
But it was the warm smile on Brianna’s face that stopped him, that made his heart contract and a knot of loss tie his gut. She beamed as she watched Cristoff with their son. The three of them were a family. A unit. And when Ben squawked and his parents laughed together, Hunter saw the truth like handwriting on the wall. Brianna had a destiny t
hat didn’t involve a construction foreman from Lagniappe, Louisiana.
She had the chance to live the fairy tale every little girl dreamed. A handsome prince. A castle in a foreign kingdom. A happy family. Children. Wealth. Power.
Who was he to stand in the way of all of that? With a heavy, searing pain in his chest that had nothing to do with his cracked ribs, Hunter backed quietly out into the corridor and headed back to his room. In the morning he would be discharged, and he’d go back home with his parents, back to the family business, back to his bachelor life. And begin healing his broken heart.
* * *
Muscles aching, Brianna woke the next morning on the fold-out chair next to Chris’s hospital bed. His staff had used their sway to have a bassinet from the newborn nursery and a supply of diapers brought into Chris’s room so that Ben could stay with his parents.
Hearing softly whispered endearments, she sat up, rubbing her eyes, and smiled when she spotted Chris, sitting on the edge of his bed and leaning over Ben’s bassinet, cooing to his son.
Chris’s love for Ben was obvious, and as more and more memories of the time she’d spent with the Meridanian prince last winter came back to her, she was more certain he’d be a good father to Ben.
She and Chris had stayed up late talking about the past, about Meridan, about what would happen between them going forward. About how they would raise Ben. And she’d made the tough choice about her own future.
She’d gone to Hunter’s room as soon as she’d made her decision, to tell him what she’d realized when she’d searched her heart. But he’d been asleep. After the traumatic and draining day he’d endured, she’d chosen to let him sleep.
Knowing he was being discharged this morning, that he’d be leaving for Lagniappe soon with his parents, however, Brianna felt an urgency now to try again to see him before he left. Leaving Ben with his father and the royal guards, she hurried down the hall to the wing where Hunter’s room was. She arrived just as Hunter was moving stiffly from his bed into a wheelchair to leave the hospital.
Protecting Her Royal Baby Page 23
