by Kat Mizera
Frankly, this household was a little chaotic for my liking. The younger three kids were constantly on the go, there was an adult daughter who didn’t have a schedule of any kind, and friends and family were in and out constantly. We had a state-of-the-art alarm system, a security team that guarded the property twenty-four seven, and Joe oversaw everything, but there were so many things that could go wrong in a family like this.
“Two bombs were set off at Parliament House,” Joe said quietly. “But Erik got out. Ace just sent me an encrypted message.”
“Thank god.” Casey sank onto the couch, her face a little pale as she stared up at the TV.
“The tunnel,” Joe sighed. “I’m so fucking glad we didn’t wait to get it started.”
“Construction was a nightmare because it had to be done surreptitiously,” Casey said, “but I told Erik it wasn’t optional.”
“Sandor pressed for it, too,” Joe said. “They should be on their way—”
Casey’s phone rang and she jumped up. “It’s Erik! Babe?” She answered and then quickly left the room.
“This isn’t good,” I told Joe. “Two attempts on his life in such a short time?”
“I know.” He drummed his fingers on his lap. “We don’t have a big enough security team for this shit.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Exactly what you’re doing. Stick close to Casey. Chains is with Luke at his other dad’s house, Sasha, Leni, and the twins are here, and everything is quiet for now.”
“If things are escalating in Limaj, they could be coming after Casey or the kids next.”
“I know.” He didn’t look happy, but there wasn’t much we could do about it right now. “And once Erik comes to town, the danger will be exponentially higher until she gives birth.”
“We’ve got this.” I spoke with conviction but glanced back at the TV worriedly. I didn’t like what I saw at all.
I’d just woken up for the day when I heard a sound in the hallway and then a light tapping on the door of the guest room where I slept.
“Lennox, I think it’s time.” Casey stood in the doorway in shorts and a T-shirt and didn’t look like she’d gotten any sleep.
“Has your water broken?”
“Just now.”
“Okay, give me three minutes.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and quickly got dressed. I washed my face, brushed my teeth and pulled my hair back in a ponytail. I put my shoulder holster on under my lightweight blazer, made sure my gun was loaded and that there were an extra couple of clips in the pockets of my pants, and slid my feet into my boots. They were hot as hell to wear this time of year in Vegas, but they gave me the best support if I needed to run, jump or fight.
I found Casey in the kitchen a few minutes later, drinking a cup of coffee.
“Are you supposed to eat when you’re in labor?”
She shrugged. “Every doctor, every hospital, every delivery is different. I’ve had two fairly easy deliveries and my doctor is pretty chill, so I’m going to go with what my body’s telling me. Right now, the contractions aren’t too bad and not that close together.”
“How far apart are they?” I asked.
“About ten minutes.”
“Have you talked to your husband?”
“The plane’s an hour out and then it’ll be at least half an hour before he gets to the hospital from the airport. Maybe longer. Hopefully, I can hang on until then.”
“Do you want to call anyone?”
She shook her head. “Sandor was with me both of the other times I gave birth, along with my ex-husbands, so hopefully Erik will get here in time.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“I’m going to wake up Sasha, tell her it’s time, and then we can go.”
“I’ll let Joe know what’s going on.”
She nodded and left the room, and I went to tell Joe we were heading to the hospital. He would stay here with the kids, and the other bodyguard that worked closely with us, Darryl “Chains” Carruthers, would meet us there. Chains didn’t actually work for Joe anymore, but he had a relationship with Casey from about a decade ago when he ran security on tour with her, so he helped out whenever the family needed extra security here in Las Vegas.
I’d been in Atlanta the last few months, protecting a movie star shooting a film, so when that job was done, I’d been happy to come home to Vegas to help Joe with protecting Casey and her family. He’d hinted that it might turn into something long-term, which I wasn’t sure about, but Joe had been good to me after I’d left the Marines, and I’d do anything for him.
Joe had just gotten out of the shower—we were both early risers—and he looked up when I walked into his room. “Is it time?”
I nodded. “She’s ready to go.”
“You’re good with the route and—”
“Not my first rodeo, Westfield.” I gave him a grin and he smiled back. “The plane with the king and the rest of the crew is about an hour out so I’m assuming they’ll go right to the hospital?”
“Most likely, yes. I’ll check in with Sandor now.”
“Okay. I sent Chains a text, and he’s leaving for the hospital now.”
“All right. Keep in touch.”
3
Sandor
Erik’s private jet touched down at McCarran International Airport at seven in the morning and we were off the plane within a handful of minutes. He went through a private security checkpoint, utilizing his status as a foreign head of state to get us in and out in just a few minutes, immediately heading for the limousine sent for us by our friend Nick Kingsley, who owned the Charleston Hotel here in Las Vegas. He was also Casey’s ex-husband and Erik’s current brother-in-law, since Nick was now married to Erik’s sister, Skye. We trusted him implicitly, and he’d been gracious enough to send a limo since we needed everyone we trusted either with Casey or the kids.
Joe’s name flashed on the screen of my phone and I answered quickly. “We’re heading out to the limo now.”
“Okay, good. Casey’s settled in the birthing suite, and Lennox says everything is quiet for now.”
“Lennox?” I asked, frowning. “Chains is supposed to be with Casey.”
“We needed more help and I thought a woman would be easier in the delivery room with her. When her last assignment ended and she became available, I got her on board.”
“I thought she was one of the people that was going to be working overnights on the perimeter of the house? Dammit, Joe, you know I need to personally vet everyone who gets close to the family.”
“Do you not trust me all of a sudden?” he asked. “You tasked me with keeping the family safe while you were gone and that’s what I’ve done. Don’t panic because she’s in labor. Everything is okay.”
I blew out a breath. There was absolutely not supposed to be someone I didn’t know with Casey during the delivery, and definitely not a woman. No matter how good she was, she couldn’t take on the men Erik’s enemies could potentially send.
“You’re freaking out and you’re not even the one having a kid,” Erik said, eyeing me with a smirk once I’d disconnected.
I gave him a look. “You’ve had two attempts on your life in six months—I think freaking out is warranted. With Casey in labor, she’ll be completely vulnerable, and Joe has someone I don’t know with her. I don’t like it.”
“I know Lennox,” Xander said quietly. “We served together. She’s good people and she’s badass. Trust me, Casey’s in good hands.”
I grunted in response, folding my arms across my chest. When it came to Erik, Casey, and the kids, I didn’t trust many people.
“You’ll check her out thoroughly now that you’re here,” Erik said. “Don’t worry so much.”
“How can you not worry?” I countered.
“Because if I allowed myself to worry, I’d worry all the time, about everything. It’s bad enough that my wife and children are in danger now, simply because they’re my family, but al
lowing it to rule my life would be counterproductive.”
And this was why he was king and not me. Technically, I’d been next in line after the death of the last king, our uncle, and all of his heirs, but that had never been what I’d wanted. As an official Bodyguard to the Royal Family, a role I’d willingly taken on more than twenty years ago, I’d been tasked with the lifelong protection of my best friend, first cousin, and now king—King Erik Benjamin al-Hassani. My duties had veered way off course twelve years ago when he’d faked his death to protect the woman he loved and their unborn child. Erik hadn’t been a king then, and we’d both gone into hiding with new identities, him completely off the grid and me doing exactly what he’d asked of me—protecting his woman and the son no one but a select few of us knew about.
Fast forward twelve years and Erik was now King of Limaj, married to Casey, and about to have their second child together. Erik had given me my choice of duties and I’d chosen to continue to protect Luke, his firstborn, but it was complicated right now. Casey had wanted to give birth here in her hometown of Las Vegas, which was also where we’d lived until she and Erik had reunited last year. Now she split her time between Las Vegas and the eastern European country Erik and I came from, Limaj. Casey had wanted to use the same doctor she’d used for the deliveries of her other children, though, so we’d been here for several months in preparation for that.
The last two times Casey had given birth had been fairly quick, all things considered, but she was thirty-five now, and this was her third pregnancy, so I was trying to be prepared for anything. Well, except for Joe hiring a bodyguard I knew nothing about and a woman to boot, which annoyed me because Joe should have known I wouldn’t be okay with it. That’s probably why I hadn’t been told he’d reassigned her.
During my years living under an assumed name, Joe had trained me as a security agent, which went well with my military and private training as Bodyguard to the Royal Family. Westfield Security had provided me with a new identity and a paycheck, even though I had plenty of my own money, and had given me legitimacy during a tumultuous time in my life. He’d been an indispensable ally to both myself and the royal family, and the handful of guys he’d sent to help protect us over the years, including Xander, had all been stellar human beings as well as kickass bodyguards. I wasn’t sure what had come over me and I’d make sure to apologize next time I saw him, but our situation now was more precarious than ever. We couldn’t afford any mistakes.
We got to the hospital twenty minutes later and Xander and I ushered Erik in through a back entrance the hospital had provided for us. Xander veered off to go scout out the lobby and perimeter while Erik and I continued up to the birthing suite Casey had reserved. Chains was outside the door and gave us a nod as we approached.
“Morning, mates.” He shook our hands. “Sounds like things are getting going in there, so you’re just in time.”
“I appreciate you looking out for her,” Erik said. “Where are the kids?”
“All at the house with Joe and the perimeter security team, everyone on lockdown until the delivery is over.”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
“You want me here or back at the house?” Chains asked me.
“Here for now. I’ll let you know.”
We walked into the room and Erik hurried to his wife’s side. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, even mid-contraction, and my gaze was immediately drawn to the brunette standing off to the side. She met it without wavering, approaching me with an outstretched hand, and a pair of catlike golden eyes that momentarily transfixed me.
“Lennox Briggs.”
I shook her hand. “Thanks for your help while I was away, but you’re relieved of duty today. You can check in with—”
“Relieved?” She arched one perfectly rounded eyebrow. “I’m here at Casey’s request.”
“I’m head of security. What I say goes, over everyone else, including Her Royal Highness, the Queen.” When the hell had she become so familiar with the family that she felt comfortable calling Casey by her name?
“Her Royal Highness asked me to call her Casey.”
Damn, she read me like a book.
“Look—” I began, but was interrupted by Casey’s voice.
“Lennox, come meet my husband.”
Lennox didn’t say a word and merely walked over to where Erik was standing.
“Your Majesty.” She held out her hand. “Lennox Briggs.”
“It’s good to meet you. Joe speaks highly of you.”
“And he of you.”
“Please call me Erik when we’re in private.”
“Thank you.”
“Sandor, what are you doing over there?” Casey called out. “Come say hello.”
“Hey.” I walked over and leaned down to hug her. “How are you doing?”
“This little prince or princess is taking their time coming into the world, but it hasn’t been too bad yet. Thanks for getting him here on time.” She motioned to Erik.
“My pleasure. Well, I’ll leave you two to it. I’m taking over security here so I’d like to reassign Lennox.”
Casey frowned. “Sandor, she’s part of my team now. I’d like her to stay.”
“I know you would, but we have a process, and she hasn’t gone through it. Unless and until she does, she can’t be with us when you—and Erik—are vulnerable.”
“Sandor.” The look she gave me normally would have made me back down, but not today. Not under these circumstances.
“Sandor, maybe—” Erik began.
“We can’t argue about this now. She’s already in labor. I’m sorry, Casey, but my job is to protect you and Erik, and I can’t do that if I don’t know who has my back. If we’d gotten back earlier, or Joe had told me Ms. Briggs had been assigned to you, I could have vetted her. But I haven’t, so she can’t stay.” I met Erik’s gaze firmly. This was what I’d spent the last twenty years doing, and he had to let me do it when we had the most at stake. Even when it made Casey unhappy.
Erik looked annoyed but he nodded. “He’s right, babe. I’m sorry, but if he doesn’t trust her, we can’t have that kind of distraction while you’re in labor.”
Casey set her jaw and glared at both of us. “I trust her and I’m the one in labor. God dammit, I—oh!” She let out a shriek as another contraction started, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the sheets.
No one moved as she breathed through the contraction, her face turning a little red and her breath coming faster and faster until she leaned back with a sigh of relief.
“Casey.” Lennox spoke quietly once Casey was done. “It’s okay. I’ll head back to the house and regroup with Joe. Mr. Gustaffson is head of security, and if he’s uncomfortable with my presence, I’ll go. I’m here to help, not make things difficult.”
“You’re not the one making things difficult,” Casey muttered.
“Casey.” Erik leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She narrowed her eyes slightly but then nodded. “I’m sorry, Lennox. We’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Of course.” Lennox squeezed Casey’s shoulder and nodded at Erik. “Your Majesty.” She ignored me as she turned and walked out of the room.
When was the last time anyone had gotten under my skin like this? She was spectacularly pissed, which was equal parts annoying and entertaining.
“I’m sorry, Casey,” I said, noting how irritated she was.
“This is your fault,” she said to Erik. “If you hadn’t been so determined to pass the education bill before coming home, he would’ve had time to do whatever he needs to do to vet people. Now I’m the one in labor, not either of you, and he sent away someone I’m comfortable with.”
“I’m sorry, love.” He blew out a breath before glancing at me. “Give us a minute, please?”
“Absolutely.”
I walked out into the hallway and leaned against the wall. That hadn’t gone the way I’d wanted it to. The last thing I ever wanted to do was upset
Casey or put her and Erik at odds. It was an interesting dynamic because, in a sense, I’d had Casey all to myself for eleven years. Not inappropriately, of course, and she’d even been married to two other men in that time, but I hadn’t had to check with either of them when it came to her safety. She and I had dealt with each other directly, and she trusted my judgment. Now that Erik was back in the picture—and I was extremely glad to have him back in both of our lives—it was different.
“Everything okay?” Chains asked me. “Lennox blew out of here like a typhoon. What’d you do to piss her off?”
“I haven’t vetted her,” was all I said. I didn’t understand why I had to keep explaining myself. I was the fucking head of security and my job was to protect everyone. Fuck me for trying to keep them safe.
“Lennox is Joe’s number two,” Chains said, frowning at me. “She’s been with him about five years.”
“How come I’ve never met or heard of her until recently then?” I challenged.
“Joe has handpicked her assignments.” Chains paused. “And she stays under the radar.” He gave me a look. “Is it because she’s a woman?”
I bristled. “Of course not.”
Shit, who was I kidding? It was partly because she was a woman and that made me a little ashamed. I wasn’t that kind of man. Was I?
“Then what?” Chains wasn’t going to let this go.
“I don’t know her, and with two attempts on Erik’s life in six months, a new face makes me suspicious. I’d be suspicious if she was a man too.”
“Fair enough. Talk to Joe. He’ll straighten it out.”
“Yeah, okay.” I turned and walked back into the room. We had a triple line of protection at the hospital. Security posted outside the entrances and in the two stairwells, Chains outside the door, and if, god forbid, someone got past all of them, they’d have to take out both me and Erik, because he was always armed as well. Hopefully, it would never come to that.
