“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, and I sunk 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 week or so, 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.”
Sandor smiled and for the first time I noticed his bright blue eyes and the kindness that lurked behind them.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I said politely. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know if I’m supposed to curtsey, Your Highness…”
Sandor shook his head, smiling. “Please. No. Just Sandor. I only use my title when absolutely necessary. Tell me more about these warrior assholes.”
Though our prince spoke Limaji, he was probably speaking English for Xander’s behalf, and I told them what I could. “It’s been escalating, and after a rough winter, profits are down. We’ve had less and less to give them and last week they said we had a week to get them a thousand Euros. We simply don’t have it. We barely have enough to eat as it is…”