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“I thought you’d never ask.” William grinned, an evil, sadistic smile that made cold chills cover Malik’s body. “Major Prescott is going to fly you back to the castle. Two of my most trusted men will accompany you and wait in the helicopter with the major. Prime Minister Shule is on his way to the castle for an emergency meeting with the king and the crown prince.” His smile got even creepier, if that were possible.
Malik felt like he’d eaten rotten meat and then jumped in the cold plunge pool at the castle’s spa. His stomach revolted and his entire body trembled, which made William look even more pleased.
“Do you know what the meeting is about?” William asked, toying with him.
“I imagine they’ll be busy discussing what a sadistic loser you are.” Malik probably shouldn’t have, but William had asked.
William lifted his hand, and the closet guard slammed the butt of his gun into the side of Malik’s head. Malik hit the wood floor. His head exploded in pain, but he was most concerned about Sophie screaming for him.
He struggled back to his feet, black spots marring his vision. He swayed and had to spread his feet wide to stay upright, but he refused to stay on the ground and give this coward any pleasure.
“Oh, Malik,” Sophie whimpered.
“It’s all right, Soph.” He gave her what he hoped was a smoldering look, but he was decidedly out of sorts. “That hit was pathetic. I only crumpled to the ground to show you I’d fall at your feet any day.”
She blinked at him and gave him a ghost of a smile.
He tried to give her a reassuring smile in return. He met Chad’s gaze and his friend’s green eyes revealed his own frustration and anger, but also a respect for Malik he hadn’t always seen there.
Footsteps came down the stairs and through the foyer. Sophie’s eyes widened in fear.
“What is—” Sophie’s dad, Hans, broke off and tried to dart to his daughter. The men pointing guns at him stopped him in his tracks.
“Go back upstairs, Mr. Pederson,” William said smoothly. “Watch over your wife and granddaughter.”
Hans didn’t move. He looked from Sophie to Malik.
“Go now, or we will kill your daughter.”
“Go,” Malik urged. “We’ll protect Sophie.” He didn’t reveal that to keep her safe he had to kill his own father and brother. His stomach turned over again and again. He’d never do it, but even the thought had him nauseated.
“I’ll be okay,” Sophie said, but her voice quavered. “Please … take care of Sunny and Mum.”
Hans looked as torn as Malik felt and like he wasn’t going to listen to any of them. He wasn’t a large man, but Malik knew he would fight to his own death to protect Sophie. Malik could only imagine what his own father would do to protect his children. And Malik was pretending to agree to kill his own father? The man who had always been there for him, even when others questioned Malik’s various degrees and flitting from date to date?
At a flick of the hand from William and a command of, “Escort him upstairs and secure any phones or devices,” two of the guards stormed to Hans. They transferred their guns to their off hands, sandwiched him, and dragged him out of the room.
“Sophie!” Hans hollered, struggling against the two much larger and stronger men. The call from father to daughter was heart-wrenching. If Malik hadn’t been such a mess himself thinking about William’s sick request for him to kill his own father and brother, he would’ve probably cried watching Hans be hauled off.
Sophie didn’t say anything, but the tears tracing down her pretty face said more than enough. The room filled with uneasy silence as their footsteps faded.
“We are wasting time,” William said crisply. “The reason the prime minister has called an audience with the king and the crown prince at such an unearthly hour is to reveal who in fact killed the queen mother.” He paused for effect, and Malik’s heart threatened to pound out of his chest.
“You did,” William finished, inclining his head to Malik.
“Pardon me?” Malik was genuinely confused. How did framing him for his own mum’s death help William? He knew William wanted the crown for himself, his wife, and his son, but this entire conspiracy appeared to be a sadistic game. Malik wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was William who had killed his mum. He had his hand in every other devious plot.
“Yes; it’s brilliant. Your father, brother, and Henry will be discussing the information Henry recently discovered about you trying to drown yourself in the lake because you were so distraught that the love of your life cheated on you with another man and all your philandering ways were empty and meaningless. Your mum of course tried to stop you. She ended up falling in the icy water, and you couldn’t save her.” He inhaled. “So tragic, but your father wouldn’t allow you to be punished for it, so you’ve punished yourself. Doesn’t this sad tale explain why you’re the only prince who has accomplished nothing with his life?”
Malik held William’s gaze. He wouldn’t let the man bait him. He had two undergraduate degrees and three masters completed. He’d protected and championed women throughout Europe. When this nightmare was over, he would somehow prove he was worthy of Sophie and Sunny—if Sophie didn’t choose Chad. His mum and his dad would never disparage him, and they wouldn’t want him cowering to William.
When nobody responded, William continued, “You will walk into tonight’s meeting unexpectedly with this small bag.” He lifted a black satchel. “It’s wired to explode at two-thirteen a.m.”
Malik’s gut clenched. At least he wouldn’t try to force him to shoot his dad, T, and Henry in cold blood, probably because he realized Malik could never follow through with that. A bomb made more sense and could kill all three at once.
Except Malik could not allow any of them to die.
How on earth could he save his dad, T, and Henry, and somehow convince William he had accomplished the task so he could keep Sophie and Sunny and everyone here safe as well? He had to keep reminding himself that he couldn’t rely on earth. He had to focus on heaven above.
