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“Faith, you need to get changed.”
“I will. I was just hoping to hear what happened first.” She pointed to the television, which was on a local news station talking about the bombing and the wedding, showing pictures of both.
Her phone rang on the dresser. She ran over and picked it up. Chad. She wanted to cheer, but this was a serious call. “Hello?”
“Hey.” Chad sounded drained, not his usual self at all. She’d never heard him speak so informally. “Mum’s all right.”
“Oh, thank heavens,” she breathed. “I’ve been praying.”
“Thank you. I’ve felt that.”
“Chad?” Faith sat up on the bed. “How’s his mom?”
“She’s okay. She’s going to be okay.”
Faith lay back down. “Oh, thank heavens.”
“Are you all right? Are you in a safe location?” Chad asked, the concern evident in his tone.
“Yes.” How like Chad to be concerned for her. “Captain Levi escorted us up to our suite after they checked the castle, and he checked our suite before he left to help the royal family. We’re all locked in.”
He let out a breath. “Thank you. Knowing you’re safe is of utmost importance to me. Ray and Jensen have the castle secured. You’ll be safe tonight. I’m going to stay here and wait for my mum to wake up, but I’ll come for you in the morning.”
“All right. Do they know what happened to her?”
“Her blood sample was full of Alprazolam. It’s a benzodiazepine used for anxiety and depression. It can cause dizziness, confusion, clumsiness, unsteadiness, life-threatening breathing problems, sedation, and coma. Especially given in high concentrations. We think he must’ve put it in her drink.”
“That’s awful. What do they do to help her?”
“It’s called Flumazenil. They gave it to her intravenously to reverse the effects. She’s breathing much better. All of her vitals are strong, but it’ll be a while before she wakes up.”
“Who’s with you?”
“Steffan. He went in the copter with me and monitored my mum while we flew.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? That must’ve been terrifying.”
“It was.” He paused. “Knowing that you’re safe and Mum will be okay is all that matters. But I won’t rest until we find that scum Roger Pitcher. Apparently he and his son Ramone have both disappeared. Fitting.”
“I’m sorry.”
“We’ll find them, and we’ll end this.” He sounded confident and brave, more like himself.
“That was incredible how you knew to grab that present and chuck it like you were G.I. Joe and Peyton Manning combined.” She was gushing.
Faith popped up on the bed and raised an eyebrow, confirming Hope was indeed gushing.
She didn’t care. Chad was a hero, and his kisses had sealed her as his. He kept promising she was the only woman for him, in the most beautiful words and accent known to mankind. Chad wasn’t her dad. Far from it. He was brave and honorable, and Sophie had said he’d be loyal to Hope. She wanted to trust him and turn to him.
“Inspiration from above for sure,” he said, not sounding overconfident like she liked to tease him about at all. “I just knew if Roger had wanted the present near the king, I had to dispose of it and quick. I’m still stunned it was a bomb. Ray has had men combing through the film from the scanner. There are two presents that look the right match. The one we believe it is contained fancy bottles of vinegar and olive oil. The timer and the device that mixed the chemicals in the bottles must’ve been hidden underneath. The scanner didn’t catch it through the distortion of the liquids.”
“Wow.” She didn’t know what else to say.
“You rest, love.” His voice got low, and his accent deepened. “Imagining you in the castle, praying for me, waiting for me … That is exactly the vision I need tonight.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” she admitted, turning away from Faith’s speculative gaze and walking into the bathroom for some privacy.
“Are you in earnest?” His voice was deep and husky. She wished she could see him, touch him, taste him. Her blood ran hotter.
