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She shivered.
“I won’t let them get near you,” Curt whispered fiercely.
She looked up at him. “I believe you.”
Their eyes locked and held. Curt had failed Suzanne. He would not fail Aliya. He couldn’t.
Ray cleared his throat, and they turned to him again. “I also think if these men are half as smart as they must be to have pulled this off, they’ll be smart enough to cut their losses. They’ll use their skills to try another scheme in another location, now that a woman has escaped from them and the mountains are crawling with law enforcement from various countries.”
Curt didn’t want Aliya in any kind of danger, but he wanted these guys caught. If they weren’t, who was to say they wouldn’t go after Aliya when she returned home to America? Men like that didn’t leave loose ends who’d seen their faces. Even if they were masters of disguises, identities, and accents, she could identify them if her memory returned.
“I imagine they have connections with traffickers—Interpol assumes that’s where the other eleven women have disappeared—and those who sell stolen identities. That’s another thing Interpol has found. These women’s identities have been sold to agencies that take advantage of illegal immigrants or criminals wanting a new identity. The men will probably relocate and use their underground connections and skill set somewhere else, but if not…” Ray clenched his fist. “We’ll find them and make sure justice is served.”
Ray’s gaze looked more disturbed than Curt had seen it since they lost Mum. He must’ve seen the bodies, or at least footage of them.
“So we stay here under guard until they’re caught or Aliya is cleared to travel home?” Curt asked. If they had no answers, he didn’t know how he’d let her go unprotected back to Georgia. Those men could walk right in her front door and she wouldn’t even know it was them until it was too late. But that was a worry for another day.
“I’ll have men patrolling the mountains and watching over you as long as you need,” Ray said. “It is also an option for you two to come stay in the castle.”
Aliya glanced at him as if the decision was his. Despite his and Steffan’s initial worries, staying at the castle wasn’t a horrible option. There was a lot more room and with the solarium, spa, gym, and swimming pool, they wouldn’t be so caged in. The only problem was Curt had rarely gone home and hadn’t stayed the night since Mum died. She’d helped him a lot with ideas for the cabin, but it was still his. The castle was all Mum and everywhere he turned, there were too many memories of her.
Plus, if they went to the castle, he wouldn’t have Aliya to himself. Selfish, maybe, but still a factor. He wanted to savor this time; he knew it would be short-lived.
“I’d prefer staying here. If that’s all right with you,” he said to Aliya.
“I like it here,” she said quietly.
Ray was quiet. Curt wondered if he was about to get an earful.
“Aliya, would you excuse us? I need to speak to Curt about something alone. We can go … upstairs to your master suite.” Ray gave Curt a pointed look.
“No, you two stay here and talk. I’m going to head to bed. I didn’t sleep much last night.” She glanced at Curt and heat traced through him, remembering holding her close. He really, really wanted another hug like that one.
“Goodnight,” was all he managed to say.
“See you,” Ray said.
“Bless you both.” She bowed slightly to them, and Curt didn’t like the reminder that he was royalty. Would she distance herself because of that? Would he have to distance himself because of whatever Ray was about to say to him?
She turned and headed up the stairs, disappearing before he could chase her. Not that he should chase her.
He turned to find Ray staring at him. “What?”
“Is it a good idea to leave you two here alone?”
“You think she’d be safer at the castle?”
“Maybe, but I’m not too concerned about those men coming here. They’ve got to realize their gig is up and the last place they’ll want to be is near the scene of the crime, which is still miles from your cabin. They’d have no reason to know she was here. I’m more concerned about you growing far too close with a woman who has a head injury, is in your care, and is obviously besotted with you.”
“Besotted? What century are you in?”
“Forgive me. Taken with, smitten with, in love with … Take your pick.”
“She’s not in love with me,” Curt protested much, much too loudly.
Ray raised his eyebrows and Curt grimaced. Hopefully Aliya hadn’t heard.
“I’m not going to take advantage of the situation,” he told his brother. Was it taking advantage if she was interested in him? It wasn’t as if she had full-blown amnesia. She’d lost the memories of the day of her accident and her mind was blocking the men who’d hurt her, but Aliya definitely knew who she was, and she was brave, sassy, and confident.
