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He chuckled. “I didn’t upset anyone. But as I said, I’ve only been with the Bureau for two years, so I get some of the jobs most agents don’t want, babysitting included.” He winked at me for good measure.
“I’m not sure whether or not to be offended,” I joked.
“Don’t be. This has been my best assignment so far, not that I’ve had many.” His voice lowered to the sexy, husky one that made my body hum, “Ari, spending time with you hasn’t been any work at all. I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”
I thought he would kiss me after that, but he didn’t. Sigh.
It wasn’t until my father finally finished his meetings and offered to fly us all down to the Bahamas for three days that I got my first kiss from Patrick. Although the Bahamas isn’t considered a US territory, the FBI agreed that at least Roger and Patrick should accompany us since our business in the States had not yet been concluded. Roger stayed with my father most of the time while Patrick continued spending his time with me.
It was our last day on the island when a terrible, sinking feeling washed over me. I couldn’t explain it, but it felt like I needed to make every minute with Patrick count, knowing it could be our last. I asked my father for one day without my bodyguards since Patrick was more than capable of watching out for me. Reluctantly, my father agreed, sensing I needed this one moment of freedom before being bogged down with the level of responsibility that awaited me back home.
Not giving him a chance to change his mind, Patrick and I took off and rented a Jeep so we could tour the island. We spent every waking second together until we eventually fell asleep in each other’s arms, only to be woken up by Roger banging on Patrick’s door.
At the loud and intrusive sound, Patrick jumped up and grabbed his weapon, securing the area before dealing with the disturbance.
“It’s Roger. Open up! The princess is missing!”
Patrick opened the door, looking mildly embarrassed by the situation in which we found ourselves. “She’s not missing, Roger. She’s with me,” Patrick informed him.
Roger ran a hand through his hair in both frustration and relief. “Her father is frantic and has been looking everywhere for her. They needed to board their jet and leave five minutes ago. The palace in Cothena has been bombed.”
Those words were the last thing I remembered hearing before I was on our plane and traveling home, not the “I love you” that slipped from Patrick’s lips. The last thing I remember seeing was Patrick’s saddened face when he realized the same thing I did. This was goodbye.
My mother was wrong about one thing. Love at first sight does exist, and not just in fairytales and romcoms. Patrick Kent is proof of that. When I returned home to a country embroiled in chaos, it was devoid of my heart and soul. I left them both behind with the only man I have ever loved.
Chapter one
Patrick
When I graduated college more than a decade ago, it was with the full intent of getting my commission and spending the next four years in the military as an intelligence officer. I majored in computer science and communications, where my goal was to eventually work for the Department of Defense in their cybersecurity department. I imagined myself being locked away in a dark room, monitoring and intercepting signals and communications that could be used to provide assets in the field with the intelligence they needed to accomplish their missions. Being one of those assets was never on my bucket list.
My aptitude scores and grades in college garnered the attention of the FBI, and they came knocking on my door with an offer I couldn’t refuse. They would pay off my debt to the military for my education if I worked for them as an Intelligence Analyst. The only stipulation was that before I was officially hired, I had to go through all the same hoops as any other applicant. I was assured that it was just a formality, but that didn’t preclude me from having to attend the 20-week field training course.
They must have liked what they had seen because I was made a special agent who works with a team instead of sitting alone in a vault staring at computer screens. My first few jobs were spent sitting in unmarked white vans and box trucks, passing along intel to the more experienced agents who were undercover and infiltrating criminal organizations. I was happy and content with where I was and what I was doing. I thought I was doing an excellent job of it until my team leader, Roger, assigned me to a job that didn’t amount to anything more than babysitting duty.
“Pat, we have another assignment, and it’s different than what you’re used to,” Roger said.
“If I don’t like it, do I have the option to decline?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course you can! It’s not as if you signed a contract with the FBI or anything,” he retorted sarcastically.
“All you had to say was, ‘No,’” I joked.
He rolled his eyes and then told me more about the assignment. “This is a protection detail. It’s not generally in our realm of responsibility, but this is a personal request from the Director himself. King Trevor Caras of Cothena will arrive next week for the trade summit with his daughter and a contingent of personal bodyguards in tow.”
“If they have their own security, then why are we needed? Or better yet, why isn’t Homeland Security or the Secret Service being assigned to watch over them?”
“Because this is a personal favor to Director Ambrose, and Princess Ariella is his goddaughter. Director Ambrose and King Trevor went to university together in London and have been close friends ever since. There has been a significant increase in pressure from major political powers for Cothena to expand their export operations, not only of their pharmaceuticals but the opium poppy seeds in their unrefined state. One is easier to control and regulate than the other. Until now, King Trevor has refused any trade agreements other than those already established. The director wants to ensure that nothing happens to his friend and goddaughter while they’re here, and he’s afraid that Ariella could be used as leverage to get the king to change his stance on the exportation of the plant.”
I stood there with my arms crossed, taking it all in. “Okay. What is it that you need me to do? Monitor communications? Install surveillance equipment? Maybe create a gaming app for his little girl to play with while Daddy is away at work? Just so you know, I’ve never been good with kids.”
Roger arched an eyebrow at me. “Ariella is 21, Patrick, not 10.”
“Oh. So, no gaming app then?”
Roger ignores my question. “Like I said before, this won’t be the kind of assignment that you’re used to. In fact, it’s the type of assignment most of us dread. But since it’s coming from higher up, we don’t have a choice and need to make the best of it. Two other agents and I will be with King Trevor during his stay. You, however, will be guarding Princess Ariella. As the youngest member of the team, it will be less conspicuous for you to befriend her than for any of us.”
Roger detailed my roles and responsibilities upon their arrival, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. Although it should have felt like an honor since it was a special request and would gain us the favor of the most prominent person in the Bureau, it still felt like we were being relegated to babysitting duty. Nothing could have been further from the truth. When I saw Ariella step down from the private jet a week later, I knew at that moment that I would do anything to keep her safe.
