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I don’t like it either, but I can’t quite bring myself to believe that Kiernan would intentionally put Alex and me in danger. Kiernan may not have been Alex’s father, but it hasn’t stopped him from having a close relationship with my son. He has always been more like the “favorite uncle,” joking and messing around with Alex, forming their own unique bond.
Ethan’s voice snaps me from my thoughts and brings me back into the moment. “What did you find out about Jovian and Simon?”
This time, it’s Jessie who answers. “Not a whole lot from the town folk. According to Richie…”
“Who’s Richie?” Ethan asks, interrupting her.
“Richie’s the bartender at Staghouse. He told me those two guys had been coming in for the past few days, staying a couple of hours, and then leaving. He thought they might have been looking or waiting for someone, but he wasn’t positive about that. He said that they’ve kept to themselves, ordered food, and paid their bill. He didn’t pay them much mind as long as they weren’t being rude or disrespectful.”
Ethan asks, “Why would they need to scope out a local restaurant fifteen minutes down the road from the farm when they’ve been on the property and know that Ariella and Alex are there? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Jerry chimes in, typing away on the laptop. “I can answer that for you. It’s because they aren’t the same guys we have on video from last week. When I uploaded the feeds from Savannah and Jessie’s body cams, the computer calculated body mass ratios using data markers from 40 different spots on their body. The two men in the bar are not the same two men that trespassed.”
Patrick grumbles, “Ari explained that the royal guard squads are made of two four-man teams. It would make sense if there were at least four individuals. Maybe they didn’t get a clear visual of Ari when she was outside, and that’s why they are scouring the town. Jessie is going back into town tomorrow with my mom under the guise of a grocery run. She’ll keep her eyes open and an ear to the ground.”
“And the camera’s rolling,” Jerry adds.
Ethan clears his throat. “Have any of you considered that we’re dealing with more than one player here? If they were working together, they wouldn’t need to scout dive bars after identifying your location.”
Savannah, who has remained relatively silent thus far, asks a question that should have been asked as soon as our location had been discovered. “Do you think that we should move to a different safehouse since this one has been compromised?”
I look around the room, trying to read everyone’s expression. No one seems thrilled by the prospect of packing up, even if it’s the safest option. But it’s Ethan who speaks up first.
“Patrick, as the team lead, the choice is ultimately yours. I’ll stand by whatever decision you make.”
“If I thought there was anywhere we could go that would be safer than here and that we could get there undetected, I would do it in a heartbeat. If they were able to track us this easily, I seriously doubt that there’s any place we could hide. I may be the lead, but we are a team. If any of you have a different opinion, now is the time to share.”
No one says anything except for Donovan, “Son, you know these woods better than anyone and have the tactical advantage. That’s not something you should discount. Charlie and I might not be spring chickens, but we can hold our own and help if it boils down to a fight.”
Jessie laughs loudly. “He’s not kidding, Patrick. Your dad and I did a little sparring yesterday, and I couldn’t take him down near as easily as I could you. He made me work for it.”
Jerry raises his hand, “I vote we stay. We don’t have the resources to move quickly unless we leave almost everything behind. It would take me at least a full day to remove all of the equipment and pack it up for transport.”
Savannah calls for a vote. “All those in favor of staying, raise your hands.” It’s a unanimous decision that I’m not entirely sure I agree with. When Ethan accepts the final verdict that we’ll be staying, he hangs up, and everyone heads off in a different direction to get things settled.
Patrick notices my apprehension and pulls me aside to a private corner of the living room. “I can see something is bothering you. Please talk to me, Ari, and tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours.” His thumb traces my lower lip, and I find it very difficult to concentrate.
Eventually, the words come to me, and I tell him the truth. “I’m scared, Patrick. Can’t the three of us run away to some tropical island together and live out our days wearing grass skirts and coconuts?”
He laughs lightly, even though I mean every word. “If I thought that would keep you both safe, I’d do it, Ari. But a life on the run isn’t any place for a child, especially for a prince and princess. No, we need to make a stand here—together.”
“Like at the Alamo?” I ask. As he starts nodding, I remind him of one crucial fact. “You do recall that nearly everyone perished in that battle, right?”
“Ari, it’s not going to come down to that. I promise.”
“There is no way you can know that for sure, Patrick.”
“I can, and I do. It’s called faith. When I suggested to Ethan that we come here to hide out, it wasn’t just because it’s my parents’ place. It felt right. It was like we were supposed to be here. I thought of other locations, but none of them left me with the same sense of peace as this ranch. Do you trust me to do everything I can to protect you both and keep you safe?”
I look him straight in the eyes so that he can see my sincerity. “Yes, I trust you, not only with my heart but also with our lives.”
Chapter fifteen
Patrick
At her admission, my lips find hers, and I want to unleash all the pent-up desire a husband has for his wife after years of separation. My hand tangles in her long, black hair as I tilt her head to deepen the kiss, caging her in the corner. But the timing still isn’t right, and the living room certainly isn’t the place, as evidenced by the soft voice asking an innocent question that I don’t know how to properly answer.
“Is Mommy going to sleep in your bed tonight?” Alex asks sleepily. He’s wearing his Superman pajamas, and my mom is behind him, trying not to laugh at us. Thankfully, the kiss we were caught engaging in is rated PG.
