Chapter 11

ELEVEN

Cooper

Living at the palace is interesting. That’s the only word I can come up with for it. I haven’t done much, and I’ve only been out of bed two days, but it’s a weird combination of intense and casual. The Royal Protectors are hardcore. I have mad respect for their process and now Natalia’s training—and the very specific skills Sandor asked me to work on with her—makes a lot more sense. It’s not about turning her into a marine or even a soldier. It’s about safety and stamina and both physical and emotional fortitude. She’s working on both, but I saw glimpses of her courage and strength in Iraq.

Here, I see much more.

She’s a total badass, despite the issues she’s been working through. She’s up early and goes all day, non-stop. From working out to security briefings to their actual duty assignments, it’s a long-ass day. Much longer than most of my shifts, other than in Iraq.

They do take time for fun, though.

There’s always someone tossing a basketball or soccer ball, playing pool, or flirting with one of the maids.

And there is a lot of staff working here.

From maids and cooks to teachers and guards.

From the Royal Protectors to the royal family to live-in assistants and all their children.

I don’t know how anyone keeps up with the kids.

I’ve enjoyed wandering around and taking in the beauty and elegance of the palace too. Joe explained that a lot of the original decor and furnishings have been replaced with replicas because of the many attacks on the palace, as well as the greed of the king before Erik. There are still some fantastic tapestries dating back to the 1300s as well as a stained-glass window that takes my breath away.

I don’t miss the irony of me wandering around like a tourist while everyone around me is working their asses off, but I need this time to recover. My brain hates admitting that, but my body has been very clear that there are going to be some limitations on what I can and cannot do.

And nothing is more poignant than the fact that I haven’t yet been able to make love to Natalia.

I want to, but not only has she kept her distance in that regard, I’m not sure I have the stamina right now. I could lie back and let her do all the work, but it feels like we need to re-establish our connection before we do anything like that. She works hard and the Protectors are short-staffed, so we don’t spend much time together. I got up with her this morning and hung out while she worked out. Then we had breakfast, and she was off and running.

Leaving me bored out of my mind.

All this rest is great for my body, but my brain isn’t on board at all.

So I go in search of Joe.

I was told he spends most of the day in the security office, and that’s where I find him.

“Hey, Coop. What’s up?” He looks up with a friendly smile.

“Going stir crazy,” I admit. “But I’m not up to working out or anything.”

He nods. “Totally understandable. Not sure I can help with that, but you’re welcome to hang out while I do gate surveillance.”

“Gate surveillance?”

“We don’t get tourists in hoards, like Paris or Athens, but we get enough. And they inevitably wander by the palace to take pictures. So I keep an eye on them, looking for anything suspicious. A backpack left behind. A few weeks ago, a stroller rolled away while the parents tried to take a selfie. There’s always something to look out for.”

I sink down next to him and study the many monitors lining the wall; twenty-four of them, three rows of eight, and then a regular computer monitor in front of Joe, with another that isn’t on in front of me.

“That’s a lot of footage to monitor,” I say, watching a group of what looks like teenage girls approach one of the two guards at the main gate. “Uh oh, that looks like trouble.”

He chuckles. “Teenage girls are a menace sometimes, but usually not of the terrorism kind.”

Sure enough, a cute blonde starts flirting with the guard, who does his best to ignore her.

“Poor Alec,” Joe says. “The girls love him. He gets this all day whenever we put him out front. I try not to assign it two days in a row because it’s exhausting for him, but he has to learn restraint.”

“Yes, he does.” I watch for another minute as the girls take some selfies, attempt to talk to him again, and then wander off.

That looks tedious as hell.

“So, what’s next for you?” Joe asks. “Nice cushy assignment in Hawaii?”

“Looks that way, I guess.” I say it without enthusiasm because cushy has never been my thing.

“You’d rather be back in action?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I’ve been trying to decide what’s next. Two years in Hawaii where I can regroup or leave the marines and head to the NSA. Or maybe even the private sector.”

“Money’s better,” he says. “That’s why I did it.”

“But you left your own security firm to come here,” I say. “How come?”

He shrugs, a thoughtful look on his face. “I don’t know how to explain it, but once you get a feel for what Erik is doing, and how much of himself he gives to make life for his people better, you want to be part of it. And don’t get it twisted—he pays us very, very well.”

Natalia and I hadn’t talked much about money, beyond the fact that she originally joined the military because it was the only way to help her family—who live up north somewhere rural—survive.

“I have a little time to assess my options,” I say. “And I’d like Natalia to weigh in as well. We just haven’t had any time. To talk or anything else.”

He nods. “That’s her life, you know. If you’re going to be with her, this is what it is right now.”

“Is that sustainable?” I ask. “I mean, how long can everyone work nonstop with the constant fear of attack and no time to decompress?”

“I don’t know. We’re working on it. But like I said—once you see what Erik is trying to do, and you understand the depth of his sacrifice, it feels like a small thing for the rest of us to protect him and his family. It’s not the same as in the military.”

His phone rings and I leave him to it, wandering back to Natalia’s room.

I’ve never had that kind of commitment to something.

Yes, I’m committed to the military and my country. That’s a given. But it’s not personal . There is no one specific person I’m protecting. It’s more about the American way of life, democracy, that kind of thing. I don’t personally protect the president or his family. I don’t usually protect any individuals. So it’s a new concept for me.

I open my computer and answer a few emails, avoiding the one from my commanding officer asking if I have a timetable to return to duty yet. The doctor here at the palace is in contact with a doctor in the States, and I’m weeks, potentially a couple of months, from being able to return to any semblance of normal physical activity.

And that’s both good and bad.

I’m happy to be able to spend time with Natalia because going home to my mom’s, or to my sad little apartment, sounds like a different kind of torture.

Except I barely get to see Natalia, so I’m bored out of my mind.

“Hey.” Natalia comes in at a quarter after seven and gives me a tired smile. “How was your day?”

“Oh, you know. Napping and playing on the computer is hard work.”

“Are you bored? You must be feeling better.”

“Definitely better than before.”

“I’m glad.” She comes over and sits beside me. “Do you feel like having dinner with the others or would you rather it just be us? We can have something delivered to the room or we can go down to what we call the dining room. It’s really a conference room that was transformed to an area where groups of us can eat, so anyone who doesn’t feel like eating alone usually heads up there.”

“You and I wouldn’t be alone, and frankly, I’d like to spend some alone time together.”

“All right. I’m going to change and then we can figure out what to eat.” She digs some sweats out of her closet and starts undressing.

Fuck.

She’s still beautiful.

Sexy.

And my cock seems to agree, as he starts to take notice.

She puts on some kind of sports bra thing, a T-shirt, and then a pair of lightweight sweats.

“I hope the bra isn’t on my account,” I say drolly.

She glances over her shoulder. “No, it’s regulation.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“With the amount of attacks we’ve had, we’ve been told to sleep in the least amount of clothing you could wear to be comfortable but still make it easier to get dressed in the event something happens in the middle of the night. This is my least restrictive sports bra, a T-shirt that’s two sizes too big, and comfy sweats. I take them off when I sleep, but I’ll keep the bra, panties, and T-shirt on.”

“Jesus.” I run a hand through my hair. “It’s really twenty-four-seven, huh?”

“It is.” She types something into her phone. “Okay, tonight the cook has Hungarian-style goulash with fresh bread, vegetable lasagna, and she can always grill a burger or boil some pasta. Otherwise, there are sandwiches, salads, and she keeps chicken soup on hand.”

“Goulash and fresh bread sound good.”

“Great. I’ll order two.” She types on her phone, and I watch in fascination.

“So…you have the equivalent of room service here?” I ask.

She chuckles. “With a limited menu, yes. Cook makes two options every night, like goulash and lasagna, and then the staples. If you really want pizza, she has them frozen and can throw one in for you. Sandwiches, salads, and soup are always available. If you go down and flirt with her, she’ll probably make you anything you want. And she’s sixty-three and married, so flirting is both tolerated and expected.”

I chuckle. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She stretches out on the bed and lets out a long sigh.

“Tired?”

“Not really, but I spent three hours playing trains with Levi this afternoon so I’m a little stiff.”

“I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

She grins. “Playing with Levi is fun. I have to keep eyes on him at all times, except when he’s napping or at preschool, so playing with him makes it that much easier. Casey obviously knows what to do in an emergency so my focus is making sure Levi is ready to be transported through one of the tunnels at a moment’s notice.”

“Tunnels. Sleeping half-dressed. Jesus, babe.” I walk over and lie beside her. “Is this the life you want? Like, are you happy here?”

“I am,” she says quietly. “But even if I wasn’t, the alternative for me would be much, much worse. Up where I’m from, there are no jobs. I would be married or working doing some type of menial labor. I joined the military both to be able to send money home and because they would pay for college. I never dreamed I’d become a Royal Protector, but I love being part of them. Even though it’s really difficult at the moment.”

“Joe said it’s a lifetime commitment.” There’s no question because the answer is obvious.

“It is.” She turns her head to meet my gaze. “And for me, it would be regardless of any contracts we sign or the oath we take because my parents literally could not survive without the money I send, especially in winter. My father only has seasonal work, and his mother relies on him. She’s old and stubborn, she would never leave her home, so I couldn’t even bring them here if I wanted to. Not until she passes anyway.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

“Sometimes. But leaving the Protectors isn’t really an option for me. There would have to be extremely extenuating circumstances. We initially sign a five-year contract, assuring the royal family that we’re serious, and then once we take the oath, it’s for life.”

“That sounds…daunting.”

“It is. So, that’s something you’ll have to live with if we decide this thing between us is more than just sex.”