Ethan stood and pulled Marcello up, too, then gave him a hug and got one in return. Ethan held on maybe a little bit longer than normal, but Marcello didn’t seem to mind. Maybe he sensed that his little brother needed some comfort because the woman he loved was unconscious in a bed down the hall. Maybe Marcello sensed that his little brother missed his family more than he realized, and despite the fact they were sometimes annoying assholes, he still loved them a fuck of a lot. Or maybe they hugged each other for the first time as true equals.
He pulled back and they gave each other a kiss on each cheek, then Marcello left. Ethan made his way down the hall and spent a few more minutes sitting with Anda before he went into the bathroom and took the longest shower of his life.
When Anda woke, they’d see where things were. Until then, he’d take care of her, and stay by her side.
* * *
ANDA
Three Days Later…
Vallerian Royal Palace, Royal Wing
Apartments of Prince Ethan
Once again, Anda regained consciousness in a room she did not recognize, though this one was decidedly different than the last one.
She was under some sumptuous covers, soft and silky and plush, though her body was slightly upright, propped up by several pillows so she was reclining. She felt clean, as if she’d had a shower or a long, luxurious bath, though she couldn’t recall having either.
The biggest thing she sensed, however, was that someone was in that darkened room with her, the only light casting shadows on someone—a man—in a chair nearby.
She immediately went tense and started easing up when the voice called out.
“Easy. Just keep lying down for now, all right? You’re still pretty injured.”
Ethan.
She wasn’t sure if she was happy or relieved or upset he was here.
She slunk back under the covers—they really did feel nice—and decided she might as well settle in. “Where am I?”
“My apartments at the palace. The threat has been neutralized, so it was safe for us to come back here.”
All of that must have happened very quickly. “When did that happen? What time is it?”
“It’s about eleven in the morning. You’ve been in and out of consciousness for three days.”
Three days! She scrambled up to sitting again.
Ethan flipped on a light beside the bed, sending the room into a soft glow. “Please take it easy. You’re still weak. You weren’t able to eat anything while you were out, so I’ve been hooking you up with IVs, but you still need a good meal once you’re up for it.”
She looked down at her arm, surprised to find a spot in the crook of her elbow where an IV could easily be inserted.
While she’d been looking, he’d made his way over to the bed sat down. He started taking her pulse, and looking her over, his face even and not giving anything away. Was he just in ‘doctor mode’ or was something else going on?
There was a lot to process about everything that had happened in the last few days—which still felt like just the past twenty-four hours to her. Bombs, terrorists, kidnapping, injuries, and more. He’d had a few days to think about everything, but she’d lost three days thinking about nothing.
Now that her brain was catching up, she wondered if maybe he’d changed his mind again. In the heat of high-adrenaline moments like they’d had in the ballroom or the bunker, someone could say a lot of things they didn’t necessarily mean when the rush faded.
“Stop thinking so much.”
She frowned. “What do you mean, don’t think too much? I’m allowed to think however much I want.”
He inhaled deeply, then let it out, his body relaxing as it did. He put a hand to his forehead, then shifted it to drag his fingers through his hair, and he let out another breath.
She leaned forward and put a hand on his shoulder. “What is it? What happened while I was out? Is it your family?”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. Then he held her palm against his cheek and took another deep breath. As he let it out, the air whispered against her skin.
