“Stop!” Emberly screamed. “Max is my husband!”
The words rang out in the silence of the frigid winter wonderland. Only steps away from the helicopter, Kade froze.
Tyler grew motionless as well.
Emberly used the moment to latch onto Max. Thankfully, Tyler loosened his grip at the same time that Max tugged himself loose and stumbled backward toward her. She reached for him, as if somehow that would rescue him from her brother’s wrath.
But Max doubted anything would save him from Tyler murdering him, not even Winzig, who was navigating through the snow as fast as he could, his expression lethal.
Emberly pressed at Max, pushing him onto the seat they’d just vacated. Max wanted to resist, wanted to defend himself, but he literally could not stand in the helicopter. Besides, ratherthan have another physical altercation with Tyler, Max knew he needed to seek a peaceful resolution.
Emberly plopped back down on his lap, giving them no other choice but to work out the situation more graciously. She lifted her chin and glared at Tyler. “Max and I got married here at the cabin.”
Tyler stared silently for another moment before narrowing his eyes. “Common law marriage might still be legal in Colorado, but it won’t work in our family.”
She shook her head. “It’s not common law—”
“And self-solemnization without an officiant is not okay in our family either.”
“That’s not what we did.”
Max was not familiar with Colorado laws regarding marriage, but apparently a couple could get legally married without a ceremony or officiants. If so, then their marriage would be acceptable in the state as well as his country.
Before Emberly could say more, Max spoke up. “We were married by my personal assistant, Braun, who is a licensed registrar in Karltenberg. He performed the ceremony, and it was witnessed by my protection agent.”
At that moment, Winzig finally made it to Tyler, wrapped an arm around his neck, and put him in a headlock. Kade started to climb onto Winzig’s back, but the protection agent swung around in a fluid move and flipped Kade over, never once relinquishing his tight grip on Tyler.
For a moment no one moved, probably too surprised by Winzig’s power.
Kade lay sprawled out in the snow, staring straight up at the sky. He finally cracked a smile. “That was some move.”
Max expelled a breath. “I do apologize. I should have warned you not to touch me or Winzig.”
Kade sat up. “Should have known that, as a prince, you’d have a really good protection agent.”
A prince?
It was Max’s turn to freeze. How did Kade know he was a prince?
Tyler was watching him now too, with knowing eyes. Did they all realize he was a prince? If so, how had they discovered it?
Max nodded at Winzig, giving him permission to release Tyler.
Winzig let go of Tyler and pushed him away from the helicopter door.
Tyler straightened and stretched his neck. “When you didn’t return to your country on schedule, your father got worried and contacted us.”
“Of course.” Max had been so enamored with Emberly that he hadn’t taken into account that his father and family would be wondering what had become of him.
“Your disappearance has become international news,” Kade added, standing and brushing the snow from his snowsuit.
Max should have realized the tumult his disappearance would cause.
Even though he would have preferred to be the one to confess his royalty to Emberly’s family, at least now they knew. He could only pray they would accept that he loved Emberly and intended to be the best husband to her that any man could be.
21
Emberly—still on Max’s lap—reached for his hand as the helicopter began its descent. Tyler’s attack had brought them both back to the reality that their marriage would be controversial and they would likely have more conflict ahead—hopefully no more physical altercations though.
