Page 14

CHAPTER 14

AMELIA

If someone were to ask me what I thought my life would be like married to Tristan, everything before five minutes ago would be the answer. My hope was that we’d live a great life, one full of love, happiness, and contentment. We were well on our way to that, and I believed, perhaps foolishly, that our love was destined to be grand and fairytale-esque.

Now? The floor beneath me has literally been shaken, and with it, my belief in everything. In the snap of a finger or the blink of an eye, life has changed. I never fully believed that was possible when others said it, but today, I’ve realized exactly what it means.

I’m holding on tightly to Tristan’s hand. He’s my anchor in the middle of this storm. My voice breaks as I ask, “What are we going to do?”

He reaches out, grabbing my chin with his fingers, and yanks it down so that our eyes meet. His voice is firm and leaves no room for argument. “We’re going to survive. Whatever Parker tells us to do, we’re going to follow him. He’s going to get us out of this and make sure we’re safe.”

Swallowing roughly, I nod. My heart is pounding against my chest, my hands are shaking. I entwine my fingers with his, using that strength to turn to Parker and speak as clearly to him as I can. “Okay, Parker, tell us what to do.”

He glances around the room, seeming to take in who all he has here and what he’s working with. There’s not much, but I’m willing to fight for my life as hard as I’m going to fight for Tristan.

His eyes stop on Shannon, and I watch as they have a conversation without words. Although he reaches forward, he doesn’t actually touch her. I can’t imagine being the two of them, not able to spend a few moments together in the middle of all of this destruction. He firms himself up and turns to us. “You all listen to me and listen now. I don’t know what’s down that hallway. There’s no way to know what we’re facing. Reinforcements have been called, but I can’t be sure when they will get here. My main concern is making sure we get to the basement.”

“Where the bunker is?” Tristan squeezes my fingers, giving me hope that we’re going to get there safely.

“Exactly. The other members of Parliament should’ve proceeded in that direction, and once we’ve got everyone safe, we’ll be able to discuss our next steps. There is a plan in place for a situation like this. We’re going to follow protocol, and you’re all going to get there with no problem.”

He seems to speak his wishes into existence.

The tension in the room is thick. All of us know we’re facing the unknown.

There’s no way to know what’s waiting on us outside this door. Absolutely no way of knowing if they’ve not only just bombed us but also infiltrated the castle. It’s like we’re in the scariest of haunted houses, and we’re all waiting on a jump scare.

My heart breaks for Tristan and me. After starting our marriage with what appeared to be a fairytale, this has thrown a wrench in it all. Regardless of what I’d assumed and the history that encompasses this position, I’d been lured into a sense of false security. It had felt like no one would touch us, and we’d live a charmed life.

Now I can see how wrong that was. How na?ve I was to think nothing could touch us. Just because we were the heads of a country didn’t mean that we were untouchable. In actuality, it meant that we were a target, and I never even realized it. Parker is speaking again, and I force myself to listen intently, not wanting to be the person who fucks this up.

His voice is firm and doesn’t have any room for anyone to question his words. “We’re staying together, keeping low, and you’re going to follow me as we travel through this hall. Tristan, I want your hand on my shoulder at all times. Shannon…” His eyes float over to hers, and the fear in them is palpable. “I need you to bring up the rear.”

Her throat moves up and down as she swallows. “The priority is the monarchy. They’ll be safe with me.” She pulls a gun from a waistband that I’ve never seen before and pulls the slide back. “I got one in the chamber, and knowing how to shoot was in the job description. They’re not getting past me, Park.”

What in the fuck is happening here? How did I never know that my assistant was strapped and knew how to do some of the things that Parker does?

She motions with the gun. “Your hand on Tristan’s shoulder the entire time. Tristan, her hand comes off, you yell.”

I turn to her, the fear in my voice as I speak. “What about you? If your hand comes off my shoulder?” She’s become my best friend. I don’t want to think about what will happen to me if she’s not here any longer. I want someone to reassure me we won’t leave her behind.

Her eyes meet mine. They’re shining brightly with unshed tears, but her tone and face are strong, and they say do not question what she’s saying. “Then you go, and you don’t look back. Listen to me. You don’t worry about what happens to me. The priority is you and Tristan. I knew that when I signed on to do this job, Amelia. You’re my friend, and I’ll protect you to the very end.”

I hate this. Shannon has been my friend, and she just referred to me as hers. We’ve laughed and cried. She’s heard my secrets, and I’ve listened to hers. This isn’t supposed to be happening, and I want to shout at God. Question why we’re having to deal with this now. We’ve never hurt anyone, that I’m aware of.

On the verge of a breakdown, tears pool in my eyes, and I have to firm up my lips to keep them from falling. Now isn’t the time to have emotions. It will only slow us down. Reaching out, I grasp her fingers in mine and squeeze, hoping that the small gesture conveys my fear, support, and thankfulness. She’s putting her life on the line and doesn’t seem to be thinking twice about it.

“Okay, everyone. Let’s head out,” Parker says. “I’ll be using hand gestures. If you don’t know what they are, use your context clues. I hate to be an asshole, but we don’t have time. There’s no way we can stop and answer questions. The priority is getting to the bunker and making sure everyone is safe.”

My heart pounds as he opens the door, and we ease out. We no longer have the coverage of the room we’re in. Out in the open, anyone can do anything, and that’s got me terrified. We might as well have a target on our backs, but then again, we already do.

I’ve never been so tense or scared in my life. My shoulders shake as I stay hunched over between them. What’s going to happen if I move the wrong way and we get caught? If us getting hurt is my fault, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself. In all the time I was coached to be the wife of a king, this was never talked about, and I’m wholly unprepared for all of this.

All I want to do is close my eyes and transport to the basement, to the safety I know is awaiting us. I don’t want to have this uncertainty gnawing at my gut. This fear making my hands shake and legs feel as if they don’t want to move me down the hallway. It takes a monumental effort for me to advance.

“C’mon, Amelia, you can do this,” I whisper to myself. I’ve never been so terrified in my life

“You can,” Shannon says softly. “I’m behind you, and I will make sure we get you to that basement, Amelia. Let’s go. Close your eyes if you have to. I’ll direct you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Besides Parker, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

I give in to her advice, closing my eyes and trusting that the three people around me will get me to where I need to go. In the darkness, Tristan’s hand finds mine again, and he squeezes, giving me the strength I can’t seem to muster for myself.

It feels like an entire day as we slowly make our way down the hallway. When we come to a stop, I open my eyes. Parker looks back to us. “We have to cross the corridor. I’ll be covering you all. Shannon is going to go first.”

My heart is in my throat as I watch her scramble across the wide-open space. Once she gets to the other side, I feel as if I can breathe again.

“Okay, you two go together.” Parker pushes us, not giving us time to second-guess what we’re doing.

Dipping my head, I pray to God we’re going to make it through this. For the first time in my life, I’m not sure we will.