by S. E. Rose
We all stare expectantly at him.
“We have one more joining us,” he says, his voice seems loud and echoes in the silence of the giant two-story room.
There’s a knock on the open door a minute later, and we all look up as our butler, Gerard, stands at the door with King Edvard behind him.
“His Royal Highness, King Edvard, Your Majesty,” he announces as he steps back and allows Uncle Eddie to enter the room.
I know that my mouth is on the floor, but as I look around every face in the room is staring at the door in complete and utter shock.
“Michael,” he says to my father.
“Good to see you, Eddie. I believe you are just in time,” my father says.
Everyone is looking from Dad to Uncle Eddie and back again. I can feel the tension radiating off Logan, and I reach over and grip his hand. Uncle Eddie’s gaze travels across the room and, eventually, stop when it reaches Logan. I had noticed similarities before, but now that they are both in the same space, the common physical traits between them seem magnified exponentially.
I swear I see tears form in Uncle Eddie’s eyes, but he quickly composes himself.
“Shall I begin, or do you want to?” he asks my father without removing his stare from Logan. Logan is now so tense that he feels like a statue against my hand.
“Well, I think introductions are required first, don’t you?” my father suggests, glancing between Uncle Eddie and Logan.
Uncle Eddie sucks in a deep breath. “I’ve waited for this moment for so long that I’m not entirely sure where to begin,” he says to Logan and no one else in the room. I suddenly feel like a voyeur, as though it’s very wrong to be in the room. But Logan squeezes my hand, and I know being here is giving him strength, so I remain still.
Uncle Eddie clears his throat. “We have so very much to catch up on, my son. But first, I think everyone in the room, especially you, deserves to hear the truth,” Uncle Eddie says. My father motions for him to take a seat in the chair by the window. Uncle Eddie complies and looks back at my father.
“I suppose I should begin with why I sent you and your mother away,” he says, looking back at Logan. “It was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done. I loved her…I still love her,” he continues, his voice laced with emotion. He pauses, composing himself again. “I met Leah when she was covering me for a story. I was immediately awestruck by her. She was not only beautiful and intelligent and kind, but she was so full of life. We fell in love quickly. I kept it a secret from everyone, even my family because I knew that they wouldn’t approve of my being with a commoner. We were together for a year or so when she became pregnant. Around the same time, there was a threat from anti-monarchists in our country. They had attempted to assassinate me. I was newly king after my father’s death, and I was scared for Leah and for you,” he says, pausing to look at Logan. “I knew it wasn’t safe, and I didn’t know when it would be safe again. Your mother and I secretly wed. I kept her hidden in an apartment not far from the palace until she gave birth to you. I managed to sneak you both out to a small cottage on our country estate. You remained there for a few months. I hoped the leader of the anti-monarchist group would be captured and tried for my attempted assassination. But that didn’t happen as quickly as I liked. I begged your mother to go home to Pittsburgh, to stay away from me. If her connection to me got out…it was too dangerous. She refused. We fought, and I left her. I knew she was too stubborn to listen to my reasoning, so I did the only thing I thought I could. I told her I no longer loved her, and she needed to leave. She packed up and went home the next day.”
Uncle Eddie stops for a long minute and the pain in his eyes radiates across the room.
“The threat ended when my military forces stormed a compound and killed the leader of the group that was attempting to assassinate me. I went to your mother but she refused to see me, refused to speak with me. You were three and still living with your grandparents. I didn’t give up though. Every few months, I’d try to contact her. When you were just a teenager, she finally agreed to meet with me. I told her everything. She said that she didn’t know if she could forgive me for abandoning you both. But after that meeting, we began to speak again, regularly. I talked her into moving to the Bahamas where I had a friend with a property,” he says as he looks toward my father. “She agreed, and we began to see each other in secret. We were about to tell you, Logan. She hadn’t wanted to introduce us until she was sure that I wouldn’t leave again, but that took several years of convincing. Then she was killed in the car accident.” Uncle Eddie looks completely heartbroken. I’ve never seen him like this before, and it scares me a little.
“I saw you at the funeral. I watched you, and then I watched you back in the Bahamas. You had a life and a good one. You had friends and freedom to do what you wanted. I knew if I came to you and told you the truth, you’d lose all of that. So, I made the painful decision to stay away from you. I secretly hired security through Hans, so it couldn’t be traced back to me. They kept general tabs on you. Reporting back to me once a week through a secret email account I had set up. When Michael said you’d shown up here, I thought it was an odd coincidence at first. He talked me into coming here. But from the conversation I just heard from out in the hallway, I do believe we are faced with more than a family reunion, years in the making. I don’t know who’s trying to harm you, but I do know it is not me.” Uncle Eddie closes his eyes for a moment. The silence in the room is all-consuming.
“I would never harm a hair on your head, my son. You’re all I have left of her, your mother. And I would die protecting you from any enemy, even myself,” he says.
He walks slowly toward Logan and kneels down next to his seated son. He takes Logan’s other hand in his and looks into his eyes.
“Please, please forgive me. I never abandoned you. I’ve always loved you. I would die for you,” he says. This time a tear does escape his eye. He wipes it away and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a photo, and I look down to see an image of Uncle Eddie holding a baby, Logan.
Logan doesn’t say anything at first. He merely reaches out and takes the photo, studying it closely. His left hand is still gripped in mine. I look between him and Uncle Eddie, examining their noses, chins, the shape of their eyes.
Logan hands back the photo to Uncle Eddie. He releases my hand and stands. “I need a few minutes,” he says quietly and walks past his father and out of the room. I look back to see the hurt and shame on Uncle Eddie’s face. I put a hand on Uncle Eddie’s arm, looking up into a face that I’ve known my whole life.
“Give him time, Uncle. It’s a lot for anyone to take in. Logan’s entire world has been changed in the course of a week,” I say to him. He nods at me and pulls me into a hug, bestowing all the pent-up love he feels on me. His affection radiates through my body, and I squeeze him back. I know now, in my heart of hearts, that Uncle Eddie is not the one behind the plane explosion and the bounty on Logan’s life. I feel ashamed for evening thinking such a thing, but I know all is forgiven when Uncle Eddie kisses my forehead.
“You are full of surprises, Anna. I should have known you would be a knight in shining armor instead of a princess being rescued. You’re so like your mother,” he says, cupping my face in his hand. I see sadness in his eyes when he mentions her.
“I-I should go check on him,” I say to my uncle who nods and releases me. I turn toward my father. He simply nods in the direction of the door, giving me his permission to leave, even though I know I would have even without it.
I have no idea what will be said next in my father’s study, but my heart tugs me in the direction of Logan more than my curiosity tells me to stay put and listen more to a story that I’m sure will change the course of all our lives.
I head to the kitchen and find Tessa alone.
“Have you seen Logan?” I ask her.
Tessa looks up from kneading dough and wipes her brow.
“No, my love. Are you alright?” she asks.
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I shrug.
“Sit,” she commands as she walks to one side of the open counter and points to a stool on the opposite side.
I sit because I would never disobey Tessa.
“Tessa—” I start to explain that I need to find Logan, but she holds up a hand.
“You’re in love with that boy, aren’t you?” she asks rhetorically.
I nod and bite my lip.
A huge grin breaks out on her face, and I can’t help but mirror as her joy is completely contagious.
She reaches over and clasps my hands in hers. “I’m so happy for you, Anna. Logan is a good boy. I approve,” she says.
“Now you go find your boy, and then you come tell me all about him later,” she says, ushering me out of her domain. I turn before making it to the door and run around the counter, throwing myself into her welcoming arms.
“I love you, Tessa,” I say to her. She squeezes me against her ample bosom, and I feel like I’m home, safe and secure and loved.
“I love you too, my sweet girl. Now go find that man of yours and fix whatever problems are going on in this place,” she says. She holds me out at arm’s length for a moment and then gives me a wink and little pat on the behind to get me moving. I shake my head but continue to grin. Leave it to Tessa, to bring me out of the chaos of the moment.
I spend the next ten minutes scouring the palace for him. Just as I’m about to give up and head back to the study, I remember our escape the other night. I head to the tunnel and pop out in the garden. He’s sitting on the bench, and I look at him. He looks like a little lost boy. I want to hold him in my arms and comfort him, tell him everything will be alright, but that would be foolish of me.
I walk toward him, but he doesn’t turn to look at me. Instead, his gaze is on a nearby fountain.
“I don’t know if I can forgive him,” Logan whispers. I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or himself. I hear birds chirping in the distance, and then they take flight overhead. I watch them go. They look so free, flying away to wherever their hearts desire. I look back at Logan.
I sit down next to him, and he turns to look at me. I physically ache from the hurt I see in his eyes.
I touch his cheek, carefully, because I’m afraid he’ll run away from me.
“I’m sorry, Logan. I feel like this is all my fault. A few days ago, you were Logan Winters, captain of a charter boat, enjoying living in the Bahamas. And now…now, you’re an heir to a throne, who has a bounty on his head, and a father who he doesn’t remember popping back into his life telling him he never stopped loving him.” I grimace at my last statement. I feel tears in my eyes.
“Don’t cry,” Logan says to me as he wipes a stray tear that’s escaped and run down my cheek.
“But, it’s all my fault,” I murmur, looking down at the bench.
Logan’s hand reaches out to push my face up, and I see his eyes also glistening with tears.
“Anna, it’s true, your one action flipped my whole world upside down. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole. But if it means that I can keep you, then I don’t want to go back,” he says softly.
It takes a few seconds for my mind to catch up to what he’s just said. I never contemplated a relationship with Logan. I’ve never had enough time to fathom that or anything else in the whirlwind of the last two weeks.
“Are you mad at him?” I ask tentatively.
Logan sighs and puts his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. “I…don’t know,” he admits. “I’m overwhelmed. This is a shit ton to process.”
“I know,” I agree. “I think he really did believe he was doing what was best for you both.”
“But is missing my whole childhood what was really best?” he asks, turning his head to look up at me.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I can’t imagine being in his shoes. But I know he feels guilt for his actions. He never intentionally wanted to hurt you.” I shudder thinking that a few minutes ago I thought Uncle Eddie might be trying to kill us. “I can’t believe I thought he could be behind all of this. I feel ashamed.”
Logan sits up and looks at me. “You have nothing to be ashamed about, Anna. You’re trying to save lives. It’s brave and noble of you. I admit you’ve been reckless in your actions, but your intentions were good.” He pauses as though catching up with his words.
“So were your father’s,” I say what I know he’s thinking.
“It’s just all so fucked up,” he replies.
I place a hand on his arm. “At least go talk to him, you owe that to yourself,” I tell him.
He nods. “I know. I just needed a few moments to myself, to process it all,” he says.
“I understand,” I say. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts.” I stand, and he reaches out his hand to me.
“Don’t leave,” he pleads.
I sit back down, and he puts out an arm, I snuggle against him and lean my head on his shoulder.
“Tell me a story,” he says. “Tell me something good.”
I take a breath. “Once upon a time,” I begin. I tell him about a little princess who lived in a castle and saved it from the evil dragon queen. It’s an old fairy tale, but I remember it well since I made Tessa, Auntie Lara, and Daddy read it to me every night.
When I finish, we sit in silence. “You’re the brave little princess,” he states.
“I used to think so,” I say.
“I know so,” he says to me, tipping up my chin and laying a soft kiss on my lips.
“We need to go back in, Logan,” I say to him as our lips hover millimeters apart.
He closes his eyes. “I know,” he says, his voice strained.
I stand and hold out my hand to him. He slowly takes it, stands, and pulls me against him.
“I don’t know why we were brought together, but you’re the only thing that seems right in my life now,” he whispers in my ear. I tighten my hold on him.
“We’re going to figure this out,” I say with conviction.
“Brave, little princess,” he says softly.
We pull apart, and I take his hand leading him back to the study.
Chapter 24
I can hear voices talking from the hallway as we approach the door. It’s closed, and I knock. Marcus opens it and ushers us back inside.
Everyone stops the chatter as we enter. I squeeze Logan’s hand, and he squeezes it back.
Uncle Eddie stands.
“Logan,” he starts, “I would very much like to speak with you in private. If that’s alright with you?”
Logan nods.
“You may use the drawing room,” my father says to them.
“Thank you, Michael,” Uncle Eddie says as he follows Logan out of the room.
I stand there, unsure what to do, nervously shifting my weight from one foot to the other.
“I think you should sit down, Anna. There are things we all need to discuss,” my father says as he nods at the chair I had left earlier.
I sit back down and look at him.
“We are not sure how the signal came from that house. We both have sent special ops teams there to investigate. While you and Logan were…gone, I called my contact at Interpol, Jack Ross. He’s very good at tracking underworld criminal activity. He’s formerly with the MI-6 and U.S. intelligence but he’s currently overseeing an international crimes unit for Interpol. I think he’ll be quite resourceful in helping us stop this,” my father says.
“But M is here, in Norddale,” I say to him.
“I’ve alerted my intelligence minister, and he is putting together a special operation to track down M, alive, and bring him in for questioning,” my father says.
“You may have stopped a murder, Anna. But now we need the professionals involved,” he says.
I nod, although deep down I know that I’m not going to give up my own search for who’s behind all of this.
“Marcus, I’ll need you to handle setting up a meeting with my cabinet tomorrow,” my father says. “Via
our secured video,” he adds. “We will all be staying here until further notice. I had planned on letting you all go in a few days, but not when there’s an assassin on the loose and not when we haven’t figured out who’s responsible for Hans’s jet.”
“Do we have more information on the jet?” Chris asks.
“My investigation team believes there was a breach in airport security and an unidentified person gained access to the hangar approximately two hours before you left. They are still working on face recognition as the individual was wearing a baseball cap, most of his face was obscured. The video equipment that was not working appears to have been tampered with at some point earlier that day. It was not due to power outages as they originally told me, in fact, the power outages may have been an act of sabotage as well. That’s all I know right now,” my father says. He runs his hands through his hair again, and I want to tell him to stop or he’ll be bald by the end of the week.
“Shannon, Mia, and Paolo, you can go ahead and cancel the children’s events for the next five days. Marcus will take care of mine,” he adds. “Victor, make sure all the security is coordinated with King Edvard’s. Consult with his chief of security, Fredrik, first. Have his secretary, Gregor, debriefed,” he adds looking at Victor Wolf, his head of security. Victor gives me a look that tells me he is not pleased with my hacker antics and less pleased with the security threat that he clearly believes I have caused. I shrink under his stare. Victor is a tall imposing-looking man. I’ve never been a huge fan of his, but my father believes he is the best. I’ve never felt shame about my double life like I have these past few days. It never dawned on me the danger it posed until it posed danger. I feel idiotic for playing spy, more or less, although I trust my hacker skills more than I trust Victor with our lives. So, I keep my head held high as he exits the room.
Everyone else stands and begins to filter out of the study, but I stay. Finally, it’s just my father and me.
“What is it, Anna?” he asks me.