by Kat Mizera
Xander
Royal Protectors Book 2
Kat Mizera
Copyright © 2020 by Kat Mizera
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Editing: Tera Cuskaden, Ashley Martin
Cover Design: Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs
Cover Model: Zakk Davis
Cover Photography: Wander Aguiar
Created with Vellum
Contents
Also by Kat Mizera
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Epilogue
Excerpt From “DAX” (Unedited and subject to change)
Also by Kat Mizera
Las Vegas Sidewinders:
Dominic
Cody’s Christmas Surprise
Drake
Karl
Anatoli
Zakk
Toli & Tessa
Brock
Vladimir
Royce
Nate
Sidewinders: Ever After
Jared
Dmitri’s Christmas Angel
Ian
Sidewinders: Generations:
Zaan (June 2020)
Alaska Blizzard:
Defending Dani
Holding Hailey
Winning Whitney
Losing Laurel
Saving Sara
Chasing Charli (2020)
The Royal Trilogy:
Nowhere Left to Fall
Nowhere Left to Run
Nowhere Left to Hide
Royal Protectors:
Sandor
Xander
Dax (A Royal Protectors/Sidewinders crossover)
Axel (TBD)
Inferno:
Salvation’s Inferno
Temptation’s Inferno
Redemption’s Inferno
Tropical Inferno (formerly “Tropical Ice”)
Romancing Europe:
Adonis in Athens
Smitten in Santorini
Lucky in Lugano
Other Books:
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Bobbi (Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World)
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Delilah (Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World)
Brotherhood Protectors: Catching Lana (Elle James’s Brotherhood Protectors World)
1
Xander
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
The beautiful woman in the bathtub looked like she wanted to stab me. I’d figured today’s drill wouldn’t go over well, but I hadn’t been expecting to find her in the tub. Or fuming mad. Or completely unembarrassed by her naked body, which was on display for me amidst the bubbles skimming the top of the water.
“Let’s not do this, okay?” I said amiably. “I have a job to do and—”
“Just get the fuck out and tell Sandor I was in the tub.”
“I can’t.”
“The hell you can’t.”
“Dammit, Princess, are we going to do this dance every goddamn time?” I asked, scowling.
“This is the third drill this week!” she yelled, throwing up her hands and giving me an unimpeded view of her breasts. Which were probably the most beautiful I’d ever seen. Too bad she hated me and I was about to piss her off even more.
“Take it up with your brother,” I said, reaching for the big, fluffy towel on the warmer against the wall.
“Get out!” she hissed, glaring at me.
“You know I can’t.” I held out the towel and averted my eyes, offering her a modicum of modesty. But she had about two more seconds before I did what I had to do.
“Xander, I’m not going anywhere.”
With a resigned sigh, I dropped the towel, reached into the water and scooped her out. I wrapped the towel around her as best I could, considering she was cursing a blue streak and swinging at me, and tossed her over my shoulder.
I could have grabbed her bathrobe, but she was being a serious pain in my ass, and I had a job to do. She knew this. As she’d said, this was the third drill this week and we both knew what was going to happen if she continued to resist doing what she would inevitably do anyway. I was bigger, stronger and extremely well-trained as a bodyguard. She was never going to get away from me, and why she continued to fight me every time we had a drill was beyond me. This was the first time I’d caught her in the tub, though, which I genuinely felt bad about.
Unfortunately, we were being timed and until Sandor and Joe, who ran security, were pleased with the results, we would continue to do unannounced drills.
“Put me down,” she hissed in my ear.
“Why? So you can run away and continue doing everything in your power to avoid the drill?”
“God dammit, it’s the middle of winter, I’m soaking wet and naked—put me the fuck down and let me get my clothes.”
“That ship has sailed, Princess. Sorry.” I took a side stairwell to the first floor, which was different than the ground floor, and headed to the newest hidden door that led to one of the palace tunnels. We’d been practicing every route, every exit, every possible option for escape the last few weeks, and though everyone was tired of it, no one more so than me.
“I’m going to fucking kill you in your sleep!” she growled when we got to the tunnel.
“I look forward to the challenge,” I grunted.
Finally, as we rounded the corner and joined the others, I set her on her feet.
“You’re late,” Sandor said in a stern voice, though the tic in his cheek belied the fact that he was about to laugh since I’d had to throw Elen over my shoulder on more than one occasion.
His sister, otherwise known as Princess Elen Gustaffson and the biggest pain in my ass, whirled around, gripping the towel around her. “What the fuck, Sandor?! Are you kidding me with this shit?”
He sighed. “Elen, you know—”
“I’ve been working eighty-hour weeks trying to put the important elements of the new education bill into action,” she snapped, her chest rising and falling with what appeared to be exertion. “I don’t sleep, I haven’t had a day off in months, and I found out this evening I’ve got walking pneumonia!” She turned to King Erik, her first cousin, and pointed her finger. “You have to choose. If you want me working as the Minister of Education, and doing it twenty-four seven, enough with the drills.”
Erik turned to her, his voice quiet as he said, “Once the drill is over, we’ll take this up in private, in my office. Until then, you need to calm down.”
“I’m standing here in a fucking towel. You calm down.�
�� She gripped it tighter around her. “And the drill is over for me. I’m going back upstairs or I swear on everything holy, I will leave the country and never come back.” She turned on her heel, pushed past me and toward the exit.
I looked to Erik but he shook his head, indicating to let her go.
“She has walking pneumonia?” Sandor asked quietly. “And no one knew?”
There was a moment of guilty silence as the members of the royal family and the rest of the security team looked at each other, slightly embarrassed. We were a close-knit group, even though I was nothing but a blue-collar kid from Michigan who’d lucked into the job of a lifetime working with this amazing family.
“Was she in the bath?” Sandor asked after a moment.
“I tried to get her to get out on her own and get her robe. She said she wasn’t coming.” I looked at Erik, whom I didn’t have to address formally when we weren’t in public. “Dude. You said I wasn’t to take no for an answer.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I know. But I didn’t know she had pneumonia. Fuck. This is on me and Sandor. All right, the time tonight was really good aside from Xander and Elen, but that wasn’t logistical—it was situational. I’ll talk to her about this after she’s had time to cool off. For everyone else, thank you for putting up with the constant interruptions to your schedules and time. We have to be prepared for anything, and the only way to do it is to know the plan, escape routes and contingencies like the backs of our hands.”
Everyone ambled back toward the stairs that would take us up to the palace, and I fell into step beside Sandor.
“You can’t keep doing this to me, man,” I told him. “I always look like the slacker and it’s not fair. She was literally in the bathtub and I had to walk in on her naked. Yeah, in an emergency I wouldn’t think twice, but this was the third drill in seven days and she was more pissed than I’ve ever seen her.”
“I know.” Sandor nodded, giving me an understanding smile. “Erik and I will talk to her. This isn’t on you. We’re going to have to be a little more cognizant of exceptions to the rules because I would have let her opt out tonight if I’d known she had pneumonia.”
“I think I’ll go check on her.” Lennox Briggs, another member of the security team, who was also Sandor’s fiancée, touched his arm. “First, because I’m worried about her, but also because I think she’ll shoot first and think later if any of you approach her right now.”
Sandor let out a little laugh. “You’re probably right.” He kissed her. “See you later.”
“Bye.” She hurried in the other direction, and I gave both Sandor and Erik a serious look.
“I think it’s time for me to get reassigned,” I said finally. “This isn’t fair to either of us.”
“Let me talk to Elen tomorrow,” Erik said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I apologize for putting you in this situation on a regular basis. If she and I can’t come to some sort of agreement about the drills, and whatever else has to be bothering her, I promise to make some changes.”
“Thanks.” I nodded at him and jogged up the stairs.
2
Elen
I trudged back up to my room, let out the water in the tub, pulled on pajamas, and got into bed. I was exhausted, furious, and a little bit embarrassed. I’d gone off on my cousin, the king, in front of both family and our security team. I should have waited and done it in private, but this had gotten ridiculous. I knew the drill, understood the need to have escape routes and backup plans memorized, but I was one of the people who’d created the damn plans. I knew them and was one hundred percent prepared, should there be another attack on either the palace, Parliament House or anywhere else. We’d done so many drills in the last two months it had become tedious and unnecessary.
Not that anyone listened to me. That was one of many things pissing me off lately. I didn’t mind hard work and I’d jumped into my role as Minister of Education with both feet. But I was tired and frustrated. Apparently, I was also sick. Really sick. Like, the doctor had threatened to put me in the hospital sick. After running back up the stairs because I wasn’t dressed, I’d started to cough and now I couldn’t stop.
“Elen?” a soft voice called through my door.
I was coughing so hard I couldn’t answer her, and my future sister-in-law, Lennox, peeked through the door. “Oh, geez, what can I do?” She hurried to my side, reaching for a bottle of water and handing it to me. I managed to gag a few sips down and finally lay back against the pillows, breathing hard.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Why didn’t you tell anyone you were sick?”
“I just found out after dinner. The doctor made time to come by and see me because I’ve been so busy. When he diagnosed me, he ordered me right to bed. I opted to take a hot bath first, hoping it would break up the congestion in my lungs. Xander couldn’t wait to make his appearance.”
Lennox grimaced. “You know it wasn’t Xander’s call. If you’re mad, be mad at Sandor. Xander does what he’s told, like the rest of us. Except his job happens to be protecting you in an emergency.”
“I’d say I’m sorry for going off like that, but I’m not.” Elen shook her head. “I’m tired, Lennox. And now sick on top of it. There aren’t enough hours in the day, and frankly, this isn’t what I signed up for.”
“Are you really considering leaving?”
“I’ve been offered a job teaching the history of royalty at the Sorbonne and I’m thinking of taking it.” My eyes met hers guiltily.
“Not before the wedding,” she whispered. “I need you, Elen.”
Lennox was American, and she was marrying my brother, who was a prince, in a big, fancy, public royal ceremony. As a member of the royal family here in our country, Limaj, his marriage was a big deal, and there were dozens of details that she had to keep up with.
“Don’t worry.” I patted her hand. “I won’t leave you before the wedding.” I adored my future sister-in-law. She was the best thing to happen to my big brother, whom I also adored, but something had to give with our schedules, and right now that something was me.
“I’m going to make sure no one bothers you in the morning,” she said, getting up. “Will you text me if you need anything? Please?”
I smiled into her hazel eyes. “Promise.”
“Good night.” She turned and let herself out.
I wanted to be furious, but I was too tired.
The next thing I knew, it was morning, and light was streaming through my windows since I hadn’t even pulled the shades last night. If I’d hoped a good night’s sleep would help, I was dead wrong. My chest ached, and the coughing started almost the second I got up. Damn, this really sucked.
I made my way to the bathroom and managed to use the facilities and clean up a little before stumbling back to bed. As annoyed as I was with my family at the moment, I realized I wasn’t going to be able to fake it anymore, and I needed help. I hated having to do it, but I texted Lennox, asking if she could make me some tea. I probably needed to eat something, but I had no appetite.
There were about twenty things on my to-do list for today, but there was no way I was getting to them. I was shivering and wished I could get to the thermostat, but it seemed extremely far away. My eyes had just started to close when there was a light knock on the door and the knob slowly turned. Though we had locks on our doors, the security team had master keys and could get in anywhere.
“We come in peace.” My brother Sandor came in holding a tray with Erik behind him.
If I’d had the energy, I would’ve rolled my eyes, but I didn’t.
“You have a fever,” Sandor said, pressing a warm hand on my forehead.
“No shit, Sherlock,” I muttered.
“How about some tea?” Erik said, pouring me a cup.
“With honey,” I croaked, my voice getting raspier from the dry cough that was driving me crazy.
Erik made my tea while Sandor thoughtfully adjusted the thermostat to mak
e the room warmer.
“I’d offer to light a fire,” Sandor said, “but the smoke probably isn’t good for your lungs right now, and they’re still working on the ventilation system.”
I nodded. “It’s fine.”
“Here you go.” Erik handed me the mug of hot tea, and I took a few sips before my head dropped back on the pillows.
Sandor sat on the edge of my bed, his eyes meeting mine with what could only be regret. “I’m sorry,” he said. “If I’d known you were sick, I would have either called off the drill or let you opt out.”
“I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered, meeting his gaze directly before glancing over at Erik. “I told you I wanted to help, and I do, but this stopped being fun months ago. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do the job I have to do, not with me getting blocked at every turn. This is still a very male-dominated country, and even though I’m both a member of the royal family and Parliament, I don’t get the same respect the men get. Frankly, I’m tired. I’ve accepted a job at the Sorbonne beginning in the fall.” That wasn’t true, since I hadn’t formally accepted the job yet, but I was interested in their reaction.
Erik and Sandor both stared at me in what could only be described as shock. Both of their mouths were slightly open and neither had moved. It would have been comical had I felt a little better. Instead, I merely frowned at them.