frowned, turning away slightly. “You might be
surprised. Sometimes I think Oliver and his brothers would have been happier
with the Bezakistani way of life. But that is neither here nor there. I didn’t
come here to talk about my problems. I came to help solve one of yours.”
Alea wasn’t sure how any of her problems could be solved,
but Piper’s advice was still fresh in her mind. If she was ever going to have a
life, she had to at least try not to shut her loved ones out. “Which problem
are you talking about?”
“You need a vacation. I can’t imagine how stressful it is
for you here.”
It would be just as stressful in London, and now, thanks to
Tal, a big chunk of the problems she was trying to escape—three big ones—would
be on her heels. “I don’t think I want to go to London right now, Yasmin. I
appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I would make great company.”
“Oliver and I were talking. He’s always the voice of reason.
I think you’re right. The last thing you need is to be surrounded by people.
But what if you could get away on your own, all alone for a while? Oliver and I
were supposed to leave tomorrow morning in our plane for Sydney.” Yas shrugged.
“A little alone time before the baby comes.”
“That sounds lovely.” But she wasn’t sure what it had to do
with her. She didn’t want to intrude on their babymoon.
A weary look crossed Yasmin’s face. “But the thought of
getting on another plane makes me sick. I’d already decided to tell Oliver that
I would rather stay here at the palace for a few weeks when he suggested a
change of plans. Everything is ready to go at the apartment in Sydney. It’s
private. It’s well protected. And no one would know who or where you are.
Oliver’s brother already hired security for us. They can just protect you
instead.”
No one would know?
Not Tal? Not Dane or any of the others? If she could pull that off, she would
be totally alone, without anyone’s expectations weighing her down. Despite what
the press suggested, she wasn’t a prisoner at the palace. For just for a few
days, she could pretend she was normal and maybe she could sort out her thoughts,
find a little peace. With that much tranquility, maybe she could figure out
what to do next. It sounded heavenly, but… “I don’t know. Tal would be
furious.”
“Oh, it’s only for a short while. Oliver and I won’t say
anything. So Tal won’t have any idea where you’ve gone. If anyone asks about
the plane, I’ll simply tell them that we sent it along with notes and supplies
for the Reaching Across Cultures’ Sydney office. We’d planned a vacation, but I
was hoping to squeeze in just a little bit of work. I really do need to send
some things there, so it’s not a total lie. You wouldn’t mind dropping them
off, would you?”
If it meant she got to escape all the censure and pressure
here, if she truly got to be alone to sift through the rubble of her life, she
wouldn’t mind. “Just leave me instructions, and I’ll take whatever you need.
Oh, Yas, do you really think it could work?”
A bright smile curved up her cousin’s lips. “Oliver is very
smart. Trust my husband. He always tries to do the right thing for his family.”
Alea nodded, and they started to make plans. By this time
tomorrow, she would be far, far away.
* * * *
Landon couldn’t sleep. The events of the evening kept
playing out in his head over and over again. He shouldn’t have risen to Alea’s
bait and been so hard on her. His first instinct had been to reach out to her,
to hold her and try to coddle her back to reality.
But he’d been doing a version of that for over a year and it
simply didn’t work. She was farther from them than ever before.
He stepped out of the quarters he shared with the full-time
guards. Tal had offered all three of them rooms in the palace, but Lan had
surprised. Sometimes I think Oliver and his brothers would have been happier
with the Bezakistani way of life. But that is neither here nor there. I didn’t
come here to talk about my problems. I came to help solve one of yours.”
Alea wasn’t sure how any of her problems could be solved,
but Piper’s advice was still fresh in her mind. If she was ever going to have a
life, she had to at least try not to shut her loved ones out. “Which problem
are you talking about?”
“You need a vacation. I can’t imagine how stressful it is
for you here.”
It would be just as stressful in London, and now, thanks to
Tal, a big chunk of the problems she was trying to escape—three big ones—would
be on her heels. “I don’t think I want to go to London right now, Yasmin. I
appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I would make great company.”
“Oliver and I were talking. He’s always the voice of reason.
I think you’re right. The last thing you need is to be surrounded by people.
But what if you could get away on your own, all alone for a while? Oliver and I
were supposed to leave tomorrow morning in our plane for Sydney.” Yas shrugged.
“A little alone time before the baby comes.”
“That sounds lovely.” But she wasn’t sure what it had to do
with her. She didn’t want to intrude on their babymoon.
A weary look crossed Yasmin’s face. “But the thought of
getting on another plane makes me sick. I’d already decided to tell Oliver that
I would rather stay here at the palace for a few weeks when he suggested a
change of plans. Everything is ready to go at the apartment in Sydney. It’s
private. It’s well protected. And no one would know who or where you are.
Oliver’s brother already hired security for us. They can just protect you
instead.”
No one would know?
Not Tal? Not Dane or any of the others? If she could pull that off, she would
be totally alone, without anyone’s expectations weighing her down. Despite what
the press suggested, she wasn’t a prisoner at the palace. For just for a few
days, she could pretend she was normal and maybe she could sort out her thoughts,
find a little peace. With that much tranquility, maybe she could figure out
what to do next. It sounded heavenly, but… “I don’t know. Tal would be
furious.”
“Oh, it’s only for a short while. Oliver and I won’t say
anything. So Tal won’t have any idea where you’ve gone. If anyone asks about
the plane, I’ll simply tell them that we sent it along with notes and supplies
for the Reaching Across Cultures’ Sydney office. We’d planned a vacation, but I
was hoping to squeeze in just a little bit of work. I really do need to send
some things there, so it’s not a total lie. You wouldn’t mind dropping them
off, would you?”
If it meant she got to escape all the censure and pressure
here, if she truly got to be alone to sift through the rubble of her life, she
wouldn’t mind. “Just leave me instructions, and I’ll take whatever you need.
Oh, Yas, do you really think it could work?”
A bright smile curved up her cousin’s lips. “Oliver is very
smart. Trust my husband. He always tries to do the right thing for his family.”
Alea nodded, and they started to make plans. By this time
tomorrow, she would be far, far away.
* * * *
Landon couldn’t sleep. The events of the evening kept
playing out in his head over and over again. He shouldn’t have risen to Alea’s
bait and been so hard on her. His first instinct had been to reach out to her,
to hold her and try to coddle her back to reality.
But he’d been doing a version of that for over a year and it
simply didn’t work. She was farther from them than ever before.
He stepped out of the quarters he shared with the full-time
guards. Tal had offered all three of them rooms in the palace, but Lan had
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