2. Ariella
What are the odds that I would run into the one person that I’m here to see but not in the location where I had planned to see him? I expected to cross paths with him in two days when I go to the appointment that I have scheduled with Ethan Knight at the Shining Knight offices in New York City. My goal was to hire Patrick, the only person whom I trusted to keep my son, Alex, and me safe.
After learning that Patrick had left the FBI, my father called his friend, former Director Ambrose, to track him down. A few favors later, we had the information we needed. In the middle of the night, under the cover of darkness, we secretly boarded my father’s plane and left for the United States. Not wanting to stay in New York City, where we would be surrounded by so many unknown factors, we thought it would be safer to go to the mountains, where it would be harder for someone to find us. The three-hour trek back to the city in a few days is worth it if it will keep Alex safe.
Kiernan had escorted us here but plans to return to Cothena as soon as the meeting at Shining Knight is concluded. There’s still too much for him to do back home as he works with my brother to quell the uprisings that have been happening in Cothena. After an assassination attempt on my life—while Alex was with me—it became clear that it was too dangerous for us to remain at home.
“Mommy! Who’s that man you’re with?” Alex asks innocently. Kiernan is behind him, looking model pretty and like the playboy he is. Like Patrick, he has short brown hair and piercing blue eyes, but that’s where the similarities end. He’s decked out in a black sweater, faded blue jeans, tan leather hiking boots, and a tan suede jacket with cream-colored trim.
“This is my friend, Patrick. I met him when I came to the States with your grandpa the year before you were born.”
Alex smiles up at Patrick with a wide grin. “That was a really long time ago! I’m already eight!”
I watch Patrick’s smile disappear for a fraction of a second while he does the math. He glances at me briefly before returning his attention to Alex. “Wow, you’re practically a man! Are you eating your vegetables so you can grow up big and strong like your daddy?”
Kiernan places his hand on Alex’s shoulder and answers for him. “He is. Alex loves green beans and broccoli the most.”
At the mention of my son’s name, Patrick looks at me again, this time questioningly. I say nothing, and he doesn’t press me. I named Alex after Patrick, whose full name is Patrick Alexander Kent.
“Yeah! The baby trees taste the best, especially when Mom has the chef put cheese on top,” Alex exclaims.
My son’s enthusiasm for broccoli clearly amuses Patrick. “So, your name is Alex, huh?” he asks.
“Yeah, like Alexander the Great! Mom said she wanted to keep the A-names going since her name is Ariella and my uncle is Aaron.”
“That makes perfect sense to me. Your mom is the smartest woman I know.”
Alex grabs my hand and turns to Patrick, telling him, “Yep. She knows how to say the alphabet backward. Can you say the alphabet backward, Mr. Patrick?”
He can. He’s the one who taught me one night during a rainstorm. We played cards in the dining room of our suite while my bodyguards watched a soccer game on the television. We laughed the entire time because it took me hours to finally get it right.
“Not many can! Can you?” Patrick replies, allowing my son to believe I have accomplished something monumental.
“Not all the way. I can only get to the letter J. Z…Y…X,” he starts in, and as predicted, Alex only makes it to the letter J before getting mixed up.
“That’s pretty darn good for someone who’s only eight. I bet by the time you’re nine, you’ll have it down pat,” he encourages.
“Ha! Down pat! Like your name!” my son giggles.
Kiernan steps forward and introduces himself, and Patrick shakes his hand.
“I’m so sorry, how rude of me,” I say. I didn’t even think about making introductions because Kiernan knows exactly who Patrick is. When I returned home broken-hearted, I had spilled the beans about my time spent in the States and why I was sad. Surprisingly, Kiernan was a good listener and helped me through the worst of my loss. Our friendship changed, and we grew closer as a result, becoming best friends. Of course, my mom gloated about being right, but only the one time.
“Mom, can we go tubing now?” Alex asks, excited to get to play in the snow.
“Absolutely. Patrick here needs to return to his wife, who’s waiting in the lobby for him. We’re keeping him from enjoying his time.”
At this, Kiernan arches an eyebrow in my direction, but I give him a subtle shake of my head and silently ask him to keep his mouth shut for the time being.
Patrick purses his lips. “Actually, I’m about to head back to the city. It was nice to see you again, Ari. Goodbye, and enjoy your trip.” He shakes Kiernan’s hand one more time and gives Alex a fist bump. Before leaving, he wraps me up in a hug that I wish would have lasted a lot longer. But I’m not the type of woman who makes a play for a married man.
I watch as he walks away, a tear falling down my cheek. Kiernan places an arm around my shoulders and gives it a soft squeeze.
He kisses my temple and says, “I’m guessing that—like the rest of the world—he thinks we’re married.”
I nod. “I can only assume that he does.”
“Why didn’t you set him straight?”
“There’s no point. Didn’t you see the wedding band on his finger?” I ask rhetorically.
He answers my question anyway. “Yeah, I did. But none of our intel indicated he was married. If he is, that changes things. Are you sure you still want him protecting you and Alex while you’re here? There are plenty of other options at Shining Knight; you don’t have to choose him if you don’t want to.”
“I know, but there’s no one I trust more,” I tell him.
“In any other scenario, I might be offended. But I get it. Let’s see how the meeting goes, and you can decide after that. For now, let’s go play in the snow. It’s my first time getting to romp around in it, too.”
The last two days have been absolutely nerve-wracking for me, anticipating my next encounter with Patrick. At least this time, I’ll be more composed and not have a tear-stained face. As I stand in front of the glass doors of Shining Knight, it takes all my courage to enter. I have no idea what to expect from this meeting or if Patrick would be willing to take on the assignment. After all, I left him over nine years ago and hadn’t tried to contact him since, but not because I hadn’t wanted to.
“Are we going to go in, Mommy? It’s cold out here.” I look down at my precious little boy and give a little bob of my head.
“I’m right here with you, Ariella. Or should I call you Ari?” Kiernan teases. I scowl at him because he knows that Patrick is the only person whom I”ve allowed to shorten my name.
I take Alex’s hand and enter the imposing building, admiring the inlaid stone walls and water fountain in the lobby. The receptionist greets us warmly and directs us to the appropriate floor. Alex races toward the elevators so that he can be the one to press the button, and we catch up to him just as the doors open. Once we’re inside, I ask him to press the number ten for us, and he does so gladly. The ride up is quick, so quick, in fact, that my ears pop from the ascent.
“I bet you wish that had taken a little longer. Now you don’t have time to back out,” Kiernan says, chuckling.
No sooner than we are off of the elevator, a beautiful woman with long chestnut hair greets us with a broad smile. “Hello! You must be Princess Ariella and Prince Kiernan. I’m Amelia, Ethan’s wife and better half,” she laughs. She looks at Alex and gives him a slight curtsy, “And you must be the esteemed Prince Alex that I’ve heard so much about.”
Alex smiles wide, completely enamored with Amelia. He bows in response and takes her hand to give it a small kiss. What a little flirt!
As Amelia titters with amusement, I lean over and whisper to Kiernan. “I know he learned that from you!”
He puts his hands up in surrender, “Guilty as charged. But can you blame me? He’s got a way with the ladies.”
I shake my head in mock annoyance at Kiernan, then ask Amelia, “Do you see what I have to put up with?”
She laughs good-naturedly. “Please, follow me. Ethan’s expecting you. Just so you’re forewarned, the entire Alpha Team is in the conference room along with Ethan and Ben.”
“Oh. I thought this meeting was just supposed to be with Ethan. Who’s Ben?” I ask.
“Ben is my brother and Ethan’s best friend. They started Shining Knight together. Because this is a high-profile case, we wanted everyone to be here for their input.”
“Honestly, I was hoping for a low profile.”
“Don’t worry. No one on the Alpha Team is aware of who you are, at least not until introductions are made. And once you leave this building, no one will use your titles or treat you as royalty if that’s how you prefer it.”
“Thank you. It would be nice to feel ‘normal,’ even if only for a few days,” I say.
Kiernan laughs, but not in a fun way. “Ariella, what’s going on back home isn’t going to be over in a few days. This could be a long-term assignment, which is why your father wanted only the best.”
“How long is ‘long-term?’ Weeks? Months?”
He merely shrugs as if that’s an acceptable answer.
“We’ll make sure you’re protected as long as necessary,” Amelia says reassuringly. The lengthy amount of time is only a small part of the problem. It’s the fact that Patrick was the person I had intended to hire, and there is no way he is going to want to be away from his wife for such an extended period. Yet, I don’t know if I could live with a stranger for weeks, months, or however long this will take to get resolved if Patrick isn’t the one protecting me.
When she opens the door for us to enter, all eyes turn in our direction. Everyone in the room stands up while Ethan and Ben come over to greet us. Once that’s out of the way, they gesture to the three side-by-side open seats for us to take. Patrick’s eyes widen in surprise when he sees me, affirming Amelia’s previous statement that the team was unaware of who their client would be.
“Patrick!” Alex yells as he runs over to greet his new friend. He takes the available seat next to Patrick and looks at me to make sure it’s okay for him to sit there. I give him a dip of my chin and a smile, granting him permission. In Cothena, the children sit after the parents have taken their place.
I occupy the chair to the right of Alex, and Kiernan takes the one on my other side. As I scan the room, I recognize a face that’s permanently etched on my brain, even though I had only seen her for just a few seconds. Patrick’s wife sits directly across from me, and now I have to go through this meeting trying not to compare myself to the beautiful woman. Her skin is a pale ivory that’s smooth as glass, while mine has a darker olive tone. Her hair is strawberry blond, and mine is jet black. We both have green eyes, but hers are vibrant, while mine are pale and nearly translucent. We couldn’t be more different, and I have to wonder what Patrick ever saw in me.
Amelia gives everyone a little wave. As she turns to leave, her eyes focus on Alex sitting next to Patrick. She looks from Alex to Patrick and back to Alex again. Then she does the same thing, only between Alex and Kiernan. When her gaze meets mine, there’s a question in them that I’m unwilling to answer. I look down at the table instead of at her. I only lift my head when I hear the door shut behind her.
Ethan leans forward on the table and addresses the entire room. “Shall we get started?”