Chapter 30
Tiro immediately pushed Angela behind him, sensing that his friend and guard had reached some sort of tipping point.
“It’s time for her to leave,” Aziz continued. “Her plane is waiting.”
Tiro’s irritation intensified. “Her pilot will wait until she is ready. Now, get out!”
Aziz shook his head, sweat breaking out on his forehead. “Can’t do that, Your Highness.” He jerked his head toward Angela. “She must leave now.”
Tiro sighed, still keeping Angela behind him. “She’s fine. You need to leave, friend.”
Aziz hesitated, and Tiro knew that something was badly wrong. “You don’t understand,” the man rasped. “She’s dangerous! You can’t marry that woman! This is all fake , anyway! I know you would never betray your country like this.”
“The engagement is real, Aziz.” Tiro’s voice had shifted from commanding to soothing, but his body still shielded her. “Princess Angela will become my wife. And soon.”
“She can’t!” Aziz pulled a gun from his hip holster and aimed it at Tiro. “Don’t you see? She’s bewitched you! She’ll do…things to you! She’ll weave her magic and then you won’t be able to rule Ginisia!”
Tiro shook his head, slowly inching forward. He felt Angela’s hands on his back, but waved a hand by his side, silently telling her to stay back. She didn’t! He had a brief thought that he was going to spank her for disobeying him, but he pushed the thought away, putting all of his focus on the man holding a gun on him. In his damn bedroom, of all places!
Tiro didn’t care that he was wearing only a damp towel, but he didn’t like that Angela was only in a thin robe. She was vulnerable in so many ways.
“She’s the enemy!” Aziz shrieked, the pistol in his hand wavering. “Choose anyone else ! Literally any other woman, and I will defend you with my life! But not her !” He emphasized his statement by stabbing the gun in Angela’s direction, moving deeper into the bedroom to try to see around Tiro.
“She’s not the enemy, Aziz,” Tiro argued, in a soft, even voice. “She had no part in what happened to your brother. Nor did anyone in the Lativa government, and you know that.”
“You’re wrong! She’s just enchanted you with sex. You can’t see things clearly anymore,” Aziz yelled. He rubbed at his forehead, then waved his free hand in the air. “Just…send her away,” the man begged, nearly in tears. “After everything we’ve been through, all the years in the field and our time together here. I’ve defended you against every threat. I’ve protected you so many times .” He inhaled deeply, trying to regain control of his emotions . “All I’m asking is that you get rid of her and find someone else. Then we can go back to the way we were.” He tilted his head slightly, tears running down his cheeks. “You were happy before her. We can be happy again.”
Tiro froze. “Aziz, are you…in love with me?”
The man blinked, then laughed wildly. “No, you idiot! I’m not in love with you!” He paused, then added, “Y ou’re my best friend, but no.” His eyes moved to Angela again and filled with hatred. “I just…she’s all wrong for you. After all the years we’ve been together, I need you to realize that she’s not the woman for you. Please, trust me.”
“Are you in love with Princess Angela, then?”
Tiro wanted to keep him talking until his guards could be alerted. He had a panic button on his watch, but Aziz knew about it. Plus, the watch was on the bedside table, out of reach. However, the way Aziz was tracking Angela, moving around the perimeter of the room, Tiro hoped that he could eventually reach the watch. Just a few more feet and he could…!
“NO!” Aziz shrieked, eyes darting to the bedside table where the watch lay. “You’re not alerting anyone ! They are under my command anyway . They wouldn’t dare try to stop me. They know, like I do, that she’s not right for you.”
Tiro understood what his former friend was saying. “Are you telling me that you’ve poisoned their minds about Angela?”
Aziz shrugged, backing toward the door to get a better angle. “I’ve only spoken the truth about her. Nothing more.”
“That would be a yes,” Tiro growled, the thought of wrapping his hands around the bastard’s throat flashing behind his eyes. He felt Angela’s fingers on his back, which was comforting. But he also knew his fiancée. She wasn’t going to stand by. Angela wouldn’t remain idle when someone needed help.
Unfortunately, Aziz was going in the wrong direction, damn him!
“Just…put her on the plane and be done with her!” the man demanded, then reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow. “Everything will be okay again.”
“No, I don’t think that’s going to–” he began. But a flicker of movement behind Aziz caught his eye.
Osman appeared in the hallway. His eyes widened as he took in the scene in the bedroom, then his face went blank. Before Aziz could figure out what had distracted Tiro, Osman stepped out of view. Tiro prayed his assistant would alert the guards. They should be just outside his apartment.
But before Tiro could fully process that hope, Osman reappeared…without his tablet. Instead, there was a massive marble statue in his hands. He lifted the heavy statue and slammed it down on the back of Aziz’s head. There was a grotesque thud, a flash of surprise in the former guard’s eyes, then Aziz crumpled to the floor in a heap.
Osman hurried out of sight briefly and then returned, tablet in hand. “Your Highness, your first meeting of the day is in,” he squinted at his tablet, then looked up at Tiro, “three minutes now.” He eyed Tiro’s towel, which was still, thankfully, wrapped around his waist. “I will send assistance for this…situation,” he added as he frowned down at the unmoving Aziz. Then he continued, “Princess Angela, your pilot informed me that he is waiting for your arrival at the airport and I’ve informed air traffic control of your imminent departure.”
“She’s not leaving,” Tiro growled, kissing the top of Angela’s head. “She’ll be staying with me until the wedding.”
Osman’s expression brightened briefly before his usual bland expression returned . “I will inform the Lativa government about the change of plans.” With that, he stepped back just in time for the bodyguards to rush into the room. Ten of them piled in, staring down at Aziz, then at Tiro. Finally, five of them surrounded Tiro and Angela while the rest dragged Aziz out by his ankles.
Osman glanced down at the bloodstained carpet and a brief look of disgust flashed through his eyes before it , too, was hidden. “I’ll also inform the housekeeping staff that there is a mess.” He turned back to Tiro. “How long do you expect this delay to take?”
Tiro chuckled, relief surging through him as he tightened his arms around Angela. “Give me ten minutes,” he said.
Osman nodded, then disappeared, pulling the door closed behind him.
There was a long silence after that. Angela pulled back, looking up at him. Tiro felt an ache deep inside of him, but also anger. “I’m so sorry that you were put in danger, love,” he said, cupping her cheek.
Angela smiled faintly and pressed her cheek to his heart as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry your friend betrayed you,” she whispered back.
Tiro hugged her close, grateful for her understanding. If he’d had any doubts about how much he loved her, this moment washed them away.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered, kissing her again.
“I love you!” She tightened her arms around his waist