Chapter 45
Daniil
It’s been a month since Courtney and Micah left Limaj.
And me. I’ve thrown myself into work and exercise, doing a great deal of both.
Sleep doesn’t come easily these days, so I’ve given up trying.
Usually, I’m at the gym by five, ready for security briefings by eight, and at Parliament by ten.
My days don’t end until after midnight, and then I do it all again.
Day after monotonous day.
I’ve just finished my twentieth pull up when Erik comes in. I’m so surprised to see him I nearly let go of the bar.
“Everything okay?” I ask automatically since I’m the only one here.
He nods. “Can you walk with me?”
“Sure.” I let go, drop to the ground, and grab my towel, wiping the sweat off my brow. I grab my phone and water bottle off the floor and fall into step beside him.
“It’s done,” he says quietly.
I slow down. “Jesper?”
“He was being transferred to the high-security prison and they were hit head on by an eighteen-wheeler. Driver fell asleep at the wheel.”
I don’t say anything at first, trying to quell the disparate emotions ripping through me.
Grief for a man I once cared about deeply.
Relief that my son is now safe.
Anger that it came to this.
Concern for the babies he left behind.
“Was anyone else hurt?” I ask after a moment.
He shakes his head. “We used professionals. They knew what they were doing.”
“Fuck.” It’s irrational, but I feel bad.
“It’s not your fault he couldn’t get over you,” he says gently. “That’s on him.”
“His children are now orphans. That is on me.”
“Again, he made choices. He decided to screw you over and get rich at the same time. He’s been taking kickbacks for over a year. Maybe longer.”
I hate everything we’ve uncovered about Jesper. The money he’s been hiding. The deals he was making to screw over the royal family. The lies he was telling. It’s been a lot, and I know it hit Joe even harder.
Joe’s been through the wringer the last month as well.
He had to be interrogated, his finances picked through with a fine-tooth comb—all while he was caring for Charlie and Briony.
He didn’t want to upset their lives any more than he had to, but he’s also been clear that he can’t raise them.
He never wanted children of his own and only agreed to be Jesper’s partner with the understanding that he wouldn’t ever be their primary parent.
So now they’re losing yet another parent.
First me, then Jesper, and soon Joe.
Which makes me feel like the world’s worst human. Not only did I abandon them, I abandoned my own son. And regret fills me every single day.
“I know you’re beating yourself up right now,” Erik says as we walk. “But don’t. He did this to himself. Long before he found out about you and Courtney, he was taking bribes. Working against us behind our backs. Yes, you broke his heart, but he made choices that cost him his life.”
“And I’ve made choices that helped him along.”
“Maybe.” He pauses at the elevators and looks at me. “And maybe it’s time to make better choices.”
“What does that mean?” I demand.
“You remember being in exile?”
“No,” I say drolly. “I’ve forgotten.”
“I faked my death, letting the woman I loved—who was pregnant with my child at the time—think I died. I let another man raise him. I let her spend ten fucking years mourning me. I missed out on fucking everything because I thought it was better for him. For them.”
“Wasn’t it?” I demand.
“No.” He shakes his head firmly. “She was miserable. My son is so confused now, and I can’t blame him.
He spent the first ten years of his life as a normal kid.
Then suddenly he finds out he’s a prince, the heir to the throne of a country he knows nothing about.
He’s been moved halfway across the world to learn a new language, new customs, and potentially be molded into a future king.
Meanwhile, my wife, the woman I love more than anything on this earth, gave up her very lucrative career as a musician.
“I should have taken her on the run with me. We would have been stronger together. And yes, I have her back, but I know she misses music. I know Luke misses his friends and family in Vegas. Everything about this life we lead is hard. So, if there’s a way for you to make it easier, you should.”
All I can do is stare at him.
I’ve never heard Erik express regrets about…anything.
I’m kind of floored.
“Can you not talk in hyperbole and just say what you’re trying to say?” I demand.
He smiles. “Go get her, Dan. I need you to stay on as Minister of Foreign Affairs until January, so we can elect someone we trust to replace you, but you don’t owe me anything.”
“I took an oath—owing you my life.”
His gaze is scrutinous, focused. “Do you love her?”
I look away, staring up at the ceiling. I should lie but what’s the point? Anyone who knows me already knows the answer.
“I do.”
“You want to be with her and raise your boy together?”
“Yes, but—”
“There are no buts. Go to Vegas. Everything here is done. Jesper is gone. Joe has been cleared. And I spent most of the night on the phone. I’ve secured the votes for the pipeline bill.
Once I showed everyone the proof of the bribes Jesper was taking, they all back pedaled quickly.
We’ll vote today, and you can be on a flight to Vegas tomorrow. ”
“Erik, I—”
“Don’t.” He interrupts, squeezing my shoulder firmly. “I knew what I was giving up to take this on but this was always my destiny—it doesn’t have to be yours.”
“I don’t know how to walk away…” I admit. “I love her. I love my son. But leaving you feels wrong too.”
He shakes his head. “You’re not leaving me, you’re just living your life.
You’re almost forty years old. Haven’t we all sacrificed enough for this country?
I got my woman back and she’s all in. Without her support, I couldn’t do what I do.
It’s different for you. And frankly, take it from a man who made the ultimate sacrifice—I will never get back those years with my son. Don’t make my mistakes.”
The elevator opens and he steps inside—this one heads directly to the royal apartment so I can’t join him. He winks as the doors close, leaving me standing there.
Did my king just tell me that my woman and son were more important than my duty?
He did.
Now I just have to work out the logistics in my head.
Could I leave Limaj and move to Vegas or anywhere else in the U.S.? What would I do with my time? With myself? Parenting can only take up so many hours and I know Courtney well enough to know she’d be bored if we just sat around doing nothing day after day.
We could travel but what happens when Micah starts school? I don’t want him to go to a boarding school like I did. It wasn’t bad but I missed my family and why am I doing this if I’m just going to send him away? I don’t even know for sure if Courtney wants more kids.
On top of all that, I still have to have purpose in my life.
There are a lot of things to talk about but—I feel a surge of excitement—we could figure things out.
Together.
If she’ll have me.
She told me she loved me that last night we spent together.
I refuse to believe she’s moved on or forgotten about me. Forgotten what we’d started to build, both here and in Vegas.
A family.
Our family.
One I can still have.
I just have to get through passing the bill.
Then I’m going to be on the next flight to Vegas.