Page 62 of Claimed
Nicki’s voice sounded from the corner of the room, and she took a step back as everyone’s eyes turned to her. She still seemed a little disoriented, which was a fair enough reaction. He still hadn’t fully processed everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and she had had her memory blanked on top of that. But she wouldn’t betray any weakness to the queen, he knew. She wouldn’t want to betray weakness to anyone.
The queen leaned forward, breaking away from Jasen. “What do you mean, she might know?” she demanded.
“Well, she worked with vets—active military too. That was her thesis study, the effects of PTSD on general cognitive something or other.” Nicki flapped her hand, clearly warming to the idea. “I don’t know the specifics, but she spent nearly a year on it so she would know. Heck, maybe she could talk to Ryker—Ari. Maybe she can help him remember who he is?”
The queen seized on the idea with both hands, turning to Kristos. “Where are the girls now?” she asked, but once again Jasen was the voice of reason.
“We have time, Catherine,” he said, his words calm. “It’s another several hours before the yacht reaches our shores.” He flicked his gaze to Cyril. “Do you agree with Stefan’s concern about where they should dock?”
“I do, Your Highness,” the chief advisor said carefully. “It might be wise for the yacht to dock at Asteri for a few days. We can send a medical team there. If there’s a reason to bring Ari to the mainland, we can. If there’s a reason for him to remain, it’s a comfortable location.”
Stefan nodded. Asteri was a private island owned by the royal family but rarely used except as a getaway for esteemed guestsseeking a safe haven in the tiny country. The king and queen had long preferred to remain in the thick of the action in the capital city, but the island was isolated, pristine, and the facilities there—while more than suitable—were not as elaborate as the palace.
“It’s a good idea,” Stefan said. “Whether you recruit Miss Simmons or a more experienced psychologist, I would advise you to keep the circle of the informed quite tight. This is not something we want in the news.”
“No,” Catherine spoke before Jasen could. “No, we do not. We’ll find someone we trust,” she said. “Take him to Asteri, Stefan. Thank you for bringing him home.”
He let his mouth soften into a brief smile. “I’m not the only one you should thank.”
Forty-Seven
Nicki stiffened as everyone focused on her once more. “Hey, I simply followed orders,” she said, lifting her hands. What was Stefan doing? She needed more attention like a hole in the head.
He kept talking over her protest. “It was an excellent decision, Your Highness, to insist that Nicki accompany us on this mission.” Stefan’s words were impossibly polite and neutral, which somehow increased the impact of what he said next. “She was instrumental at every turn, from fulfilling her requirements as a travel videographer to stepping in where needed with the windsurfing community in Alaçati. She interacted capably with the Turkish officials and made suggestions that enabled us to complete the mission quickly and effectively. Without her, the mission would probably have been completed, but I’m not certain we would have recovered Ari as seamlessly.” He turned to her. “The kingdom of Oûros is in your debt.”
Nicki blinked, startled out of her own spinning thoughts by the formality of his language, but the king and queen were focusing on her with renewed interest. “I have a feeling that will make a very interesting story,” the queen murmured, her brows lifted.
King Jasen merely looked concerned. “Everyone is safe? Uninjured?”
Nicki’s stomach knotted, but Stefan continued. “The entire team is safely aboard the yacht, unharmed. We do need to rechart our course for Asteri, but we expect to reach that port in approximately eight hours. It would be best if the team you were assembling was in place before we arrived. There are enough unoccupied villas there, I suspect, to ensure the prince’s privacy?”
“The guests we had on the island left yesterday. No one else is scheduled?” Jasen quirked a glance toward the queen, and she shook her head, her expression indicating that her thoughts were already on a dozen different topics.
Nicki stifled a grin. Of course the royal family would have a private island for their personal use, and of course they’d be able to staff it in a matter of hours. Poor Ari might not be walking into the palace, but she had a feeling he would be in for a dramatic welcome all the same. “We’ll be there before you, but keep us updated on your progress and any developments that will impact our personnel.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
They talked for a short while further, then Stefan signed off. He spoke quickly to his men, and while she knew he wasn’t speaking English—it once again sounded like English to her. She didn’t just know how to speak Oûros, it was like the language was encoded in her DNA. Could that even be possible?
Stefan turned to her. “We need to move quickly now. There’s a lot of preparation to take place in a few hours.”
She nodded briskly. “I can totally make myself scarce?—”
“What? Oh—no,” he said. “There’s still the matter of the debrief. We’ll want to ensure our stories match before you’re interrogated by the queen.”
He gestured her out the door and she lifted her brows. “Interrogated?” she asked, though she obligingly exited in front of him.
“It will probably include a liberal helping oftsipouro,” he said. “You would do well to be prepared.”
His words were light—much lighter than the tone he’d used with the royal family, and Nicki found herself grinning in response. To her surprise, Stefan didn’t take her to another of the small conference rooms, however, but up the corridor to the main deck, then across to where the sleeping cabins were situated. He stopped at his stateroom.
“The veranda here is more private and protected from the wind. We can talk,” he said, ushering her inside.
“Of course.” She pointedly did not glance toward the doors that led to the bedchamber, and instead headed outside.
Stefan was right. The small sitting area was wonderfully comfortable, open to the sky but with walls high enough to cut most of the stiff breeze coming off the ocean. Nicki ducked under the shade to sit at the table, and Stefan joined her, their chairs angled to make the most of the view.
The view and decided proximity to each other.