Page 39 of Trapped with the Undercover Prince

“You need your hearing checked, Your Highness.”

“What I have is selective hearing. At least, that’s what my mother always claims when she complains, and I ignore her.”

They examined the rail car and the debris around it. Some of the Reapers got down on their hands and knees to get a good view of the ground. Nicolas gave Zar a dirty look when he tried to join them, so he stayed on his feet and supervised.

His men seemed to think that a simple lever could lift the car far enough to pull the boy out, and he sent them off to find a piece of steel rail or other material that could act as one.

One of the Reapers came over and told him the doctor wanted to talk to him, so he rejoined Anna.

She was fussing with an IV dripping into Luke’s arm as he approached, but as soon as she saw him, she got up and walked up so she could talk into his ear.

Before she could start speaking, Nicolas came up on her other side so fast she squawked and jerked back.

Zar caught her by the shoulders and halted her retreat. “Anna, this is Nicolas, the man in charge of my Guard. It’s okay to talk in front of him.”

“Oh,” she said slowly, frowning at Nicolas. “Okay.” She leaned in close again, but not as close as before, and he found himself wanting to elbow Nicolas so he’d back off a bit.

“We’ve got Luke as stable as we can. And the medics assure me they have fast transport waiting to take him directly to a hospital. Have you figured out how to get him out?”

A group of men coming their way waved their arms, and as they got closer, he saw that they carried a long piece of the steel train rail between them.

Zar explained what they were going to do. She listened without comment, her gaze taking in his face, then the rail car and steel rail they planned to use as a lever when he was finished speaking. She didn’t look happy.

“Can Luke wait for heavy equipment to arrive?” Zar asked.

“No, he can’t. We need to get him out as soon as possible.”

“We’ll get into position then,” he told her. “I’ll let you and the medics know when things should start to move.”

She nodded. “Okay.” Then frowned. “You’re not going to be in any danger, are you?”

Nicolas grunted loud enough that she heard it. She glanced at the other man with a speculative eye but didn’t say anything to him.

“No, I’m supervising,” Zar said with a shake of his head. They were going to gang up on him, he was sure of it. “I won’t be anywhere near the rail car.” He frowned at her. “You’re going to be in more danger than I am.”

“Pfft.” She waved that away like she was no one important. “Okay, Your Highness, start your engines.” She hurried back to Luke’s side.

Zar watched her with a narrow gaze. He was going to have to talk with her soon about that attitude. This wasn’t the first or even the third time she’d implied she wasn’t important.

He and Nicolas got everyone in place, then Zar signaled for the men to raise the rail car.

Metal groaned and screeched, and the car jerked upward a tiny amount.

“Keep the pressure consistent,” Zar shouted at the team of men putting pressure on their ad hoc lever.

The car rose a little more and a little more.

Movement around Luke erupted, the medics lifting the boy’s body while Anna slid a slim plastic board with straps attached under him. Seconds later, they had the boy out and were strapping him down.

Zar left Nicolas to supervise the rescue teams so he could join Anna and the medics rushing Luke to the waiting train. The boy’s mother followed them, but just as they reached the elevated platform leading into the emergency area, she tripped and fell.

Zar stopped to help her up.

Anna screamed his name.

His head jerked up, and adrenaline had him poised to race to her. Instead, Anna tackled him, knocking him onto his back below the platform.

A ping hit the concrete, and a puff of powdered cement whispered through the air.

A bullet?

He turned his head to see a man in a train uniform holding a handgun aimed right at him. Their gazes connected, but all Zar saw in the other man’s eyes were anger and determination.

Gunshots went off from either side, and the gunman’s body shivered. The expression in his eyes turned flat and empty right before he collapsed onto the ground.

Shouts of “Your Highness!” came at him from multiple directions.

Anna’s hands were patting his chest and trying to get him to turn. “Are you hurt? Zar?”

“No, I’m fine.” He captured her hands and held them when she would have pulled out of his grasp. “I’m fine,” he repeated, ducking his head to make eye contact with her. “You saved my life. Again.”

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