Page 57 of Trapped with the Undercover Prince

His crooked smile told her he was thinking something naughty. He leaned closer and opened his mouth to say something bad, she was sure, but one of the people waiting for them stepped closer and asked a question.

Zar’s face lost its playful edge, and he nodded at the man before asking her, “How are you feeling? Want to try standing up?”

“Oh, why not,” she said, sitting up straight. Her head didn’t spin, so she slowly stood. “I think I’m good.”

Zar took her hand and tucked in the crook of his arm. “I’ll stay close, just in case.”

Everyone stared at her with curious expressions. The heat that had nearly knocked her over rose again. She needed to get out of her. “Would it be possible for me to check on Luke?”

“This way,” one of the men said. They followed him out of the office, up two floors on an elevator, and into an ICU.

She was met by a nurse who spoke English and gave her a verbal report. Luke had suffered not only a broken arm, but a broken collarbone, and his right leg was broken just above the ankle. He’d lost the majority of his spleen, but not quite all of it, and his liver had been lacerated. He’d been given ten units of blood.

It would take time, but he would heal. He would heal.

She walked into his room and found his mother was there as well, sleeping in an armchair with a hospital blanket over her.

Marie looked exhausted.

Anna took in the information the heart monitor and other machines were displaying, then looked at the boy himself. She examined his incisions and was happy with how they looked. Relief and rage shot through her in a sprint that made her want to cry or shout. So many wounds on a child so young.

He was going to carry the scars from this accident for the rest of his life.

There was no excuse, no reason great enough to forgive the violence, harm, and death perpetrated by the terrorists.

Anna left Luke’s room as quietly as she’d entered it and spoke with his primary nurse about his care, asking questions about standard protocols and procedures. The lead surgeon she worked with yesterday entered the unit, and she discussed Luke’s care with him as well. She asked about Marc and Jean Paul and was told that Marc was doing well and would likely be discharged in a day or two. Jean Paul had been treated and released yesterday.

As they left the ICU, the surgeon said, “We would love to have an opportunity to discuss the young man’s surgery with you. Do you have time available?”

She only had a few days of vacation left, and they wanted her to work through it? “I’m due back in Boston next week, which means I only have a few free days left.” She gave him a wry smile.

“We will try our best to give Anna time to consult,” Zar said, coming down the hallway toward them. “But she already has a full schedule of activities, and now the queen is hosting a ball to honor Anna. Preparations will take up some of her time as well.”

The surgeon grinned. “Dress shopping?”

“Yes,” Anna said. “From the way Zar— His Highness’s sisters describe it, it will take days.”

“These things always take time,” the surgeon said with a small smile.

“Thank you for your time, Doctor,” Zar said, offering his hand. The surgeon shook it, and they walked away.

“Marc is still here,” Zar told her. “I have his room number.”

“Oh, good. I’d like to check on him.”

They found Marc in bed with a mask over his face connected to a tank of heated air. His burns looked worse than before, but that was to be expected. It was his lungs that were the biggest worry.

Zar pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m sorry, it’s the queen. Will you excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course,” Anna said while Marc nodded.

Once Zar moved to the other side of the room, Anna turned back to Marc. “I’m so sorry about Charles.”

“You did everything you could for him,” Marc said, his voice wispy and weak. “He knew that.” He stopped to breathe for a few seconds before continuing. “You saved the little boy. Everyone is saying it was a miracle.”

“Not my doing. He’s very lucky.”

Marc patted her hand.

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