Page 37 of The Prince's Secret Twins

Joran twisted around to see Crown Prince Amit stepping into a black SUV. There was a flash of red, indicating that the man had been wounded, but the man’s guards were racing around the SUV, obviously in a hurry to get him to safety.

Joran gritted his teeth, furious that he was going to have to call the man and thank him. It irked him that the bastard had insulted Marianna one moment, then put himself in danger the next to save his infant son.

Breathing a heavy sigh, Joran pulled Tila and Rafi into his arms. “Let’s go find Laith. I know he doesn’t like being away from Rafi.”

Tila gasped and tilted her head back to look up at Joran. “The nannies!”

Everyone froze for a long moment, then they leapt into action. The guards were on the radio, demanding information on the well-being of the nannies who had been watching the tiny princes. When there was no response from the guards that had been assigned to the nursery, everyone moved faster.

When Tila and Joran turned the corner leading to their private suite, they saw the two guards lying on the ground, blood pooling on the floor around them.

“Are they…?” Tila demanded, stepping forward even as Joran reached out to pull her back.

Another palace guard bent down, checking for a pulse. “This one’s alive!” he said out loud.

“This one too! But his pulse is weak.”

More guards rushed into the nursery while someone called for medical help. The palace medical staff ran down the hallway, bags in hand. The doctor and nurse were trying to stop the bleeding of the guards while another guard popped his head out into the hallway. “Prince Laith is fine, but crying loudly. The nannies had both been knocked out with a blow to their heads. They’ll need medical attention as well.”

Tila hugged Rafi closer, burying her face against Joran’s chest. His arms wrapped around her, holding her securely as they watched the doctor and nurses work to help the men who had protected their infant sons.

The paramedics arrived and took the two guards away. Another set of paramedics arrived on their heels to take the two day nannies to the hospital. The nannies insisted they were fine, even as they cringed at any noise and both were holding the backs of their heads.

Finally, Tila was able to enter the nursery and Joran scooped up Laith, holding him close and cooing to him. He snuggled the small boy against his chest, patting his diapered bottom in an attempt to soothe the little man’s fury. Tila held Rafi closer to Laith, which seemed to calm the boys even more. Slowly, they both settled down, but their red faces warnedeveryone that any further inconvenience would set them off again.

“You’re okay,” Tila soothed, bouncing Rafi in her arms as Joran continued patting Laith’s bottom. Slowly, their anger eased. Both parents turned to find that the rest of their family were there, standing sentry as they watched the new parents soothe the infants.

“They’re okay?” Khal demanded, his arm around Tasha while Raj held Marianna close. Everyone looked worried until Joran nodded.

“They’re fine,” he said. “That crazy woman didn’t harm them.”

“The guards?” Tila asked.

Khal shook his head. “I haven’t received word, but they should be arriving at the hospital right about now. I’ll have updates within five minutes on both the nannies and the guards.”

“Good,” she said, still bouncing Rafi in her arms. “I really hope that they are okay.”

The palace doctor stepped into the room and all heads turned in her direction. “None of their wounds were life threatening,” she announced to everyone’s relief. “The stab wounds were deep, but I suspect, because of the limited amount of bleeding, that no internal organs were punctured, and no arteries were cut. I’ll head over to the hospital to get more information and will report back very soon.”

Tila noticed that Khal’s gaze lingered on the empty doorway after the doctor left, but she had no idea what that meant. And before she could think about it, Khal directed thepalace guards to new assignments. Everyone left the nursery silently, leaving Tila and Joran alone with their infant sons.

Chapter 30

“Yes,” Tila said, breaking the silence. The colorful nursery, with its soft pastels and cheerful décor, wasn’t exactly the most romantic place for this moment, but it would have to do.

Joran’s brows furrowed as he turned to look at her, still bouncing Laith gently in his arms. “Yes?”

She met his gaze, love shining in her eyes. “Yes, I want to marry you, Joran.”

His expression shifted from confusion to something raw and unguarded. He turned fully to face her, his grip on Laith tightening for just a second, as if grounding himself. “You…?”

“Yes,” she whispered, her voice softer but steady. “I understand now.”

Joran tilted his head slightly, searching her face. “What do you understand?”

“That you didn’t reach out over the past few months because you were just as overwhelmed as I was. You had new responsibilities, a sister you’d never known, and an entire country that needed you. I get it now.”

Joran shook his head immediately. “No, Tila, don’t make excuses for me. I should have called. I sent text messages, trying to let you know I’d be back, but I should have done more. I should have told you what was happening.” He sighed, stepping closer, his free hand reaching toward her. “The only explanation I have is that maybe I texted the wrong number.” His head dipped, pressing a light, apologetic kiss to her lips. “I should have followed up.”

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