Page 27 of The Princess and Her Mercenary

This thought started a small bubble within her, like a flare up inside of her body, but not a good one. It took her a while to realize, especially as she grew more and more tired, that the feeling, that little bubble that felt like it was pressing on her chest and choking her with fear. She feared for the future of her relationship with Keane. Not because she feared he would do anything to her. But she feared losing him.

He was completely unsuitable as consort to the Princess. Her brother would never allow a long-term relationship between Ndari and Keane.

Not only was her brother a potential problem to their future together, but Keane's job was dangerous. He worked for an international arms dealer. What if he was killed in the line of duty?

As they headed back to their hotel, Ndari leaned against Keane in the back of their taxi, her head on his shoulder. "When do you have to go back to work?" She tried to sound casual so he wouldn't hear the worry in her voice.

He glanced down at her and used his big thick finger to brush some hair off her forehead. "I choose my work baby. I take contracts. I don't need to work every day, like normal people. I choose lucrative contracts, fulfill my duties, collect the money and take as much time off as I need."

"That sounds wonderful," she said.

And it did. She understood what a working day looked like. She'd seen it at the palace with the servants, she'd read about it, she'd heard about it. And she'd watched it on TV. Of course, she'd never lived it personally. Her life had been one of privilege and idleness within the palace walls. She thought it was enough. She thought it was fulfilling. Until she met Keane.

"What about Ivan and Jaya?" she asked.

"I had a five-year contract with Ivan," he said. "He contracted me to set up security for all of his homes, hire and train teams and find him his hacker. I completed the terms of the contract. And now I’m free to do what I want."

She said, "I hadn't realized that you were on contract with Ivan."

"Won't do it any other way," Keane said. "I won't be any man's servant."

"But doesn't Ivan want you back?" she asked curiously.

Keane chuckled. "Of course he does. Everyone wants me back. I'm good at what I do."

He was good at what he did. She'd seen it when they were living together in Ivan's penthouse in Jakarta. Keane took his job seriously. He knew what he was doing. He was vigilant. He managed his security team like they were a well-oiled machine. Each man had a job and was expected to work with precision and skill. Keane also seemed to develop friendships with his team; they looked up to him as both a boss and a friend.

His security was tight. The few times that Jaya had managed to bypass security had taken a lot of work for the very intelligent, very talented hacker. Rather than being angry at his employer's wife for besting him, Keane had been willing to learn about the flaws in his system and his security, and to fix them so that would never happen again. By the time Ndari had been called back to the palace, Keane and Jaya had turned their tug of war into a game. She would try to find holes in Keane's security, and he would patch them up.

Ndari was a little sad to hear that Keane would no longer work for Ivan. The two terrifying men and the hacker queen had made a good team. And who didn’t need a Princess tagging along on adventures?

As if sensing her feelings, Keane asked, "Do you want me to take another contract with him? So you can spend time with Jaya? I'll do it if you want me to. The money didn't hurt none."

She smiled. "The selfish part of me wants you to go back. But if that isn't the type of work you like to do long term, I guess I want what's best for you."

She realized it was true; she actually did want what was best for another person and not herself. Her entire life she'd been taught that she was special, that she deserved all the grand things she got in life. She had also grown up lonely, unable to share herself with either her family or the staff. There was too much jealousy, too much palace intrigue for her to get close to anyone. Except her brother. Despite their differences, they had always managed to maintain a fondness for one another. Of course, this was the reason Ndari constantly pushed the boundaries of her royal duties. She knew her brother would never really punish her.

It was a strange feeling, wanting to put Keane's feelings above her own. But it was also exhilarating, like opening herself up for the first time. Maybe she would make a good mother. If this is what being a mother was. Caring about someone else above herself. That little epiphany occupied her all the way back to their hotel room in Prague.

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