Page 54 of Iron Unicorn

“I would count on it as we would like your assistance with Olivia.”

“I’ll indicate we’ll be leaving for your location as soon as I’m off the phone with you. Just give it to me straight, Terry. What do you want me to do?”

“All I think you need to do is confirm that you are glad that she took the opportunity to have the surgery when it was offered. And if you need to fuss over something, you can target me. We’ve been sharing a room since she arrived in Texas. Of course, we were not given much of an option, and the Texans have, for some strange reason, provided suites with only one bed.”

The suites, generally, were supposed to have more than one bed, but the extras had disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Olivia’s brother laughed. “You’re a saint, Terry. Since the Texans have broached the subject of your bond with her, she’s the source of the bond, and she’s loved you for years. I reviewed your evaluation records. There is no evidence you have the ability to bond. You’re one of the strongest generalized empaths I know of. Our team does believe you’re amplifying Olivia’s talent, which isn’t uncommon when a generalized empath is ensnared by a concentrated empath. You’re an absolute beast if Olivia is stressed. I was told to not tell you that, but since the cat is out of the bag, you’re a demon, Terry. You’re a terrifying demon that scares even hardened RPS agents. You had the Spanish RPS about ready to jump out of their skin.”

I winced, aware I’d had a shorter than normal temper while in Spain. “I apologize, Your Majesty.”

“Terry, nobody is upset with you. You’re a strong generalized empath, it was a stressful situation, and you were getting a double dose of anxiety from my sister. You were also worried about Daphne. Frankly, all things considered, you held together better than I expected. That leads me to my next question. How do you want me to handle Olivia?”

“You’re probably going to need to use your talent to get her out of this spiral.”

“Easily done if it proves to be necessary. It’ll piss her off, but pissed is better than the alternatives. She’ll be wanting to roll me in the mud once she’s given the order, though.”

“She’s a little upset over the kidnapping.”

The king snickered. “I can handle her wrath. What’s your move if she doesn’t take the next step?”

“I’m thinking a kidnapping. I’ve been given permission to make a run at Queen Jessica. If Olivia happens to be in the area, I’m authorized to grab both of them.”

“Who is on your team?”

“Me, myself, and I.”

He whistled. “That’s going to be fun for you. I’ll do you a favor, Terry. I’m going to give my sister an order that she should, perhaps, follow her heart versus anyone else’s expectations for a change. I make no promises it’ll work out, but at least my sister will do what her heart wants for a change. That’s a bit ruthless of me, but I can’t fault you waiting for her to make the first move, not after the operation.”

“Her changed nose changes nothing between us,” I informed him.

“Right. And because that’s the case, and you’re notoriously dense regarding my sister, she’s going to have to make the first move. But are you all right with this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be all right with this? She’s my closest friend. And while Daphne is a close friend, it’s not the same.”

Montana’s king sighed. “Right. And while you loved Sabina, she was not your closest friend.”

Had he said something like that closer to my wife’s death, I would not have handled it well. The years had changed me, and I recognized the truth.

I had loved her, but Sabina had not been my closest friend. In reality, I accepted that I had not been a good husband for her. She had been a wonderful wife, but I had fallen short. I’d done my best to ride both horses, and she’d gone into the marriage understanding that, but I had fallen short more than I cared to think about. “I honestly do not know how long our marriage would have survived. Her needs had changed over the years. Mine had not.”

“Hindsight is often cruel and relentless. We can have a scuffle for Olivia’s benefit, and I’ll make sure I wear my suppressor for the brawl. And yes, I’ll use my talent on my sister, especially if you’re concerned about her mental health.”

“She isn’t doing well.”

“I’ll try to knock some basic sense back into her—and I’ll call in our psychologist from Montana. I’ll book you in for some sessions, too. Please tell me that they really didn’t dump you in a tank with crabs.”

“King crabs, blue crabs, crawdads, at least two types of shrimp, and monster lobsters. And the monster lobsters are going to New York as pets.” I heaved a sigh. “I held one of the lobsters, Your Majesty.”

“Are you all right?”

“I have graduated from flight to fight, which is how I ended up in the hospital for a few hours.” I hesitated, decided that the Montana king would involve himself like it or not, and added, “Princess Melody handled my care.”

“My sister must have been freaking out. And she’s not expressing that, so she’s bottling—and her nose is her safe way to express her emotions. I’ll take care of it. Please tell me you’re recovering. I had not heard about you having pneumonia.”

“I’m fine.” I’d feel a great deal better once Olivia was back on her feet. “I can’t guarantee the Texan RPS does not need therapy. I had the death cough.”

Olivia’s brother snickered. “And my sister would have loved every moment taking care of you. I’ll confirm with Melody we weren’t the cause of your pneumonia, though.”

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