Page 56 of Iron Unicorn

“I think I can do that much.”

“Good. I’m on the way, and if these Texans know what’s good for them, they’ll be quick about getting me to wherever you’re at.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, Your Majesty. She’s resting right now.”

“And if she’s even half as bad off as I think, she’s going to wake up upset. Do us all a favor and give her a hug. Hugs confuse the strong, independent women who think they need to conquer mountains alone.”

THIRTEEN

“It’s just some prissy RPS agents.”

Aware it would realistically takeHis Royal Majesty of Montana a few hours to arrive, I changed into the plaid pajamas Olivia had picked for me and crawled into bed with her. I heeded her brother’s advice, tucking the woman close and holding her. That way, when she woke up, she’d either be confused over the role reversal or perhaps realize I cared about her, changed nose and all.

I blamed the stress of worrying about Olivia for joining her for a nap. The sound of the door opening woke me, and rather than get up, I grunted, covered my head with the blanket, and secured a good hold on Olivia.

If her brother wanted her out of bed, he’d have to fight me for her.

Olivia wiggled, and determined to stay in bed, I tightened my hold, adjusting my grip so she’d have to wage war with me to escape. While she continued to struggle, she giggled, which encouraged me to play captor.

“Terry, someone’s here. You need to let go.”

“No.” I discovered that while she was taller than me, I could bury my nose into her hair and breathe in the scent of her shampoo, which was a mix of floral and fruity. “It’s just some prissy RPS agents.”

“Not quite,” His Royal Majesty of Montana announced.

Olivia shrieked.

As serving as an RPS agent involved decent physical strength, I gave the princess a demonstration, keeping her pinned against me so she wouldn’t try to murder her brother. The struggle amused me, especially as she kept swatting at His Royal Majesty, who stood out of her reach. When she determined she couldn’t escape me, she snagged her pillow and launched it across the bedroom.

He dodged.

My pillow went next, and the king stepped out of the way of the makeshift projectile.

“What are you doing in here? Out! Out!” Olivia took another swipe at her brother, and I hauled her back, grunting as she struggled to force the succession to Daphne. “I’m going to end you, William Dylan Niell!”

Daphne poked her head into the bedroom and laughed. “Good afternoon, Olivia. How are you doing?”

“I’d be doing a lot better if that asshole would come a little closer so I can kill him.”

“Please don’t kill Will.” Daphne grinned and waved at me. “Hi, Terry. How are you enjoying your trip?”

“Revenge is coming,” I swore. Olivia wiggled, and I decided I needed to take steps else she might hurt herself or someone else. I sat up, hauled her onto my lap, and wrapped my arms around her, securing a good hold on my forearms to make it harder for her to escape.

Unless she went out of her way to injure me, I’d keep her contained on the bed while she could flail and struggle to her heart’s content.

“You bloodied his face!” Olivia screamed her frustration and amplified her struggles, making me work to contain her.

“My face is fine,” I reminded Olivia. “And had I done a better job of closing any openings in New York, they wouldn’t have gotten the jump on me. You can’t kill them. I need living victims to target for revenge.”

That somewhat calmed the princess, although she still struggled to reach her brother. “You will pay, Will.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize your nose was hampering your ability to breathe, Olivia.”

The king’s apology brought Olivia to a halt, and while she breathed heavily, she gave my arms a break. Aware she might resume her ineffective murder attempt, I kept a hold on her. To buy her time to process her brother’s words, I said, “She is going to need physical therapy to determine how much she’s improved following the operation.”

Olivia gasped, and she twisted in my arms to face me. “Why would you suggest such a thing?”

“Because we need to know what your new limits are in case of an emergency,” I informed her. “Are you going to try to kill your brother if I let you go?”

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