Page 32 of Raul
“A little rum would not loosen Raul’s tongue that much,” Gabriel said. “He has learned from hard experience to keep his feelings private. He trusts you in a profound way.”
“I don’t know why,” Erica said with brutal honesty, even as pleasure blossomed. Raul had shared his faith in her with his cousin.
“Well, I trust you to keep me and my passengers from plunging thirty thousand feet to our deaths, so it is not so surprising.” Gabriel’s smile flashed briefly before he grew serious again. “Raul is the brother of my heart, and I worry about him. He has not been himself since the kidnapping.” He touchedthe lobe of the now-reconstructed ear that the kidnappers had sliced off, a gesture he rarely made since he and Quinn had fallen in love.
“He carries a lot of guilt,” Erica said, figuring Gabriel already knew that, so she could say it.
“And he insists on carrying it alone…except for talking to you. He needs to do that more.” Gabriel’s clasped knuckles were white. “All I am asking is that you be his friend.”
“I…I’m not sure how I can do that,” Erica said. “I don’t move in the same circles as he does.” A good reminder to her about how far above her touch the prince was.
“I can take care of that,” Gabriel said. “If you are willing.”
Being a friend to the Crown Prince of Caleva. The very hot crown prince whom she found mouthwateringly attractive. That was a heck of an assignment.
“I am not asking you to pry his emotions out of him,” Gabriel went on. “Just be there when he might decide to entrust you with them. Keep that sense of connection going.”
“If you think it will ease his guilt, I would be honored,” Erica said. Because what else could she say?
“This is not an honor,” Gabriel said. “It is a cry for help. You got through to him when no one else has been able to.”
“It was the situation, not anything special I did,” Erica said.
“You sell yourself short,” Gabriel said. “I understand why he opened up to you. You exude the kind of confidence that creates trust.”
A flush heated her face. Little did any of them know that she projected all that hypercompetence to cover her fear of never being good enough, especially not for a prince.
“What’s the plan, then?” she asked, giving up on the argument with the man who was her boss. She would just have to resist her unsuitable infatuation with Raul.
“I’ll put you on the secret roster we’ve set up to keep Raul entertained while his ankle heals.” Gabriel stood, and she did as well. “Let me know what times are best for you. I’ll get you a pass to the family wing.” He winked. “Don’t bring any weapons with you, or I’ll get in trouble with Mikel.”
“No worries.” After the camping trip, she had taken the gun out of her backpack and locked it up with a sense of relief.
Gabriel lightly rested his hand on her shoulder. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
He pivoted and strode out of the hangar, leaving Erica to wonder how she had gone from being a jet pilot to playing amateur therapist to a prince.
As the door closed behind his father and stepmother, Raul settled onto the pillows Eve had rearranged for him. It wasn’t so terrible to be fussed over occasionally. Maybe his injury wasn’t such a bad thing…except for the timing.
He glanced at his phone, surprised to discover that his parents had stayed for almost an hour. The time had flown as the three of them talked about anything except work. He should be flattered that his father had taken such a large chunk of time out of his packed schedule—and brought the queen with him. Raul grimaced at the ceiling. It was a measure of how concerned his father was about him. How could he reassure his parents that he was fine?
His phone dinged. A moment later, the door opened to admit Mikel Silva, dressed in his usual dark suit, white shirt, and dark green tie, his brown hair neatly swept back from his forehead.
Mikel gave an abbreviated bow. “I hope you are feeling better,Su Alteza Real.You wished to speak with me?”
The man’s face was a mask of polite interest, but his pale blue eyes held an edge, as always. Not for the first time, Raul wondered what Silva’s history was before he had arrived in Caleva. Only the king knew.
“Thank you for coming to see me.” Raul waved to a chair. Although Mikel was not a particularly large man, he exuded menace, and Raul preferred not to have the security chief looming over him. “A phone call was all I needed, though.”
“I was nearby, and it is always a pleasure to see you,Señor.” Mikel seated himself with the dangerous grace of a panther. For a moment, the mask slipped, and the man looked tired.
“How are the preparations for the wedding coming?” Security would be a nightmare as Mikel tried to balance the need to let the press and the public view the celebration with the protection of all the royals and nobles. Not to mention that all the foreign dignitaries would bring their own security teams, which would require a great deal of coordination. No wonder Mikel was stressed.
“According to me or according to Quinn?” Mikel asked with a brief smile. Gabriel’s fiancée worked in Mikel’s private office. In fact, she had been instrumental in tracking down the kidnappers…and bringing Gabriel back to life.
“It shows how much Quinn loves Gabriel that she’s willing to go through all the pomp and circumstance.” Raul answered Mikel’s smile. “I’m pretty sure she’d rather get married on a deserted island with just herself, Gabriel, and a priest.”
His stepmother had struggled with a similar decision. Eve had had no desire to be the queen, yet she loved his father enough to step into the very public position.
