Page 53 of Some Like It Scandalous
On the surgical floor, the doors opened. Two black-suited security guards stood there, along with an LAPD officer. Kyle still stepped out first and she waited for his hand to extend, motioning her to exit before following. He led her down the sterile hallway with its cream-colored walls. It reeked of antiseptic and industrial cleaners. Only medical staff moved about the quiet floor in their green scrubs—and more black-suited security.
She lost count at fifteen.
Her insides trembled as they arrived at a closed door. The guard in front of it opened the door and everything else around her faded away. Charlie stood in the center of the room, his hands in his pockets, his suit jacket gone, a haggard and lonely look frozen on his beautiful face. She dropped her purse in the chair and ran toward him.
He turned as she cleared the door and then she was there, wrapping her arms around him. He remained perfectly still, then he enfolded her, squeezing tight. She closed her eyes and just held on to him. A shudder seemed to ripple through himand he gathered her closer, his face buried against her hair. She didn’t know what to say—what could she possibly say? She held him tighter, just being with him—being there for him.
They stood that way for minutes, or maybe it was hours—she didn’t know and she didn’t care. The door opened again. Charlie lifted his head, but he didn’t let her go. “Your Highness, Mr. Prentiss is doing well in the surgery. We had some internal bleeding and we’ve managed to stop most of it. He listed you as having medical power of attorney and I need to discuss the situation with his spleen.”
Charlie cleared his throat. “Go on.”
The doctor cut a look toward her but focused the majority of her attention on Charlie. “The trauma of the accident has left Mr. Prentiss with a lacerated spleen. We’re having trouble stopping the bleeding, we can remove it or we can continue the efforts to halt the bleed and let him recover. But he also has trauma to one of his kidneys and three broken ribs—and we had to reinflate one lung.” The doctor gave them a reassuring smile. “This all sounds very bad, but the majority of the trauma is localized on the organs—our primary task is to stanch the bleeds.”
“And you need my permission to remove the spleen if you can’t?” Charlie’s attention was laser sharp on the surgeon, but worry darkened every syllable.
“The spleen and one kidney. He can survive with one kidney and live a relatively normal life. He’ll need immunizations for the spleen.”
“Do whatever is medically necessary to save his life. If you need specialists, name them and I’ll get them here.” Charlie’s voice was hard, unyielding and blunt.
“I appreciate that, Your Highness. I assure you that Doctor Nelson and Doctor Woodard are the best general surgeons in the state.” The doctor gave him a comforting smile. “I’ll be out to let you know as soon as they are done.”
Charlie said nothing as the doctor left. Anna rubbed her hands against his back, a slow, circular massage. He sighed. “You should be at the tower.” But he made no move to release her.
“I am right where I should be,” she murmured against his chest.
“It’s not safe. Anna, the accident—it wasn’t an accident.” His accent grew more pronounced and his voice huskier, laced with tears and self-recrimination. He blamed himself.
“Shh. I know. Kyle made sure it was clear to bring me in and I stayed right with him all the way to this door.” The tiny surgical waiting room offered no windows and only one door—and that was guarded by a half a dozen of the prince’s security.
“I need to call his family.”
“I can do that.” She leaned back, lifting her chin and studying his face.
Agony writhed in his dark eyes. “I don’t have much to tell them.”
“It’s enough to let them know what’s going on. Is his sister still in London?” Barbara Prentiss was an actress in musical theater.
“Yes. His mother and stepfather are on a cruise.”
“Okay, so it’s—” She looked at the clock on the wall and did the mental math. “After midnight in London. We can wait until after surgery to wake her.”
Charlie nodded jerkily. A muscle ticked in his face. “That might be best.”
“Let’s sit down, okay? Can I get you some coffee? Anything?”
He let her guide him over to an uncomfortable-looking sofa, but held on to her hand and tugged her to sit down when she would have gone to get him a drink. He sandwiched her hand between his and she pressed her head against his shoulder.
“I played racquetball with him today.” He stared at the floor, but she didn’t think he saw anything. “He had meetings and I made him cancel them because I needed a game. If I hadn’t…”
“Don’t do that, Charlie. You had no idea this would happen and you couldn’t have known?—”
“Yes, I could.” He cut her off and blew out a harsh breath, his expression growing even more remote. Remote and angry. “I should have known. The threats directed at the family are all being investigated, vetted, and security tightened.”
“But they didn’t threaten Richard.” She understood guilt and pain, but she couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind in this moment. “You can only work what you know.”
“What I know?” He glared at her, and where once upon a time the frosty glaze burning in his eyes might have urged her to step back, she understood grief and pain. “What I know is that when you left, Richard was there. He is my best friend. If I need him, he comes. If I need his advice, he always offers it—hell, even when I don’t.”
As quickly as the fury bloomed, it quelled again.
