Page 106 of Trained Royal
“True.” Andrew surveyed the room, leaning back against the wall. “She nearly succeeded, though. If Kieren hadn’t asked that question at that time…”
Patrick had thought the same thing several times over the last few hours. “But he did. And we can thank him later for it.”
“He deserves a medal.”
Patrick chuckled. “I doubt he’d accept it. He sees it as his duty, even if he’s not doing that specific job right now.”
“He still deserves it. He organised everything as if it were second nature, which I suppose it is, but he never flinched once. Even my personal guards flinch in some situations.”
“He had a lot of people’s lives in his hands. He had to trust himself to get them to safety. That’s why he didn’t flinch. He just did what he had to do.”
Andrew rested a hand on Patrick’s shoulder. “You have a good man there, Patrick. Keep hold of him.”
“I plan to.”
A knock sounded, and everyone tensed. He could see it in the way they all froze. They had been left with two guards, Gerald and Landon, and Landon checked the camera and then opened the door. Patrick tensed, not trusting anyone but Kieren at this point, but when Brett, Felix, Locke and Kieren stepped inside and closed the door, he relaxed. He wanted to throw himself in Kieren’s arms but stayed back, knowing Kieren had a job to do.
Kieren obviously had no qualms with it because he strode right over to him and dragged him into his arms. Patrick breathed in his scent and closed his eyes, wanting this to be over.
“The entire estate has been checked and is clear. We have quarantined all household staff for questioning. As much as some of you would like to leave, I would suggest you stay here as this is likely the safest place in the country right now. We won’t stop you if you wish to leave, but you will leave with guards whether or not you came with them,” Brett stated in no uncertain terms.
Andrew stepped forward. “I would like you all to stay. Not only because, as Brett says, this is probably the safest place right now, but because I want to celebrate Christmas with you all. This is a difficult time for us, and to allow us some time to decompress, it would be an honour to have you all here.”
“We have no place we’d rather be,” William Senior said, his arm around his wife, Lou.
“Us either,” Willian Junior said. His wife, Sophia, held his arm and rested her cheek on his shoulder.
In the end, they all agreed to stay, which made Andrew’s smile wider than it had been since everything had happened.
“We have set the house back to rights, but if you notice anything out of place, please let one of us know,” Brett added. “You all have your own guards that you’ve brought with you, and those who don’t, I have allocated a guard to you. If you’re unsure about anything, please ask.” Brett turned to Andrew. “I’ve allocated Landon and Selena to be your additional guards for now until you choose two to replace them.”
The family began leaving, hugging others as they left, but Patrick and Kieren stayed back until the end, making sure everyone was okay before they went back to their suite. The moment the door closed them inside, Patrick threw himself in Kieren’s arms and held on tightly.
“That was awful,” he murmured.
“It truly was,” Kieren said, rubbing a hand up and down his back.
They stayed that way for a long time until fatigue hit him hard. Kieren must’ve felt his energy deplete because he picked him up, putting his hands under his ass, and Patrick wrapped his legs around his waist. His boyfriend deposited him on the bed, and Patrick had to let go, much to his disapproval. But when he did, Kieren took his time removing Patrick’s clothes and shoes. Once he was naked, Kieren pulled the covers from beneath him and tucked him in.
“I’ll be with you in a few minutes. I have to shower first.”
Patrick sat upright. “I can come with you.”
“No, get some rest. I’ll only be a few minutes. I’m not going anywhere.”
And wasn’t that the issue Patrick had? Although he’d let Kieren do his job earlier, now that he was back in his arms, Patrick didn’t want to let him out of his sight.
“I promise. Five minutes maximum, and I’ll be back.” Kieren kissed him.
Patrick nodded and settled back in. They had all been close to losing those they cared about, and all because someone didn’t like how someone else lived their life. It was a crazy thought.
He must’ve been lost in his thoughts because he didn’t hear Kieren finish in the bathroom; he only noticed the dip of the bed when Kieren slid in beside him. Patrick automatically rolled to his opposite side and snuggled into him.
“What’s going to happen now?”
Kieren exhaled. “We’re going to question Tobias and Aaron tomorrow. Find out as much as they will give us.” He sighed again. “I never would’ve thought Aaron would be involved. He’s been close to Andrew throughout all this, from what both Andrew and Brett told me. How they persuaded him otherwise, I don’t know.”
“Who’s going to question them?”
