All while I was being wheeled to the maternity ward.

  “I need to push,” I grunted, squeezing Sandor’s hand. “I think the baby’s crowning.”

  A nurse asked if she could undress me but I was already sliding down my pants.

  “The baby’s here,” the doctor, whose name was Dr. Franko, spoke rapidly in Limaji before turning to me and switching to English. “Soon you’ll have a beautiful baby and⁠—”

  “T-twins,” I gasped as another contraction rocked me.

  He said something else too fast for me to understand and people started scurrying around the room again.

  “Your Highness, a gown please,” a nurse said, handing him a hospital gown.

  Sandor yanked it on, his eyes never leaving mine. “Everything’s going to be okay,” he whispered.

  There was no time for monitors or anything else because the first baby was on his way. Ironically, though the pain was intense, it was a relief to push, and our son came into the world less than ten minutes later.

  “Is he okay?” I gasped. “Sandor, is he okay?!”

  “He is perfect,” Dr. Franko said gently, handing the baby to a nurse who started to clean him.

  “Can I see him?” I was oblivious to the ongoing contractions, anxious to see my son.

  “He’s beautiful,” Sandor called to me from where he was watching the nurse cleaning him.

  “Your Highness.” It took me a few seconds to realize the doctor was talking to me. We never used our titles, especially not me, and I turned in confusion.

  “The heartbeat of the other baby is weak, so I’d like to try to deliver him as quickly as possible.”

  “C-section?” I asked worriedly.

  “Perhaps, but for now, can you push?”

  The next few minutes were a haze of pain and panic. I knew it was bad because Sandor kept averting his eyes, and in my heart, I didn’t think my baby was going to make it. It had been a long time since he’d stopped moving, and though our firstborn seemed okay—I wasn’t sure because I still hadn’t held him—I didn’t think our younger twin had a heartbeat by the time he came out.

  He didn’t make a sound as they took him away and I looked to Sandor. “Sandor…”

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said softly. “They’ve already called for someone from the NICU to come down.”

  “I need to hold him,” I whispered. “Please, I have to hold him.”

  “You can’t.” Sandor swallowed, his eyes growing misty. “I don’t think… he’s… breathing.”

  For my strong, behemoth of a husband to be on the verge of tears, I knew we’d probably lost one of our babies. Pain shot through me that had nothing to do with childbirth and I blindly reached for his hand. He lowered his head to mine, pressing our foreheads together as our tears mingled.

  Then we both heard the faintest sound.

  A baby whimpering.

  It was so soft I almost missed it, but I looked up, squeezing Sandor’s hand harder. “Is that Hayden?”

  He frowned slightly. “Did we decide on Hayden?”

  I nodded. “Yes. I don’t know why, but that’s his name.”

  “All right.” He followed my gaze. “And yes, that’s definitely him.”

  “He’s breathing and the neonatal specialist is on the way, just in case,” Dr. Franko told us.

  “What about Harrison?” I asked. We’d agreed that the firstborn son would be named Harrison as it was Sandor’s middle name and had been his grandfather’s name as well.

  A nurse brought Harrison over to us and laid him on my chest.

  “Oh my god.” My eyes filled with tears. “Sandor, he’s beautiful.”

  “He is.” Sandor smiled, putting one of his huge hands on the baby’s back.

  Our eyes met and I couldn’t hold in my emotions anymore; I burst into tears.

  It took a while for them to stitch me up, clean me up, and get me to a private room, and I dozed off at some point. When I opened my eyes again, I was warm and comfortable, lying on a soft bed. I glanced towards the window and saw that it was dark out now, but the shadow by the window made me smile. Sandor was holding one of our sons, gently rocking him and humming something under his breath.

  It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  My big, brute of a tough-guy husband, who often carried the weight of the world—or at the very least his country—on his shoulders, was a big softie for his first child. His normally slicked-back blond hair was loose around his shoulders, and he looked so much younger all of a sudden. Not that I ever thought he looked old, but the stress of his responsibilities often made him look older and more tired.

  Right now, he was the most gorgeous man alive.

  “Hey.” I spoke in a whisper since I was a little hoarse and he looked up.

  “Hey, beautiful.” He got up and came over to me. “Your son has been waiting for you to wake up.”

  “Hello, my little sweetheart.” I reached for the baby and Sandor gently set him in my arms. He was tiny and had the sweetest, reddest lips. His head was covered with thin, white-blond hair and his little cheeks were rosy and pink.

  “Hayden is doing well also,” Sandor said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “They’re keeping him in the NICU for a day or two just to be sure, but they said he’ll probably get out tomorrow.”

  “Did Casey and Levi get to the safe house?” I asked after a moment. As much as I loved my children, I’d left one of my dearest friends and her toddler to fend for themselves in the middle of an attack.

  He nodded. “Everyone is fine. The kids were picked up at school, Elen and Daniil got Casey and Levi to the safe house, we brought in a special unit of the military to retake the palace and get Xander out of there, and Courtney has been here all day keeping an eye on things for me so I could be with you.”

  “Oh, good.” I met his eyes, finally able to focus on the events of this morning. “What happened, Sandor?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, and frankly, for one night, I want to enjoy these beautiful new lives you just brought into the world. Everyone is safe, so the rest can wait until morning. Maybe even the next day.”

  “Did you talk to Erik?”

  “Yeah. He’s on his way back, should be arriving in the morning.”

  I nodded and closed my eyes. As much as I loved those people, and they were our family, this was my immediate family and I needed time with my husband and children. “Did you call anyone?”

  He smiled. “Just Harlow, and that’s because she’d called me a thousand times after they got the kids away from the school.” Harlow was my half-sister.

  “Did you tell her to call my mom?”

  He nodded. “I’ve handled everything, love.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “You were amazing. Truly the strongest person I know. Seeing you push out these babies… I’m in awe.”

  I chuckled. “I’m less impressed with the whole thing. I’m going to need a while to recover enough to want to do it again.”

  His eyes twinkled. “I can wait six months.”

  “You want to die in your sleep, I see.”

  He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. “I love you so much, Lennox. I can’t believe we made the two most perfect little boys ever.”

  “Did you fill out the paperwork for the names?”

  He shook his head. “They’ll come in tomorrow. I wasn’t sure about middle names and I wanted you to rest.”

  “Harrison Beckett and Hayden Michael.” We’d fumbled over what to name the twin boys, but now these names rang true to me. “Do you like them?”

  “I do. Do they have any special meaning?”

  I shook my head. “Other than Harrison, no. And Hayden just came to me the moment I saw him.”

  “Works for me.” He ran the back of his hand along my cheek. “You feel up to a walk to the NICU to see him?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Let me call a nurse to take Harrison.”

  We waited a few minutes for someone to come help with the baby and for me to find a robe and slippers. Then I took Sandor’s arm and we walked down the hall toward the NICU.

  “Are you ever sorry?” he asked suddenly, his voice soft but deep.

  “Sorry?” I glanced up at him.

  “The danger you’re in because of me.”

  “Sandor Gustaffson! Do you even know me? You know, the marine who did two tours in Iraq? The bodyguard who kicked your ass the first time we worked out together?”

  He rumbled out a laugh. “I could have broken free.”

  I elbowed him in the ribs. “Keep dreaming, Prince Neanderthal.”

  “I’m serious, though. If you were married to anyone else, you wouldn’t have been about to give birth in a safe room covered by a bulletproof vest.”

  “I wouldn’t be married to anyone else,” I said quietly, “because you’re the man I was supposed to marry. I honestly never thought I would marry anyone until I met you. And no, I am never, ever sorry. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”

  “I love you, Mrs. Gustaffson.”

  “I love you too.” We walked into the NICU and were immediately given masks and gowns to put on over our clothes.

  “He’s such a good baby,” the nurse told us. “Come.” She led us to chairs and we sat down, waiting for her to bring him to us.

  “Look at him,” I whispered, holding him against my chest. “He’s perfect.”

  “Do you think they’ll have blue eyes like mine or hazel like yours?” Sandor asked, touching the baby’s face with one finger.

  “I hope they all have blue eyes like yours,” I said. “Your eyes were the first thing I noticed about you.”

  “All?” he asked. “You just said you weren’t doing this again?”

  “I said I’d need time to work up the nerve to do it again, but I know you want at least three, and I’m down for once more. If we could manage twins again, though, I think that would be perfect.”

  He laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  5

  Sandor

  I brought my wife and our boys home to the palace two days later. The newly renovated rooms in our section of the building had been untouched by the attack and security was so tight right now, none of us had much in the way of privacy. That was okay, though. We were all stressed about what had happened so that was a small price to pay for our safety.

  Lennox had slept most of yesterday and today she was almost back to her normal self. Strong, energetic, and able to compartmentalize both the babies and her job as a Royal Protector. She insisted on attending the security briefing this afternoon, and while I hated that she had to, it was in our best interests for everyone to be prepared.

  I wanted her to be able to enjoy these first few weeks at home with the twins, but after the attack, that probably wasn’t realistic. We’d caught one of the guys who’d been involved in the attack, and it led back to the Bojovnik Brat, the mafia group from the northern part of the country who’d been terrorizing some of the towns up there. We still didn’t know how they’d gotten into the palace and assumed they’d had help from the inside. It had been a well-planned tactical assault and they’d almost gotten to the queen and Prince Levi.

  However, watching my beautiful wife nap with a baby in each arm made all of that appear unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I wanted to lie next to them and revel in everything about my new little family but I had a job to do that included keeping people safe. People I cared about almost as much as my own family. Erik and Casey. All the kids. My sister, brother-in-law, and their little girl. The other Royal Protectors. The friends who’d become family. It was a lot to take on, especially since what we did wasn’t easy.

  “Where are you going?” Lennox whispered as I moved toward the door of our bedroom.

  “Work,” I replied softly, walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge.

  “I don’t want you to miss all of this,” she said, glancing down at the babies. “We both have jobs, but a couple of days, Sandor. Remember when Erik went right back to work after Casey had Levi? Let’s not repeat their mistakes.”

  I nodded. “I know, but after an attack on the palace I’m nervous. Not just about them, but about our family too.”

  “Nobody is getting close to these babies,” she murmured. “My gun’s on the nightstand and I know no one is getting past you.”

  “Not if I’m alive,” he said.

  “Natalia’s back, Courtney is here—she can fill in for me.”

  “She’s not a Protector,” I protested mildly.

  “And yet, when I went into labor, she got Casey and Levi to safety. She’s military, Sandor, and she’s also my friend. Someone I trust. She’s got this. Don’t be stubborn right now—we need help, and she fell into our laps.”

  I blew out a breath, unwilling to tell her we’d already starting looking into every detail of Courtney’s life. Yes, she’d saved Casey and Levi, and helped me rescue Lennox as well, but we didn’t know much about her. For all I knew, she’d been in on the attack. Until I knew for sure, I wasn’t going to trust the lives of anyone I loved to her. “I know. Look, I have to meet with Joe and Erik now, but I’ll be back in an hour, two at the most, and I’ll take tomorrow off. Promise.”

  She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “Liar.”

  “No, really.” I leaned over to kiss her. “I promise. Unless something major comes up, I’m taking tomorrow off.”

  “We have to make a decision on a nanny.”

  “I know.” I touched each of the boys’ heads, very gently, and then got to my feet. “I’ll probably be back before they wake up.”

  “See you in a little while.” Her eyes drifted closed again and I headed up to Erik’s office.

  Joe was already there, and they looked up with smiles on their faces. “How’s everyone settling in?” Erik asked.

  “Okay, I guess.” I sank into a chair. “I need to spend a little time with my family, but I’m distracted and worried and we still don’t have a nanny.”

  “We’re on top of this,” Joe said. “You can take whatever time you need with your family. As long as you’re in the palace in case of emergency, we don’t need you right now.”

  “Yeah, but⁠—”

  “Don’t.” Erik held up a hand. “Go. Be with your family. Get the nanny sorted out. Take a few days. In an emergency you’re here and we have a dozen new contingencies in place, but let’s not carry on under the assumption that there’s going to be another attack. It’s mentally exhausting and exhausted people make mistakes.”

  “How many does this make since you became king?” I asked dryly. “Eight? Ten? Two hundred? Almost all the people we love live here—how do we do anything but stay diligent?”

  “The rest of us will stay extra diligent for a few days while you get to know those beautiful sons of yours. Now go back to your family and I don’t want to see you for at least three days.”

  I sighed. “I don’t have a switch. I don’t know that I can just turn it off.”

  “You can try,” Erik said with a chuckle. “Now go.”

  Deciding he was right, at least for now, I went back upstairs. Lennox was still in bed but awake and doing something on her phone. The babies were still asleep on the bed on either side of her and she smiled up at me.

  “Back already?” she asked quietly.

  I nodded, sliding onto the bed perpendicular to how she and the babies were lying.

  “Getting anywhere with the nanny?”

  “I am. I’ve narrowed it down to two. Joe is doing preliminary background checks before I even call them because the last two didn’t make it past the preliminary rounds.”

  “I’d feel better if it was someone we knew,” I admitted. “Your sister, one of Xander’s friends… something where we’re not hiring from outside. I’m just not comfortable.”

  “I know. Me either. I wish my sisters could do it, but Harlow has a job she loves, and I can’t pull Vivian out of school.”

  “Dammit.”

  “Samaria already has her hands full with six kids of her own and Elen’s new baby, so we don’t really have a choice but to search outside our inner circle.” Samaria was Xander and Elen’s housekeeper and nanny.

  Harrison started to whimper a little, and I scooped him up, holding him against my chest. He seemed so tiny to me, even though the doctors said six pounds was a good weight for twins. Harrison had been a few ounces heavier at birth, but Hayden slept better. At least so far.

  “I’m not cut out to be a full-time mom,” Lennox whispered, a worried look on her face. “You know that, right? I mean⁠—”

  “Hey.” I reached out a hand to touch her face. “I do know. We’ve talked about it at length. Finding a nanny was always the plan, we just couldn’t foresee another attack on the palace the same day you went into labor. With Axel and Solange in the States with Sasha, and Natalia still getting her feet back under her, we’re as shorthanded as ever.”

  “Which is why we need Courtney.” She met my gaze meaningfully. “Vet her. Do the background. She’s Protector material.”

  “But…” I hesitated because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say.

  “What’s wrong? It can’t be because she’s a woman.”

  I sighed. “No.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “There are two.”

  “Okay.”

  “The first is Daniil.”

  She made a face. “So because they had sex during our wedding weekend, she’s not fit to be a Protector? That’s ludicrous. He not only slept with, he used to be married to Jesper! And Jesper is currently sleeping with Joe.”

  “I know all that. The thing is, I believe Daniil really liked her, and if there’s something between them, we’re going to be in trouble. If all of our Protectors pair up with each other, there’s going to be a constant battle to keep staff.”

  “Eventually, most of these guys are going to get married,” she protested. “I mean, if Daniil doesn’t marry Courtney, he’s going to get married again eventually. Same with Marcus and Jonas and the others. It’s part of life and what we do is lonely—it’s nice to have someone to lie down with at the end of the day, to know someone is waiting at home for you. It gives us a purpose beyond our pledge to the royal family.”

 

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