The Protector (Game of Chance, #1)(90)

Baxter had saved her again. And she’d saved herself. He was prouder than he could ever fully articulate. And he’d hated to take his eyes off her ever since that moment. It had been excruciating to leave the room while the doctors dug the bullet out of her body. And even though his friends and the doctors and nurses had all tried to convince him to go to his apartment, take a shower, and get some sleep, that Carlise wouldn’t even know he was there, he couldn’t make himself leave.

He’d almost lost her.

Had come way too damn close.

It hadn’t helped that it happened the first time he’d left her alone by going to town. It was going to take a while for him to get over that. He was grateful business was slow right now and he hadn’t had to leave her alone since.

It would take Carlise a while to get over the fact that her best friend had been the one terrorizing her. But together, they’d make it through.

She’d agreed to marry him. To have his babies. To stay here in Maine. He’d never felt like a particularly lucky man, but now he felt as if he was the luckiest person on the planet.

“Hey,” Cal said quietly from right next to him, making Chappy jolt in surprise.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Cal said. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Chappy said, keeping his voice low. “Thanks.”

“How’s she really doing?” his friend asked, motioning toward Carlise in the other room with his head.

“Amazingly well,” Chappy said. “The doctor said there wasn’t much damage from the bullet, and she’ll be back to normal in no time.”

Cal nodded. “They found her friend.”

Chappy blinked. “They did?” The last he knew, the search was still ongoing.

“Yeah. Her body was swept down along the front of the slide, and the searchers found her earlier today.”

Chappy was relieved. The last thing he wanted was to have to think about Susie’s body being out in the wilderness for the rest of winter, revealing itself only after all the snow had melted. He’d wanted her found for Carlise’s sake. For both their sakes. They needed to move on. He dreaded having to tell Carlise and potentially bringing all the bad memories to the foreground. But she’d be all right. He’d make sure of it.

“I appreciate you letting me know.” He looked over and saw his friend staring off into space, as if something was on his mind. “What’s going on, Cal?” Chappy asked. “You’ve been quiet tonight. Are you all right?”

His friend sighed. “Not really. I have to go to DC for a while.”

“What? Why?”

“Family.”

Chappy frowned in sympathy. Cal’s family dynamic was . . . complicated. The relationship between him and his parents seemed pretty solid, but as much as they’d willingly shielded Cal from the politics of their home country—allowing him to have little to do with the bureaucracy—he was still expected to be loyal to the crown. He was rarely asked to make an appearance in Liechtenstein, but every now and then, he felt obligated to do his duty . . . and comply with a request he might prefer to avoid.

And his lineage meant Cal being a POW was still huge news, even three years later. There had been enough stories about his scars and injuries to sour Cal on any kind of media attention for life.

No matter how much Chappy, Bob, and JJ told him that his scars wouldn’t matter to someone who loved him, they all knew the man was still extremely sensitive about his appearance. He wore mostly long-sleeved shirts and pants, even in the summer, and when he caught someone staring for too long, he’d completely shut down.

“What do they want you to do?” Chappy asked.

“Babysit.”

“What?” he asked with a frown.

Cal sighed. “There’s this woman. She’s befriended one of my cousins, and he talked the family into getting involved in her so-called problems. They like her. A lot. I think his parents have visions of her marrying into the family. But apparently, she’s in some kind of trouble. No one will give me any details until I get to DC. Because of my military service and discretion, they want me to deal with the situation.”

“Can you say no?”

“It’s complicated,” Cal said.

“Can you say no?” he repeated more firmly. “They do know you aren’t a bodyguard, right? That you’ve been out of the military for years? That you chop trees for a living?”

“They know all that, but they still think I’m their best option. My cousin is . . . unpredictable. And they don’t want any more media attention on the royal family than we’ve already had in the last few years . . . which is mostly my fault. I could say no, but it would make my life and dealing with my extended family awkward. Trust me, it’s easier to just do what they want. The sooner I go, the sooner I can come back.”

Chappy scowled. He hated that he felt unable to help his friend. “You need one of us to go with you? Have your back?” To protect him from his family . . . which he didn’t say out loud.

“No. My plan is to take care of this as fast as possible and get back to Maine.”

“Okay, but you know if you need anything, all you have to do is call.”

“I know, and I appreciate it.”

“I do expect you to be here for my wedding. And word of warning, I’m not waiting long.”