Above All Else: A Bad Boy Military Romance (Easy Team Book 2) (5 page)

              I looked over and saw Sofia sitting restlessly in the passenger seat. She had taken off the cap once we had gotten into my truck, which I always left in long term parking at the airport. Once I was in Wyoming, I needed to have my truck. The two went hand in hand for me.

              I watched as the wind blew strands of red gold hair across her face. Suddenly, I wondered if she could possibly see the beauty of Wyoming like I could. It was weird. I almost felt as if I was introducing a girlfriend for approval. I’ve had a deep and long relationship with Wyoming and I wanted to make sure anyone else who saw Wyoming saw her through the eyes that I did.

              We finally pulled up to the entrance of my ranch.

              “Devil’s Horn,” Sofia read as we passed under the wooden sign.

              “That’s my ranch,” I said, unable to keep the pride out of my voice.

              “Why is it called Devil’s Horn?” she asked.

              “There’s a ridge to the east of my property where it’s about a thirty foot jump to a neighboring ridge. For awhile, it was a popular place for people to try and jump their horses over the ridge. But there were just as many people falling to their deaths on that ridge as there were people making it across. Hence, the name,” I explained.

              “So there’s just a pile of dead horse and people bones at the bottom of that ridge?” she asked, her brows raised a little in horror.

              My lips twitched at her comment. “Well, yeah I guess so. But Dead Horse And People Ridge seems less enticing to land buyers than Devil’s Horn, don’t you think?”

              I saw her pink lips twitch a little in amusement before she caught sight of a house coming into view down the drive. Then I saw a look of grim resolve cross her face.

              I pulled the truck along the side of the house, almost too excited to stop myself from running inside. I opened Sofia’s door and led her into the house.

              Opening the front door, I walked in, breathing in the smell of the old logs and enjoying the peace and quiet. God, it felt so fucking good to be back. I did a careful check as I walked in making sure everything was in order. The living room with its worn flannel couch and brick fireplace looked enticing and cozy.

              I walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge door and pulling out a cold bottle of water and an icy cold beer. One thing I made sure the house was always stocked with was beer and water. Just the essentials.

              I looked at Sofia who stood awkwardly in the hallway next to the kitchen. She looked a little pale, I realized suddenly. Being so excited about coming back home, I hadn’t realized just how pale Sofia suddenly looked.

              I reached out with the water. “Here, have some water,” I said, casually while I studied her. Her face so pale made her dark sleep deprived circles even darker. She almost looked sick. I was just about to ask her if she wanted to sit down when she suddenly shook her head.

              “No, this won’t do,” she said in almost a mumble. My denim jacket slung over her made her look even tinier in comparison. “This won’t do at all. It took us nearly an hour and a half to get from the airport to here. That is much too far away. And when I saw the departure boards at the airport here, there was only
one
flight going to Europe from that entire airport. One!” She gave me a look as if to demand who could possibly live in a town with only one departing flight to Europe.

              I gave her an understanding although a slightly exasperated look. “The more remote we are, the safer
you
are. That is the whole point, after all,” I said. “And—”

              “No, no,” Sofia interrupted, shaking her head. I thought I detected a sudden shudder run through her slim frame. I took a step towards her in concern but she suddenly jerked back, as if wanting to keep away.

              “I refuse to stay here! I’m heading back on the next flight to Los Angeles right now, whether you approve or not!” she cried out as she whirled on her heel and headed back down the hall towards the front door.

              “Sofia! Wait!” I called out, not wanting to physically overpower her again. With how pale and tired she looked, I really just wanted her to give in of her own will.

              I followed after her but before Sofia could take one step out onto the front porch, she collapsed suddenly and gracefully like a dying swan.

Chapter
Five
Sofia

              I groaned, blinking slowly. My head felt like it was swimming. I tried to rub my eyes but found my arms trapped against me with something warm and fuzzy keeping me still.

              “There she is,” a deep voice murmured above me. “Welcome back.”

              I peeked open one eye and looked up to see the rugged jawline of Xander Vaughn. His caramel brown eyes looked down at me with gentle exasperation. “It’s no wonder you passed out,” he admonished. “You went nearly three days without a scrap of food no matter how many times I told you to eat.”

              I looked down and saw that he was holding me in his lap. I was wrapped up in a soft flannel blanket like a burrito and held close to his chest. The way he held me with such ease made it feel as if I weighed no more than a pillow. I felt a flush bloom in my cheeks as I realized just how close I was to his body.

              Xander reached over me towards the coffee table to pick up a large mug. “I bet you don’t eat until a palace maid literally throws food down your gullet, huh? I bet you’ve passed out before from not eating haven’t you? What’s your record? A month?”

              I knew he was teasing but I answered without thinking. “Five days.”

              Xander’s hand paused halfway in the air, mug held aloft. He stared down at me in surprise. “Five days? What do you mean, five days?”

              “Five days is my record without eating.” I shifted a little in the blanket. “And I do
not
have a gullet,” I reproached, eyes narrowed.

              Xander stared at me consideringly. “Why would you go five days without food?” he asked softly, clearly taken aback by my answer.

              I rolled my eyes a little in exasperation. “No one
tries
to go five days without food.” I stared at the large mug that was held frozen above me. “What is that?”

              As if my question snapped him out of some reverie, he brought the mug down and I got a whiff of something delicious and savory. He pressed the mug to my lips. I tried to lean away, not liking being force-fed something I don’t even know but Xander put an iron arm behind me, keeping me still.

              Having no choice, I opened my mouth and tasted the thick creamy soup. When Xander had made sure I had gotten a good mouthful, he pulled the cup away. “If you can’t be trusted to feed yourself, then I’ll do it for you. Number one goal as a bodyguard is to not have your ward die of starvation, no matter how pigheaded she is.”

              Mouth full, I glared up at him, unable to say anything else. Xander grinned.

              “What is this?” I asked, swallowing. Before answering me, he pressed the cup against my lips again, forcing down another delicious mouthful.

              “Potato soup,” he said as I swallowed. “Old family recipe.”

              It was delicious. Rich, creamy, with soft pillowy potatoes that melted in my mouth. Already, I could feel my head clearing up and the dizziness dissipating. It
had
been because I hadn’t been eating. It was a stupid mistake but the stress of the last few days had scattered my brain.

              Xander pressed the cup to me again, urging down another mouthful.

              “I have hands!” I gurgled, dribbling a little bit of soup down my chin. Xander clucked reprovingly and transferred the mug to his other hand so he could swipe his thumb across my chin, cleaning up my mess.

              “Yes you do,” he said in reprimand. “And I’ve seen how use them to toss away good food. Now why not try to eat without drooling?”

              “I don’t droo—”

              But before I could finish protesting, he pushed the mug back against my lips, silencing me with the rich creamy goodness.

              I rolled my eyes.

              “This is stupid—” I tried again to protest.

              Xander cut me off with another forced sip before giving me a sardonic look. “Yes, it
is
stupid,” he agreed. “That a grown girl could go days without realizing she hasn’t eaten a bite. That
is
stupid.”

              I huffed.

              Although it was a little embarrassing having Xander feed me like a child, there was also something kind of comforting about it as well. I had almost no memories of my parents and no recollections of ever being hugged or held as a child. My heart felt warm and soft as Xander held me carefully, firmly, protectively, while feeding me.

              And instead of anger or abuse, he gently admonished me instead while feeding me. He was annoyed, exasperated, and probably sick of my many escape attempts but he wasn’t brutal or cruel.

              I slowly chewed the thick soup, staring up at him in silent curiosity.

              Xander swirled the mug a bit to gather all the good bits up before asking in a deceptively casual tone, “So why did you go five days without food?”

              I took in a deep breath before saying, “My governess had seen me spill a bit of soup on the dining table during dinner. And she said if I couldn’t learn to eat like a princess, then I might as well not eat at all.” I tried to shrug but trapped in the blanket and Xander’s arms, it came out as more of a wiggle. “That was the longest she had made me go.”

              Xander’s dark brows rose suddenly. “You mean, she’s starved you before then?” he asked in surprise.

              “Before then, after then, it was a very common disciplinary method of Lady Angstrom’s,” I said. I eyed the mug a little, already missing the taste of the soup.

              Xander caught my gaze and obliged, pressing the mug against my lips. Although it was clear that I was enjoying the soup and able to feed myself, he made no motion to put me down and I made no motion to get off. I was feeling quite comfortable and soothed where I was.

              It had been a hectic and emotional last few days and for the first time in a long time, I felt all that stress melt away from me, leaving me drained and almost drunk. I felt like a boneless mass that had used up all its energy in trying to keep calm and sane.

              “Is that a common thing for governesses to do?” Xander asked. I could tell he was trying to speak casually but I saw the cut in his brow that spoke of his worry and outrage on my behalf. I felt touched.

              “Well, I’ve only had Lady Angstrom so I don’t know how any other governess would’ve treated me. But I’ve met girls at school who had governesses as well and not all of them seemed to have had bad experiences. Some of them were quite close with their governesses actually.” I pressed my lips, feeling that sight raise of tension whenever I thought about my former governess. “I was not, of course.”

              “Why didn’t you complain? Tell someone about what your governess was doing to you?” Xander demanded, clearly not happy at this injustice.

              I gave a mirthless smile. “Who would I have complained to? My parents died when I was three. Even though that meant I was now a Crown Princess and future Queen, I wouldn’t formally be coronated until I was twenty six years old. So until then, I needed a guardian.”

              “Your uncle,” Xander guessed.

              I shook my head. “Minister Pryto,” I corrected. “My uncle always knew he’d never be King as second son. So he never took part in any of the more formal State functions and didn’t operate within the royal schedules. So parliament decided that Minister Pryto would be the better option since he was familiar with the workings of government and was Royal Liaison.”

              “What is that—Royal Liaison?”

              “It’s basically like a Prime Minister. He works between the monarchy and the parliament. Next to the King or Queen, he is the highest level of government.”

              I saw Xander’s mind turning over my words. I could almost see him drawing up the correct conclusions. “It makes a lot of sense why he’s heading this revolt then,” he said.

              I nodded encouragingly. “That’s right. If he overthrows the monarchy, he’d be the logical next bet to take over.”

              Xander shook his head, confused. “So he was the one that was responsible for you while you were growing up?”

              I gave that odd shrug/wiggle. “Well, he was supposed to be like an advisor. He was supposed to guide me and mentor me so that when I finally ascended to the throne, I would be a knowledgeable leader.” I pressed my lips and blew out some air in a sign of defeat. “But he did more than that. He hired my nannies, my governess, my maids. He dictated what curriculums I would follow, what schools I would attend. And whenever I made complaints, he would always say that he was giving me the absolute best and that I deserved nothing less.”

              I remembered the first time I had come to Minister Pryto at nine years old. I had large black and blue bruises the size and shape of plums down the backs of my legs from Lady Angrstrom’s discipline stick. She had beaten me repeatedly as I stumbled through my multiplication tables aloud.

              I had told the Minister that I thought Lady Angstrom was being unkind and he had immediately shaken his head, a grave expression weighing down his face.

              “Your Highness,” he assured me, “Lady Angstrom comes with the highest recommendations. She is the absolute best in educating a woman of your stature. And I hope Your Highness trusts that I would never provide the princess with anything less than the best.”

              In other words, Lady Angstrom was staying.

              It didn’t matter how many times he had seen me bruised or starved or crying. He never swayed in keeping Lady Angstrom.

              He knew keeping a princess weak and beaten was the key to his ultimate success.

              I sighed, suddenly realizing his plan had actually worked. He was leading a successful revolt against me.

              “I thought as a princess, you had the power to say and do whatever you want,” Xander said, brow furrowed in confusion.

              I smiled reluctantly. “If only,” I said. “I’m afraid that’s only in movies. I couldn’t have had less freedom growing up than if I had been a serf.”

              Xander’s sharp eyes suddenly pinned me down. “Is that why you always lived abroad?” he asked suddenly. “So you’d have a chance at more freedom?”

              I nearly lost my breath at his sudden and sharp insight. Collecting myself, I gave a small neutral smile and said, “Maybe it was.”

              This time, I did wriggle free, undoing the blankets that were wrapped around me. But before I could get off his lap, Xander held me by my waist, keeping me in place as he pressed the mug to my lips, urging me to swallow the last sip. I wrapped my hands around the large mug and felt a sudden warmth as his large hand wrap around mine.

              But as I drank from the mug, I could feel Xander’s eyes on me, studying me carefully, trying to figure out just how many secrets a princess held.

             
Lots,
I thought.
Lots.