sea was more than a little appealing.
There was a breeze that Gary noticed weeks ago when he’d arrived on the island. It could be downright blustery at times, aiding slightly in the cool-off, but this was ultimately air-conditioner weather in Gary’s mind.
He’d already rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and knew his sunglasses protected his eyes from the intense rays of the sun as he stood outside the palace.
In the eight weeks since he’d been on Grand Serenity, he had made a point to know every corner of the royal palace, without becoming too overwhelmed. It wasn’t as easy as it appeared, but Gary had been trained for assignments such as this one. He’d also left all that behind him years ago when he’d walked away from the United States Army.
When in the midst of the conversation, Phillipe suddenly stood a little straighter, his shoulders squared, almost like a soldier coming to attention, Gary knew who was approaching from behind them. He’d heard the distinct footsteps, so the person wasn’t a surprise, neither was what was said next.
“Are you out of your mind?” Kris asked the moment Gary turned to face him. “I didn’t invite you down here for you to start messing with my sister.”
Gary listened, watching the man he’d remembered from their days at Princeton. Kris had been the astute crown prince trying to fit in. But he knew that regardless of how smart or how rich the other students and their parents were, none of them was next in line to rule a Caribbean island.
Kris had filled out over the years, still a tall and toned guy, but his eyes were more serious than they had been ten years ago. He wore a black suit, regardless of the stifling heat, and glared at Gary with enough anger that Gary decided a quick, to-the-point answer would be the best way to respond.
“I’m not messing with your sister. I’m protecting her and that is what you asked me here to do,” he told him.
“I wanted your expertise on strengthening our security and keeping my family safe, yes, but this...” Kris’s words trailed off as he realized Phillipe was still standing within earshot.
Gary took the first steps, leading them away from where the white Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG 4Matic was parked. The soles of his black leather boots made a muted sound on the red-brick walkway. There was a bit of shade where he’d stopped closer to a doorway. The pristine white of the palace walls and the crisp green of the shrubs that surrounded this part of the building made this a picturesque scene. Despite the low level of tension emanating between him and Kris at the moment.
Kris stood with his back to where Phillipe was tending to the car. An act that wasn’t totally necessary since they were about fifteen feet from where the man was at the moment, but Gary didn’t bring that up. Instead he folded his arms over his chest, his legs spread slightly apart as he looked Kris straight in the eye.
“I’m doing my job. That’s all,” he told the crown prince.
Kris shook his head. “That’s not how it looked last night. Landry pinched my arm so hard when she saw you that I had no choice but to look in your direction. Imagine my surprise when I see you, my top security chief, locked in a heated embrace with my little sister.”
With all due respect, there was nothing “little” about Kris’s sister. She wasn’t a plus-size woman, but was tall and slimly built, with luscious curves in all the right places. Gary had observed them on various occasions during his time there. Generous breasts and a perfectly rounded backside had always been an eye-catcher for him. Samantha’s attributes in those areas left absolutely nothing to be desired, especially once he’d had his hands on her and the soft cushion of her breasts had pressed so delectably against his chest. His hand had just barely whispered over the curve of her ass, which had taken tremendous restraint on his part.
“She kissed me,” Gary said in defense.
Kris sighed. “I guess I cannot dispute that since she’s already admitted it.” He ran his hand down his tie and looked as if he was trying to figure out what to make of everything going on around him.
Being a newlywed and a member of the royal family that had recently been targeted—albeit by amateur threats—could not be easy. For as beautiful as the island and Kris’s collection of antique cars was, Gary didn’t envy him at the moment. In fact, when he’d climbed out of bed this morning, Gary had thought that returning to his cabin on the Choptank River in Cambridge, Maryland, seemed like a far better place to be.
“I’ll be looking closely into this Morty person,” Gary told Kris. It was his attempt to reassure his one and only long-term friend that he was there to help. Regardless of how things may have appeared last night.
“I’ve already advised my assistant to pull everything we have on him. As a staff member, he would have gone through a vigorous vetting process,” Kris stated.
“More thorough than the one on Ms. Sampson’s staff, I hope,” Gary stated then immediately wished he’d kept that thought to himself.
It was because he viewed Kris as a friend and felt comfortable with him that he was able to say what was on his mind. With anyone else, Gary was instantly in soldier mode, keeping a tight lip on any and everything. Lack of communication was one of the things his ex-wife had complained about until his ears burned.
“I’ll take the fall for that,” Kris agreed. “I spent so much time studying Landry’s file that I didn’t look closely enough at Amari Taylor’s. Still, when I went back over everything that was provided for my perusal, there still wasn’t anything to indicate that he would try to harm my family.”
“That’s part of their job. They infiltrate and execute.” Gary knew that course of action all too well.
“Guess I should have joined the military like you and Roland,” Kris stated evenly.
Gary shook his head. “You took the path that was right for you. I’m the one who kept making all the wrong turns.” That’s what he liked to call the way he’d lived his life. A series of turns and roadblocks meant to ultimately get him to his destination. At thirty years old and, finally, after too many years to count, he’d been able to breathe and live contentedly. Gary was glad the turns and roadblocks were behind him.
“Where is Roland, anyway?” Gary asked. “The calendar you gave me access to doesn’t have his location.”
Kris frowned then. He looked as if he wanted to curse, or better yet, punch something, but he didn’t. Gary knew he wouldn’t. Kris wasn’t built that way.
“He goes off for days or weeks at a time and nobody really knows where he is. I asked him to be more mindful of our situation now, but you know Roland has always had a mind of his own.”
Gary nodded. “Yeah, I know how that feels.” If there was one member of the royal family Gary could totally relate to, it was Roland DeSaunters. The need to be free to roam and to make whatever decision suited him, without council, was imperative to Gary. Roland, from all that Kris had told him over the years, was the same way.
“We’re going to need to brief him eventually, when we finalize all the changes you’ve suggested,” Kris told him.
Gary nodded again. “True. In a couple of days,” he said. “I want to get a few more details locked down. Then we can talk about the probability of another strike on your family.”
Kris stared at him then, a seriously worried and annoyed look on his face. “That’s a definite probability, isn’t it?”
Gary didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“What’s a definite probability?” Samantha asked as she stepped through the door only a few feet behind Gary.
“That it’s going to rain later,” Kris answered while Gary stepped to the side, making room for her to stand with them.
When she looked to Gary, he nodded. “We should be back from your appointments by the time the rain begins.”
She looked at Kris, her