Brandishing a Crown

“I will handle making excuses to delay the summit,” Efraim said.

“Thank you, Efraim. But do not give up on it. We will make this happen.” Stefan’s phone beeped that he had another call. “I am sorry, it is my brother. I should take this.”

“Be careful, Stefan,” Efraim warned.

“You do the same, my friend.” Stefan connected his brother’s call.

“Stefan,” Thaddeus said. “We just received word that there was an attack on you and the COIN members. Are you all right?”

Stefan sighed. So much for staying out of the news. “I am fine.” He contemplated sharing about Amir but decided to hold off. Sometimes his brother had a loose tongue. “And yes, there was a bombing but we were not inside the limousine at the time.”

Thaddeus emitted a sound of relief. “Good. Now listen, Stefan. Father does not wish to frighten you but his condition is worse.” Thaddeus’s voice sounded anxious. “I think you should agree to the marriage with Daria and alleviate Father’s worries about leaving our country in turmoil.”

Stefan’s fingers tightened around the handset. “I do not intend to debate this matter with you, Thaddeus. I have made my decision and it stands.”

“But—”

Suddenly the lights flickered off, and Stefan tensed. A noise sounded. Footsteps. Something fell. Then a loud, shrill scream pierced the air, and Stefan’s blood went cold.

Jane…

Chapter Four

Jane screamed. Someone was attacking her, had grabbed her by the neck…

She grappled for something to use to defend herself, but her fingernails barely scratched the surface of the metal table, and she stumbled. The lab was pitch dark.

Who the hell was on top of her?

She struggled, pivoting to try to see his face, but a hand closed around her throat, choking her. Frantic, she raised her knee and kicked backward, thrusting her foot into her attacker’s shin.

He grunted and slammed his fist against the side of her head. Jane screamed again, flailing as she went down. Her head hit the corner of the table and pain ricocheted through her skull.

The darkness spun around her in a drunken rush, disorienting her. Then footsteps sounded. The back door to the lab swished open as if someone was leaving, but more footsteps pounded from the opposite direction.

Nausea clogged her throat as she pushed herself up to her knees and reached for the table edge to help her stand.

Suddenly a shadow crept into her vision, and she lurched into defense mode, threw her hands up and swung her fist toward her attacker.

The intruder caught her hands in his. “Jane, stop, it’s me! Stefan.”

Her breath rasped out as she fought the nausea again, but the voice registered.

The prince?

He took her by the arms and her knees buckled.

“Jane, are you all right?”

Jane sucked in a sharp breath. “Someone was here…attacked me.”

The prince gently smoothed the hair back from her face. She could barely make out his face in the dark, but his eyes shone in the sunlight beginning to peek through the slats of the blinds.

He pulled his hand away, and gasped at the blood on his fingers. “The gods, Jane, you’re bleeding.”

“The lights…” she said. “See if you can flip them back on. The evidence…I have to see if something is missing.”

“Forget the evidence,” he snarled. “You need medical treatment.”

Edilio suddenly raced up. “Prince Stefan, are you all right? I heard a scream.”

“I’m fine, but Jane was attacked. Search the building, and call an ambulance.” Edilio nodded and hurried through the door.

Jane gripped Stefan’s arm and tried to stand. “Find the lights. The breaker, in the hall. He must have tripped it.”

“First, you need medical attention.”

“No, I told you I’m fine,” Jane screeched. “Now get the lights.”

His long irritated sigh punctuated the tense silence. “Very well. But at least sit down.”

The room swirled again, stars dancing behind her eyes, and she clutched him, hating to show weakness and determined not to pass out. She would not be some helpless female. She was a crime investigator for heaven’s sake.

“You are bossy and insufferable,” he growled. But his hands were gentle as he helped her make her way to one of the chairs in the corner of the lab. She collapsed against the vinyl seat and leaned forward with her head between her hands, gulping air.

“Jane.” He brushed the back of her neck with his fingers. “Are you really all right?”

Gritting her teeth against the pain thrumming through her head, she reached up and squeezed his hand. “Yes. Now please, we’re wasting time while he escapes.”

He hesitated only another second before he raced from the lab. Jane blinked, intent on regaining her equilibrium, then ran her hand along the edge of the counter and found the phone. A second later she punched the number for security.

“Lock down the lab. We’ve been compromised. Suspect got away.”

“Roger that.” A brisk order to search the premises followed. “Do you need medical assistance?”

Jane hesitated. She hated to be babied, but she might need stitches. And documenting her attack was vital if they caught her assailant and went to trial. The prince’s security called an ambulance. “Alert Sheriff Wolf. I had evidence from the explosion in the lab. It might have been compromised. I’m going to check now to see if anything is missing.”

The lights suddenly flickered on, and she grimaced as she scanned the lab. Prince Lutece hurried in, his face a grim mask as he raked his gaze over her.

“You look like hell, Jane.”

A sardonic chuckle escaped her. “I thought princes were supposed to be charming.”

“Blood is not charming.”

“You’re right.” She eyed the evidence bags she’d logged in and frowned. “Dammit. The cell phone. It’s gone.”

STEFAN GROWLED deep in his throat. The attacker stole Amir’s phone.