Nowhere Left to Fall (The Nowhere Trilogy Book 1), page 20
“General.” I shook his hand.
“Condolences on the loss of your uncle and the rest of your family.”
“Thank you. It’s a great loss for all of Limaj.”
“Indeed.” Our eyes met meaningfully.
“At some point, I’d like to get together,” I said quietly. “Perhaps we can discuss some options for the future.”
“I fear it may be too late for that,” the older man responded. “But I would enjoy your company nonetheless.”
We walked toward the general assembly room, and I lowered my voice. “Talk to me,” I said. “Tell me what the others are saying. How much support does Anwar have?”
“Too much,” he admitted. “There are those pushing for a theocracy, including Anwar. I’ve heard rumors that he believes if we allow the religious sect to run the country, they’ll be so busy with their Bibles and Korans they won’t notice him taking all the oil and trade profits for himself.”
“Can we stop this?”
“I don’t know how, Your Highness,” replied General Sarrano. “I fear life as we know it is about the change.”
We stepped into the assembly room, and I was assaulted by a cacophony of sights and sounds. People I’d known for many years suddenly looked old, drawn, heartbroken. Everyone was speaking in hushed, whispered tones, their body language cautious, subdued. The usual energy and presence of the leaders of our government had disappeared, and the trepidation in the room was almost palpable. Many averted their eyes as I approached, while others rose to shake my hand and offer more condolences. It was an endless cycle and I was glad to finally reach my usual seat, an honorary spot to the right of where Anwar would stand when he addressed the assembly.
“I go where you go,” Aziz whispered to me. “Sandor has given me strict instructions. I am not to be more than five feet from your side.”
“I know.” I nodded.
Because Sandor was technically next in line to the throne if you took me out of the equation, he was keeping his distance, sitting in the back of the room where he could keep an eye on everything should an attack be imminent. Our lives were in danger, we knew that, but we had to be here today. This was our last chance to delay Anwar’s ascent to the throne, and though I had a feeling it was a lost cause, we had to try. Sandor, who hated all things politics and had been anxious to train as my bodyguard so he wouldn’t have to think about anything but my safety, would make a far better king than Anwar. Hell, Aziz would make a better king than Anwar, and he wasn’t even royalty.
I took my seat at the main table, refusing anything to drink because I didn’t trust Anwar not to poison the lot of us. It was a little paranoid to think that way, but after the events of the last few days, I wouldn’t put anything past him. Part of me was restless, anxious to get as far away as possible, while the rest of me wanted to fight. I couldn’t explain my disparate thoughts and feelings, almost like I was two separate people. I liked anonymity, living a carefree life of leisure, and focusing on humanitarian and charitable efforts. Now that I was going to become a father, I yearned for the woman I loved and our child, picturing us in a big house and building a happy, lighthearted future.
On the other hand, I’d felt the slight tug toward the throne since childhood. If Daniil or Sandor or even Yusef had been the one to ascend, I would have been okay in my role as prince, ambassador, or something similar. But Anwar made my heart scream in agony for my people, my country, my heritage. He was an asshole with zero empathy and no heart. He would destroy my country as surely as I was breathing, and I couldn’t deny the overwhelming need to stop him. It wasn’t feasible, I knew this in my heart, but the feelings remained all the same.
“Good morning.” Anwar strode in wearing…a ceremonial cape. The one his father wore to coronations and events of state. Holy shit, he’d lost his fucking mind because he was carrying a staff as well. My thirty-year-old, Harvard-educated, Ferrari-driving cousin was walking around like something out of a historical fiction novel.
I wasn’t the only one in shock. I could see it on the faces of General Sarrano and many others, though most dipped their heads to hide their astonishment. Sandor met my gaze across the room and gave me the tiniest shake of his head. Something told us it was over, and we had to get out before it was too late.
“We gather here today to address my ascension to the throne,” Anwar began without preamble. “The unexpected and extremely unfathomable deaths of my father and brothers brings me great sadness, but in order to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice, we must unite and strike back quickly and forcefully. I move that we bring a motion to the floor to vote on my ascension.”
The room broke out in a chorus of discussion, shouts, and protests. I watched Anwar’s face get redder and redder as he exchanged looks with his two aides, who were whispering to him furiously. I didn’t know either man, which worried me, because it was usually a big deal to rise to a position like that. The fact that he’d brought in outsiders was just another nail in the coffin of my country and I didn’t know what to do about it. I wanted to speak up, beg Parliament to appoint someone else—Sandor was next in line and right here—but that’s not how it worked. That was probably why everyone was in a frenzy now. No matter what anyone wanted, the rules of law regarding ascension were clear, and in the current circumstances, Anwar was a shoo-in.
“Enough!” Anwar banged a gavel on the podium and raised his arms, allowing his cape to flow behind him. “We will vote. Now.”
“Your Highness.” Parliament’s high speaker, a position comparable to the U.S. speaker of the House, rose to his feet. “This is not the proper procedure. We must first—”
“Your Majesty.” Anwar met the man’s gaze. “You will address me as Your Majesty.”
“Not yet,” the man responded, standing up a little straighter. “We must follow the rules of assembly and the tenets of Parliament.”
“Remove him.” Anwar motioned to soldiers at the back of the room, and just like that, the man was forcefully pulled to the ground, handcuffed, and yanked out the back. His screams could be heard until the doors closed, and voices erupted in protest.
Anwar looked around. “Well? Who wants to be next? Do you think I’m playing games here? This is my throne, and by the end of today, I will have the votes I need.” He turned to General Sarrano. “General, what say you? Do I have the confidence of the military?”
Martin looked at me helplessly, and in that moment, I knew everything was lost. He would vote for Anwar and that sick bastard would take the throne.
I had no choice but to watch in horror as each member of Parliament slowly, reluctantly, raised their hands in favor of Anwar’s ascension. My blood boiled as I wondered what he had on these men and if his show of power had been enough for them to sell their souls to the devil. Had he bribed them? Threatened their families? I had no way of knowing but I couldn’t watch anymore. As the vote came to an end, I motioned to Aziz and rose to my feet.
“Cousin.” Anwar stood in front of me. “Come. Let us talk in private for a moment.”
“I’m not sure what there is to say.”
“Oh, come now. Surely you’d like to offer condolences on the loss of my parents?”
“I don’t think you give two shits about your parents.”
“You want to do this here?”
“Why not? You going to have me arrested as well?”
“I just might.”
“Good luck with that.” I wasn’t afraid of this asshole, even though I probably should have been, but I was too angry and frustrated.
“You were never in the running,” he hissed. “So what do you care? Go back to your life, your pretty American, before I change my mind about letting you.”
“Letting me? Are you now god in addition to king?”
“Don’t push me, Erik. I’ll let you leave because you have no power, but you see what I can do to those who try to cross me.”
“You mean like your father? Is that why you had him killed? Because he finally realized you aren’t worthy of the job.”
“He was sick and getting worse.” Anwar shrugged. “I did him a favor.”
“Yusef and Raffie weren’t sick. What about Vardan? Did you just systematically eliminate all your competition?”
We were drawing a crowd now and out of the corner of my eye I saw Sandor on his phone.
“Yusef and Raffie, well, they weren’t team players. The others were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s unfortunate it had to go down this way.”
“What the hell did you do?” I demanded, shocked and horrified. I hadn’t wanted to believe it but he wasn’t even attempting to deny what he’d done. “Did you seriously have your parents, siblings, and cousins killed?”
“Sometimes a leader has to take matters into his own hands,” Anwar said.
“You’re a murderer,” I hissed, barely contained fury bubbling to the surface.
“Take care how you talk to your king,” Anwar responded coldly, his dark eyes meeting mine menacingly.
“Not my king,” I said through clenched teeth. “Never my king.”
“I’ve been patient because we’ve grown up together, and your father’s abdication makes you no threat, but I will not tolerate insolence.”
“What are you going to do?” I shot back. “Send me to my room?”
Anwar laughed, but the sound chilled me to the bone. “You, my dear cousin, are in for a rude awakening if you think I’ll allow you to blaspheme my name. I am now King of Limaj and you will bow to me, acknowledge me, and publicly proclaim your allegiance. Or else.”
“Not a chance in hell.”
“It would be a terrible shame if your pretty little fiancée became the victim of a fatal accident before her wedding day, wouldn’t it? And then I would have to bring Skye home to face charges for leaving her husband. Sharia Law will soon be half of the land here with the Muslim contingent of our population. And I can make it so it’s the half she’s in.”
There were no words for what I felt right now. Fury didn’t begin to cover the anger raging through me like a tsunami of fire, but I kept my face neutral as I held my ground. “If you hurt Casey, there will be nowhere you can run from me. I will have the CIA, Interpol, and every mercenary in the world hunting you down until you’re dead. Do not threaten the people I love.”
“Then don’t threaten me.”
It was a stalemate that neither of us were going to win. Not today anyway, and I turned on my heel, striding from the room, Sandor and Aziz behind me.
“Heed my warning, cousin,” Anwar called after me. “There are worse fates than death for your pretty American whore. She would make a lovely addition to my harem, don’t you think?”
“Your harem?” I had to turn and squint slightly, wondering why no one else had said a word during our exchange. “We haven’t had harems in Limaj in over a hundred years. What the hell are you talking about?”
“It was my idea.” Omar stood up, smirking, and I cursed myself for not noticing him before. “I think it was a lovely tradition and it’ll be fun to have a different woman in my bed every night. Especially since I’ll be married to the passionless corpse that is your sister.”
“Yes, but she’ll give you legitimate heirs,” Anwar reminded him. “And once we have her back in Limaj, she’ll learn to please you or suffer the consequences.”
“You’re a sick fuck.” I continued out the door because staying another second wouldn’t end well for me and I wasn’t ready to die.
“Does Casey like it in the ass?” he called after me.
I momentarily froze but didn’t turn around. He was goading me, and I couldn’t afford to take a swing right now, even though I wanted to more than I wanted to take my next breath. I fucking hated this prick.
We walked out to the waiting SUV and motioned for the driver to go. In the back of my mind, I wondered if Anwar would detain us, and I wasn’t going to risk it. I had a lot to consider and even more to do. So much so, I didn’t know what to do first. The only thing I knew for sure was that my life as I’d known it was over. Nothing was going to be the same for me or anyone close to me, and I needed to talk to my father immediately.
“Erik, what’s going on?” He sounded frantic when he answered.
I told him what had happened.
“Get out of the country right now,” he hissed.
“Believe me, we’re going to pick up Daniil, and we should be in the air within two hours.”
“Make it ninety minutes if you can.”
“We’re going as fast as we can.”
“He actually threatened Casey and Skye?”
“I told you he was fucking crazy, and with Omar as his right-hand man, it’s downright terrifying.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have a CIA contact in Monte Carlo. We’re heading there tonight. I’m hoping she can help. If not, choices are limited.” I didn’t want to say too much on an unsecured line like this one.
“Erik, the wedding is in five days.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
“I’ll take care of everyone here—you just be careful, yeah?”
“I’ve got Aziz, Sandor, and Daniil. We’ll be fine.”
“I love you, son.”
“I love you too.” I disconnected and stared out into the darkness.
“So, Monte Carlo?” Sandor asked.
“Yeah.”
“That woman, Liz. She’s CIA. You trust her?”
“I have to because right now she’s the only person I can think of that may be able to help.”
“Then Monte Carlo it is.”
35
Casey
I’d been so lucky avoiding the press so far, it was inevitable they would catch up to me. Leaving the shop after the final fitting for my wedding dress with my mother, Aunt Kari, and Joe, I was completely unprepared for the onslaught. Joe immediately got in front of me, but cameras were going off and I saw that they were recording everything, so I managed to calm my racing heart and get Joe to relax.
“Casey, is the wedding still on?” someone called out.
“Will you be delaying your nuptials in light of His Royal Highness’s loss?”
“Is it true your fiancé endorsed the new King of Limaj?”
They were firing questions faster than I could answer them, but I was an old pro at dealing with the press and though I hated having to do it, I would handle this like I always had—with honesty and integrity, to the degree that it was safe for us.
“Please.” I held up a hand. “One at a time.”
“Casey, is the wedding still on?”
“Yes, it is. We discussed it as a family, with Prince Benjamin and Princess Kari, as well as Erik’s cousins and extended family. Though we’re grieving the loss of King Isak, Queen Klara, and the others, we refuse to let a group of terrorists ruin our special day. We believe they would want us to continue with our celebration, despite the tragedy.”
“There are rumors that you and Erik have split up, which is why he hasn’t been seen in Las Vegas this week, leading up to the wedding.”
“Erik went to pay his respects to…the new king, and offer his condolences. He’ll be home soon, and we’re getting married as planned.”
It went on for a few minutes, but finally Joe ushered us into the SUV and we slowly pulled out of the parking lot.
“Shit.” I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. “How did they find me? The shop wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”
“Probably a process of elimination. Most of the big papers have enough reporters to have them waiting at each of the bigger dress shops in town,” Aunt Kari said. “It was only a matter of time.”
“Did I do okay?” I asked. “I felt so stiff and formal, like I was reading from a script, even though I wasn’t.”
“You did fine.” Mom squeezed my arm.
“I wish Erik was here.” I let my head loll to the side.
“Soon,” Aunt Kari whispered. “He’ll be here soon.”
“We can’t get caught off guard like that,” Joe muttered. “We need to be more careful than this, Casey. We don’t know what Anwar is capable of or how far his reach is.”
“I know.”
“Asshole,” Mom grunted from the back seat. “I’ve never met him, but I really hate him.”
“You’d hate him more if you met him,” Aunt Kari added.
“How did Isak and Klara raise such a jerk?” I wondered aloud.
“Sometimes it just happens,” Aunt Kari responded.
I thought about the child inside of me, and that didn’t seem possible. I already loved him or her so much, the thought of him growing up and killing me was beyond the scope of reality for me. I knew it existed in the world—hell, we’d all but witnessed it firsthand—but it didn’t feel real. Somehow, I would do everything in my power to make sure I never raised a kid like that.
Friends and family started to arrive in Las Vegas, and though I missed Erik desperately, there was no time to do anything but keep moving forward. Jade was great at distracting me from all the chaos going on, but there were so many changes happening so fast, I was struggling to keep up. Without Erik to keep me grounded, I was being pulled in too many directions when all I really wanted to do was curl up in a chair with my guitar. I hadn’t played in weeks and I itched to sneak off to the studio, but there was never a free moment. If there wasn’t something wedding-related to do, I felt obligated to spend time with Elen and the many friends who’d begun to arrive, but they’d been doing a lot of drinking and I felt out of place since I couldn’t join them. Instead, I smiled and hugged people a lot, trying to keep up appearances and pretend I wasn’t terrified for the man I loved.
“Casey, are you ready to go?” Skye stood in the doorway of our suite and I looked up from where I’d been daydreaming by the window.
