to someone she barely knew. That impulsive decision could have cost her Danny.
“You’re all forgetting something,” Joe said. “Rafael is Danny’s father. He might be an asshole, but he’s still the father, and Mia can’t keep him away forever.”
“I don’t want to hear that,” Mia said flatly. She didn’t want to be reminded of any connection to Rafael.
Francesca crossed to where Mia sat and crouched in front of her. “I understand you’re beyond anger. We all are. Rafael came in here and treated us all like idiots. He tried to steal away one of our babies. I would like to spend a couple of days thinking up very special tortures for him.”
Mia glanced at her sister and sighed. “You’re going to be rational, aren’t you?”
Francesca nodded. “You can’t keep Danny from his father. Being an asshole isn’t against the law.”
“It should be.”
“I agree, but it isn’t. However much we all hate Rafael, Danny doesn’t. He loves his father. He loves every minute they’re together. He doesn’t know what happened and none of us are going to tell him. In his world, nothing has changed. He’s going to be four and he has a new daddy.”
Mia understood the message. What her sister was trying to say in her calm, trained, psychologist way was that Mia didn’t get to throw a tantrum. That whatever had happened between her and Prince Jerk, there was still Danny to consider, and her little boy deserved to have a father.
“I don’t trust him for a minute,” Mia said.
“You shouldn’t,” Francesca told her. “Rafael has proved he can’t be trusted. Whatever you decide about custody or visitation or whatever, I’m here to remind you that you don’t want to break Danny’s heart.”
Mia hated all of it. “You’re saying I have to let him come to Danny’s birthday party? That I have to let them hang out and trust him not to simply disappear with Danny?”
“I’m saying you can’t refuse to let Rafael see his son. You can do things to keep Danny safe. You can make it difficult for Rafael and easy for us, but you can’t stand in the way of father and son being together. As for his birthday, that’s your call.”
Mia heard the words and knew their truth, but she didn’t want to listen. She didn’t want to think about how much Danny wanted Rafael there. She turned to her brother. “Joe?”
“I hate that she’s right, too,” he said quietly. “I want to tell him to go to hell and maybe even help him along, but he’s the kid’s father and we can’t undo that.” He paused for a second. “Sam and I will make some calls. We’ll talk to a few people and get more security here. I would like to think Rafael is smart enough not to try to take Danny, but I wouldn’t bet on it.”
“I can help, too,” Zach said.
Mia turned to Katie’s husband. “You mean legally?”
“Sure. There are laws in place to prevent a child from being taken out of the country. Danny being the heir to a throne might complicate things, but he’s only four. That should be in our favor. Plus Rafael tried to trick you instead of seeking a straightforward custody agreement. One of the lawyers in my office is an expert on child abduction. Let me get her working on this.”
“Thank you,” Mia told him. “That would be great.”
“I can get my sister to call the attorney general,” Darcy said. “Lauren’s dating her son.”
“Talk about friends in high places,” Mia said, feeling her insides shake as a dozen emotions washed through her. “I really appreciate all of you rallying around. I would hate to go through this alone.”
Katie joined Francesca, who pulled Mia to her feet. The sisters hugged.
“This is going to be fine,” Katie told her. “You’ll see. As you said, you’re not alone. You have us, and hey, we’re the Marcellis.”
Brenna joined them. “You have to stay strong. Don’t go beating yourself up about this. Whatever happens, it’s never wrong to fall in love.”
Mia appreciated the sentiment, even if she didn’t believe it. “Falling in love might not be wrong,” she said, “but sometimes it’s pretty damned stupid.”
The hotel was not to Rafael’s liking. Despite the fact that Oliver and Umberto had paid off enough guests to claim an entire wing, Rafael still hated to be in such a public place. He disliked the location, on the edge of a busy highway, the flowering plants that seemed to overrun the place, and most of all he hated that he was here at all.
He paced the length of his suite, ignoring the floral wallpaper and matching drapes and bedspread. The owner had been delighted to show him all the amenities of the suite, but Rafael had not so politely closed the door in her face. What did he care about blow-dryers and heated towel racks when everything of importance had gone terribly wrong?
He had no one to blame but himself. He hated to admit that, but it was true. He’d grown complacent. He should never have called his father from the house. He knew better. Until that last call, he had been very careful.
He paused by the window and stared out at the distant view of the ocean. Mia’s fury had burned with a fire so bright, he’d expected the house to ignite. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her that angry before. In truth, he couldn’t blame her for her feelings. A part of him disliked that he had hurt her. She was angry now, but later there would be tears and he would not be there to comfort her.
Comfort? What was he thinking? He had to remember his goal and how his plan had failed.
He had now shown his hand and she would be on guard against him. No doubt her entire family would be upset when she told them what she’d overheard.
He tightened his hands into fists and cursed himself for forgetting Mia’s ability with languages. When he’d heard footsteps in the hallway, he’d reacted without thinking. Better to have ended the call, but no. He’d switched to a language he’d been sure Grandma Tessa would not understand. He had not suspected the footsteps were Mia’s.
Oliver knocked on the open door. “Everything is taken care of, your highness. We have all the rooms on this floor. Umberto is running background checks on the other guests, but there is no reason to suspect any of them.”
“Good.”
“I have arranged for the menus of local restaurants to be delivered. When you are ready, one of us will order your meal and then go get it.”
He nodded. “Thank you for your efficiency.”
Oliver nodded. “Sir, I do not mean to presume, but perhaps it would be best to simply take the child. We could go tonight and be well on our way to Calandria before anyone knew he was gone.”
“An excellent plan,” Rafael said. “If we had used it that first night. Now it will not be possible. Mia’s brother is more highly trained than you and Umberto. Her brother-in-law Sam is a security expert. We would not be successful.”
Oliver’s silence indicated he agreed with Rafael’s assessment. “Perhaps a diplomatic solution,” he offered. “If our ambassador spoke with the president.”
“I doubt the president will be available anytime soon. You forget Joe’s wife is the president’s daughter. She already will have called her father. It is what I would have done. They are not fools, which is unfortunate for us.”
He had been the only fool. He hated that he’d been caught. Damn Mia for being the kind of woman who would make this all difficult. He’d meant what he said-he would not have kept her from Daniel. The boy was the heir to Calandria. He belonged with his people. But would she ever see that? Would she ever be sensible?
Would she ever forgive him?
“I will come up with a plan,” he said at last. “There is a way and I will find it. I always win.”
12
