‘Plans are underway for us to fly out of here within the hour, and back to Santaliana,’ Gabriel announced to India as he walked into the room.
It was the best news she’d ever had.
‘Oh, Gabriel!’ She ran into his arms and was instantly enfolded in his powerful embrace. She hugged this man who was prepared to fight for her safety. She didn’t know how he’d managed to work the miracle, but he was beyond being her hero. ‘Thank you! Thank you for convincing the ambassador of my innocence. Thank you for believing in me. I can’t ever repay you for your trust in me.’
All alpha male, had there really been any doubt he’d prove to be her ultimate protector? she wondered.
His lips twisted. ‘It wasn’t so simple. Perhaps you should sit down, India.’
Oh, no! Her smile froze as she heard the warning in his words. What hadn’t he told her?
She pulled back a little from him but didn’t want to sit down. Holding onto his upper arms, she said, ‘Tell me.’
‘You’re a British citizen charged with murder,’ he told her tonelessly. ‘There was no way the French Ambassador could offer you protection.’
She looked around her to ensure they were completely alone then whispered, ‘So we’re having to flee the embassy? I thought it was going to take days to replace the fuel line on the jet. How are we going to get out of Bagazin?’
His jaw firmed and the action emphasised the slant of his cheekbones. ‘President Mawandi ordered the ambassador to hand you over.’ He ignored her gasp and rushed on, ‘Rousseau could only offer you protection if you were a diplomat of Santaliana and therefore entitled to diplomatic immunity.’
Eyes widening, she asked, ‘You’ve given me diplomatic status?’
‘I can only do that if you’re a citizen of Santaliana.’
Her shoulders slumped and she admonished herself because she should’ve known she couldn’t be a diplomat of Santaliana as a British citizen. But Gabe had told her they were leaving. He wouldn’t have said such a thing if it wasn’t possible. ‘I don’t understand. If Rousseau can’t offer me protection, how can we escape?’
‘He’s helping us. He’s giving you protection as a diplomat of our kingdom.’
Gabriel wasn’t making any sense. ‘But you said—’
‘There’s only one way you can become a citizen when we’re so far away from my kingdom.’
The blonde curtain of hair shifted as she tilted her head in question. She needed to brush a few stray strands from her eyes so she could look at him.
‘You need to become my wife.’
India’s eyes opened so wide, her muscles strained. ‘What?’ she whispered. She mustn’t have heard him correctly.
‘A marriage between us is the only way I can protect you.’
Holy hell! She hadn’t misunderstood. But... He couldn’t mean it. He couldn’t seriously intend to marry her. ‘Gabe—’
‘Listen to me, India. There’s no time to waste. The French have power here because their mining operations bring a lot of wealth to the country, but the ambassador can’t hold off Mawandi indefinitely. There’ll be a priest here in the next ten minutes and there’s no other option. We need to take our vows immediately. It’s the only way to guarantee your safety.’
‘You’re seriously prepared to marry me?’
‘Yes.’ There was no hesitation in his response.
‘I can’t believe this is happening.’ Surely this was some very complex dream and she was about to wake up at any second? ‘You told me you’d never marry again.’
‘India, if we don’t get married, I can’t protect you.’
It was impossible to believe he’d take such extreme measures for her safety.
But was it so incredible? Eden had told her Gabriel had a deep sense of responsibility to everyone around him.
As she looked at him, tears formed in India’s eyes. A wealth of emotion she’d never felt before welled up, expanding through her chest cavity and lodging as a lump in her throat. Looking into his deep blue eyes, she bit down on her lip as she fought against the tears. This man—this important, wonderful ruler of a kingdom—was prepared to marry her to protect her.
Nobody had ever cared enough about her to put themselves on the line for her.
Gratitude flowed through her.
When Gabriel reached out and took her hand in his and she felt the familiar, close connection to him, she knew it was much more than gratitude she felt for Gabriel de la Croix. It was far more than gratitude and far more than lust. India had fallen in love with him.
‘There are two other things you need to know.’ The seriousness of his tone penetrated her sense of unreality.
What more could there possibly be? ‘I’m listening.’
‘Once you marry me, there’ll be no marriage to Artarmon. In Santaliana, the royal family does not divorce.’
Her eyes widened so far they strained. ‘You’d have to stay married to me?’
‘There’ll be no divorce,’ he repeated.
India was horrified when she understood that her situation made him feel forced to tie himself to her for the rest of his life. ‘But you told me unequivocally that you’d never remarry!’ Could she really allow him to do this for her out of his innate sense of responsibility? It was hardly fair to him, and this profound sense of honour was exactly what Eden had worried about.
A small tic appeared in his cheek as he clenched his jaw. ‘What I said is no longer important. If you don’t become my wife, I can’t give you diplomatic immunity and you will be handed over to Mawandi. Make no mistake about the urgency or gravity of this situation. If we don’t marry, it’s as good as signing your death warrant.’
It was the truth. She knew it. Guilt poured through her like a corrosive acid. Her shoulders rounded and she simply couldn’t look him in the eye. She’d caused this. She’d put Gabriel in this untenable situation because she hadn’t trusted him with the truth of why she couldn’t be in this country.
The friendship they’d started to build would be totally destroyed. He’d resent her terribly for making him feel forced into this situation.
‘Do you agree to put aside your plans with your fiancé and marry me?’ he asked.
Dear Lord! Not marrying Jeremy wasn’t the problem here, it was marriage to Gabriel that was plaguing her conscience. She couldn’t look at Eden’s brother as she forced the reluctant, guilty agreement through her lips. ‘I agree.’
‘You won’t see Artarmon, again, India.’ His tone brooked no argument. ‘There will be no affair and you will not shame the de la Croix name by taking lovers.’
Like Angelique had.
He didn’t need to say the words. It was obvious he thought of his deceased wife.
Lifting her head to meet his eyes, India knew deep sorrow that such a noble man felt he had no choice but to marry her when he’d been so clear before today that he could only ever offer her an affair. She was also upset he believed he needed to make the decree that she never take lovers. Angelique had evidently scored deep scars through his heart.
‘I’m sorry about this marriage, Gabriel.’ She bit her lip again as she disengaged her hands from his and tried to find the right words to express her feelings. ‘I’m so grateful to you. I would never do anything to bring you shame.’
‘I don’t want your gratitude, India,’ he ground out.
If he didn’t want her to express her thanks, what did he want?
Cold dread leeched through her. Oh, no! He desired her and he’d expect her to be a real wife to him in the physical sense. Her heart clenched painfully and her guts roiled. Gabriel was prepared to make this enormous sacrifice for her, but he didn’t know that she couldn’t have a normal marriage with him. It didn’t matter that she loved him. Emotion and physical responses were two entirely different things.
Before she could bring herself to broach the subject, Gabe continued, ‘You also need to know this isn’t the last you’ll hear of Charles Mawandi’s death.’ His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. ‘Word of what’s happening here today is bound to reach the UN. There’ll be an international expectation that you face a court hearing.’
‘What?’ Perspiration beaded her brow and upper lip as she flushed hot then cold.
‘I believe you when you tell me what happened and I’m confident any other sane person would also see the truth. However, on serious charges, diplomats are expected to face trial. A country will usually do one of two things—withdraw immunity and allow the diplomat’s case to be heard in the country in which the crime was committed, or make the diplomat face a court hearing in their own country.’
‘I would stand trial in Santaliana?’
‘You’ll appear before a judge at an official court hearing, but I doubt the case will proceed to trial. And, yes, it’ll be in Santaliana, or perhaps in a completely neutral court. You’ll be Santalianan royalty, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be above the law and we’ll have to make certain it doesn’t look as though I’m trying to influence the outcome.’ His right hand went up to rub at the base of his skull. ‘You’ll need to face an independent, public hearing, but I can guarantee you it’ll be impartial and I’m certain the judge will rule that you acted in self-defence.’
A public court appearance for murder. Dear heaven! ‘I’d have to publicly recount all the sordid details of that night,’ she whispered to herself.
‘I swear I’ll stand by you. Right now, however, the court hearing is the least of your worries, India.’ His tone was firm but gentle. ‘The immediate concern is getting you out of here safely.’
There was a knock on the door, before it opened and the ambassador walked in. ‘The priest has arrived, but there’s also been an increase in the number of military vehicles surrounding the embassy. I urge you to wed immediately.’
A dull ache pervaded her temples.
Gabriel offered her his hand. ‘India?’
Her hand felt so small, so inconsequential in his. But in placing her hand in his, she felt his strength and his protection and she believed in him completely. Nobody had ever put themselves out on a limb for her like this. Nobody had ever cared enough to put her needs above their own. A ball of emotion lodged itself high in her chest, pressing heavily and making it difficult to breathe normally.
‘Thank you, Gabriel, for all you’re doing.’
He slid Jeremy’s engagement ring off her finger and put it in his pocket. ‘I’ll ensure this is returned safely to Artarmon. I’ll also make certain he knows that my ring has replaced it.’