Beep. Beep. Beep.

The incessant sound stung each cell in my body, which all were currently on fire yet my blood was freezing.

I scrunched my forehead in a desperate attempt to open my eyes, but they were heavier than the crown I’d had on moments ago.

Crown. Coronation. Bomb. Ian.

The beeping increased as I thrashed, something thick and heavy holding me down.

“Jaime!” I tried to scream, but it came out a raspy, pathetic plea.

“I’m here.” His voice filled my head, and a warm hand touched my cheek. “Charlie. God, I’m right here.”

Tears leaked from my closed eyes, the relief in my aching chest so much it hurt. I finally pried my lids apart, the bright light stinging my brain like an icepick through the eye.

Jaime stepped into the light, hovered right in front of my face, blocking out the brunt of the glare. His hair was a disheveled mess, more so than usual, his white button-down rumpled. Purple surrounded his left eye, and his bottom lip was split.

“Jaime,” I cried, trying to reach for his cheek but a searing pain ripped through my body so much I whimpered.

“Don’t move, baby,” he said, cupping my face with his hands. “I’m here. I’m okay. You’re okay. God, you’re okay.” Tears filled his eyes, and I’d never heard him so panicked in all my life.

“Ian. It was him. And his girlfriend—”

“Katherine. I know. We know,” he growled, his hands trembling as they held my face.

“Jaime,” I cried again. “I thought…when he took me down there. I didn’t know…I thought he was helping us—”

“We all did,” he said. “You couldn’t have known. No one could.”

“I thought I lost you,” I said, trying desperately to catch my breath.

He huffed out a tear-filled laugh. “You?” He shook his head. “God damn, Charlie. I saw him shoot you. I saw…” Something dark and twisted and primal coated his eyes, and I tried to move again, this time with my other arm I could manage it. I gripped his wrist.

“Is he…dead?”

He pressed his lips together.

“I’m sorry, Jaime. I’m so sorry.”

“Shush,” he cooed, kissing my lips, my eyes, my jaw. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I should’ve seen it,” I said. “He was my guard. I saw him with Katherine. I should’ve known somehow.”

“Stop it,” he demanded, pressing his forehead against mine. “The only people you can blame are those soulless pieces of shit who tried to take you away from me. They alone are responsible.”

I nodded against him, then a thought jolted my already pained body. “Xander? Sophie? Brie? Your mother?” the names spilled off my lips in a frantic hurry.

“They’re safe.”

“How many did we lose? Who did we lose?” I clenched my eyes shut. “Wait,” I said before he could answer. “Sit me up, Jaime. Please? I can’t lay down for this conversation.”

He looked like he was about to argue, but thought better of it. Two strong hands slid under my back, and he gently lifted me to a sitting position. He placed another pillow behind my back, and I finally got a good look around me.

Hospital. The beeping was from a machine connected to tubes and wires running across my body—which was draped in a terrible hospital gown that tied at the front. My chest was covered in gauze, red seeping through the middle above my right breast.

The sound of the gun going off echoed in my head, and the beeping on the machine went chaotic.

“Charlie,” Jaime shifted to sit next to me, never letting go of my hand. “Stay with me.”

The words he’d said before grounded me to him; connected me in a way that wouldn’t let my mind slip to the terror of what happened.

“I’m here,” I said. “Always.” I took a steadying breath, even that hurt like a mother. “Now, who did we lose? Oliver? Damian? Are they all right?” I asked, worried about his guard and the prime minister. Damian could’ve easily been a target as well as he led the procession.

“They’re both whole,” he said. “He covered me on the ground when the bomb went off, that’s how I lost my hold on you. And then once the smoke cleared from my eyes, I saw Ian dragging you to the tunnels. I ordered Oliver to go find Sophie and Brie, and Xander came with me to find you…” His entire body shook so much the bed trembled.

“Jamie,” I said, forcing his gaze back to me. “Stay with me.”

He nodded. “We lost the archbishop, all of his assisting members, half of our details, and eleven citizens.”

I closed my eyes, tears rolling down my cheeks. “And Katherine?”

“She’s being hunted by every available security detail as we speak.” The muscle in his jaw ticked, but his touch was gentle as he traced his fingers over the back of my hand.

“I can’t believe we didn’t know they were anti-monarchists.”

“How could we?” He asked, looking as if he blamed himself.

“We couldn’t,” I quickly amended. “You’re right. There was no way of telling. Nothing turned up in either of their background checks.” I sighed, the stinging in my chest growing the longer I stayed in the sitting position.

Jaime leaned down, ever so gently kissing my lips. The heat from his kiss filled my broken heart with much-needed strength, and more tears rolled down my cheeks. “I love you,” he said against my lips. “God, I love you so much.”

“I love you,” I returned his gesture, kissing him more hurriedly, greedily.

I could’ve stayed there like that, kissing him despite the pain, but I knew there was no time to waste. Our people needed us. So I kissed him one more time and drew back to meet his eyes.

“There is much to do,” I said.

He nodded. “The first thing is for you to heal.”

I glanced down at my bandages, wondering just how long it would take, but in the end, knew it didn’t matter. “I will heal, and so will Elleston. Because we both know you’re here for us.”

He pressed his lips together, holding back a grin. “My Queen,” he said. “I’m never leaving your side again.”

I wetted my lips, sucking in a sharp, painful breath. And even though I knew it wasn’t true, I indulged him. “That’s good,” I said. “Because now it’s time to work. Together we will help Elleston heal, and we will right the wrongs of these terrorists.”

Pride flashed in his eyes. “Together.”

“Always.”

“We can face anything.”

I nodded. “Obviously.” I chuckled but winced as the pain rippled through my body.

Jaime smoothed his fingers through my hair. “Second thing—”

“Is to ensure that Sophie and Brie are secure,” I cut him off. I knew his focus was on me, but we needed to make sure his family was covered, too. I wasn’t the only one they’d set sights on.

He nodded. “Already done,” he said. “I ordered Mother to America, to stay with Xander and Willa, who should be safe enough overseas.”

“Good.” I nodded.

“And I put Oliver on Sophie.”

I arched a brow at him.

“He’s the best. And I know he’d die for her.” A knowing look flashed through his eyes, and I nodded again.

“You’re right,” I said, and was so happy we were on the same page.

“Oliver will hand-selected Brie’s detail. And our new replacement.”

“You’re amazing,” I said, smiling.

He tilted his head.

“You managed to handle every Kingly role as well as be by my bedside. I wouldn’t have been as strong if the roles were reversed.”

He laced our fingers together, shaking his head. “That isn’t true. If it were reversed, you would’ve managed to not only do everything I had, but also already organized the memorial, gotten the truth out of Katherine, and quite possibly prevented the entire event altogether.”

I flashed him a chiding look. “You know that isn’t hardly true—”

“It doesn’t matter,” he cut me off. “You’re here. You’re safe. My world is in this bed.”

I couldn’t imagine what he had to see, what he’d seen Ian do to me, and I hated that those images would never leave him, just as they would haunt me for the rest of my life. But we had each other, and that in the face of tragedy was what would take us into a brighter future.

“We’ll figure this out together like you said,” he said, squeezing my hand. “But now you need to rest.” He slipped his hands behind my back again, shifting me until I was laying as comfortably as my injury allowed. “Sleep,” he said, standing by the bed.

I sighed, gazing up at him, loving him more deeply than I ever had before. “Stay with me?” I asked.

He sank into the chair stationed right next to the bed, his hand never leaving mine. “Always.”