The Prince's Intimate Abduction (The Samara Royal Family Series Book 2) (12 page)

Raven gasped when she heard those words.  “I came here to see to the wounded!  Not to make sure that this big lug was unhurt,” she clarified.  It was halfway true, she told herself.  Okay, more than halfway true, but she hadn’t told that to the obnoxious prince.  Of course, she wanted to help anyone who might be wounded, but yes, her concern was for Turk, to make sure he was okay.  But that was her secret wish, not for public consumption!

Turk walked right up to her and, despite her look of panic, he picked her up and carried her back to the helicopter that was just landing to the left of their position.  “Go!” he commanded to the pilot as soon as he’d finished buckling Raven into one of the seats.  He looked out of the window just as the pilot took off, glaring at his younger brother, his gaze promising retribution. 

Rais was unfazed by his brother’s silent promise and even raised his hand to wave goodbye. 

Now that she knew that the big guy was okay, Raven sat next to Turk, glaring at the enormous man as her temper simmered.  She could not believe that he was angry with her being here.  It was her job!  And if he didn’t respect that about her, then what was the point of their conversation last week?  She’d thought that he understood!  That he could get behind her need to be a doctor! 

Obviously, he hadn’t!  If he had, he would have called her over to the men who had been wounded and asked for her assistance. 

Fine!  If he didn’t want to accept her, all of her, then she would just…

Her heart ached so badly, she couldn’t even finish that sentence.  She didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to go down that road.

But she’d have to.  Being a doctor, helping people in need, was a part of who she was, it was what she’d trained for, what she needed to do.  She loved it and she couldn’t separate the doctor from the female side of herself.  Not even for him. She might have been happy spending time with him over the past several days, happier than she could have thought possible, but that time had been a vacation.  Not her real life.  Not who she really was. 

The helicopter landed and she stepped out on the opposite side from Turk, wanting to run away, to be alone to lick her wounds before she confronted him.

But he had other plans.  And he was right.  They needed to get this out into the open.  She needed to talk with him, to explain to him why she couldn’t…

A sob broke from her even as he grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the helicopter landing area and into the palace.

He pulled her into a sitting room and slammed the door shut before turning to face her, his nostrils flaring as he tried to get his temper under control.  “You’re right to be afraid of me right now, Raven, but tears won’t alleviate my fury.  You purposely disobeyed me.  You gave me a heart attack by showing up in a battle zone!  Do you have any idea what went through my mind when I heard you were there?” he demanded. 

She crossed her arms over her stomach, trying to protect herself from the pain.  But the action was pointless because the pain was coming from the inside, from her heart breaking because she knew she’d have to leave Turk. 

He didn’t love her.  He loved an idealized version of her.  He loved a mirage. 

“No,” she replied with honesty.  “I have no idea what went through your mind when you discovered I’d shown up to help the wounded.”

“No one was hurt!  I told you that we wouldn’t hurt anyone, Raven!” he roared.  “Why didn’t you believe me?”

She was stunned by that declaration, but it still didn’t make a difference.  “Well, I’m very proud of you,” she said quietly and turned around, facing the windows.  She couldn’t see outside since the darkness hid the view, but she didn’t need to.  She would always remember this palace and the spectacular views of the city and the mountains in the distance. 

“I apologize for not believing in your skills and your preparation.  All I knew was that there would be fighting and, normally, that results in either casualties or wounded.  I was only there to help.”  And to make sure he was okay, safe from harm.  Again, she kept that to herself. 

Turk looked at her stiff shoulders and ran a hand over his face, remembering how he would need to shave again before he made love to Raven tonight.  Her skin was too soft, too sensitive and his afternoon scruff rubbed her tender skin, causing it to look burned.  “Raven, you can’t put yourself in danger.  I just couldn’t handle it if anything happened to you.”

She smiled sadly but he couldn’t see her face.  “I know the feeling,” she told him and turned around.  “I love you, Turk,” she finally said.  She blinked, trying to focus on the rough features she’d grown to love with all of her heart.  “I think you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met.  You’re a generous lover, a kind man and a sweet, caring gentleman.”

He was stunned by her words.  He’d waited so long to hear her say them and she’d finally told him – and so much more.  “Damn right!” he growled.  “So promise me that you’ll never, ever put yourself into a battle zone again.”

She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, unconcerned with how her makeup was probably all messed up by now.  “I promise that I will never, ever put myself in danger here in Kilar again.  I will never follow you into a battle zone.”

Turk heard her words, but there was something wrong with them.  They were exactly what he needed to hear, but…there was more.  She wasn’t saying something to him. 

“And you’ll never put yourself in any kind of danger again,” he prompted, moving closer to her, feeling her warmth and smelling her soft perfume that was distinctly her own.

Raven laughed slightly, but it came out sounding more like a hiccup.  “I can’t promise you that, Turk.”

He took her hands and pulled her forward.  “Yes!  You must!”

She shook her head and pulled back, not wanting to fall into his arms again tonight.  It would be heavenly to have one more night with him, one more night in his arms and one more memory to take with her.  But that wasn’t fair.  She’d made her decision and she had to be honest with him.  He deserved nothing less. 

“I have to go,” she told him. 

“To our room?” he suggested, his body still tense because he didn’t understand what was making her eyes a cloudy grey instead of their normal brilliant silver. 

“No.  I don’t need to go there.  I just…” she sniffed and tried to think clearly but the pain was shooting through her body as if it were a physical force.  “I should check in with my supervisor now that things have calmed down.  You’ve captured the rebels, including their leaders, so there’s no real threat any longer, right?”

He shook his head.  “I’m not taking any chances, Raven.”

“I have to go, Turk.”

“I’ll have your supervisor brought here.  You’ll have to tell him that you’re quitting.”

Those words solidified her decision.  They represented everything she was feeling and why she had to leave.  “Turk, I have to go.  I have to leave the palace.”

His hands fisted on his hips.  “You’re not leaving Raven.  We’re getting married.  I’ve said this before, but you don’t seem to grasp that future.”

She extricated her hands from his grip and sighed, trying to alleviate the pain.  She would love to marry this wonderful man, if he would truly love her back.  All of her, not just the parts of her that he understood. 

“I can’t marry you.  I can’t live here.  I have to go.”  She thought quickly, trying to figure out the best plan of action.  “I won’t stay in Kilar.  That wouldn’t be fair to either of us.  But I need to find another position, another village in another country where I can practice medicine.”

He was stunned by her words, not liking their meaning in any way.  “No.  You’re not leaving me, Raven.”

She smiled, wishing that his commands were something she could follow.  “I love you.  I really do, but you don’t love me, Turk.”

“Like hell I don’t!” he almost roared.  “I love you and if you don’t believe me, then let’s just settle this once and for all.”

She shook her head again.  “No, you love only parts of me.  I’m a doctor, Turk.  I’ve said this before but you don’t really understand.  I’m a doctor and I heal people.  It isn’t just a hobby that I’ve played at for a few months.  This is something that I’ve trained to do for years.  I’ve said this to you before, but I don’t think you understand.  I’m a doctor right to the core of who I am. 

The fact that you didn’t want me on the battlefield tonight proved that you don’t understand how deep that need to heal really is.  Which means you don’t love me, Turk.  You love a part of me, that feminine part that will always be yours.”  She smiled weakly as she pulled her eyes away from his. 

“It’s funny because, before I met you, I had completely ignored the fact that I was a woman.  You taught me about that part of me and…” she could say that she’d love him for that, but she wasn’t sure she would.  She loved him so much and before she’d met him, she’d never felt this kind of pain.  “Well, suffice it to say that I have accepted that part of me.”

He was still confused and his stomach ached to see the sadness, the tears, in those beautiful, grey eyes.  “Good.  Now, what’s the problem?” he demanded. 

She laughed, thinking she even loved his arrogance.  “You haven’t accepted the doctor part of me.  You only want the feminine parts.”

What the hell was she talking about?  “That’s not true, Raven.  I want all of you.  I want everything you’ve got to give.”

She quirked a smile at him.  “I can’t be a doctor and be a part of your life, Turk.”

“You’ll always be a doctor, Raven.  You’ve just said that it is a part of you.  A part that you can’t separate from the rest of you.”

“Yes, but I need to actually practice medicine, not just know that I’ve taken all the classes to become a doctor.  There’s a significant difference.”  She turned to walk out of the room.  “I love you, Turk.  I really do.”

Turk watched her leave and for the first time in his life, he had no idea what to do.  He just knew one thing.  He couldn’t let her go.

“This isn’t good, Raven,” Doctor Timerook said as he watched his protégé lean against the supply room wall.  She looked exhausted and stressed, the dark circles under her eyes only magnified by the tight, pale skin stretched across her normally peaches and cream complexion.  Even her soft freckles had disappeared over the past several days as she slowly sank into a deeper depression. 

He was concerned about the woman who was an outstanding doctor, who could handle just about any crisis that came her way, except for the crisis in her own life. 

Raven looked over at her mentor and forced a smile.  “I’m fine,” she told him and pushed away from the wall, forcing her fingers to write in the chart she was holding in her hands.  But as she stared down at the form, she couldn’t remember what she was supposed to be writing. 

Doctor Timerook gently pried the clipboard out of her hands, setting it on the counter behind her.  “You’re not fine.  When was the last time you got a full night’s sleep?” he asked, then surveyed her eyes again.  “Or even a partial night’s sleep?”

Raven sighed and pushed her hair back behind her ears, wishing she could find one of her bands to tie her hair up.  “Oh, I sleep,” she lied.  “Every night.”  It wasn’t a complete lie.  She slept every night, in a dozing sort of way.  But she also woke up from each of those dozes either crying because Turk’s arms weren’t around her, or crying out because she’d finally slept deeply enough to dream.  Whenever that happened, she dreamed about Turk making love to her. 

“How much sleep?” he asked after a long moment during which Raven knew he was watching her carefully. 

Giving up on trying to remember her notes, she laid the chart down and faced her boss.  “I’m having trouble sleeping.”

“And eating?” he suggested, inspecting her baggy jeans that looked like they were about to fall off of her too-slender hips. 

Raven’s hand self-consciously moved lower, trying to hide her recent weight loss.  “Yes.  I guess I don’t really have much of an appetite,” she admitted, although the admission was pointless.  The evidence was there for everyone to see.  “I’ll pull myself together,” she promised.  “I just need to get back to the States.  A visit with my mom would be helpful.”

“And perhaps a visit with the man you are pining for?” he suggested with a friendly wink. 

Raven blushed but shook her head.  “No.  That’s over.”

“I thought you and your fiancé broke up long before you came to Kilar.  Is there a man here that has…?”

“No!” she gasped, not wanting her boss to know that she’d fallen for Turk.  An ordinary man might be less embarrassing, but falling for a royal prince?  That was just emotional suicide, she knew that for a fact.  “No man.”  She looked down, unable to look him in the eye after that lie.

“Well, if you need anything, any help or advice, just let me know.”

Raven smiled her thanks and picked up the chart again.  “Thank you so much.  You’ve been a huge help already.  I have one more week here and then I’ll take a vacation, head home and get my head back on straight.  I’ll be better once I’m home again.”

He looked at her strangely.  “You think just going home will solve your problems?”  He laughed as he walked away, shaking his head. 

Raven understood and agreed with his cynicism.  She didn’t believe for a moment that she would be better by the time she got home.  Or at the end of her vacation.  Or even in a year or five years. 

Turk was not the kind of man a woman could recover from easily.  He was one in a million and she suspected she would forever be lonely without him in her life.  He drove her crazy, both in bed and out of it.  He made her laugh, he pampered her and protected her. 

But he didn’t accept her. 

That was still the problem.  She could deal with all of his arrogance and overly protective nature.  She could handle the man himself.  She shivered as she walked down the hallway to her next patient, thinking about how much she’d love to handle him right at this moment. 

Oh yes.  She’d love to run her hands all over his amazing body, to feel all of those muscles, to know that he would eventually stop her touching and pin her to the mattress, or any flat surface, and make love to her.  He would fill her up and….

“Doctor?”

Raven looked up and realized that she’d already entered the exam room and a very pregnant, very nervous woman was sitting on the exam table watching her closely. 

“I’m sorry,” Raven flushed and blinked, forcing her mind back to the task at hand.  She laid the chart on the table and started asking questions of the woman, doing her normal pre-natal exam. 

After twenty minutes, Raven laid a gentle hand on the woman’s arm.  “You need to drink more milk,” she told the patient.  “You’re not getting enough calcium and your baby is taking whatever calcium it can from your body.  That’s why you’re having problems with your teeth.”

The woman shook her head.  “I have two children at home already,” she explained.  “They need the milk as well.”

Raven had heard this many times since her arrival in Kilar.  There were wealthy and middle class families in abundance here in the capital, but she worked with the desperately poor and they rarely had enough money to feed their families.  “I wish I had Sam here,” she muttered.

“Sam?”

Raven smiled slightly.  “Sam is a goat.  Back in the village I worked in a couple of weeks ago, I used to keep her behind my clinic and she’d provide milk for women who needed a bit more help.”

The woman nodded her head, understanding.   The woman left, promising to somehow get more calcium and Raven shifted her focus to the next woman, wondering how long it would take to get another goat.  Maybe if she found a house here in Kilar…

No, she’d promised Turk that she would leave the country so that their paths wouldn’t cross again.  And she needed to leave here anyway.  She needed to get away, find a new place and start over.  It might be hard to do since she still needed to finish her residency.  She’d worked out a system with Doctor Timerook so that she could work at the clinic and he would review her patient files.  She wasn’t sure if another doctor would be as accommodating. 

There was also the problem of her seeing Turk on the news and in the newspapers.  Here in the capital city, she was much more aware of the royal family.  They were constantly on the news and quoted in the newspapers.  In her old village, their world was much slower and life revolved more around the weather and the seasons.  They didn’t get a lot of newspapers and very few people had televisions or the time to watch a television. 

She couldn’t even go into a restaurant in Kilar and not hear someone talk about one of the royal princes or princesses.  Raven realized that she missed Mia, Shantra and Ciala almost as much as she missed Turk.  They were wonderful ladies who had made the days much more entertaining.  Of course, they all had their responsibilities. 

Well, Ciala and Mia did.  Shantra…?  Raven suspected that Shantra was doing something in private, but she couldn’t fathom what that woman was up to.  Shantra was extremely secretive about her days and spent a huge amount of time in her private quarters.  And Ciala had been absent for several hours during a couple of the days she’d stayed at the palace.  Raven had never figured out where the lovely woman had gone. 

A mystery for another time, she told herself and focused on one patient at a time for the rest of the afternoon.  By the end of the day, she was exhausted and would love to slide her sore body into a warm, bubbling tub of hot water.  But the temporary apartment she’d found didn’t have a bathtub.  It was another tiny shower and the building rarely had enough luke-warm water to last more than five minutes. 

“A good day, everyone!” Doctor Timerook called out to the staff as they closed up the clinic for the night. 

Raven smiled at the man’s words of encouragement.  She’d never met a doctor who was so kind-hearted and generous with his time.  Any questions were answered with patience and a thoroughness that made Raven feel as if she was part of a team and not a subordinate.  It was refreshing, especially since her medical school friends, the ones she’d kept in touch with, were miserable in their first year of residency.  The doctors treated them no better than bed-pan specialists and snapped information at them left and right. 

She sighed as she pulled her backpack over her shoulder and followed the others out of the clinic.  Everyone went one way or another and Raven turned to the right, heading towards the lonely apartment she’d rented as a temporary residence.  She wished she could have stayed at the clinic and worked late, seen more patients.  But that would be a huge red flag about her state of mind that Doctor Timerook wouldn’t ignore. 

So instead, she trudged down the street, noticing that several of the street lights were out.  But that didn’t enter too deeply into her consciousness.  She was focusing all of her energy on putting one foot in front of the other, forcing her feet to move towards her apartment and not turn around and run towards the palace so she could beg Turk to take her back. 

That was an impossible dream, she told herself for the millionth time. 

She was just about to turn right, three blocks from her tiny apartment, when she felt something strange.  She wasn’t sure what it was, but she looked around, trying to regain situational awareness.  She suddenly realized how vulnerable she was at the moment.  She had only been walking along, not paying attention, the streets were dark at the moment and…there was no one else on the sidewalks. 

Normally, her walk home was lonely, but not isolated.  She would walk alone, but there would always be people walking along the same sidewalk. 

As she surveyed the surrounding area, she realized that there was no one around! 

She stopped and looked behind her.  Raven thought she saw a man but it was only a glimpse of someone.  Perhaps it was only the light.  She wasn’t really sure anymore, but her heart started pounding in her chest now that she realized how alone she was. 

This wasn’t good, she thought to herself and pulled her backpack higher onto her shoulder.  Just get home, she thought with an increased pace to her journey. 

She’d just turned the corner when a man with a scruffy beard, a torn, plaid shirt and stained jeans that looked as if they’d been worn every day for the past month came around the corner in front of her. 

Raven stopped and stared, that bad feeling intensifying and making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. 

“What do you want?” she asked, taking a step backwards and trying to hide her fear.

His smile was evil and frightening, showing missing teeth and others that were so black, they should fall out any day now.  “Ah lady, you know exactly what I want!” and he laughed. 

The sound made chills race down her back.  She dug into her pocket and pulled out her cash.  “I only have a little money.  I’m not wealthy but you can have it all.”  She tossed the money onto the sidewalk in front of her, not wanting to get close enough to the man to hand him the bills. 

He looked at the money that was now lying on the ground, then back up at her.  “Ain’t you the doctor lady?” he demanded, pulling a gun out from behind him.  It had been hidden by the billowing, filthy shirt and Raven stepped back quickly, lifting her hands into the air.

As if she needed some other sign that she was in trouble other than the gun in the man’s hand, the danger warnings in her head were blaring.  Trying to remain calm and think things through as she’d been trained, she continued to back up, wanting to reach a more public area where others might see her.  “I’m a doctor, but only a resident.  Most of my paycheck gets sent to pay for medical school expenses.”

He laughed again, shaking his head.  “Lady, you have no idea how much you’re worth, do you?” and he stepped closer, almost cackling with his malicious delight.  “But I do!”

There was suddenly a movement behind her and she glanced at the newest threat, realizing that there was another man approaching from behind.  This man was wearing about the same outfit, but his clothing wasn’t nearly as dingy.  Thankfully, he didn’t smell as bad, nor was the man’s teeth corrupted from drug use like the first man’s. 

The newest stranger seemed taller, more confident than the normal homeless men she knew.  “Let the lady move on her way,” he said, his eyes covered with sunglasses even in the dim lighting of the street. 

The first man shook his head and laughed.  “Not going to happen,” and he called the second man a disgusting name. 

Raven was just about to defend the other man when the first guy lifted his pistol and fired!  She was so stunned by the sound that it was hard to react at first.  Had the man actually shot the second one?  There hadn’t been any warning, no reason to shoot! 

Looking at the man now laying prone on the ground, she realized that the gun really had fired! 

Instincts took over and she flung her backpack onto the ground and headed towards the wounded man.  “Are you…” but she couldn’t get the next words out because the first man’s arm was wrapped around her waist.  He was surprisingly strong for a man who had probably rotted out his teeth from methamphetamine usage over the past several years. 

Raven struggled for a moment, but then her training came to mind.  She calmed her panic and relaxed all the muscles in her body.  Every parent knows how difficult it is to hold a child who goes all “rag doll”.  It is hard to get a grip on something without form.  Most bad guys can hold onto a person who is rigid.  Even protesters knew to lay in the streets and police would have a hard time lifting them up when they wouldn’t stiffen their wrists and ankles.