The Prince's Intimate Abduction (The Samara Royal Family Series Book 2) (14 page)

They were out in the dim light of dusk and she turned her head, watching as the local police officers were marching the other man down the street. 

“We found him handcuffed and trying to stand up, Your Highness,” one of the officers said. 

Turk’s eyes turned hard and glittering with his anger towards the man who had tried to hurt Raven.  “Good.  He’ll be tried for attempted kidnapping and attempted murder,” Turk told the officers, both of whom stiffened with surprise.  “Yes, Your Highness,” they said and marched the man over to one of the cars. 

The man in handcuffs was yelling, trying to get away from the local police officers that were trying to stuff him into the back of their vehicle.  “Hey!  That woman punched me in the nose!  Don’t I get an ice pack or something?” he called out.  “I’m more the victim here!” he yelled when the police officers pushed him towards the car.  “She’s a vicious fighter, that one!  I need some tender loving care!”

Raven rolled her eyes.  For the first time since she’d acknowledged her desire to become a doctor, she ignored a person who needed medical help.  The man had blood all over his face and the filthy plaid shirt, but she turned away from him.  The man had tried to kidnap her, after all.  And she suddenly realized that her jaw was aching.  “Speaking of an ice pack,” she said and gingerly touched her jaw.  “I think I could use one myself.”

Turk stopped and turned to look down at her.  For the first time, he noticed her swollen jaw and her scraped knees.  The fury, barely banked before, sprang back to life and he dropped her hand, heading towards the man who was being dragged down the sidewalk.  When the man realized what was happening, he practically ran to the squad car, actually yelping in fear. 

Raven stepped into Turk’s pathway, her hands reaching up and landing on his shoulders.  “I’m fine!” she told him quickly.  “No harm done and I got in more punches than he did,” she said, trying to reassure him.

Turk looked back down at her, then at the man.  Every muscle inside of him wanted to set Raven to the side so that he could tear the man apart.  But her soft, silver gaze caught him and he gritted his teeth.  “If I tear his arms off of his body, you’ll only be mad at me,” he said with a feral tone of voice.

Raven laughed, thinking he was only teasing.  “Yes.  That would be very hard for me to fix,” she assured him.  “And it would take a long time.  Lots of veins and arteries in the arms.  Hard to re-attach.”

Turks fists opened and closed, looking as if he was mentally strangling the man who was actually crawling into the police car now.  The police officers were laughing as they slammed the door closed and walked to the front.  “We’ll have him ready for you when you want to question him, Your Highness.”

Turk nodded to the two officers, trying to ease the fury he was feeling at the man who had dared to touch his woman.  But when the police car drove away, he turned back to see Raven with her arms crossed over her chest, yawning. 

“You need sleep,” he said and led her over to a black SUV.  Tucking her into the back, he stepped into the front and nodded to the driver.  They immediately sped away, driving right to the palace’s underground garage. 

“Okay, so what do you have to show me?” she asked, hoping to shift his mind away from her aching jaw. 

“Food,” he told her succinctly.  “Then bed.”

She sighed, wishing that she had the strength to tell him no.  “I’d rather hear what you’ve been planning over the past week.”

He looked at her without any expression for a long moment, then nodded.  She wasn’t sure what his look meant, but at least they might have a moment to talk.  She could say a more appropriate goodbye. 

Well, actually, all she wanted was a few more minutes in Turk’s arms before she had to leave again.

When they emerged from the truck, Turk tucked her hand onto his arm and led her down several long hallways that led away from the private apartments in the palace.  “Where are we going?” she asked, not sure what to think any longer.  She hadn’t been inside the palace long, but she was fairly certain that Ciala had mentioned that this section wasn’t used any longer. 

“You want to be a doctor,” he said and stopped in front of a steel doorway.  “Here’s a way for you to be a doctor as well as my wife.”  He swung the door open and Raven gasped when she saw the room filled with medical equipment.  Most of it had been unpacked but there were other large boxes that were still wrapped up. 

She wasn’t sure what was inside each of them, but as she walked among the boxes, she glanced at the labels indicating that each of the boxes were filled with medical equipment or medical supplies.  Her hand reverently reached out to touch each one, amazed at what she was seeing. 

“What is all of this?” she asked, turning back to face him.  He was leaning one shoulder against the doorframe while he watched her.  But at her question, he pushed away and came closer to her.  “This area of the palace isn’t used anymore.  I consulted with Rais and Ramzi as well as an architect and the best security people I know of and we are in the process of building you a clinic.”

Wait…huh?  A clinic?  He was building a clinic for her? 

Was he crazy? 

She shook her head.  “I’m not a full doctor yet.  I can’t practice alone.  I have to practice under the supervision of another doctor.”

He smiled slightly.  “This space will be large enough for several doctors.  It will also be equipped with a dentistry area.  All of the patients will be lower income, they’ll have to prove that they qualify for services here.”  He took her hand and led her through the hallways, showing her the exam rooms, the obstetrics area, even the dentistry section.

All of it was more than a little overwhelming.  “How did you do all of this in such a short period of time?” she asked, her voice a hushed whisper as awe and happiness vied for primacy in her mind. 

He shrugged as he followed her back to the storage area.  “I made it happen, Raven, because I can’t imagine you not being in my life.”  He took both of her hands in his and looked down into her silver eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.  “Does this work for you?  And, more importantly, does it show you that I accept all of you and that I want all of you in my life?”

The smile was slow in coming, not because she wasn’t happy or disagreed with him, but more because she was so shocked that he would do something like this.  “I don’t know of any other husband who would build his wife a clinic so she can do what she loves.”  She stepped closer to him, placing her hand in the middle of his chest, but then her fingers slid to the space covering his heart and she felt it. 

That thriving beat, the strong, rhythmic pattern that tattooed against her fingers, answered all of her spoken and unspoken questions.  “You really do love all of me, don’t you?” she asked, her smile growing as it dawned on her how much she truly loved this man.  And he sincerely loved her! 

“Yes.  I love you.  I love all of you.  And I can’t wait to show you how much I love all the other aspects of you,” he growled as he tenderly kissed her lips. 

She laughed softly, but leaned against him, loving this man more and more with each passing moment. 

“Where is she?”

Raven heard the bellow and cringed, smiling at the patient who seemed to know exactly what was happening.  The pregnant woman even giggled slightly but pulled her daughter close.  “We’d better be on our way,” she said and slipped out of the exam room.

Raven sighed and she knew she was in trouble.  She’d promised Turk that she wouldn’t be here, that she’d rest today.  But the clinic had been overrun with emergencies in the past few hours.  She’d only called to check on the various doctors, several of whom were first year residents and needed guidance. 

Probably not an excuse that Turk would accept. 

Pushing herself up off of the chair, she walked carefully out into the hallway, almost running into Turk as he stormed through the clinic in search of her. 

“I’m right here,” she told him and put a hand to the middle of his chest, spreading her fingers out so that she could feel more of him.  “I’m fine,” she assured him. 

He glared down at her.  “Raven!  You’re not fine!”  He could tell she wasn’t “fine” by the tired look around the edges of her eyes and the tightness of her lips.

A nurse walked by, shaking her head.  “She’s not fine.  We’ve all told her to go get some rest.  But she won’t listen, just keeps taking one more patient, one more emergency.”

The nurse continued on down the hallway and Turk didn’t miss a beat.  He lifted his very pregnant, very round wife into his arms and carried her through the secure doorway to the palace.  “You’re going to rest if I have to watch over you all afternoon, Raven,” he told her. 

Raven wrapped her arms around his strong neck, enjoying the way he was carrying her.  It wouldn’t be long before their son or daughter was in his arms instead, so she was taking advantage of this time alone while she could.  “You’re very handsome,” she told him as he walked down the hallway. 

He looked down at her, then back towards the hallway.  “Don’t even try it,” he warned. 

She smothered her amusement.  “Try what?’ she asked him with feigned innocence. 

He groaned but kept walking.  “You know exactly what you’re trying to do and it isn’t going to work.  Not this time.  I’m angry and you’re in trouble.”

She smiled, giving up all pretense.  “I really do think you’re handsome.  And I’ll definitely…”

Raven stopped talking as the pain hit her. 

Turk stopped walking and looked down at his wife.  “What’s wrong?  What just happened?”

Raven blew out a breath, relaxing.  “Nothing,” she told him, her hand reaching up to stroke the back of his neck. 

He knew she was lying.  “Raven, so help me if you don’t start talking to me, I’m going to…”

She laughed when he couldn’t come up with a threat strong enough.  Besides, she knew that he wouldn’t ever hurt her.  He loved her.  Plain and simple. 

“It really isn’t anything to worry about, Turk.  We’re just going to have a baby.”

He rolled his eyes.  “I’m fully aware of that,” he replied back. 

She laughed softly.  “No, we’re going to have a baby soon.  Possibly tonight,” she clarified. 

Turk looked down at her and his arms tightened.  “You’re kidding.  Please tell me that you’re kidding.”

Her smile grew wider but she shook her head.  “Not kidding.  I’ve been having contractions for the past several hours.”

Turk’s eyes widened and then narrowed as her message came across.  “Raven, when this is all over, I’m going to spank your bottom!”  But he turned around and headed right back towards the clinic. 

Raven laughed, delighted with her surprise.  She was very anxious to have this baby, but she knew that everything was going to be okay.  Turk was the most amazing man she’d ever met and she was fairly certain she could get him through this experience. 

Six hours later, she was proven wrong.  “Epidural,” she gasped to the obstetrician who was overseeing the delivery. 

The woman smiled and turned to call the anesthesiologist.  When that doctor came into the room, the long needle already filled with the numbing medicine, Turk took one look at the needle and passed out. 

For a long moment, three nurses, the obstetrician and the anesthesiologist simply stared down at the enormous man laid out on the floor. 

But the contractions were coming on harder now and Raven waved her hand at her husband.  “Forget him.  Put that thing in my back.  Now!” she ordered, but her stern tone was diminished when she whimpered with the pain. 

Ten minutes later, she was feeling enormously better.  The epidural was kicking in and, although she could still feel the contractions, they weren’t unbearable. 

“Okay, you’re going to have to push now, Raven,” the doctor said.

Raven gripped the sides of the delivery table and pushed, feeling the crazy sensations of her child being born.  About ten minutes after that first push, the doctor smiled and held up a baby boy. 

“Wow!  Great delivery, Doctor Samara,” the obstetrician said and all the nurses clapped as Raven fell back against the delivery mattress.  The doctor was cutting the umbilical cord when Turk stood up again, his eyes more than a little crazy.  When he focused his attention on Raven, then looked to his right and saw his son for the first time, he fell right back to the floor. 

Raven turned her head, exhaustion keeping her from leaning over the bed.  “I hope he didn’t hurt his head,” she commented briefly. 

Another nurse stepped over the prone man as she took the baby boy and wrapped him in a blanket.  “I think we should take pictures,” the nurse offered out. 

A moment later, five cell phones were pulled out as pictures were taken of the very ferocious and terrifying Prince Turken del Abass Samara who was passed out on the floor. 

“He’s going to be furious,” Raven commented.  “But someone had better send me a copy.”

The nurses laughed but Raven’s focus was all on the little man who was then placed in her arms.  “Oh my,” she sighed.  “He’s beautiful!”

Thankfully, Turk woke up at that moment and rubbed his head.  Looking around, he was relieved when everyone seemed to be going about their business, none paying attention to his embarrassing inability to stay conscious during his son’s birth.  “No more surprises, okay?” he grumbled, trying to shake off the effects of his passing out. 

Raven laughed softly and touched the blanket so that her husband and son could get better acquainted.  “Don’t worry.  I think we have enough photographic evidence on the last fall.”

Turk just ignored her jibe, not believing for a moment that his precious wife would take pictures of him when he was down.  “He’s perfect,” Turk said, a catch in his voice as he looked down at his son.  “You’re perfect,” he said and kissed her forehead. 

“I love you too,” she told him.