Page 90 of The Beach Hut on Plum Island
“Sorry, Princess, but we have our orders,” the one bodyguard told her.
Harriet sighed. “Of course you do.” She looked at Finn, and he smiled.
“It’s fine, we’ll work around them,” Finn whispered.
“I was thinking more along the lines of ditching them,” Harriet whispered back. “You don’t know where they took the sleeping powder, do you? Because that would come in handy right now.”
“No!” Finn shook his head. “And I wouldn’t tell you if I did. I’ve seen what it can do.”
“Fine!” Harriet sighed and stepped up to Dawn’s door, frowning when she realized that her bodyguards were missing. She turned and looked at the two men following them. “Where are the bodyguards usually here? Is Miss Vanderbilt not in?”
“I’ll check, Princess,” the bodyguard said and spoke into his sleeve.
“When I was little, I wanted a magic sleeve that I could talk to people with, too,” Harriet told Finn, who chuckled. “I was so disappointed when I realized they had a device on their wrists.”
“Miss Vanderbilt left with Mr. Gains an hour ago,” the bodyguard told Harriet. “Her security detail went with them. Mr. Gains needed a translator, and Miss Vanderbilt offered to help him.”
“What?” Finn said. “Sam, Lady Julie’s bodyguard, was supposed to go with Liam as the security detail and translator.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but that’s all the information I know,” the bodyguard told them.
“Thank you,” Harriet said, turning to Finn. “Okay. Change of plans. Let’s go visit my mother and find out why Liam took Dawn instead of Sam.”
They were about to leave when Gray’s suite door burst open, and Trinity Woodrow stumbled out. “Help, please!”
“Miss Woodrow?” Gray’s bodyguard grabbed Trinity as she swayed.
Harriet and Finn looked at each other before rushing toward the room. Her heart was pounding like she was running a marathon as she sprinted to the door, skidding to a stop.
“Trinity,” Harriet turned toward the woman as Trinity vomited.
A bodyguard grabbed Harriet and pulled her out of the way while the one that was holding Trinity pulled her into the room. Finn managed to slip into Gray’s suite before Finn’s bodyguard could stop him, so he had to follow Finn into the room.
Harriet tried to pull herself loose from the bodyguard who was holding her and commanded, “Call Doctor Thornton and get her herenow.”
“I’ve already alerted control, and they are taking care of it,” Harriet’s bodyguards told her.
“Harriet!” Finn shouted from inside the room. “Come quick.”
Harriet managed to glance into the room, and she felt like it stopped beating when she saw Finn kneeling beside Gray lying on the floor. She watched Finn feel for a pulse as Finn’s bodyguard reached down to grab Finn’s hand, but it was swatted away.
“Mr. Shaw, don’t touch him,” Finn’s bodyguard said, but it was too late. Finn was already assessing Gray’s condition. “Either stand back or help me,” Finn told his bodyguard. “I’m a trained paramedic, and this is the crown prince.” He looked at the bodyguard. “So, like I said, stand back or help me.”
The bodyguard nodded and looked over toward the door. The bodyguard, who had gently put a now unconscious Trinity onto the sofa, walked over to the suite door. Harriet knew what was about to happen, and panic surged through her.
“Gray!” Harriet screamed and started struggling to get to him while her bodyguard’s guard’s grip around her waist tightened. “Let me go!” She yelled, pushing against the man’s arms. “Let me go!”
“This is a medical code red,” the bodyguard inside the room said to the man hanging on to Harriet. “Clear the floor and isolate Princess Harriet.”
“NO!” Harriet seethed as she kicked and wiggled as much as she could. “Don’t you dare close that door! I’m your princess. Let me get to my brother,” she said through gritted teeth. “Finn.”
“I’m sorry, Princess.” The bodyguard closed Gray’s door.
“I’m sorry, princess, you know the rules.” The bodyguard’s voice was low but had a slight wobble as the man lifted her as if she was as light as a feather. “We have to clear this floor.”
Ignoring her desperate punches and kicks, he moved quickly down the hall into the elevator, calling to his team to secure the top floor and lock it down, stating medical personnel only.
Everything seemed to slow down as Harriet realized that not only was her brother there but Finn as well. He was now in lockdown on the floor. Harriet had no idea what was happening. Flashes of her isolation when she had meningitis rolled through her mind alongside images of her brother lying lifeless on the floor.
