Greg sat on one of the chairs near the long dining table, and Kristin saw the glimmer of a tear form in his eye. "Can I talktoher?"
"It's my brother Lucio on the call," Antonio said though it was clear he was uncomfortable with a man's tears. He hit the button for speaker. "Greg wants to talk to hismother."
Lucio, who had a deep voice similar to Antonio's, spoke to someone he was near and then told them on the phone, "We are patching things together now so you can talk to herdirectly."
A few seconds later, an older woman said, "Greggie? Areyouokay?"
Greg wiped tears from hiseyes. "Mom?"
His mother sounded all choked up, too. "Greg, you're safe. I was so worriedaboutyou."
"Me?" His voice cracked. "Mom, you werekidnapped!"
His mother moaned. "No. They told me you were going to have to sacrifice yourself to save me. I can't let you do that. You're my only son. Be safeandlive."
Greg cried, then tugged at the scooped neck of his white tank top. "I can't, Mom. There is a bomb strapped to my body that's set to explode. I'm sorry. Iloveyou."
"Wait! What?" Antonio ended the call with Lucio, stepped back and shoved her and his mother behind him. He looked over his shoulder and met his mother's gaze. "Go. GetBabik."
"I have to get your father." The queen ran out oftheroom.
"It's strapped to my chest,” Greg said in tones full of misery. “Sophia and Victor Amadeus threatened to kill my mom. They had pictures of her tied up. Sophia said she was going to let herself get caught so Victorcouldwin."
"Victor? Marco's friend." Antonio gestured to those still in the room. "Kristin, Renee, everyone, get out—go to the front of the palace.Outside."
Kristin grabbed his arm, unwilling to leave him. "Do you have a bombsquad?"
Antonio covered her hand with his. "Marco is the best trained person in thecountry."
His mother must have told everyone on her way to the sick room because guards rushed to help get the guests out and his brother Marco ran inside. "I'm here,Antonio."
Kristin rubbed his tense arm muscle. "What canwedo?"
"Help my mom and my father, Kristin." Antonio stepped toward his brotherandGreg.
She held him firm to keep him one more second. "Whataboutyou?"
Antonio kissed her fast and hard. "I'm staying to help my brother fix this, and then I'm going to find Victor Amadeus. This hastostop."
"I love you. Come back to me," she said without a thought andhuggedhim.
He massaged her back for a brief second. "Absolutely."
Without another word he let her go and she ran after the other guests. Whatever happened, Antonio knew she loved him—now she had to help get a sick king out of the palace before the bomb exploded. Antonio had to come back to her, safe andsound.
Chapter16
Antonio’s foreheadbeaded with sweat as he watched Greg sit on the chair—the bombs were not visible beneath Greg’s wife-beater.
Marco spoke with Greg while Antonio ensured the room was clear of people, then gave Marco the signal that everyone was gone. Now that it was just the three of them Marco had to disarmthebomb.
Kristin had whispered shelovedhim.
“Stand up.” Marco ripped Greg's tank top so he could seethebomb.
Antonio's jaw clenched. The device was so thin that it hadn’t been visible beneath the tightfabric.
Greg stood still while Marco traced the belt with a small metal that looked like a pen. He stopped and pointed. "This is an IED, clearly made to let the world believe this was a suicide bomb." Marco then pointed to a plastic container. "This is the PETN, but I need to find the trigger and stop it before itdetonates."
