Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
“Good gods,” I breathed.
“He was her only child. Now I’m her only child. Tonight would trigger her, and it has. Therefore, she needs space.”
I bet she did.
I nodded. “Okay, honey.”
He (Nova) and I turned to Allain.
“Any status updates?” Aleksei asked.
“There was a fatality.”
“Outside the one I killed?” Aleksei inquired, not hiding his surprise.
“Yes. A female,” Allain answered.
What?
Oh no!
How?
The only shot fired had gone wild.
“A half and half, demon/human female was found blasted in the face by a PR60 on full-beast stun,” Allain reported. “Cat Truelock hired her as an assistant associate about six weeks ago. Her job tonight was to mind the artist.”
“Oh my gods,” I said, horrified.
I hadn’t even thought to wonder where she went for all the time she’d left Terrinton. Certainly, it was plenty to be able to take care of bathroom business and return.
But she didn’t return, because she was dead.
“Don’t feel too badly for her, Mistress,” Allain stated sourly. “She’s been cohabitating with the deceased assassin for nine weeks. Her résumé was deep-faked. Cat Truelock said in interrogation, the only thing she seemed good for was being a minder, and in the end, she wasn’t good at that either. She had several discussions with her, had given her warnings, was deeply suspicious her education and experience were fabrications, but couldn’t prove it. Regardless, after the showing, she was going to let her go. Whoever is behind this placed her there. They didn’t bother wiping security cams. They clearly show she let them in. And when she was no longer useful, they killed her. And that’s on vid too.”
I would think on how Cat hadn’t shared with me she was having trouble with an employee later.
Now…
“In other words, she overheard Cat talking about the prince attending the showing, and she told her boyfriend,” I surmised.
“Darling,” Aleksei murmured in a tone I’d never heard before, but unlike most of his other ones, I didn’t like it.
I peered up at him and braced, because I didn’t like his expression either.
“What?” I asked.
“She’d been working for Cat for six weeks,” he said carefully.
“Okay.”
“We haven’t known each other for a week,” he continued.
In a flash, it all came together.
Set and his partner saying the first assailant only had eyes for me.
My attack, months before I ever stepped foot in the Pink and Black Club.
No one knowing Aleksei would be there, but I for certain was on the guest list.
This was…
I was…
“You were a surprise. I was the target,” I blurted.
All Aleksei could say in reply was…
“Bissi.”
I was right.
I was the target.
Shit and dang.
Chapter 16
Spoiled
“Sire.”
I jerked awake because the mountain of muscled flesh I was sprawled on also jerked awake.
Aleksei’s arms circled me before he performed a heroic ab crunch, taking me with him, and we both stared at Allain who was loitering at the door.
For my part, I was bleary-eyed and confused.
Aleksei was feeling something different.
“I know I’m not seeing you standing in my doorway while I’m in bed with my female,” Aleksei growled.
“My apologies, your highness.” Allain bowed his head, looking and sounding wildly uncomfortable. “But you set all tech to mute and there are some…situations brewing.”
“Fucking hell,” Aleksei muttered. “And those would be?”
“Your parents are here. Your brothers are here. Mistress Laura’s friends are all here. The constables have had to cordon off the street due to the number of press and well-wishers outside. So, that is to say, the Palace issued their statement and, well…the good news is, the realm is rejoicing that you’ve found your mate.”
It was striking me that Allain might be master of the understatement, because that wasn’t what I’d describe as “situations brewing.”
More like all the proper ingredients for a coming Armageddon.
“Fuck me,” Aleksei grumbled, clearly feeling the same as me.
I was beginning to be less bleary-eyed and confused.
And a lot more freaked out.
“Oh, and the orange and white cat keeps making a racket,” Allain added. “I think there’s something wrong with it.”
Naturally, Comet would throw in his lot with potential Armageddon.
“Have you fed him?” Aleksei asked.
Allain’s chin went into his neck in open affront. “Fed…the cat?”
“Don’t worry, Allain,” I said, pulling from Aleksei’s hold and reaching to throw back the covers, doing this wondering if Aleksei had Madam Garwah’s sequence so I could comm and ask her the royal etiquette around feeding your cat in front of a king and queen. “I’ll do it.”
I got nowhere because Aleksei hooked an arm around my stomach to keep me where I was.
“We’ll be down in a minute,” he told Allain.
Not hiding his relief, Allain escaped.
Right.
The last thing I remembered, post-IV therapy, was sitting on a couch in the living area, and my head was nodding because we’d gone through a stiff-backed report delivered directly from the Chief of District Three, a more concise one from the Deputy Head Minister of the RMI, security briefs from the Chief of District Ten and a Lieutenant of the RS. And finally Set and Antheme (his fae partner) were the only ones left, and they were giving Aleksei and me (and Allain, Muriel had gone) the real skinny, during which, clearly I conked out.