I mustn’t ask him for too much. I mustn’t be needy.
I put my phone away to remove all temptation.
ALEX
One minute I was meandering along the landing from the bathroom back to the drawing room. The next, six-foot-four of raging, muscled dragon was in my face.
“Did youknow what Mortimer was up to? The two of you are joined at the hip for all you claim otherwise.”
“Hello, Steven.” I couldn’t concentrate on what he’d said at first because I was busy calming my dragon, who was roaring, ready for battle. And then I processed the words. “Nate’s done something? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I could see in him the desire to batter it out of me. Well, good luck with that. I may be part-human, but I’d take on any dragon and win. I stood my ground and held his furious glare. He must have seen I was telling the truth because he made an inarticulate sound of rage and turned away to thud down the staircase.
I was left slightly shaken by the violence in him. Charlie was an entitled tosser who took whatever he wanted. Steven, though—he was a thug. Born into another family, he’d have been an enforcer for the local crime kingpin.
I joined the other dragons in the drawing room. Ella wasn’t there, and I hadn’t seen Anna Fortescue since breakfast. Anna’s absence was unlike her. I wondered if it had anything to do with whatever Steven was so upset about.
What the hell was Nate up to?
NATE
Having missed my flight yesterday evening, the next available seat was in the afternoon. With time to kill, I decided to call Bim.
I hadn’t expected to be in Germany overnight, and I was ruing not having picked up my travel bag from my flat. I’d had to buy essentials from the hotel shop last night, and now my phone was dying. It had just enough juice left to extract Bim’s number before it expired.
I used the landline in the hotel room to call him and was pleasantly surprised when he answered the call from an unknown number.
I told him about Steven’s attempt to oust Charlie as the favoured son by trying to hook him on drugs. It might be useful to him as an insight into the Fortescue family dynamic. I also wanted him to know the lengths to which Steven had been prepared to go. He hadn’t only put Charlie at risk butallof us.
I didn’ttell Bim that Charlie had actually done drugs. Bim was ice-cold in his decision-making, and his risk-benefit analysis of Charlie’s rehab would probably reach a different conclusion from mine. He didn’t say much, though he rarely did when I made my reports to him.
Duty done, I sat counting the hours until I would see Alex again.
ALEX
I was disappointed not to find another text from Nate when I woke up, and the questions I had for him were multiplying by the minute. I sent him a text mid-morning when I couldn’t take the silence any longer.Are you coming back today?
He didn’t answer, and I didn’t know what to make of that fact. The only thing I knew for certain was that I didn’t like this silence. Not when he was away somewhere with Charlie. Somewhere he wouldn’t tell me about.
Finally,that evening, he messaged me to let me know his phone had died and he’d had to wait until he was in his car to charge it. He was driving to Bath, and he warned me he’d been ordered to see James as soon as he arrived.Wouldn’t be surprised if he kicks me out. I’ll text you if he does. So long as I’m still inone piece.
Relief flooded through me, both at the fact of the text and its natural tone, and then I realised what he’d said. The problem with texting was that I couldn’t be sure how much of a joke the last comment had been. I replied, asking that question, but I didn’t hear back. Presumably, he was on the road. I comforted myself with the thought that Nate wouldn’t come back if he thought he was in danger.
Even so, I couldn’t settle until I heard his voice in the hallway, greeting Taylor. I met him at the top of the stairs.
“Hey.” His smile was distracted, his attention on the door at the end of the landing.
“Talk later?” I asked him.
“Of course.” His eyes met mine with a smile in them for an instant. Then he stepped past me and strode confidently towards the study.
I told myself that if I had a meeting with James Fortescue, I’d be just as focused on it. Though I was pretty sure I’d make time to greet my boyfriend properly, especially if I’d just been away somewhere secret with my ex.
Unsettled, I returned to the drawing room and the interminable game ofCards Against Humanitythat was in progress.
NATE
Unlike the last time James had required my presence, he didn’t offer me a drink.
