‘No, princess.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because your father said you don’t have to come and that’s good.’
‘But how I know you’re safe?You got hurt at party last time!I should’a been there to protect you!Mimibang bang!’ She makes gun fingers.‘Shadow sneak.’
Lachlan sighs, finishes loosely braiding her hair for bedtime, something he does whenever possible.‘You’re the best shadow sneak on earth, but you can’t come and I’m very happy about that.’
‘Jewel gets’a go.’
‘Juleshasto go.I’m sure he’d rather stay here.’
Mimi seems to be choosing her battles.‘I have a radio then?Please?Me and Mari need to know you’re safe.’
Lachlan gives her a single handset locked into one frequency.
Blaire will make sure she’s not using it constantly.
‘All right, honey.Daddy’s gotta go now, OK?Love you.’
‘Love you, Daddy.’
Blaire emerges from the en-suite as dressed down as Lachlan ever sees her in a big, oversized tee and shorts with knee high socks.Her jet-black waves are longer now, falling just past her shoulders.Her grassy green eyes catch the light.She’ssobeautiful.
Lachlan doesn’t know what’s wrong with him for not wanting her that way, but he’s not going to dwell on it.Tonight is the party and tomorrow is Jules’actualbirthday.
‘OK, goodnight, girls,’ he says, scanning the room before leaving it, hears Blaire asking Mimi what book she wants to read and Mimi is making Blaire guess.Lachlan knows it’ll beBeauty and the Beast.
It’s one of her absolute favourites right now.
He leaves them securely in the Cove and then performs a full check of the East Wing before he’s satisfied.‘Control, this is Kestrel,’ he says, touching his earpiece lightly.‘Status check?’
‘Eight bells, Kestrel.’
‘I’m en route to Whiskey Reach.Do you have eyes on Cascade?’
‘Confirmed eyes on, Kestrel.He’s dancing with Dreadnought.’
‘Heard.’
The ballroom is much easier to navigate with seventy-six people in attendance versus three hundred, but even so, Lachlan won’t let himself get comfortable for a second.He finds Jules and sets in to shadow him, blending with the crowd.Savannah is dancing with Alistair.Roman is dancing with Ariadne.Vasily is watching from the side, pretending not to stare at Lachlan.Jules dances with Mikhail Sorrenko.The boy is a talented dancer, Lachlan saw it in the club, sees it now.He’s fluid, moves with the rhythm well.
He’s nineteen tomorrow.
Jules is technically already an adult but here it means nothing because his trust won’t be unlocked until he’s twenty-one, by which time Alistair will have somenewprison to lock him up in, marriage most likely.
Lachlan’s going to stop it.
Get these kids free.
But for now, it’s far off and he has time to plan.
His current focus is keeping Jules safe.
Mimi checks in after twenty minutes, uses her own little codename which is adorable.‘Myna to Kestrel, Myna to Kestrel,’ she calls, very professional, she mimics him so well.‘Come in, Kestrel.Are you safe?’
Lachlan allows himself a small smile as he answers.‘Kestrel to Myna, I’m safe, eight kisses.How’s Bee?’
