Page 30 of Night’s Fall (The Four Realms #1)

“Okay,” he whispered, nabbed my hand and guided us out of the room.

We were halfway down the stairs when two matte-steel bots of the same model as the shiny black one that manned the tech check at the Pink and Black Club entered at the bottom, wrangling before them my three-piece set of hover luggage, and five other pieces I’d never seen.

“The female closet is empty, unpack her there,” Aleksei ordered as we passed them.

“As you wish, your highness,” both bots mechanical voices answered in unison.

“Erm…how much of my stuff are they bringing over?” I asked.

Aleksei didn’t look down at me, which was a strategically brilliant move I should have read to its fullest (but alas, I didn’t), when he said, “ Enough to suffice.”

Eight suitcases surely had to be more than enough to suffice.

We made the foot of the stairs, and there stood Allain with a lovely, curvy blonde human female who had decided middle age with mild enhancements worked great for her, and she was right.

The kitty hover-carriers floated off to their side.

Comet got one look at me and howled.

“For fuck’s sake, let them out,” Aleksei commanded.

The woman clicked a control in her hand, the cages drifted to the ground, and then she clicked the control again, and the doors opened.

All of this in the time I said, “ No …wait.”

Jupiter darted out like a shot and disappeared.

As expected.

I wouldn’t see him until I put wet food out in the morning.

Comet came out, sat on his fat, furry behind and howled again.

Nova trotted our way, bypassed me entirely and meowed up at Aleksei .

He bent instantly and lifted her to cradle her in his arms.

She marked his T -shirt with her ear and started purring.

Brazen little flirt.

“Are you all right?” the woman asked Aleksei , not hiding her worry as she examined him so thoroughly, it was a surprise scan rays didn’t shoot from her eyes.

“I’m fine, Muriel ,” he replied affectionately. Then he (with Nova ) guided me to the woman. “ And I’m delighted to introduce you to Laura .”

Her warm brown eyes turned to me, and she smiled. That smile was shaky, but she gave it her all.

“So very lovely to meet you,” she greeted.

“Same to you, though I wish we didn’t have to mess up your night with all of this.”

She nodded but didn’t reply to that.

“I’ll go see that the bots are taking care of everything,” Muriel announced to no one. “ Excuse me.”

With that, she rushed to the stairs.

I started to go after her, because after all, it was my stuff, but Aleksei waylaid me.

“She needs some space.”

I was a hint confused as to why she’d need space with my stuff, but replied, “ All right.”

“She’s been with me for seven years,” he explained. “ About a year into her tenure, she lost her son in a craft collision. Some drunk asshole overrode course approval and hit Paul going two-hundred-and-seventy-five knots.”

“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 .