More Than a Mission - Caridad Pineiro [76]
Lizzy was strong. She would deal with whatever came in the days ahead. Without him.
He forced his attentions to the mission that still needed to be completed. Lucia and Walker were sitting around the coffee table in the middle of the suite, reviewing the assorted papers sent to them today.
When he approached, Lucia handed him a set to peruse and he plopped down on the sofa and got to work.
The news article from the Quiz detailed how Prince Reginald was not the biological son of King Weston and the queen. But other than going into detail about the DNA tests that had proven it, the story was basically a rehash of past speculation about the prince’s recreational habits and the possible suspects in his killing. The Quiz even went so far as to bring up the months-old speculation that it was quite convenient that Lord Southgate, the next in line, had immediately stepped in and married the prince’s betrothed.
Aidan tossed it aside, finding nothing of interest in the article other than the claims regarding Reginald’s paternity. Dani had mentioned the same assertion.
He tossed that out for consideration by his colleagues. “The Sparrow indicated that the man who had hired her claimed to be doing it so that the true prince might inherit the throne.”
“Who hired her?” Lucia asked.
“He said his name was Donovan,” he advised, earning the interest of both his colleagues. “Yeah, I thought the same thing. Nikolas Donovan and his Union for Democracy are making trouble and the Sparrow’s employer has the same name.”
“Could be someone wants to cause trouble for Donovan, as well,” Walker tossed out.
“Could be. If you discredit Donovan and the Union for Democracy, the royals get a free pass to choose whomever they want to be king,” Lucia hypothesized.
“The royals being Lord Southgate.” Aidan picked up the faxed copy of the Quiz article. “Pretty much says the same in this tabloid.”
“So far they’ve gotten more information than we have,” Walker said irately before flipping through the other papers that had been sent over earlier. “Not to mention that after weeks of trying to open this vault—”
“All you get is a fingerprint and a lock of hair once you break in. Is Xander working on it already?” Aidan asked.
Lucia nodded. “He thinks he’ll have an answer for us in the morning.”
Tired and frustrated, Aidan tossed the papers onto the coffee table. “I’m calling it a night, then. We’ll pick up where we left off in the morning?”
Walker rose and stretched his long frame. “Let’s all get some rest. I think that when this story hits the stands tomorrow, we’ll need all the energy we’ve got.”
With a wave at his two colleagues, Aidan walked to the door to his room, but hesitated at the entrance. Pressing his ear to the wood, he listened intently.
Silence.
He breathed a cowardly sigh of relief. He didn’t think he had the strength to deal with her tears. But he couldn’t leave her alone, either.
Entering, he trod softly so as not to wake her. She was asleep on her back and snoring. It yanked a smile to his face as it brought a recollection of their one and only night together.
He pictured himself sleeping with her again. Making love with her.
She stirred and caught him spying on her. He hoped his emotions weren’t obvious.
“Did Mr. Lazlo call about Dani?” she asked and sat up.
He walked over to the bed and settled himself beside her. “Not yet.”
With a slow nod, she leaned back against the wooden headboard and crossed her arms. “I can feel her still. I know that you say she’s dead, but…she’s still here with me.”
He pointed to a spot right above his heart. “It’s because Dani will always be with you. In here.”
Lizzy peered at him. She wondered who stayed in his heart. Whether she might be there. “Is Mitch there with you?”
“Sometimes,” he admitted immediately.
“That’s good,” she said.
A furrow appeared between his brows as he mused about her statement. “Why?”
“Because I don’t like to think of you being alone,” she confessed.
He closed