than this asshole.
Edward contemplated deleting the message, erasing Philip from her phone if he couldn’t quite do it from her life. In the end, he left it be. He remembered Philip’s call earlier, and how frustrated Catharine was becoming with him. It was better she saw his continued asshole behavior firsthand, and broke up with him herself.
Edward was ready to step in and do it for her, if need be.
Right now, however, he needed to leave.
He picked up the book and the small light, closing them both and placing them with her phone on the nightstand. Then he brushed a loose lock of hair from her face. Her body shifted slightly at his touch.
“Edward,” she breathed.
He froze. After holding his breath for several long moments, he realized she hadn’t seen him.
She had dreamed him.
She was dreaming about him.
Not only that, she may have recognized his touch.
Fuck!
He couldn’t think about this right now. He had a job to do.
He brushed a knuckle over her cheek and she sighed. “Goodbye, My Lady,” he breathed into the dark.
Then he walked away, locking the door behind him as he left.
Chapter Seven
C at was disoriented when she woke the next morning. As she was used to slim streams of sunlight through her curtains, the total darkness threw her until she remembered.
Threats against the royal family.
Or maybe the crown.
Or maybe even Valleria itself.
Likely, all three.
She checked her phone for the time, then scrunched her nose at the sight of six – six! – messages from Philip in the middle of the night. She avoided those to check her other messages and decided, even though it was early, she may as well get up.
She frowned at the sight of her book and light on the nightstand. Had she put them there? She shook her head as she realized she must have done so.
After taking a shower and getting dressed, she frowned once again at seeing the door locked, then her eyes widened. She staggered back until she hit the foot of the bed and sat down. Had someone come in last night?
“I don’t understand. I’m deep in the bunker. No one but the family and security know I’m here.” Security . “Edward?”
But that had been a dream. She’d imagined him visiting her last night. That hadn’t been real.
Had it?
“Oh God.”
Suddenly, she had to see him, had to know if he’d come to her.
If he had, then maybe he wasn’t ready to give up on them.
She leapt from the bed and bolted through the door. After a quick scan of the empty hallway ensured no one would see her, she ran down the hall. She headed straight for the control room, bypassing the kitchens where she heard some of the family gathered.
Marcello was near a bank of monitors, his tired, red eyes and tousled hair indicating his lack of sleep. Their father, also looking weary yet very alert, was talking quietly into the phone, his head nodding intermittently.
Alex sat in one corner, absently staring at the monitors, taking in none of the flickering images on screen. Her twin radar said that something was bothering Alex. She could usually weasel things from him – he had a very hard time keeping things from her – but, with everything else going on, she wondered if needling him would help or hurt right now.
She turned to Marcello. “Any news?”
Marcello nodded. “We had some developments overnight. I’m waiting to hear back from one of my men, then we’ll update the family.”
Her gut clenched. She had no way of knowing, but she was sure before he even said the name. “Who? Who are you waiting for?”
“Bash ran some missions for us last night. He got a few minor injuries, but he’s fine and he’s on his way in now.” One of the agents called for Marcello and he walked over to another set of screens.
Edward was injured.
Oh God.
She couldn’t think about it, not yet. Marcello said he was fine, though she knew she wouldn’t believe him until she saw it for herself.
Needing a distraction, and also needing to cheer up her
Edward contemplated deleting the message, erasing Philip from her phone if he couldn’t quite do it from her life. In the end, he left it be. He remembered Philip’s call earlier, and how frustrated Catharine was becoming with him. It was better she saw his continued asshole behavior firsthand, and broke up with him herself.
Edward was ready to step in and do it for her, if need be.
Right now, however, he needed to leave.
He picked up the book and the small light, closing them both and placing them with her phone on the nightstand. Then he brushed a loose lock of hair from her face. Her body shifted slightly at his touch.
“Edward,” she breathed.
He froze. After holding his breath for several long moments, he realized she hadn’t seen him.
She had dreamed him.
She was dreaming about him.
Not only that, she may have recognized his touch.
Fuck!
He couldn’t think about this right now. He had a job to do.
He brushed a knuckle over her cheek and she sighed. “Goodbye, My Lady,” he breathed into the dark.
Then he walked away, locking the door behind him as he left.
Chapter Seven
C at was disoriented when she woke the next morning. As she was used to slim streams of sunlight through her curtains, the total darkness threw her until she remembered.
Threats against the royal family.
Or maybe the crown.
Or maybe even Valleria itself.
Likely, all three.
She checked her phone for the time, then scrunched her nose at the sight of six – six! – messages from Philip in the middle of the night. She avoided those to check her other messages and decided, even though it was early, she may as well get up.
She frowned at the sight of her book and light on the nightstand. Had she put them there? She shook her head as she realized she must have done so.
After taking a shower and getting dressed, she frowned once again at seeing the door locked, then her eyes widened. She staggered back until she hit the foot of the bed and sat down. Had someone come in last night?
“I don’t understand. I’m deep in the bunker. No one but the family and security know I’m here.” Security . “Edward?”
But that had been a dream. She’d imagined him visiting her last night. That hadn’t been real.
Had it?
“Oh God.”
Suddenly, she had to see him, had to know if he’d come to her.
If he had, then maybe he wasn’t ready to give up on them.
She leapt from the bed and bolted through the door. After a quick scan of the empty hallway ensured no one would see her, she ran down the hall. She headed straight for the control room, bypassing the kitchens where she heard some of the family gathered.
Marcello was near a bank of monitors, his tired, red eyes and tousled hair indicating his lack of sleep. Their father, also looking weary yet very alert, was talking quietly into the phone, his head nodding intermittently.
Alex sat in one corner, absently staring at the monitors, taking in none of the flickering images on screen. Her twin radar said that something was bothering Alex. She could usually weasel things from him – he had a very hard time keeping things from her – but, with everything else going on, she wondered if needling him would help or hurt right now.
She turned to Marcello. “Any news?”
Marcello nodded. “We had some developments overnight. I’m waiting to hear back from one of my men, then we’ll update the family.”
Her gut clenched. She had no way of knowing, but she was sure before he even said the name. “Who? Who are you waiting for?”
“Bash ran some missions for us last night. He got a few minor injuries, but he’s fine and he’s on his way in now.” One of the agents called for Marcello and he walked over to another set of screens.
Edward was injured.
Oh God.
She couldn’t think about it, not yet. Marcello said he was fine, though she knew she wouldn’t believe him until she saw it for herself.
Needing a distraction, and also needing to cheer up her
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