Royal Elite: Leander by Danielle Bourdon Page A

Leander swung the pack to the floor and helped himself to a tub chair positioned in a small seating area. He tipped his head back for a moment and closed his eyes.
    What a long day.
    A small vent pushed cooler air into the sleeping quarters and across his chair, drying the sweat on his skin. It was a luxury he could do without when he had to, but one he appreciated now, when he wanted to relax and save his energy for what came next.
    Digging his phone from a vest pocket, he pulled up the screen, found Wynn's name, and pressed the button. He knew she had a special ringtone set just for him and would know before answering who was calling.
    “Leander?” Anxiety made Wynn's voice tight and a little higher than usual.
    “Hey, baby. Yeah, it's me.” He waited, lips curling at the edges, for the deluge about to hit.
    “Where are you? What happened? Is everyone safe? Chey said you were all attacked and I've been worried sick. Are you on a plane yet?”
    There it came. If he hadn't been so concerned and distracted, he might have chuckled. Sometimes, some things never changed. As it was, he had the issue of his father, Wynn and his apparent health problem to deal with.
    “Everyone's fine. Chey and I are on a plane right now. We're about to take off.”
    “Oh thank god. I've been scared half out of my mind, and I think the employees at the cafe where I've been waiting are starting to think I've moved in. When will you get here? And what's the deal with your dad? Why am I not allowed to go to the house? I was there earlier--”
    “Wynn.” That was all he said. Her name. In a tone he knew would silence the diatribe immediately. And it did. He licked his dry lips, then said, “It's a very long story, better told in person. Just trust me and don't go near the house again, okay?”
    “I know, Chey told me. What I don't understand is why. Why can't you just tell me now? Why all the secrecy?” After a moment, she added, “Are you adopted?”
    Despite himself, Leander laughed. He knew what prompted the question. “No, I'm not adopted. My father and I share few traits, including looks.”
    “Obviously. Is he dangerous?”
    Leander didn't want to hesitate and make Wynn nervous. Yet the question always paused him when he thought about it. His father's secrets were devastating, ones Leander could not share with Wynn over the phone. Maybe could not ever share with her. Nathaniel was not the type of man to wrap his hands around a person's throat and end their life. Never that. Nathaniel was not a violent man. Leander had been involved in hundreds of tense situations were he'd been prepared to take a life to save his own, or some other innocent, which made him twice as dangerous as his father.
    At least on a physical level.
    “Leander?”
    Drawn out of his reverie, Leander rubbed a hand down his face, then raked his fingers back through his hair, catching the band tying half of it back. He worked it free and scrubbed nails against his scalp. The actions bought him time to think.
    “Yeah, I'm here. He's not dangerous, Wynn. I...I'll explain when I get there, all right? Just stay away from the house.”
    “Why the long hesitation? Do you have an idea what he means about you dying in a few days? Because really, Leander, I'd like to know what you know.”
    He wanted to tell her that he couldn't. That he shouldn't. Instead, he said, “I don't have any idea what he's going on about, Wynn. We'll find out when I arrive.”
    “He said he was the only one who could save you. What does that mean? If he's speaking in metaphorical terms, I'm going to hurt him. Real bad.”
    Leander's shoulders twitched with mirth. “You can believe that when he speaks so plainly about death, he means it just like it sounds. He's got information about a possible hit on me, or some other thing like that.”
    “A hit on you? Like an assassination attempt?” Her voice pitched high with distress.
    The drone of the jet, which was still on a steady incline and