Page 65 of Captured

As Nicki reached for the door, however, it was pushed open. Dimitri stood there, looking larger than life. He nodded to Nicki and stood aside to let her pass, murmuring something to her that made her laugh.

Then he was in the bedroom again, and this time, he made sure the door was closed. Trapping Lauren in with him, the movement was at once too intimate, almost dangerous.

Suddenly, Lauren’s covers didn’t feel substantial enough. “Is anything wrong?” she asked as he paced toward her. “Is it my parents?”

“No.” He wasn’t thrown by her question. Instead, his attention remained focused on her. “Your parents remainunaware that you’re here. Your other friends are also unaware—I suspect Kristos may have told Emmaline, but not if he’s been overseeing the analysis of Ari’s watch.”

“Oh.” Lauren’s eyes rounded. “Have you spoken to Kristos, then? Is he okay?”

“Of course.” He took another step toward her, then another. “Finding a piece of Ari’s personal effects is a step toward closure, one way or another. It’s only a good thing.”

“Oh. Well, um, good.” She furrowed her brow at him as he finally stopped in front of her bed. “So...what are you doing here?”

“I’m supposed to be here.”

“Dimitri, bodyguard duty is officially over, okay? I’m fine. Everything is fine.”

Suddenly too nervous to stay in the bed, Lauren threw the covers to the side and exited to the far side of the bed, the large piece of furniture now between them. Was Dimitri smiling? She straightened and reached for her robe to cover up her nightshirt.

“Are you cold?” The low rumble of his voice caught her up short. Before she could process what he was doing, he had moved around the bed and all the way to her side. He lifted his hand to press it against her forehead, as if she was a child with the sniffles.

“What? Of course not.”

“Then don’t dress. In fact...” He drew his finger down the neckline of her gown, feeling her heart quicken beneath his hand. “I think you might be overdressed.”

“Um.” Lauren glanced at the still-shut doorway. “What are you doing?”

“This,” he murmured, leaning down to her. With a movement as natural as breathing, she leaned up toward him as well, then caught herself, putting her hand on his chest to stop him.

“Dimitri. Seriously, you don’t need to do this anymore. Your assignment with me is done.”

His laughter rumbled in his chest. “I’m not here on assignment.”

“Sure you are.” She pushed him away. “You’re going to honestly say to me that the queen didn’t send you back here?”

The moment he blinked at her she knew she was right, and a sudden, unreasonable outrage took hold of her. More than that, she couldn’t bear to be in the same room as Dimitri until she figured out what she wanted—what she needed. And she’d never be able to do that with him looming over her. “You know what, I’m tired of being herded around by you people, and I’m tired of hiding. I want to be taken to my parents. Now.”

He scowled. “They’re not awake.”

“Oh, bullshit. Henry’s dead—and even if they don’t knowthatyet, they know he’s gone missing.” She shook her head. “If you think they’re casually sleeping while that’s hanging over their heads, you’re nuts.”

Dimitri sighed, clearly exasperated—but also clearly distracted, which worked for her. “You should rest,” he said finally. “They can survive until morning.”

“No.” She pulled back from him, equally resolute. “My parents should know. I have to tell them. Now.” She put her hand on his arm when he would have protested. “Please, Dimitri.”

He spoke not another word, simply nodded, then waited for her to dress. He also didn’t speak as they moved through the long corridors, and she got the feeling that he was angry with her, but she couldn’t care about that. Henry was gone. Her sister was safe. She was safe. Dimitri’s job was finished. It was time for her to move on with her life.

Her parents were not only awake, as it happened, they were drinking some of the Crown’s finesttsipouro. When Laurenwalked in with her bandaged neck obvious above the tank top sleeve of her shift, they cried out in alarm.

“What happened to you?” her mother managed first, but her father was up on his feet and hustling toward her as well. Both of them looked different. A little desperate, but Lauren accepted their embraces easily enough. It was only when they pulled back that she realized what was strange about them.

Henry. He wasn’t with them, when he’d always been with them, every time she’d seen her parents for the last several years. He’d hung around like a specter for so long, coloring everything he touched, that it was exceptionally strange not to have him at her parents’ side. Strange...and wonderful.

“Mom, Dad,” Lauren said, drawing in a deep breath. “There’s something you need to know.”

Forty-Four

Dimitri watched the get-together with as much cool dispassion as he could muster, a distant part of his mind acknowledging Lauren’s skill at managing the announcement of Henry’s death. Her parents were startled—then outraged, especially when she explained how Henry had come to the island searching for her, and how he’d used a threat to Maddie to close the net. Dimitri sensed the grim undertone to her father’s reaction, though. He wasn’t shocked, not entirely. On some level, he’d known the truth about Smithson, Dimitri was certain. Known it and turned a blind eye.

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