Page 13 of The Duke

“Wait.”

She turned slowly.

He stood and in two steps pulled her up against him again. He kissed her soundly and thoroughly, holding her up when she gripped his arms. Then walked her to the door. “You are too much.”

“Good night.” She smiled, almost giggled, and he shook his head. “See you tomorrow.”

When the door shut, he rotated his shoulders. He needed a solid work out and a cold shower. But he couldn’t help the self-satisfied smile that spread across his cheeks. He was making this work.

His phone dinged. Expecting to say goodnight, he grinned. But Lucan’s frowning mug video chatted him instead. “We have to talk.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“Stay put, we’ll come to you.”

Chapter 8

Trane stubbornly frowned while Lucan pulled up slide after slide of Seraphina in a pleasant restaurant setting, speaking with known radical environmentalists. They laughed, they sipped, they ate. It seemed perfectly congenial. And Trane refused to believe she knew the full extent of the group’s militantism.

Until the talking turned serious. They leaned together, the men jabbing the table with their fingers, Phina writing furiously in her notebook.

“There’s more.” Lucan flipped to another open tab. “She received a deposit to her account in the amount of $10,000 dollars this evening, shortly after the meeting.”

Trane’s heart stuttered. “It could be anything. Monthly allowance from her parents. Who gets deposits after banking hours anyway?”

But he knew Lucan was on to something. Even if she was unaware of the group’s true tendencies, being involved with them made her very, very dangerous to herself and to the crown.

“Lucan. We don’t know how much she knows.”

“She’s a risk no matter if she knows it or not.”

He dropped his head in his hands. “I know.” He let his head lower even further. He began to question her feelings for him. Could she be making use of an old relationship to stay close to the family? Get an in with her story and the designs of this group?

“It’s fortuitous she is staying with us.”

He snapped his head up. “Cause we can track her easier.” He shook his head. “That sounds so shady. It might be better to talk to her.”

“Oh, we’re gonna talk to her.”

“Whoa, now Lucan.”

“Don’t whoa me. If this were anyone else we would already be all over them.”

He was right. And Trane knew he had to let him do his job. Lucan was the best in the business.

“What do your instincts tell you?” Trane hated to even ask.

“She’s in over her head.”

Trane breathed out in relief.

“But she’s in.”

“And that’s the problem.” Trane stood up. “I’m leaving this up to you. This is the woman I love, brother.” There he’d said it. “I’m not going to carry suspicions and engage in spying. Not without just asking her first.”

“You won’t be the one asking, but if you would like, you can watch through the Plexiglas.”

“What?”

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