Page 23 of Keep Her from Them

“We came back from Edinburgh a couple of hours ago, and Ben had us scheduled for a fitness afternoon. Val’s out on a trail run, I’m about to hit the weights.”

A workout sounded like a very good idea. We had a gym installed in a rear corner of the hangar, past the bunkhouse where air cadets and rescue workers could sleep overnight if needed.

I shoved his shoulder. “I’m down.”

He shoved me back, an amused smile curving his lips. “Like that, is it?”

Jackson goaded me all the way to the gym, and our workout turned into a fight. At university, we’d wrestled, and at around the same height of six-two, were well matched. As part of our job, we did high-intensity cardio five days a week and strength training every other day.

It wasn’t just the hard slams of combat helping me now.

At a little older than me, my best friend had a world of experience in handling tragedy and pain after the worst had happened to his family. He didn’t ask for details of what I brooded over, merely took his position across the crash mat and let me vent my emotions.

After an hour, he had me pinned down, and I finally submitted, smacking the mat. Sweat dripped from me, but at least I could see straight.

Jackson rolled away and lay flat out. “Beer.”

I pointed to my phone, left on loud next to the mat. “Can’t. Effie duty.”

“Steak, then. We’ll stop off at the pub and pick up dinner. The lasses will be happy.” He sprang up and offered me a hand.

I accepted and let him haul me to my feet. Then I checked my messages. One arrived in front of my eyes—from my brother, saying he was on his way back and would go home, so he had his wife covered.

That meant dinner alone with my best friend and my sister. I loved them both, but I was still in a shitty mood. The thought of hanging out with an in-love couple was not appealing.

Another idea had crept into its place.

One where I spent time digging around the internet for traces of Alex. Something I’d never admit to my friend.

I regarded him. “Effie doesnae need me anymore. Mind if I rain check dinner? I have something else I need to do.”

Jackson tilted his head. “Why do I get the sense you’re up to no good?”

“Quit mind reading me. Ye won’t like what ye find.”

His shrewd gaze followed me back to my car.

For obvious reasons, bodyguards made excellent stalkers, and I was unsure if I could resist trying it on for size.

Chapter 10

Raphael

Seven AM found me jogging back to Braithar, sweat on my brow from the mild morning and no breeze to cool me off. Scotland didn’t get as warm as London, but it was going to be a stunning day.

Shame I wasn’t in a mood to enjoy it.

I crushed gravel under my running shoes, rounding the castle to the rear entrance. The imposing and fortified building was owned by Gordain McRae, the original creator of the bodyguard service. His daughter, Viola, had married Leo, our favourite rock star, they had two kids, and all of them lived here. Thus the team had been created. Gordain had worried too much over his daughter’s and son-in-law’s safety to allow anyone else the responsibility of protecting them.

He offered rooms for a bodyguard to live on-site, and both Ben and Valentine had stayed here before settling in with their lasses. Now was my turn. I’d previously shared a towerapartment with my sister, but since she and Jackson shacked up, I’d given them their privacy.

I prowled the flagstone floor to my doorway, let myself in, then headed straight to the shower. Under the hot water, I rinsed off the sweat and tried to centre my thoughts.

Last night, I’d cyber stalked Alex in a way that had veered far from professional. I’d started off with good intentions, looking for her events calendar and eyeing an upcoming busy week. Typically, she didn’t seem to be a working royal, only appearing at large-scale family events, but that had changed recently. Beyond that, I’d quickly found myself deep in gossip. Her dating life. Who her friends were.

I discovered Dori, giving me a full name of Ferdinand Dorian Christian Sonderburg, Count Sonderburg, as he’d informed me, and nephew to both the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the King of Norway. Both related to monarchs and the same age. Alex had been photographed with him for years, which suggested they had a solid friendship rather than a romantic relationship.

I hadn’t found any evidence of a long-term boyfriend at all. Lots of rumoured dates, particularly with celebrities, but any reporting was short-lived and without receipts.

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