Page 72 of Night's Fall
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“Okay,”Iwhispered, sitting besideSirk, five crafts back on hover over the street, waiting for our turn for theVIPvalet to let us onto the deep-purple carpet outsideCat’sgallery,Tempera.
I was watchingAlekseistride purposefully through the lightning storm of the flashing cams to the front doors.
“That was terrifying,”Ifinished when he disappeared inside.
Sirk had told meAleecewasn’t coming, andIwas kind of glad, because the frenzyIjust witnessed had me inwardly quailing, and she might have made it worse.
I’d seen it happen to him and other famous people.
But knowing him, him meaning something to me, and witnessing it in person,Iwas struggling with a mixture of outrage, revulsion and fear.
The first twoIfelt for him because this was his life, andIknew he didn’t like it.
The last was for me.
“It’s all he knows,”Sirkreplied. “Sure, sometimes he finds it mildly annoying, but he’s learned to play the game, and when he needs his space, he knows how to get it.”
“Right,”Imumbled.
“Laura, this is his life,”Sirksaid low whatI’djust thought.
Left unsaid,Andit’s going to be yours too, so buck up, buttercup.
I turned his way. “Therecould be a half a dozen crazies on that pavement.”
“Considering no one knew he’d be here, if they wereLex’spersonal crazies, they’re slavering over social tape, hoping for a lock on his position.Buthis team is second to none.Theking made the decision to shift the brightest inRoyalServicetoAlekseiwhen his general popularity outdistanced the king’s.Partof that team has been here, scouring every inch of this block for the last few hours.He’scovered.AndIknow you are too.”
“But no one knows whoIam.”
“It won’t matter to him.Wehave someone following us.Andyou’ll have someone with eyes on you outside as we go in, and someone waiting on you to arrive inside.Heor she will then shadow you, doing it without anyone knowing they are.Thesewill be different beings than those assigned toAleksei.”Histone changed to guarded. “Hasn’the shared this with you?”
“He did,Ijust…I’venever seen the frenzy in action, andIhave to admit, it spooked me.”
He touched my forearm so briefly,Iwondered ifAlekseialready marked me, or if that was just a show of respect to a male of his clan.
“Just know, the vast majority…and you know this,Laura, that vast isvast…utterly adore him.Theywouldn’t harm him in any way, and some would lay down their lives at just the threat that someone else might.Andwhen they find out you two are fated, they’re gonna lose their minds at the romance and destiny of it all, and they’ll love you too.That’sall good.AndifIknowLex, he’ll break his back to keep your focus on the good.He’lldeal with the bad.”
I didn’t find that as reassuring as he thoughtIwould, considering that was not fair at all.
ButIdidn’t have a chance to enter into a discussion with him.
My door was swinging open, and a valet was helping me out.
Sirk met me on the carpet, put a hand to my back and guided me in.Hegot his share of flashes, definitely.Butnothing like the blitzAlekseireceived.
We were barely two steps in beforeGaylilielwas on us.
She grabbed my arms, kissed both my cheeks, leaned back and gave me a top to toe, announcing, “Ohmy gods, you look fucking phenomenal.”
“So do you,”Ireplied, thinking her bronze, one-shoulder gown was perfect.
She glanced over and up, blinked and whispered inSirk’sdirection, “Ohmy gods, you’re just plain phenomenal.”
“I already knowIlike your friends a whole fuckin’ lot,”Sirkdeclared.
I laughed and introduced, “Gayle,SirkParrin.Sirk,GayleVinestrong.”
