Page 29 of The Last Strike

William nodded slowly. “I had to outdo your father, of course.” He sighed heavily. “I’m not saying you don’t have to fight, Asher—that’s not what I mean, because you do. You definitely do. We make different decisions when it’s personal, so keep that out of it while you fight, but don’t let this eat away at your soul. Whatever is the fastest way to end this, do it. Don’t focus on making himpay,” he said. “Anyway, take all that for what it’s worth. It’s what I’d tell my own son—if I had one,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“You have Abi. She’s braver, smarter, and tougher than any son you could’ve wished for,” Asher said knowingly.

William smiled fondly. “That she is. She’s my wild one, always keeping me up at night. But soon,” he said, putting an arm on Asher’s shoulder, “she’s going to be your problem.”

Asher tipped his head back, chuckling.

“Well, we might continue living here forever,” Asher joked. “Then we can share the load.”

William shook his head, grinning. “Not a chance, Your Majesty. Not. A. Chance.”

Abi

“Iwondered where you two had snuck off to,” Abi said as Asher and her father walked toward her, both wearing smiles.

“I was just talking about you,” Asher said, grinning. “You father said we can stay as long as we like.”

Abi raised an eyebrow. “Let’s not.”

Her father tipped his head back, laughing. “Abi, you’re going to have to develop some tact if you’re going to be queen.”

“I have tact, I just chose not to use it then. Anyway, I’m glad you’re free for a minute,” she said, wondering how quickly her father would cotton on to what she was up to. “What do you remember about Queen Alila’s death?”

William’s eyebrows lifted and Asher tilted his head to the side, inquisitively.

“Hmm,” her father said after a moment. “Not much. She had a heart attack, if I recall correctly.” He looked at her, eyes narrowing. “Why? What are you up to?”

Abi shrugged. “Nothing, just curious. Did they have a good marriage?”

“Who knows, but they definitely made it look good. The Adani royal family has been trying to bolster their reputation on the international circuit for years. They portrayed a picture-perfect family, but clearly that wasn’t the case. In fact, in my experience, people that project perfect families are often hanging on by a thread.” His eyes narrowed. “Again, why, Abigail?”

She smiled casually. “Just interested,” she said sweetly. She hadn’t fooled her father, and she didn’t intend to.

William sighed and turned to Asher. “Your problem,” he said, patting him on the arm. “Okay, I’ve taken enough of your time. I’m going to my office for a few hours. Please call me if I can be of any assistance.”

Asher smiled warmly. “Thank you.”

When her father turned to leave, Asher looked to her. He took her hands, drawing her in. “Really, what is this about?” he asked, searching her eyes.

“I think King Khalil killed his wife—and Samuel agrees. I’m going to prove it and you can use it to demoralize his military,” Abi said with a nod. “If he’s willing to kill his own wife, it shows that no one is safe. If his men develop those feelings, it will plant seeds of distrust in his military and that could work in our favor,” she said. “Don’t worry, though, I’m still working on border relief and we got supplies in there this morning. The soldiers are taken care of, but I just thought...” She shrugged. “I had a few spare minutes, so I thought I’d sink my teeth into this.”

She hadn’t known how Asher would respond, but his response made her heart happy.

He smiled, drawing her in. “I love the fight in you,” he said, brushing his lips over hers. He tipped her chin up, his dancing eyes meeting hers. “Samuel agrees, does he? What exactly have you two been doing?”

“I researched online while Samuel browsed some medical databases. All legal, I’m sure,” Abi said with a guilty smile.

Asher chuckled light-heartedly, and it was a beautiful sound. “I’m sure,” he said, grinning.

“Ash, Thomas Security has secured the apartment and completed the installation,” Jesse said from behind them. “Princess Theodora is ready to meet with you whenever you’re ready.”

Abi realized Jesse had barely left Asher’s side since the palace attack. He seemed to have a way of never being in the way, but never far away, either. She supposed that came from years of experience being Asher’s bodyguard and King Martin’s before that.

Asher nodded. “I’m ready,” he said, all business.

He kissed Abi’s forehead and inhaled deeply. “I’ll be back soon. Whatever you’re working on, keep working on it. Once I’ve spoken to Theodora, it might be a good idea for you to talk to her. That said,” he cautioned, “I think she’s genuinely traumatized from recent events and I don’t want to push her too hard too soon. Let’s see how she responds to me first.”

Abi nodded. “Good plan.”

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