Free The Royal Elite: Mattias by Danielle Bourdon

shoulders eased. The reasons why he was so on edge about the thought of Alannah spending time with any of his brethren eluded him. Perhaps it was because he knew what they were capable of, or what the darker side of their lives were like. Yet that hadn't stopped him from spending time in her company.
    For work, he reminded himself. And for her safety. Not because he was jealous.
    “Did you two have a falling out?”
    “You always were too astute for your own good. Yes, we did.” Mattias went straight to the sidebar and poured himself a stiff drink. It was a little early for liquor but that was the last thing on his mind.
    “Over what?”
    “The fact that she caught me sleeping with another woman.”
    “I didn't realize she had a claim on you to care about that one way or another.”
    Mattias took a long swallow, hissing at the sting. “She doesn't.”
    “Then why is she upset over it?”
    “I really don't know what's gotten into her. We were supposed to meet up at one of the extra parties tonight. Now I have no idea if she's going or who will watch over her.” Mattias stood by the window and stared out at the overcast day.
    “Is she alone right now?”
    “Yes. Except for her bodyguard, whom I'm not sure I trust.”
    Chayton pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and tapped out a text. “Don't worry. Between Ahsan and I, we'll cover her this evening. I'll send someone over now so we don't leave a gap through the protection.” He paused, then said, “Damn. My battery just died.”
    “Mine's out, too,” Mattias said. There wasn't any way to recharge until the power came back on.
    “Either way, we'll cover Alannah's room if she stays in.”
    “Thanks. As long as someone's paying attention.” It wasn't an optimal plan, Mattias admitted to himself. Chayton had already pulled an all-nighter and Ahsan wasn't known for his patience with target-sitting.
    “They really need to get the power working.” Chayton slid his phone away. He glanced at Mattias. “I've never known you to be this affected by a woman.”
    “I haven't either.” Mattias didn't bother to deny it. His relationship with his ex-fiance Viia had been more of a duty than anything. Mattias, in total control of his feelings in that regard, rarely allowed their flare-ups to bother him or ruffle his feathers. Viia was the woman his mother wanted him to marry, and so, he'd fallen in line and done right by his title. Emotions hadn't come into play until after, when he'd belatedly realized that he shouldn't be living his life for other people, no matter what was at stake. The breakup with Viia had been as emotionless as his proposal.
    This, however. This was a different story. And it bothered him on levels he couldn't name that the flighty, fidgety heiress to a banking empire was under his skin in less than twenty-four hours.
    “Are you still attending the party tonight?” Chayton asked.
    “I don't know. Because I don't know if she's going or not. If she does, and we're all hovering around her room or at the main gala, then we might leave her unprotected at a critical time.”
    “I think you should go. We'll cover her here, and if she leaves her room, we'll shadow her as indiscreetly as we can. This way, if she does happen to attend the party, we'll have her covered from all angles.”
    “All right. With all our phones dying, and no way to recharge, we're going to have to rely on other methods to get messages back and forth.” Mattias would use one of his guards, a man he knew he could trust with sensitive information.
    “If it comes to that, we'll send one of our contacts.”
    Mattias poured himself another drink. “Then I guess we're set up for this evening. Are you going to be spending another night in Miss Astbury's room?”
    “That depends.”
    “On what?” Mattias eyed Chayton over the rim of his glass.
    “On whether or not you're spending the night in her room.”
    “She can barely stand to look at me right now. Unless a miracle happens,