Free The Royal Elite: Mattias by Danielle Bourdon Page B

instinct. Why Mumford Cleary might be involved baffled Mattias no end. He didn't know too much about the affluent gentleman, and until he had more information, would treat the situation with all the attention it deserved. If Ahsan was wrong, and this was simply a misunderstanding, then no harm done.
    “I think it's you who better watch where he's standing. Get out of the way when someone's coming through,” Cleary argued.
    Ahsan caught Mattias's gaze again. This time, he jerked his chin a different direction.
    While the men bristled and worked through the end of the fight with words instead of fists, Mattias scanned the immediate area, looking for the object Ahsan had directed him to. Three guards hovered around Cleary, all dressed in suits. Ahsan had one member of security blocking him with his body but that was all. It wasn't until the third sweep that Mattias saw the retreating shape of a man heading out of the great hall, walking in that way people did when they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. He could be just another guest, tired of the argument.
    Or he could be someone involved with Cleary, possibly the hit man. Either way, something had triggered Ahsan's protective nature, and Mattias would see it through to whatever end.
    Cutting away through the crowd after another telling glance from Ahsan, Mattias followed the skulking man and took in the details: tall, lean, dark hair, leather jacket. Sneakers instead of boots. Not exactly the attire of a wealthy aristocrat attending a well-to-do party.
    Pretending to be heading the same direction, keeping his pursuit casual instead of predatory, Mattias shadowed the stranger to the stairs and up them. Mattias understood he was aware of him, though the man never glanced back. Not until he emerged onto the landing on the second level.
    Mattias purposely looked the other way, as if he had no interest in this gentleman. Only when he had to step past did Mattias acknowledge with a nod of his head. The stranger, sporting ragged features and an overlarge nose, returned the gesture. Though he glanced toward the corridor housing Alannah's suite, the man strode down the same hallway as Mattias. Good thing, or Mattias would have been forced to follow and make it clear the stranger was under surveillance.
    Stopping in front of his bedroom door, Mattias pretended to fumble for his keys while keeping the stranger in periphery. The man stopped before the last room at the end of the corridor and entered a moment later.
    Pocketing his keys, Mattias retreated to the juncture of hallways and waited for one of his guards. He didn't have time to loiter in the hallway himself to mark the comings and goings, which would only appear suspicious anyway. There was no solid proof that the stranger was a hit man, and to leave off their search could be a grave mistake. Besides that, he needed to have a talk with Ahsan to see what had set the man off to begin with.
    Shortly, a guard appeared. Mattias left instructions to observe the hallway, and to shadow the man at the far door should he emerge. Retreating back downstairs, Mattias was just in time to see Cleary and Ahsan split off and go their separate ways.
    “What the hell is going on?” Mattias said in a low voice once he stood at Ahsan's side.
    “Walk with me and I'll tell you.” Ahsan strode out of the hall but didn't take the stairs. Instead, he angled toward one of the terraces. Exiting through an open set of double doors, Ahsan came to a halt beneath an overhang that provided a dry place to talk. The skies were still dark, rain lashing the earth.
    “What was that all about?” Mattias asked after a quick glance along the terrace to make sure they were alone. The gray day left few shadows for anyone to hide in.
    “While I was conversing with someone else in the great hall, I overheard that man I had you follow ask about Miss Astbury. It was just the way he phrased his interest, not just to one guest, but a few. Trying to find out