Kick Back - Susi Hawke Page 0,9

before turning his attention to me again. "I will text you a file I have on my phone. It's a map of the hidden passages here in the palace. Everything is marked, including the route that will take you right into my father's office. I know it's empty today because our country has a no-working law on Sundays. While Gib and I attend supper, I will offer your apologies and tell them that you've taken ill."

Gib nodded his approval. "That's good. That also gives us a reason to leave tonight on such short notice after only just arriving. My plan was to say that Sacha was sick, but this is even better. Plus, it explains Nash’s absence because we’ll say he’s nursing Dear. Just one question. Why do you have a map of the secret passages saved on your phone? Are they so intricate that you didn't memorize them as a kid? Plus, what if your phone fell into the wrong hands? Not judging, especially when it's going to help us right now, but it might not be the best idea to keep that, hon."

Darius smiled and leaned over the table to kiss my brother's cheek. "Of course I have them memorized. I made the map as a boy and my mother has it framed in her sitting room. She's probably the one you should have the safety discussion with, if you dare. I took a picture of it when I went to greet her this morning. It caught my eye and I thought Sacha should know about the passages when he visits. This way, he can study the map before we visit and I take him to explore. And if that never happens, should he ever be here without me—which I doubt but as you say, it's always good to plan ahead—I want him to know every possible secret escape route if necessary."

He pulled out his phone and sent me the map. They continued talking while I studied it. My brother was right, this could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

My heart pounded as I hit the lever to open the paneling. Even though I couldn't hear a heartbeat on the other side and the room felt empty, I was committing a crime by sneaking into the king's office. Yeah, I'd made a point to look that up and see how much trouble I’d be in if I were caught. Being the brother of the prince's consort probably wouldn't save my ass, since the punishment for entering the king's private quarters without permission was death.

The things we do for love. And justice. Shit, just do it.

I took a deep breath and hit the lever, relieved to see the office was indeed empty. The windowless room was too dark, even with my enhanced shifter vision. I crept over to the door and listened intently, relieved when I heard no signs of life in the outer room. Only then did I relax enough to turn on a light and start digging.

Whoever was the king's assistant was worth their weight in gold, because they kept good records and had them all neatly organized. It only took a few minutes to find an old-fashioned hardbound record of every arranged mating, with all the information I could want.

It went back over a hundred and fifty years with names, dowry amounts, how much the crown received, and whether the mating was completed. To dig deeper, I would need to look at the earlier volumes. But that wasn't necessary, I’d found what I needed in this one. Darius had told me the brother had gone missing thirty-three years ago. From there, I simply needed to look over that year until I found his name.

Except, I didn't think to ask for their surname. I was about to give up and just take the volume with me to look at later when I found it. Anthony Clarence, a seventeen-year-old omega, had been contracted to an aristocrat in Slovenia. Interesting. Either Darius remembered incorrectly, or someone had told Father Clarence the wrong information. He thought his brother had gone to Africa or some shit, when really he was just on the other side of the Mediterranean.

I was about to take a few pictures of the logbook when I heard footsteps in the outer room. After a second's hesitation, I decided to take it with me. It might not ever be necessary, but having a logbook that was embossed with the king's seal on the cover was pretty damning evidence