Catastrophic Attraction - Eve Langlais Page 0,72
The sluggish remembrance took a moment to filter.
He’d drugged her!
Why? What had he done to her while she slept?
She sat up in the empty bed. She was dressed in a loose gown, the fabric soft.
The entire room was empty. His Majesty had left her alone.
It made her angry to realize he’d left her so vulnerable. Then even more peeved he’d gone off by himself.
Why?
She slid from the bed and quickly dressed in the new set of clean clothes she found on a chair. Stuff she’d have bought herself if given the choice. The shirt was formfitting, the jacket a rugged yet light leather, the slacks a little tight in the butt, but stretchy. Someone had chosen well for her.
She armed herself before heading to the door for a listen. Opening it suddenly meant the body leaning on it almost fell inside.
Thump.
The king hit the floor with a grunt. He didn’t rise. He snored, cheek pressed to tile.
Dead drunk. She hadn’t taken him for the type.
For a moment, she thought about letting him sleep it off on the floor. He deserved it. A movement at the door drew her eyes and her knife.
Jorah appeared. “I was just coming to see if he’d made it up the stairs.”
“Did you help him?” she asked, pointing the tip of her weapon.
He lifted his massive hands. “Don’t gut me. I had nuthin’ to do with it.”
“But you knew he drugged me!” she accused.
“Aye, I knew ‘cause he trusted me to guard ya while ya slept. Said if anything hurt ya it better be ‘cause I was dead.”
It didn’t ease her ire to know he’d ensured her protection. Sachi stepped onto Roark’s prone body, her steps light as she crossed him like a bridge into the room. The feline cast Casey a glance, one that seemed to say, Men! Such idiots.
Casey tended to agree. With her initial shock tempering itself, her mind began to think. Why would he have drugged her? She doubted it was to ensure she got a great night’s rest. Leaving what other reason?
“Where did he go?”
“I canna say.”
Confirming the fact he’d done it because he went to see someone he didn’t want her to meet. Lover? He better hope not. She couldn’t abide cheaters.
“Can’t say?” She arched a brow. “Let’s get one thing clear. That is not an acceptable answer. Meaning, you’d better speak fast, or you’ll be scooping up your guts from the floor.” A menace delivered on a soft growl
“Donna blame me.” Jorah held up his hands. For a big man, he showed a healthy respect for Casey, which she appreciated. It was the only reason he wasn’t bleeding yet. “He made me promise.”
“And I’m sure he’d be perfectly fine with you breaking it if it means you get to live.” She smiled. Not reassuringly.
Poor Jorah blanched. She almost felt sorry for him, and then she remembered his part in what happened.
“It’s nothing bad,” Jorah claimed.
“I don’t believe you. Look at him.” She pointed to the snoring lump.
“He does dis every time he visits her.”
Her? She saw red. “Visits who?”
“His sista.”
The reply rocked her. “He has a sister?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s never mentioned her.” A brother, yes. A dead and two-timing father as well. Not much about his mother, but obviously no longer around either. New Earth was a tough place to live.
“The king no talk about her ‘cause she’s sick in da head.” Jorah tapped his temple. “Hasna spoken a word in years. Not even ta her full brotha, Darius.”
“Why? What happened to her?”
The big man shrugged. It kept going once the first motion was done. “Bad shit went down years ago.”
“Bad enough she stopped talking.” She started to see where this was going. “Roark feels guilty for whatever happened to her.” Funny how she began to understand some of his odder actions. He tried to be the strong, tough leader, but in some respects, he loved too hard.
She’d heard of the lengths he’d gone to have his daughter healed when she was sick. Charlie was dying, literally of the swamp fever. They’d managed to slow it down, but she got weaker, according to the stories she heard. The healers he brought in weren’t strong enough.
Until he found Sofia. He’d done some pretty underhanded things to get her to help. Throwing Gunner against Titan in the arena. Trying to force her hand. Turned out he should have just told Sofia why he needed her.
The woman could heal. Not everything, but enough that there was concern she’d be a target, hence why she