Heir Untamed - By Danielle Bourdon Page 0,86

frowning first at the dead maid, then at Chey. “Are you all right, Miss Sinclair?” he asked, lowering the weapon.

“Oh thank God. Yes, yes, I'm all right.” Shaking, Chey backed away from the body on the floor while Allar, followed by Hendrik, rushed inside. They went straight to Elise and knelt down to feel for a pulse.

Allar pulled his fingers away from Elise's throat. “She's dead.”

. . .

Interrogation, round two, went much as Chey expected. Allar led the inquiry, with Mattias present along with Urmas and several other prominent members of security.

Sander, to her dismay, had not yet arrived back from his trip.

She recited the events exactly as they happened, leaving out no detail. Each question put to her she answered with precision and patience, though her mind was a hundred miles away.

What dark secrets had Elise meant? Things from the past? Murders, like Andra? Just how far would an elite family go to keep those kinds of secrets?

All the way.

She had no doubt that Elise's death would be explained away as something other than what it had been. The Royals and their advisers wouldn't want it getting out that staff members were following through with threats and murder for others.

And something else bothered Chey. Something no one touched on during the investigation. Would Elise have risked her life for someone not yet a part of the Royal family? Viia wasn't even Mattias's fiance. Yet that had been the name on Elise's lips, not Natalia. It would have made little sense for Elise to lie when she thought Chey was as good as dead.

The deceased told no tales.

Then again, perhaps the money had been too good for Elise and the attacker in the tower to pass up. He'd been a stablehand, Allar informed her, somehow coerced into doing murderous deeds for someone else. Money was excellent motivation.

Departing the office, tired in ways she hadn't been since her parents death, Chey headed for the stairs to the second floor. By now, Elise's body should be removed from her room. It gave her the creeps, just a little, to think of sleeping there after Elise's death.

“Chey.”

She paused in the upper hallway at the sound of Sander's voice. Turning, she saw him striding toward her in the same clothes he'd had on a few short hours ago. He even still had his sunglasses on.

“Hi.” She murmured a greeting, arms crossed over her chest.

Sander didn't hesitate. He enfolded her into a bear hug, pulling her against him. “Are you all right?”

She unwound her arms and slid them around his middle. He smelled divine. A combination of masculine cologne and the scent that was uniquely his.

“Yeah. I should have known when Elise mentioned the tower that you or the other security wouldn't have told her about it.”

“I knew the moment you asked me in the text. We were in Kalev by then and I had to see my meeting through.”

“Allar got there quickly. It's a good thing. I'm not sure I could have overpowered her.”

Sander leaned away and cupped her face in his warm hands after pushing up his sunglasses. “I'm sorry you were ever subjected to that kind of danger. Viia will be arrested and sentenced.”

“I guess she really felt threatened. It's a shame. If she only knew.” Chey met and held Sander's eyes. Her fingers stroked over the back of the fine suit, feeling the lay of muscle beneath. He felt strong and competent under her palms.

“She has been a social climber from day one. I never expected her capable of this, however.” Sander stroked the pads of his thumbs over her cheeks.

“I have to say—even with all the dirty looks and warning glances, I didn't expect it, either.” Chey paused, then asked, “Is it always like this? I mean with the danger?”

Sander pressed his lips together and looked past her down the hall. Toward some distant, irrelevant point. Then met her eyes again. “I will not lie. It can be. We receive threats weekly. Most are disgruntled musings from a disturbed mind, but others...others are real and tangible. Rarely do we have this sort of situation, though.”

“But you do have them.”

“Yes.”

Chey dropped her gaze to the knot of his tie. “She spoke of dark secrets. Was she being melodramatic, or is there more to it?”

When he hissed in annoyance, Chey glanced up. Sander wore a complicated expression, as if being forced to chose between lying and telling half truths. Chey didn't deceive herself into thinking she would be trusted with anything more.

“I'm