God Save the Queen (The Immortal Empire) (31 page)

“Sick bastards,” I muttered.

Vex shrugged, and I allowed myself to enjoy the sight of his shirt pulling tight across his broad shoulders. “They’re afraid of us, and it’s always been human nature to hate that which frightens them.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re not condoning this.” I jerked my thumb at the screen.

Harsh laughter came in response. “No. I don’t think death is anything to celebrate, but I understand why they do it. We have no idea how long our lifespan is. Humans know they have an end coming – even you will outlive most humans by an entire lifetime.”

“If I’m lucky,” I replied. There were Royal Guards who had lived to see retirement, but a greater number had died in service. That thought had the opposite effect on me than it should have. “I need to go back to work.”

His gaze was sharp. “You’re in mourning.”

Oh, right. Wouldn’t do to have me break protocol. Someone might get suspicious. “And it’s driving me hatters. I need to be doing something, not sitting around with my thumbs up my arse.”

“Do you actually do that?” he asked with a saucy grin. “Because I’d like to see it.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “You’re such a dog.” Literally. “Seriously, I can’t take much more of this.”

“Then tell them you want to go back to work. Petition Her Majesty. She’ll probably side with you. She continued to run the country after Albert died.”

He had a point – one worth pursuing.

“I’ll talk to my father; maybe he’ll plead my case.”

Vex leaned back, stretching his arm across the top of the sofa. “Alpha trumps duke in aristocrat hierarchy. I’ll talk to her if you want.”

My surprise must have shown, because he took one look at my face and chuckled.

“You’d do that?” I asked. “But then she’ll know we’re … friends.”

“Oh, is that what they call it these days?” His grin softened the caustic edge of his words. “Call me old-fashioned, but I was of the notion that we were doing something they used to call ‘dating’, or, if you want to go back even further, ‘stepping out’.”

For what it’s worth, I loved the way he said “out” in that sexy brogue of his. “Fine. She’ll know we’re stepping out with one another.”

“I imagine it hasn’t escaped her notice, given that it’s already made the gossip rags.”

Another valid point. There was nothing left for me to say. “Thank you.”

His eyes shone with a vaguely golden sheen. “Come over here and thank me properly.”

It would have been ungrateful of me to refuse, so of course I did as he commanded. Snogging was fantastic for passing time, and Vex took my mind off everything else.

I might not be ready to put my entire life in his hands, but I trusted him. Part of me figured I didn’t have much choice. I had to trust someone, and so far he had been the one to share more of himself with me.

He went off to fetch us something to eat, and I went to my desk and started up my Ava. The logic engine immediately leapt to life when I flicked the power switch. I’d paid a lot of quid for the bloody thing, but I did appreciate her speed. I sat down as the main page for my Aethernet connection popped up, and typed ‘DUNCAN MACLAUGHLIN DEATH’ into the search bar. I hit the return key and waited.

Two seconds later I was reading a news story about the murder. I’d gotten lucky that it mentioned Vex in it as the one who found the body, because Duncan hadn’t gone by MacLaughlin, but Fraser, which I assumed was his mother’s name. The article referred to him as Vex’s ward. He hadn’t seemed embarrassed about the boy, so why not give him his name? Was it so people wouldn’t know the truth about Duncan’s conception? The contract between aristo and courtesan was considered a marriage of sorts, giving legitimacy to each halvie born under it. Duncan wouldn’t have that.

The article didn’t leave anything out, and came with accompanying photograph of a blood-soaked sheet covering a body on
damp cobblestones. Vex stood in the background. The anguish on his face was all the proof I needed.

In fact, I wished I hadn’t seen it.

If Ophelia had been taken for experiments, and Duncan had been killed, why had I led such a relatively safe life? Was it because I had the advantage of being half-vampire rather than half-were? Or was it just dumb luck?

Or, was it as Dede suggested and I was special? I couldn’t believe that. I’d know if I was special, wouldn’t I?

Vex walked in just as I finished the article. I didn’t want him to see it, so I clicked on the exit box. He glanced at the screen as he set a tray of food on the coffee table. “It’s all right. I know that article by heart.”

“I …” what was the right thing to say here? “I didn’t want to make you see it again. I hope you’re not offended that I looked him up.”

“Of course not. Can I assume you believe me now?”

There was the slightest edge to his voice. The MacLaughlin didn’t like having his honour questioned. “I believed you before. I just wanted to see for myself. Everyone’s been telling me to find the truth for myself, so you can’t blame me.” Maybe that was a little defensive, but he would have done the same thing, I was certain.

He nodded, and his shoulders relaxed. “You’re right. I’m sorry, it’s just not the sort of thing I’d make up.”

“I’d hope not.” I got up from the desk and went to him. I put my arms around his lean waist and hugged him. After seeing the article I needed contact, and I reckoned he did too. We stood there for a long time, just holding each other.

A little while later we were finishing off a huge bowl of warm toffee pudding when the bell rang. I wasn’t terribly surprised to open the door and find my brother on the threshold, wearing his inspector face.

“We need to talk,” he stated, brushing past me. The late-afternoon sun hit me full in the face without his body there to block it. I winced as the brightness flooded my eyes. Bloody hell, that was blinding. I quickly closed the door.

“Talk about what?” I asked innocently, as I turned towards him, blinking away the spots dancing in front of my eyes.

“Let’s start with how your blood came to be on a murder victim.” Slowly, the inky splodge that was my brother came into focus. He stood with his legs braced, arms folded over the dark coat of his uniform. He looked menacing.

I arched a brow. “Should I assume the victim was Simon Halstead?” Just saying his name made my throat tight.

Val gave a curt nod. I shrugged. “He was doing blood work for me.”

“What sort?”

“None of your business.”

His shoulders heaved as he drew breath. “Xandy, this is a murder investigation. Everything about this man and your involvement with him is my business.”

“You’re supposed to be on bereavement leave.” I crossed my arms over my chest. It seemed I wasn’t the only one in my family who needed to keep busy. “Am I a suspect? Am I under arrest? Aren’t I a conflict for you? You shouldn’t even be here.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “You could be a suspect, yes. What sort of tests were you having him do, and where were you on Tuesday evening between six and eight?”

Between six and eight? That meant that whoever had taken Simon had kept him alive for between three and five hours after he called me. My stomach rolled at the thought of what had been done to him during that time. I had seen the results of some of it. Had he confided to his captors what he had found? Or had he taken my secrets to the grave?

“The tests were of a personal nature,” came Vex’s voice from behind Val. “And she was with me on Tuesday.”

Val turned. “No offence, my lord, but the questions were intended for my sister.”

Vex’s spine straightened. He was a fair bit taller than my brother – and much broader. “No offence, lad, but if the Yard knew you were here, investigating a case that involved one of your family members, you’d be reprimanded and most likely suspended.”

Brilliant. A pissing contest. Just what I needed. “I asked Simon to test me for any signs of mental illness,” I blurted. “And Vex is right, I was with him Tuesday night.” To be honest I couldn’t remember where the hell I’d been that night. I didn’t even know what day it was.

Dull red seeped into my brother’s cheeks. He never liked discussing emotions or anything that had to do with mental health.

I used his discomfort to my advantage. “With my mother and now Dede, it’s a valid concern, Val.” Amazing just how easily that lie rolled off my tongue.

He cast a sideways glance at Vex as he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “All right, all right. Are you okay, then?”

“Yeah,” I replied, shaking off the guilt. “Yeah. I’m good.”

Then my brother surprised me. He turned to Vex. “My lord, would you mind giving us a moment of privacy?”

I was about to chastise him for his rudeness, but Vex bowed his head. “Of course.” He turned and walked towards the kitchen. It wasn’t as though he couldn’t eavesdrop if he wanted.

“That was boorish,” I hissed when we were alone.

“I don’t care,” he shot back. “What the great ruddy hell is going on? As soon as that blood on Halstead was identified as yours, I was told to leave it alone and the entire thing was given over to Aristocrat Affairs. They put Churchill in charge.”

My stomach dropped. “Bugger.” Those were the big guns. They were strictly aristo business and aristo-run. They answered directly to the Queen. The only good part of this news was that Church was involved. He’d be calling next, no doubt. “I take it you’ve gone back to work, then?”

He ignored that, dark eyes boring into mine. “Tell me you’re working on something top secret. I really don’t want to think you’re involved in something so shady that Victoria’s right hand is watching you.”

“It’s neither,” I replied truthfully. He was legitimately worried for me, and I hated not being able to tell him everything. “Val, I don’t know what’s going on. Unless AA view me as a suspect, I can’t think of a reason for their involvement.”

“Really?” my brother challenged in a peevish tone. “You can’t think of one?”

“No.” I didn’t feel even a little bit guilty for lying to him. AA had taken him out of this, and I was going to keep him out of it. I had already lost Dede; I was not going to lose him too.

“Bugger.” Val ran a hand through his thick indigo hair. His gaze snapped back to mine. “You’re certain you’re not in trouble?”

I almost laughed. His tenacity made him a good inspector, but it was a pain in the arse right now. I jerked my head in a forced nod. “I’m certain.”

He looked relieved, so much so that I knew I would never be able to confide in him. He’d want to fix everything – and to Val that meant abiding by the rules and the laws. I had already broken several of each. He could never know about Dede, the goblins, Bedlam, Vex – any of it.

So I pushed aside my feelings of guilt as he kissed me on the forehead, and told myself I’d lied to him for his own good, to protect him. What he didn’t know about Simon couldn’t get him
in trouble. What he didn’t know about Dede couldn’t break his heart.

And what he didn’t know about me couldn’t get him killed.

My first night back to work was the Buckingham Palace Platinum Ball in celebration of the 175
^th
year of the Queen’s reign.

I had no illusions as to why I had been allowed to return to work. Vex had indeed gone to Queen Victoria on my behalf, and apparently Her Majesty did express admiration of my dedication to the Crown, but the simple fact remained that this celebration was incredibly high-risk as far as a human attack went. They needed all the protection they could get.

But if I was allowed back to work then Aristocrat Affairs couldn’t view me as much of a suspect in Simon’s murder. I wouldn’t be allowed within a hundred yards of the palace if I were.

Val was there as well. He wasn’t in uniform, but in evening clothes, greeting and screening the guests as they moved through the hounds, testing for silver and other weapons, even though most of the guests were halvies and aristos. There were a few humans in attendance, however – members of the human division of parliament. They’d be the ones I’d watch closely that night. I always watched them.

Val looked as surprised to see me as I was to see him. I handed him the Bulldog before I went through the detector, as was procedure. “You look nice,” he said when he gave the gun back to me.