Page 14 of Protecting his Secrets

Nick’s jaw dropped. “Right before Kean’s birthday?”

Brett shrugged. “The king thought it would be a good time to show him their human side, so to speak.”

“That’s one hell of an invitation,” Nick muttered.

“You’ll be sharing a suite with him just down from here. We don’t want to give him any chance of sneaking around, and this was the best option. Friday will be more laid back, getting to know Windsor Castle, so you’ll be giving him a tour and answering his questions, and then on Saturday, the king will have a meeting with him, and he will meet with some others if they agree. Sunday, he will have access to the grounds and house again, and then Monday, he’ll be heading home with hopefully higher opinions of us than he has now.”

Nick had taken all that information in, but he’d stuck on the first thing. “I’m sharing a suite with him!” He threw his hands wide. “Why not give me full access to killing the guy?”

Brett sighed, and Felix chuckled. “Nick, you’ll be fine. It’s four days, not the rest of your life.”

“Unless I kill him and end up behind bars.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll help you hide the body,” Felix said.

Brett glared at Felix, who snorted in response. “No bodies will need hiding. No lives are forfeited. No deaths will happen. You’ll be fine.” He rounded his desk and settled in his chair. “Now get home.”

Nick opened his mouth to complain again, but Brett turned his glare on him, so he swallowed it back. He grabbed his stuff and headed out of Sec HQ. Four days with Malachi! How the hell was he going to manage that? He was a fun-loving, easygoing guy mostly, but when someone messed with his people, he held a grudge. He muttered and grumbled the entire way home—or rather, his parents’ home. They’d invited him and the rest of them for dinner, and Nick had a feeling they were going to announce their next cruise. Since they retired, they’d beengoing on cruises several times a year. Some closer by, like Gran Canaria, and some further afield, like the Caribbean. Nick was jealous in some ways. He’d love to try a cruise, but he hadn’t got on one yet. Eventually, though. The pictures his parents took and the experiences they described sounded amazing. Maybe he’d take one after the debacle with Malachi.

He parked down the road from his parents’ house and locked the car. He knocked but let himself in as they were allowed to. Nick didn’t like the house being unlocked all the time, but his parents wouldn’t listen to his opinions about it. People weren’t as nice as they had been when his parents were younger, but he couldn’t get through to them. He just had to hope that the security measures he had put in place for them held up if they needed to.

“Mum! Dad! I’m here!”

“We guessed that, sweetheart.”

His mother, Rebecca, was in her early seventies and had a curly mop of grey hair framing her thin face. She didn’t mind growing older and was vocally happy about enjoying every year she had. She kept up with yoga and pilates but had stopped running after a fall in a park with no one being there to help. Despite her usual resilience, it had scared her, so she’d kept her activities within a building or closer to home after that.

He kissed her cheek. “Hi, Mum.”

Rebecca patted his cheek and smiled, her crooked front teeth peeking from behind her lips. “Hey, sweetheart. How was your day?” The reminder of what Brett had told him made him tense, and she noticed. “Bad, huh?”

“Not…bad as such,” he hedged. “Just…annoying.”

Rebecca frowned. “Annoying?”

He sighed. “I have an assignment I don’t particularly want, but…” He shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Tell me about it before everyone else gets here.” She headed for the kitchen, and Nick followed, poking his head quickly into the living room to wave at his dad before continuing to the hub of the house. “I’ll make you a coffee.”

“Can I have one, please, darling?” his dad shouted.

“Since when do I forget you?” his mum teased, rolling her eyes in Nick’s direction.

Nick loved the visible signs of love his parents showed daily. They weren’t stingy with their affection or their words, and it had shown Nick that it was okay to show those things, something he’d taken to heart with his friends and family. He showed his love for them every time he saw them. And when they asked for his help, he agreed without hesitation. Love was his language, and one day, he hoped he’d find someone to share his life with. One day.

“Sit down, sweetheart. What’s this assignment? If you can tell me, that is.”

His mother understood the necessity of his NDA and never pushed when he told her he couldn’t talk about some aspects of his job. That assignment, however, he could explain. It wasn’t public knowledge, but they also weren’t hiding it, Brett had told him.

“A reporter is coming to stay at Windsor for a few days, and I have to stay with him all the time he’s there. Even at night. I’m staying in a suite with him.” He sighed and thanked her when she brought his coffee over.

His mother said nothing for a moment but then raised her eyebrows. “And this is a problem, why?”

Nick inhaled. “Because it’s Malachi Sanders.” Rebecca pinched her lips together, and Nick shook his head. “It’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny, sweetheart. Let me take this in for your dad.” She disappeared, and Nick wrapped his hands around hismug, inhaling the roasted beans. His parents always bought the best coffee, some of which came from the different countries they’d visited.

Rebecca returned and settled beside him with her tea. “So, Malachi Sanders, eh? Does your boss know you’re more likely to kill the man?”

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