Page 65 of Protecting his Secrets

“Aren’t we going to shower again?”

“Nope,” he yawned. “Too tired.”

“You’ll regret that in a couple of hours.”

“Probably.” Nick, however, didn’t move except to wrap himself around Malachi.

It took very little for him to fall asleep, even with the upset of the day, but it was probably because of the stress he’d been under, and before he slipped into sleep, he made a note to call his mum when he woke. Insomnia? What insomnia? When Nick was around, it seemed he didn’t struggle with sleeping.

Two hours later, when Nick’s phone alarm woke them, they unstuck themselves from each other and showered, bringing some pleasure to the bathroom as well. Malachi couldn’t get enough of him. Once they were dressed and ready to attempt to get back into Sec HQ—if Brett would let them—Malachi stood and stared down at his phone. He hadn’t wanted to check his emails, but he was a glutton for punishment.

For the second time that day, he wished he didn’t own an email address.

“I have another email.” Malachi sucked in a breath, not wanting to share it but knowing he needed to.

“What does it say?” Nick asked, coming to look over his shoulder.

Oh, my bad. Wrong brother.

****

Chapter 21

Nick

Nick stared at the words, trying to understand what they meant, but he couldn’t. What did they mean, the wrong brother? There weren’t any brothers at the castle, so what were they…? His thoughts stuttered to a stop. Malachi took the phone away, but the words were burnt into his retinas.

“Nick? Sit down.”

The words broke him from his fugue, and he pulled his phone from his pocket, dialling Jonah. He had two brothers. They had to be okay.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Jonah? Are you all right? Where are you?” Nick fired at him.

“Woah, bloody hell, Nick. Where’s the fire? I’m in France, remember? Work sent me here last week.”

Nick exhaled but didn’t settle. “Keep your eyes open, Jonah. Things are happening back here, and I need you to stay safe, okay?”

“Sure thing. Eyes open.”

When Nick had taken the job protecting the royals, he’d known there was a chance his family would be targeted in some way, so he’d prepared them right from the beginning. They had to make sure they were aware of their surroundings at all times, even more so since Eliza’s incident.

“What’s going on, Nick?”

“I can’t talk right now. I have to get hold of the others. Just stay safe, yeah?”

“Sure thing.”

He ended the call and dialled again. Rye’s phone rang and rang until it clicked to voicemail. He hung up and tried again. And a third time. “Come on. Pick up.” A fourth. “Where are you, Rye?”

Malachi rested his hand on Nick’s arm when he tried dialling a fifth time. “Let’s go ask Felix if he can find him.”

Nick let him lead him down the corridors to Sec HQ, all the while redialling his brother. Rye would nevernotanswer. Never. Images he didn’t want in his head filled it anyway, and he swallowed hard, hoping they didn’t come true. He couldn’t lose his brother. Any of his family.

“Have you found him?” he asked Felix when they entered, but the man looked at him, bewildered.

Malachi squeezed Nick’s hands. “We’ve not explained yet.”

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